Kansas City Star

For once, the buzz is about a book

"Today is a special day for millions of Americans.

First and foremost, it’s a milestone for Harry Potter fans, who will finally pore over Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in a series about an orphaned wizard who must face an evil that’s been trailing him most of his life.

But it’s also an important day for readers everywhere.

Today, the buzz is about a book. Not a summer blockbuster movie, or a new pop singer, but a book.

No other series of books in my lifetime has gotten the kind of attention or loyal following as Harry Potter. That its popularity rivals movies is a big step for writers and readers everywhere..."

"...Such anticipation led me to join a Harry Potter fan club in Kansas City (look for it at Meetup.com).

We meet at restaurants to talk about the books; have barbecues and chat about random things in our lives; and play Harry Potter trivia games (I won, along with my husband, the Hufflepuff).

Such is our obsession that we’ve taken quizzes that assign us into school houses, much like dorms, that exist at the wizarding school Hogwarts in the books. There are four: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

The release of the sixth book can’t change all that, of course. We’ll still be fans..."

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