Why I haven't read Harry Potter yet...

I love books.  I love to just escape into a story.  Sometimes a little too much. 

I remember when I was growing up and my mother was sick, not having been diagnosed with MS yet.  Her doctors thought she was literally crazy and put her on the mental health unit of the hospital.  I remember her telling me that the doctor asked her how much she read (both my parents are also avid readers) and he told her he thought that he thought she had problems separating reality from fiction.  It was total BS, she was genuinely ill, but I can see how some people can have that problem. 

When I get into a book, it sometimes borders on obsession.  And series are the worst for me.  It's even more time spent getting to know this fictional character and when the book ends, or - even worse - the series ends, I'm all like, "wait!  I miss you!" and feel all mopey because it's over.

I may possibly be crazy.  My mother is not, but I wouldn't be surprised if I were.

I missed the boat with the whole Harry Potter craze.  When the first few books came out, I dismissed them because I'm not into wizards and whatnot.  My little sister has every one of the books, and I recently started to think maybe I'd read them.  Why not see what the hoopla is all about?  I haven't actually sat down to watch any of the movies, either.  That should come as no surprise since I rarely watch movies anyway.

But I still haven't gotten around to asking for the books, so I started The Hunger Games trilogy.

And now I think I might push off reading Harry Potter for a while longer.

I was so into these books that they have literally left me an emotional wreck.  I'm kind of embarrassed by the way I've acted today because I finished the series and it was so devastating.  Actual tears were shed... not while reading the books, although it was close.... but hours after the fact.  I had to get away and just let myself cry like a baby for these people in this book.  It's ridiculous.  It's really taken me all day to get a grip on myself.

I may not have read Harry Potter, but I have heard enough about the books to know I'd be getting into the same thing... getting attached to characters and something terrible happening to them.  I can't do that to myself again for a while.

Luckily, it's not always like that.  I've read all the Stephanie Plum series so far, and to be honest, I think it's past time for that series to end.  I enjoyed them up until the past two or three and it's like the same story over and over.  Sookie Stackhouse.... I'm glad there are only 2 more of those left because it's getting old, too.  Plus, these people go through way too much death and destruction to be able to be functioning human beings.  They should be in straight jackets by now. 

I think I need something warm and fuzzy to read right now, though.  Something without blood or death or tragedy.  Go dig out a Ramona Quimby book or something.  I actually do have a Junie B. Jones book that we haven't gotten around to yet.... Man, I love Junie.