7 Hours & Change...

...that's how long it took me to read Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows today.

Some of you are aware that I have a 2 year old & a 6 year old and are now wondering how in the world I carved out 7 hours to read. Ah, but you are unaware that I had to go to officiate an out-of-town wedding without my family & thus had lots of time on my hands.

Enough time, in fact, to join the line outside the Paso Robles, CA, Wal-Mart right around midnight last night in order to pick up a copy. I read for 3 hours (until I was having trouble concentrating on the story), went to bed, woke up around 8 am and kept reading until right around noon. (Such is the joy of having a hotel room to yourself.) Then, because I am a connoisseur of fine culture, I watched the American Gladiators marathon on ESPN Classic while I got ready for the wedding.

Some (NON-SPOILER) thoughts on the book:

• It made me cry - two or three different times. Some sad, some happy. (Man, am I over-invested in these fictional characters or what?)
• It's the darkest (appropriately) of the series... while there isn't anything in here that kids wouldn't here and/or see on network TV, it's still not for the youngest 'Arry Potter fans.
• It's going to make a stunning movie in a couple of years - there are some amazing set pieces (action sequences) that will be overwhelming on the screen.
• Don't wait for them to make this into a movie - each book the films have been able to get less & less of the story onto the screen... and this one has more stuff "stuffed" into it than all but Goblet of Fire. You should read this one.
• In fact, you should read all of them... more on that tomorrow when I post my Grapevine (church newsletter column) from this week.

Do everyone else a favor - no spoiler comments in the comments, OK?! (And congratulations, Josh & Crystal - "Mwarriage. Mwarriage is what brings us together today. Mwarriage that blessed arrangement. That dreawm within a dreawm...")