J.K. Rowling once had an idea about a boy who grew up not knowing who he really was. Strange things would happen around Harry from time to time and he wouldn't understand them. One time, while visiting the zoo with his wicked aunt, uncle, and cousin, he even talked to a snake... and the snake talked back.

Fast forward 7 years...

Death Eaters run Hogwarts. Severus Snape (murderer of Albus Dumbledore) is the school's headmaster. The evil Lord Voldemort seems to be in control of everything and everyone. There is no escape.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron are in hiding. There is nothing they can do about the malicious and torturous punishments students are receiving at their beloved school. In this, their 7th year, they have dropped out of Hogwarts so that they can follow Dumbledore's orders and destroy the remaining Horcruxes that contain the shattered pieces of Voldemort's soul.

Sounds difficult, right? Oh man... you don't know the half of it.

Deathly Hallows is a novel that does not ignore its title. This is not your carefree Sorcerer's Stone. In fact, it doesn't even come close. The body count in Deathly Hallows is extraordinary. Just when you think you're through mourning one character, something, from seemingly out of nowhere, destroys another and you are again left with the awful realization that absolutely no one is safe.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione are losing faith. Harry doesn't have a plan and they seem to be wandering clueless into danger wherever they go. There are Death Eaters around every corner. Voldemort's bone chilling reach is everywhere. Is it any wonder that the strain and the incredible weight of their unknowable mission is causing the trio's once unbreakable friendship to weaken? Each turn of every page seems to be heavier and heavier as you fall head-first and weepy into this non-stop, unrelenting fantasy of heroes, villains, and death.

But wait... look at Harry. He is a man now. In fact, he is more than a man. He is an accomplished wizard who has defeated Voldemort more times than he will even admit to himself. Harry sees people for who they are and he respects the good in everyone. Harry stands up for friends, he fights for love, and he is constantly learning and striving to be better.

It took me a long time to accept the Harry Potter craze. I've commented on this before. However now, having read the entire series, I can honestly say that before coming on board, I was, as Ron would say, a "git." These books are magic. They embody all the facets of what makes a story a classic: good, evil, love, hate, quests, journeys, soul-searching, you name it--it's all there.

And the writing ... Rowling has outdone herself in this final book. The writing in Deathly Hallows is so good that I actually had to re-read sentences, paragraphs, and yes, even entire chapters just so I could re-live the joy and suffering of her words as they brushed one another gracefully, carefully, and ever-so-passionately. Harry Potter's final adventure is a sheer masterpiece. It will make any reluctant reader an enthused one and it will remind every enthused reader why they first fell in love with literature in the first place.

True dat.

Oh, and one final note, today is J.K. Rowling's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.K.!!

She has said time and time again that she will never return to the Harry Potter series. I believe her. The way it is now, these seven books that form one, complete epic saga could not and should not be tampered with. It's perfect the way it is. However, I do eagerly anticipate J.K.'s next book. Whatever it will be, it will inevitably be unfairly judged against Harry Potter. I only hope I will be able to separate the two.

Now that we no longer have Harry to look forward to, whatever will we do? Read on, my dear Muggle friends.

Read on.

We've been waiting for 18 years, and The Simpsons movie is here! And nothing embiggins the summer--nay, a lifetime--with joy like finally seeing the beloved Springfieldians on the silver screen. Is it going to be a satirical masterpiece filled with hilarious quotes like the episodes of old, or will it be silly and nonsensical like the episodes of today? Will it leave viewers saying "Meh," or will it be the best ... movie ... ever?

OK, I know you're thinking that this is a blog about reading and writing, so why am I writing about the Simpsons? Well, not only is The Simpsons a pop-culture phenomenon, but the show has parodied many great novels. It's also featured the voice talents of some awesome authors, such as Stephen King, Helen Fielding, J.K. Rowling, Tom Wolfe, and Gore Vidal.

And as a special treat ... mmmmm, treat ... for all of you Simpsons fans out there, here is an interview with director David Silverman.

Word: For years, there have been rumors of a Simpsons movie. Why now?

Silverman: It's actually been in the works for some time, but we didn't have the man power. Some screenplays just take a long time.

