Group Read 📖

[Rita Smile]

I reordered them! I wanted the hardcovers because they came in a trunk but they were out of stock

I was really thinking about gifting you that exact things the other night.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Voting closes in a few days. Don't forget to vote!!

 

[November Albertson]

My vote is on the sorcerer's stone, as I'm American and that's the copy I got But I started rereading them two summers ago and I would enjoy picking up on it again where I left but I do love the first book and the amazing story that unfolded from there

 

[Evangelia Seong]

Just a side note but I've got legitimately pretty bad ADD and so I definitely recommend Stephen Fry's audiobooks (free to stream) to anyone who can't get through a page without having to read it again twice in order for it to make any sense . Also it helps to read along and listen at the same time!

(Also my vote is for the Philospher's Stone b/c it might give me an excuse to buy the illustrated edition)

 

[Elliot Briar]

I can't believe they stole our idea...

https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-boy-who-lived

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Yeah, I'd started working on my first post and just included this because I'd gotten an email about it. Very cool that they are also doing a re-read like we thought to do.

 

[Nicolas King]

I can't believe they stole our idea...

https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-boy-who-lived

Great minds think alike.

And is there ever a reason not to reread some HP?

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Voting for Philosopher's Stone cause Daph sent me a Dutch version a few months ago and I've never gotten more than a page into it but I rly need to practice my Dutch :X

 

[Emori Pourroulis]

Can’t we just reread them all?

Edit: would have to read them online seeing as all of mine are in my childhood home...in a different hemisphere

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

My books were apparently delivered but I haven't received them yet
So I may have to resort to reading an e-version of whichever book wins while I try and figure out what's happened.

 

[Emori Pourroulis]

I’ve also voted for Philosopher’s Stone because I distinctly remember that when I started reading it I attempted to rewrite every page of the book by hand just to have another copy, and I didn’t mind it as I love writing anyway My brother told me off for doing it so I had to stop

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

And the winner is...the first book! Looks like we're going back to the beginning y'all! Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.

We have done a re-read of this book before way back in 2015, but I'm looking forward to re-reading again. I get something new from the books every time I re-read, and other than the first post there, I haven't re-read any of the comments though I probably will when we're done.

I'm hoping that we can officially begin our re-read on Friday, May 8th to give participants the time to find their books. I'll be posting related articles, fun links, and my own thoughts about this book and encourage you all to do the same!

As has been mentioned, the audio version of the first book is available, free to stream on sites like Audible and possibly through your local library. And Kris linked us to the reading done by Daniel Radcliffe. It's also available on Spotify for those who have that.

I'll start us off with a question until the re-read begins! How did the first book get into your hands?

I actually got the book as a re-gift from my sister who won it in a Christmas raffle. She originally told me she bought it for me, but I recently found out the truth. Sisters, amirite? I remember reading it over the Christmas break and then promptly forgetting about the series (didn't know it was one ) until the fourth book came out and I received that book as a present from my grandmother. I read that one and then had to dig out my first book again to re-read.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

My dad bought me the first two books together when I was... about six or seven? I don't remember the context, they might have been a birthday present or just a random book he thought I would like, but whatever the case I absolutely devoured the first book (I was a precocious reader) and got most of the way through the second by the time the third had come out. The basilisk scared me too much to keep going, but my dad wouldn't buy me the third one until I had finished the second, so I remember lying and making up an ending to the second book so he would buy me the third, so I could check Harry was alright before finishing the second book

 

[Stefan Archer]

I don't remember when the books came into my house, I'm almost certain they were my sisters first so I certainly commandeered them, but I didn't read them until just after the fourth book came out. My sister was/is obsessed with harry potter, so I likely read them because she did.

 

[Amber Chou Wilson]

I read the first two books after seeing the movies, though I don't remember where I got them. I assume my parents bought them for me. I still have my original dutch copies

I won't be participating in the group read because I'm busy (rip) and read the book very recently, but I can probably still discuss it because I read the first book so many times that I pretty much remember everything that happens in it.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

My first Harry per book was the fourth one. I had it as a gift from an auntie for my 7th birthday. I can remember my mum trying to read it to me as a bedtime story but never getting past the first chapter (the first chapter of the goblet our fire was really quite dark) but she then bought the first one for Me to give to my dad for his birthday. Which we read, and then the first three add a box set for Christmas.
i must Amit I did ship the first chapter of the fourth book for years afterwards

 

[Samantha Jacobs]

So my first harry potter book i got was Order of the Phoenix - I got that from a family friend. But the books are more of the recent looking ones. I then got the first four books a year later for my birthday - from my grandparents. All five of them are the new looking ones. I sadly don't have the whole collection though which I really want, but don't really have the money for at the moment lol

But I'm so excited to read it, because its been a long while since i read it

Spoiler: Here is an example of the cover im talking about lol

 

[Hezekiah Mowry]

I was in middle school when I started reading them. I ended up checking them out from the school library one at a time as a read. But I did buy the first two books at the nostalgic Scholastic book fair after I had read them.

