Nine Days and Counting...

The Harry Potter craze is certainly ramping up around here. If you've been in the store lately, you've noticed our HP countdown standees everywhere, as well as our fine selection of magic-themed books, candy, wands, hats, scarves, and more -- I sometimes think it looks as if Hogwarts exploded all over our back entranceway.

As with any craze that rolls around, a part of me can't help thinking, "Enough already!" But a bigger part of me is excited about all the Harry Potter hoopla. Some of it's personal, as I enjoy both the books and the films. But it's even more exciting on a professional level to be working in the industry that's providing millions of people with the pleasure of reading the climactic adventure of Harry Potter. (And it's literally millions: worldwide, the initial printings of book seven total 12 million copies.) I've been selling books for over twenty years, and I have never seen anything close to the anticipation readers have for this book. Every person for whom I write up a special order for HP7 wants to tell me why they want the book and how they can't wait to get it home and read it. People worldwide are going crazy over a book! It does my heart good.

Check out our website for information on the special events we have planned for the night before and the morning of the release of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. Oh, and breaking news! Dirty Spanglish, one of the bands performing at our gala next Friday night, has written a new song just for the occasion: "Hot For Hermione"! You heard it here first.