The Ultimate Book Binge

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If none of you have ever book binged before, whether it's a 350 page contemporary or two-book series, you need to live more. During a book binge, nothing else matters. For me, usually, I'll read some of the book and when I come back later, that's when I binge. I'll read the last half of the book in one sitting and feel a complete rush when I finish. I'll ride on that high until an hour later and realize that I'm not ready to read another book just yet.

But, you guys. THEN CAME HARRY POTTER.

And that's when I realized what book binging really was.

For 18 years, I never read or watched Harry Potter, not even a movie trailer (although I did see the first 10 seconds once when I was changing the channel on ABCFamily). I knew I would once I turned 18, but even when my birthday came and went, it wasn't the right time. Transitioning to college, not enough time, so nervous that I'd be the black sheep. I didn't want to be that girl who waited all these years and ended up in the depths of despair because I couldn't even get past the first book or finish the seven-book series.

My winter break was quickly closing and I realized I needed to start the series. I figured I would continue reading through spring semester and hopefully finish by the end of my first year at college.

I finished in nine days. From December 22nd to December 31st, I devoured this new world. In nine days, I finished the whole 7-book series plus a contemporary (Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn). I started and finished the Half-Blooded Prince and the Deathly Hallows* in one day. I made this Tumblr post about it afterwards.

(*Technically, I finished at around 2am the next day, but it was a continuous read and when I do that, I count that as "late" that night)

It was the biggest book binge I ever did and it was exhausting, but exhilarating. 

Since this is 2015, almost everyone (especially in the bookish community) has read Harry Potter. So you all know how long those books are hi Order of Phoenix. But most importantly, you know how great it is to be in that world. 

I haven't been living under a rock so even before I read the series, I knew who the characters were. I knew most of the plot points. However, here's most of my major reactions for things as I cashed in my Harry Potter virgin card.

1. Hermoine Granger is the most wonderful character ever. She's even better in the later books when Ron becomes more of a jerk and Harry has his moments. She continually saves them and voices reason. You do you, Hermoine.

2. Quirrell was a surprise.

3. The characters had a lot of stupid moments, but characters tend to do that so I tried to brush it off.

4. I have such mixed reactions for Hermoine and Ron. On the one hand, I don't like them together because I feel that Hermoine can do way better. On the other, how can you NOT ship Hermoine and Ron? I'm such a sucker for friend-turned-lover relationships.

5. Hermoine's "I don't want to be second place" line during her screaming match with Ron is one of my favorite romance tropes.

6. There was one death I didn't know about ahead of time and when I found out before I actually read it, I FELT ALL THE RAGE. That's not even right.

7. However, there was also a death that I knew about, but didn't know how it was supposed to work out because of all the issues involved.

8. I never realized how much I'd love Dumbledore, especially when he sheds a tear and explains his whole thought process with Harry. Dumbledore rocks.

9. I knew Snape's history, but I loved his flashback so, so much.

10. And then Harry with the stone and his mom and IT WAS TOO MUCH.

11. I finished the Deathly Hallows at around 2am, remember, but I felt all the feels when finishing.

I'M TRYING, SNAPE

Verdict: I am a Potterhead. 

Now I need to go back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal so I can experience it with a new perspective and a deep appreciation and understanding. Because the first time I went, my eyes almost popped out when my middle school friends said they wanted to get butterbeer and my naive self thought it was actually alcohol. Oh, how naive I was. 

I've already started the second half of the Harry Potter journey by starting the movies and will mourn the day I'm officially done.