Word: What does a director for an animated feature do?

Silverman: A director for animation does the same as the director for a live action movie. You talk to the animators, which isn't too different from how you talk to the actors. You are also in charge of blocking, which is figuring out where a character goes in the shot. Part of my job is saying where we're going. You have to make a decision at every step of the way. As a director, you have to choose the direction of the film. I’ve also been sitting with the writers and working with rewriting. At that time, I come up with other ideas.

Word: Do the voice actors record together? Which is done first, the voice recordings or the animation?

Silverman: Sometimes we have as many as four actors in at once. But the voice recordings are first. You don't want to hamstring the actors, and the animation restricts them. The animation is inspired by the actors. The way the performers act affects the staging.

Word: Did you go to school to learn to be an animator and director?

Silverman: I went to the University of Maryland and then to UCLA to study it, and I got into all the aspects of animation.

Word: Did you do any of the animating for this movie?

Silverman: I didn't have the time. I'd be a little rusty animating for the movie.

Word: Why was this movie made as a cartoon instead of live action or CGI?

Silverman: We didn't make it live action because we actually wanted people to see it. Doing a CG movie would change the Simpsons universe. They would become different characters. The Simpsons are hand drawn. Almost every other cartoon you see today is made on a computer. We send some of the scenes to be animated overseas in Korea, but for the movie a lot more was animated here. The bulk of it is here.

Word: How do you know if a joke for the movie is still funny after hearing it over and over?

Silverman: You just know it's funny. Sometimes I hear jokes in old episodes that I wrote years ago and they are still funny.

Word: Do you worry about the movie living up to the fans' expectations?

Silverman: We want to make sure all the jokes work. We want to live up to everyone's expectations--and our own. We know fan expectations are high, and so are ours.

Word: If people could only see one movie this summer, why should they see The Simpsons?

Silverman: I hope they can see more than one movie! Well, tell them it'll be a very funny, enjoyable, visual ride.

Word: Can you tell us anything about the plot of the movie? Any secrets you want to spill?

Silverman: As the movie gets closer, I'm sure we'll let some cats out of the bag. But right now, that bag is sealed.

We all love reading here. (Well, I'm going to assume we all do. After all, what would you be doing reading a reading and writing blog if you didn't? However, you know what they say about assuming ...) That love of reading often goes hand in hand with buying a lot of books, which consequently get left all over the house. I, for example, recently added to my chick lit collection with two more books, Something Borrowed and Something Blue, both by Emily Giffin. Don't judge me!

Anyway, sometimes buying books gets out of hand. Suddenly, you have more books than you know what to do with. (OK, so you know what to do with them. You read them. I meant you don't know where to store them. Sheesh!) This happened to John Puchniak from Pennsylvania. Puchniak is a bookstore owner who took his love of books to the extreme, and amassed 3,000 of them. And then his house was condemned.

Apparently, having 3,000 books sitting around your house is a fire hazard. Who would've thunk it?

Well, Puchniak is now living in a hotel and is trying to get the city to let him move back into his home.

Now, I love books as much as the next person, but there is a limit. I'm sure Puchniak hasn't even looked at some of his books in years, so how about donating some of them?

I mean really, who has that many books anyway? ...

Besides a library, of course.

A disgruntled writer and Jane Austen-aficionado recently conducted an experiment to see if the classic writer could get published here in 2007. According to the UK's Guardian Newspaper, David Lassman, the director of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, sent slightly modified versions of the first two chapters of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey to major book publishers. Lassman changed the titles of the books and names of main characters, but left the plot details the same. Then the rejections piled up and seemingly, only one publisher out of 18 spotted the ruse.

Lassman told the Guardian, "I was staggered. Here is one of the greatest writers that has lived, with her oeuvre securely fixed in the English canon and yet only one recipient recognised them as Austen's work."

After reading this article, I started thinking about the nature of publishing. Interestingly, the people reading manuscripts for these publishers did not recognize Austen's nor did they think they could publish it. I've always leaned toward reading modern fiction rather than classics (with notable exceptions). Language and art evolves with time and people. So I do understand why dear Jane may have slipped under the radar. Those people were busy looking for the next bestseller, which most likely will be a lot different than Austen. And yet, I think to a well-worn copy of Northanger Abbey that I purchased in a Cambridge bookstore, which currently gathers dust on a shelf at home. Austen did pave the way for the new masters I so enjoy. Ah, it's probably time to give dear Jane another try.