EDIT: all my childhood books have since been lost, but I recently got the first HP book again from a free neighborhood hood take and leave box!

 

[Daisy Parker-Taylor]

I thought the books were the lamest until I saw the second movie. I also saw a book at Church called "Hogwarts or Hogswash?" And it intrigued me so much that I started reading the books and fell in love (sorry Church, your plan backfired). I then lent my sister's book to a friend, who LOST IT and so I finally ordered myself another one which I lost??? And these were both the first books???? Like I don't know why it was only those ones. Anyways, I got the Hufflepuff version for Christmas a year or so ago

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

I don't remember exactly how I got my first books, but I definitely remember reading them for the first time. They came out in 1997 the first book, so I didn't read it until I was about six or so and by then the second and third books had come out too and then it was a case of love at first sight. My mum and I used to read them together, my dad didn't read them until the series had completely finished as he was worried he'd get into it and then JK Rowling would die (it's happened to a couple of his fave series after all) and then he read them all in about two weeks, which was pretty good for a man who's not a huge reader of fiction books.

 

[Skylar Anderson]

I had actually never read the books until about 4/5 months ago! My friend had contsantly wanted me to read them but I was traumatised from accidently walking in on the scene with Ron's boggart spider (Prisoner of Azkaban) when my brothers were watching the movie. So I was convinced the whole series was really scary and it didn't help that the next time I decided to give the movies a go I walked in on the scene with the Dementors... just my luck. I eventually read the first book a few months ago after running out of books to read and the library being closed for the weekend or something, and then I fell in love with them (as cliche as that may sound) and now I regret not reading and properly discovering Harry Potter earlier...

And sadly I don't own my own books yet, but I'm planning on getting the German version for Christmas so I can practice the language (though I doubt I'll get past page 2) and hopefully the English ones on my next birthday.

 

[Willow Cullen]

I have now got my library card to work. and have downloaded the audio version of the book in danish. and have baught Harry potter og Vises Sten on my kindle. let's see how far i make it. before i resort back to english

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Happy Group Read Day!!
​

Has anyone started reading? I did but am only a few pages in. I've just finished work though so I'm going to get to reading soon.

I'm not quite that far - still in chapter one - but one of my initial thoughts was that I wondered how many people were brought into the ministry for breaking the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in the days following the day Mr. Dursley and probably many more people noticed these strangely dressed people? Or do you think the ministry's priority was elsewhere? Any guesses? He's obviously better than most at noticing what he considers to be 'strange' people, but it seems that hiding magic was not on the top of anyone's agenda on that day. I'd think that guy who told Mr. Dursley that 'you-know-who' was gone and called him a 'muggle' probably got at least a letter. If it was up to McGonagall, I think they would've anyway.

Also, I remember when I first read about the 'put-outer' I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. I think one of my favorite parts of the series is the interesting ways magic is used, both in potions and in inventions like this one. And the magical creatures...and quidditch. Ok, I like a lot about the books.

Tell me your thoughts! I'll probably have more of them when I actually finish chapter one.

If anyone hasn't already seen, chapter two of the Pottermore re-read is out.

 

[Stefan Archer]

I'm a little further in, but I really enjoyed the first chapter. I also thought the very obvious wizards in the muggle world pretty fun.

I also thought Mr Dursley in the chapter was really interesting - like he's the one who notices things and tries to approach Mrs Dursley to find out about why things are weird. The put-outer was fun, given the way it eventually comes back in the last book. It's been a while since I read the book and it's interesting to see the way Dumbledore is in this book compared with how he becomes. I've been really enjoying it so far.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

So I'm slowly plugging along and am in Chapter two now. Good thing is it's giving anyone who's been thinking of joining but hasn't yet, the chance to! Has anyone listened to either of the chapter reads? I think I will this evening now that I've read both chapters myself.

There was another cool invention in chapter one though before I move on - Dumbledore's planet watch! Isnt it interesting that none of the clocks in the series specifically tell us time but still sort of do? Because it was telling Dumbledore something. How do you think it works? Do you think he's reading the planetary alignments or something else?

The second chapter always upsets me because the Dursleys are just terrible people. Bleh.

And again with the folks risking breaking the statute as the chapter ends.