Why did we start reading the books?

[Allison]

No: HPFGUIDX 22434

> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Sheryll Townsend <s_ings at y...> wrote:
> > > MmeBurgess at a... wrote:
> > > 
> > > So, I'm just curious as to how/why/how long
> > other people read the series.  Does anyone have any
> > really cool story? I know mine is not, I just happen
> > to love books and got hooked.

Mine is not the most exciting story, but oh well.

My aunt was reading the books, and she got my grandmother to also.  
My grandma had PoA in her car, and (this was in November, I think) I 
thought, "Hey, I've heard of that book," so I picked it up and 
started reading it out of boredom.  I remember thinking there were 
worse books out there, but then thought no more of it.

My father saw me reading the book, and so for Christmas got me the 
first three.  (That's how he is about books.)  I'm a present shaker, 
and so I knew I was getting them (3 books, all in the same paper and 
with duct tape [my father's way of wrapping], one paperback and two 
hardcovers - it wasn't hard to figure out).  

I thought the books would be stupid, but I read SS anyway.

After that, there was no turning back.  I've been hooked ever since.

I was too embarrassed to go buy GoF at the store, so I ordered it 
from Amazon and had it delivered to my house the first day, where I 
spent the entire day reading it.

A friend told me about bored.com, which has lots of links to weird 
and fun sites.  Back then, I got on the internet maybe once a week.  
Bored.com put up a link to ffn.net, and the little description 
advertised HP fanfiction.  I must have stared at that link for two 
weeks before daring to click on it.  

That was February or March, and since then I've even taken up writing 
fanfiction.  People (mainly my mother) were always at me to try 
writing something because nearly every teacher I've ever had keeps 
saying I'm an excellent writer, but I just never wanted to until I 
discovered fanfiction.  

I could go on and on about how my writing has improved drastically 
(though there are still tons of better fanfiction authors out there 
*sigh*) and how I even quit watching TV for the most part, preferring 
to be on the computer, and how I found this place through all the 
authors that mentioned it, and how all my friends (who I can't get to 
read the books, try though I might) think I'm obsessed, but I won't.

Suffice it to say that the wonderful world of Harry has changed 
everything.  I now find myself comparing real life and/or movies, TV, 
and other books to the HP books - I can't tell you how many time I 
sat in chemistry class and thought, "Even _Potions_ would be better 
then this."  Or when I see a random person walking down the street, 
and I'll think, "Hey, he looks kinda like Harry!"  Or I'll be 
watching TV, and think, "That's like that scene from SS/CoS/PoA/GoF."

I'm now officially obsessed (53% last time I took the quiz), and 
can't imagine it any other way.

Allison

________________

"They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably.  "Ah 
yes, I can see the plugs.  I collect plugs," he added to Uncle 
Vernon.  "And batteries.  Got a very large collection of batteries.  
My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are."

    - Arthur Weasley, GoF