What do you think?

Muggles, the wait is over--Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is here, casting a spell on readers all over the world. And 8.3 million copies were sold on the first day. 

In other Harry Potter news, even though millions and millions of copies of The Deathly Hallows have been sold, apparently the book will not be on the New York Times's best sellers list. It is technically a children's book, and there's some rule that children's books can't be on the list. There was also an argument that the Harry Potter books were hogging the list and no other books could get on it. Well, no one likes a list hog, but come on! Shouldn't a best seller be on the best seller list? Are you outraged, or are you too busy reading to care?

So anyway, what do you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Was it worth the wait, or was it the equivalent to Christmas morning? (You know, you're excited for days, weeks, even months before the big day. Then you open your presents and play with your new toys for a little while before the novelty wears off and you start figuring out your plans for New Years.) Are you glad to finally know what happened, or are you just relieved that people will stop referring to you as a 'Muggle'? Does Harry die? Oh wait, don't tell me. I haven't had a chance to read it yet--or any of the Harry Potter books for that matter--but I'm definitely going to one of these days.

And even if you are sad that this is the last Harry Potter book, you can be happy about one thing: the end of all the wizard and magic-related puns! That is, until the next movie comes out ...

I don't know how you people did it. I honestly don't. I just finished The Half-Blood Prince about half an hour ago and already I'm on pins and needles here in sweaty-toothed anticipation of tomorrow. How on earth have you slept these past couple of years? How will I sleep tonight? Wow.

The Half-Blood Prince was by far the best book in the series (with The Goblet of Fire coming in a very close second). What a story! I'm not going to review it here because, well, first of all, I'm two years too late for that. But more importantly, if you're one of the few Muggles out there who have yet to read it, there's really nothing I can tell you expcept: READ IT! Well... read the other five books first, of course. Every single thing you've heard about their greatness is true. The hype is real.

"I am not worried, Harry. I am with you."

Do you remember those words? Dumbledore spoke them gently to his favorite pupil as they came out of the cave together. They resonate with me.

So tonight, I will sleep. And tomorrow, I will wake, and go pick up The Deathly Hallows. Then I will drive to New Hampshire and spend the next week on the lake, reading the final installment in J.K. Rowling's brilliant, heart-wrenching, beautiful, magical series. For the first time, I'll be sharing this experience with readers everywhere. Up until this moment, I have been behind in the game. But no more. I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere, except with you and Harry, to once and for all defeat the evil Lord Voldemort.

It's really a great feeling to know that you'll be reading the same words as countless other people around the world tomorrow isn't it? How often does this happen? Not as often as it should. We're all going to be connected through Harry. We're all going to share his experiences one last time, together. I'm going to be thinking about you all when I crack the book open for the first time tomorrow. And then... well, then...

I will not be afraid. I will not worry. Because I will be with Harry. As will you, dear friends.

Happy reading.

2 days till the last Harry Potter book! Woo!

Until then, get your fill of Harry Potter by seeing the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. You can even read an interview with the director here.

I would definitely recommend this movie. Before I get into why though, I have a confession to make. This is really hard to admit, so go easy on me. Deep breath ... OK, here goes. I, a Weekly Reader editor and strong advocate of both reading and pop culture, have never read a Harry Potter book. Never even had an interest to do so. I thought it was for kids, and was dragged kicking and screaming to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I enjoyed. I became hooked on the movies--but never picked up one of the books. I know, I'm so ashamed! On that note, I get a little confused sometimes by plot points in the HP movies. I don't even remember all the characters' names. So please, keep this in mind, and bear with me.

So back to the movie. If you were hoping for a colorful game of Quidditch or some of those fun bean things that have all those weird flavors, you're out of luck. This movie is a lot darker and more serious than the other films. But, rightly so. After all, Harry Potter is now a teenager, and as we all know, there is no darker time than when one becomes a teenager.

