Thanks to everyone who came out for this. It was particularly great to be on mic with (and meet) Kyle and Zarban, both of whom had great stuff to say, and thanks to Eddie for the great food, Holden for holding the whole thing Atlas-like on his shoulders, Spork for the moral support and Cloe for permitting the invasion and occupation. I hope I acquitted myself well and honored the event and a franchise close to my heart. I felt like I did but it's all a blur. PHOENIX may very well be a collection of barks and whistles.

Books                                                        Films
1) Deathly Hallows                                  1) Prisoner of Azkaban
2) Prisoner of Azkaban                            2) Deathly Hallows Part 1
3) Half-Blood Prince                                 3) Half-Blood Prince
4) Order of the Phoenix                           4) Order of the Phoenix
5) Goblet of Fire                                       5) Chamber of Secrets
6) Chamber of Secrets                             6) Goblet of Fire
7) Philosopher's Stone                             7) Philosopher's Stone
                                                                 8) Deathly Hallows Part 2

Azkaban was my #1 book until Deathly Hallows. The final book brings everything in for a landing and absolutely sticks it. The final film by contrast makes a complete hash of it. The buildup to the battle is great, but the battle itself and the complete failure to resolve the mystery plot or have the final confrontation be anything more than the magical equivalent of a knife fight... I mean, it was all there, right on the page. How you fuck that up when someone already figured it out for you is beyond me.

It certainly can happen. One of the reasons I was so taken with Breaking Bad was the fact that they were quite openly making it up as they went and yet managed to frequently make things feel like they were coming full circle.

moar info plz

Also congrats. 

I was surprised in the interviews by how common it is for the honeymoon to be over with the GOBLET OF FIRE film. I thought that was just me.

I started reading them in college while studying English literature, and fell in love easily.

The Potter books are like the (former) view of Pixar. They're not the most important books ever written, nor the best ever. But they're still goddamn good. They're fun, entertaining, and imaginative, accessible to all ages and as Trey said surprisingly mature and dark when the situation warrant. They tell a universal story and don't shy away from the tough questions, nor give easy answers. When the good guys fail they suffer devastating consequences, and sometimes their failure is self-inflicted. They're not "safe," always-reassuring books, but they're honest, and that's thrilling. Not to mention being a masterclass in long-game plotting.

First I will say, you ought to read the books before you see the movies. The movies cut out a lot of the personality of the books, but give you just enough of the plot to completely ruin all the surprises.

The mythology and world building are really fun and interesting, but the thing that really knocks people's socks off is the fact that it's not a series about "some misadventures" and "periodic throwdowns" with the villain. The first couple of books feel that way. It seems like the books are just going to be mystery-of-the-week where Harry and the Scooby gang thwart the villain once again, until the next installment, and that it could go indefinitely.

In the third book that all changes. It becomes apparent that these aren't episodic stories. They're all part of a single story, a seven-volume epic mystery, with clues for book seven laid as early as book one.

Just read them. The first two books you could do in a couple of days. They're okay, amusing but not astounding, but you have to read them because they're important to the overall story. Power through to the third. Most people are hooked by the third.

Watch CHAMBER again. That's what it does there, too. It blows Lockhart back but his wand stays in his hand.

Lots of stuff coming out that needs doing. MAN OF STEEL and WORLD'S END just dropped too. We'll have a nice lineup post-Potter.