At the start of the movie, Harry is expelled from Hogwarts because he performed magic in front of his horrible Muggle cousin. But it was in self-defense! Harry must go on trial in order to get back into school. He is also introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society that is fighting against Voldemort.

However, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, doesn't want to believe Voldemort is back. He installs a new professor at Hogwarts: a chipper, pink-attired cat lady named Dolores Umbridge. Despite her cheerful persona, she causes havoc at the school, and as she gets more power, takes more away from the students and faculty. The students are not even allowed to practice defensive magic!

Well, after some moody protests, Harry is convinced to start Dumbledore's Army, an underground band of students who practice spells in secret. Will they be able to stop Voldemort, who we all know is back, and is sneaking into Harry's mind to control him? Will Umbridge destroy Hogwarts? What will come of the prophecy "either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives"? Just who is Bellatrix Lestrange? What's with that girl who can change her hair color (no, seriously, I was really confused)? Well ... I'm not going to tell you. There are spoilers all over the Internet for the new book, and I'm certainly not going to be the one who's responsible for spoiling the movie for you. Go see it!

Seriously, go see it. Despite being dark and scary, there are also tender moments of sweetness. Harry gets his first kiss, Ron and Hermione cast unrequited looks at one another, Luna Lovegood provides deep thoughts among her wide-eyed stares, Harry learns to count on his friends and cares deeply for his godfather Sirius Black. It's chaos planted in familiarity, scary and tender, dark and yet somehow hopeful. Just like being a teenager.

That's right, baby! Only 3 days to go!

There's Today
There's Thursday
There's Friday

And then there's Harry Potter day! Yah!

Can you handle it? If I can offer up a little advice, you should probably just take it one breath at a time. And then... after only about 60,000* breaths or so Deathly Hallows will be in your eager hands.

Me? I've got about 200 pages left now in Half-Blood Prince. Can I tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with the way Ms. Rowling writes ALL her books? On the one hand, I love the mystery of it all. I love how we never know what's going on behind the scenes until Harry, Ron, and Hermione know. It's like, we aren't readers, we're wizards-in-training, right there with them every step of the way. When Harry gets under his invisibility cloak, our hearts beat just as fast. When Hermione and Ron start slinging hurtful insults at each other because they can't deal with how they really feel, we want to step in and show them how dumb they are being. We ride the broomsticks, too. Don't we?

And yet... I absolutely cannot stand the fact that I have no idea what the heck is going on! What's Snape really up to? What's Malfoy been doing this whole time? Why is Dumbledore's hand burned? When is the next Voldemort encounter going to jump out at me and scare me to death? I can't take it! I need to know! Turn the page! Turn the page! Turn the page!!!

I gotta go. I'm taking this thing way too seriously. (Or not seriously enough??)

 *Totally a made up number. What do I look like, a Doctor?

Oh my!

With only 4 cruel July days to go, Muggles everywhere are freaking out! Everywhere I turn, it's Harry Potter this and Harry Potter that. Things are quite different than they were just a couple of weeks ago when I posted this. Now, there are all sorts of magical stories in the news.

For starters, the new film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix cleaned up at the box office over the weekend. Anyone who has read this book knows it is darker and more intense than its predecessors. Actually, things really stopped being "fluffy" at the end of The Goblet of Fire. Let me tell you something, that scene in Goblet where Harry confronts Voldemort and about a dozen death-eaters is probably one of the scariest things I've ever read. But I digress...

In China, there are "Harry Potter knock-offs" floating around. What are they exactly? They are poorly written books that use the characters of J.K. Rowling's epic series and place them in unbelievable scenes. They are counterfeit novellas full of phony plots that in no way at all are affiliated with the real Harry Potter. From what I've heard though, a lot of people over there in China really dig 'em. So I guess they aren't bothered by the whole copyright infringement thing. Me? I'm a purist. I need my books authentic. There's just no substitute.

I'm about halfway through The Half-Blood Prince right now. These kids have really grown up, haven't they? Ron's making out with Lavender Brown but really, he wants to "snogg" with Hermione. It's sooo obvious, Ron! Even Harry sees it! Of course, Hermione seems like she's got the hots for Ron as well. Meanwhile, Harry's wandering eye has landed on Ginny, Ron's younger sister! Uh oh Harry. Don't you know it's "pals before gals?!" I hope this doesn't get out of hand. But ahh ... young love. The heart wants what the heart wants, does it not, my friends?

On an unrelated note, our dear old blogger friend, Sandhya told me about this new fad called "wizard rock". Rather than trying to explain it to you, you can read the NPR article on it by clicking here. It seems pretty wacky and I like it.

That's it for now on the HP front. Wish me luck in my quest to finish book 6 by Saturday.

Peace.

OK, Word-watchers, in an attempt to give you a non-Harry Potter entry before the big day, I thought I would offer you a ginormous riddle. Ready? Here goes. What do crunk, speed dating, DVR, and sudoku have in common?

Answer: They're all words that have been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Every year, the editors of the dictionary go through thousands of words to figure out what new words should be added. This year, these bad boys were among the ones that made the cut.

It's pretty awesome when slang becomes official. But it also makes me a little jealous. What about my made-up words? (I have a habit of adding '-ified' to the end of nouns. I also add '-ish' to times--it gives me a couple of minutes leeway.) What, do I have to start campaigning, ala Stephen Colbert? He got 'truthiness' to be recognized last year. I want one of my words to become immortalized in the dictionary! The fame, the glory, the ability to not have to spell-check my work ... yeah, that would be sweet.

So do you agree with any of the entries from this year? Do you have any words that you think should be added to the dictionary? I'll vote for your words if you'll vote for mine ...

Attention, Muggles: Your wait is over. The newest Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is out today. First-time HP director David Yates weighs in on the sure-fire blockbuster.

Word: Were you nervous directing Phoenix knowing what a success the previous films were?

Yates: No, just very excited about the challenge and the opportunity to dive into the world and to make something on a scale I've never been able to explore before. Making films as big as Potter doesn't give you much time to navel-gaze or to worry, you just get on with it--and it has been enormous fun every step of the way.

Word: How true is the movie to the book? How important do you consider following the book when you direct a film?

Yates: I enjoyed the book enormously and compressing it into a screen time of two plus hours proved to be the biggest challenge of all. There are bits it was hard at first to leave out--but I wanted to focus the story as much as possible to serve the medium we were working in. I think we've caught the spirit of the book without compromising the film experience for the audience.

Word: Is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix similar to any of the other HP movies?

Yates: This one is a bit edgier and grittier than the others--I really wanted to push the performances and the characters, to believe them as much as possible--because it is quite an emotional story and it is essential that the audience engage with and believe the relationships they are seeing on screen. It is inevitable as the characters and the stories grow older so do the films, and I'd certainly say this is the most grown up Potter so far.

Word: What was your favorite part about making this movie?

Yates: Working with Dan [Radcliffe], Rupert [Grint], Emma [Watson] and the rest of the cast, all of whom were great fun to be around. 

Word:  What was the most difficult part about filming this movie?

Yates: The length of time it took to shoot. Most films I've made were shot over a period of weeks, or a couple of months. Order of the Phoenix, because of the size of the story and the level of complexity in visual effects, took almost a year. Keeping focus and perspective is the biggest challenge across that time span, especially when you are shaping how a characters journey unfolds through the story.

Word: Are you going to direct the sixth HP?

Yates: I've had such good fun making this one, it [would be] really difficult giving it up and leaving The Half Blood Prince to someone else. I also had a feeling that there was unfinished business somehow over the two years it took me to make The Order of the Phoenix. I've become completely involved in the world and the characters that Jo [J.K. Rowling] has created, and I wanted to spend more time with them. So yes, I will be doing The Half Blood Prince. Can't wait in fact.

Word: If people could only see one movie this summer, why should they see HP?

Yates: Because it is a terrific ride but goes deeper and darker than the films the audience has already seen.

Yah!

So I finished reading The Order of The Phoenix this past weekend and I'm now into The Half-Blood Prince. And holy cow! Chapter Two - Snape! He's... well, I don't know what. It's weird. Is he really who he says he is now? Ack! Don't tell me! Keep it to yourself! I'll know soon enough, I imagine.

I am so happy I finally got into this craze. It's never too late, right? With 11 days to go before the final installment is released, I'm truly amped about Harry! Boo yah!

More to come, Muggles...

Hey, kids! We're going to learn some grammar. Yay!

Calm down, calm down. Don't get too excited there. Yes, I know, learning grammar is awesome. What? Do I detect sarcasm there?

OK, fine. So maybe grammar isn't the scholarly equivalent to a trip to Disney World. But if you want to be a good writer, you have to know certain rules. And who doesn't love following rules …

Anyway, just let me quickly tell you easy ways to remember some tricky grammar rules. Then you can get back to your regularly scheduled lives of pool parties, barbeques, and the like. (By the way, I don’t recall receiving an invitation to any of those parties. Must have gotten lost in the mail.)

Lie or Lay?

People lie. Well, duh. Every teenager who sneaks out of the house knows that. But it's also the case in lie vs. lay, and a great way to remember this rule. Someone lies down, but you lay your clothes out on the bed. And, by the way, I know you were out past curfew. Don't you lie to me!

If I were vs. If I was

Follow the Fiddler on the Roof  rule here. It's like that song, "If I Were a Rich Man." OK, OK, do you need a modern reference? Well, Gwen Stafani and Eve redid the song a few years ago as "Rich Girl."  (Actually, their version is a cover of Louchie Lou and Michie One's song. They did the first reggae version of "Rich Girl." But I digress.) Anyway, my point is, remember the song. So you would say "If I were."

Where you at?

Just don't. It's wrong, and it sounds dumb. Say "Where are you?" OK? Thanks.

Do you have a great idea for a magazine article? While getting the idea from your head to your computer might seem difficult -- "How do I get that interview? What’s a great pun I can use for the introduction? Just how am I going to end it?" -- writing is the easy part. It's getting published that's the difficult part. How do I know? Well, before I landed this awesome job at Weekly Reader, I too tried my hand at freelance writing, with varying degrees of success. Luckily, all you aspiring writers out there in computer land can benefit from my tips--written from experience. I learned the hard way so you don't have to.  :)

For starters, pick a magazine you want to send your idea to, and make sure they accept submissions. Try to look on its Web site to see if there are any guidelines. If you request the guidelines, send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Editors aren't going to shell out their own dough to send you a response. And know your audience! If you want to write an article on the newest monster truck in a magazine about cooking, chances are, it's not going to happen.

Next, send a query letter or e-mail. What's a query letter? I'm glad you asked. This is a letter stating what your article is going to be about, why the readers would be interested in it, the proposed word count, info like that. Most editors will not read unsolicited manuscripts. If they like your idea, they will contact you and work out the details.

And on that note, when you are sending your query, send it to someone. Preferably a real person whose name you saw on the masthead. (Yes, this requires some research. But researching by reading magazines is definitely more fun than researching for a big history paper. At least, it is in my opinion.) Editors hate it when they receive letters addressed "To whom it may concern." Even worse if you address it "To Sir," and the editor is female. Trust me on that one.

Be prepared to send out lots of queries without any response. Editors are busy people--writing their articles and blogs and all--and if they don't like the idea they might not write back. Rejection comes with the territory, but it builds character. (Or characters for your next story. Get it?) If an editor does say yes, don't pitch the idea to a different magazine as well. It'll get the editor mad if you recant, plus it's just not cool. You never know who knows whom, and sometimes scorned editors talk. You don't want to be blacklisted from all magazines!

Anyway, dear writer, those are some of my tips. Now go forth and, well, write! And good luck to you.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the final Harry Potter book comes out in only 18 days. You know this. The whole world knows this. What I want to know is: where is all the fanfare? Surely this is the biggest thing to happen to young adult literature since... well since the last Harry Potter book came out. Shouldn't we be seeing little witches in the streets by now? Shouldn't there be reports of stores unable to keep brooms in stock? And for crying out loud, where are all the lightning scars?!?

Ouch. The whole lack of Potter madness is giving me a headache. There are only 18 days left, people! Where are you?!?

I suppose I should count my blessings that it hasn't gotten crazy yet. I'm still only halfway through Book 5. I'm a man on a mission. Between what I have left of The Order of the Phoenix and The Half Blood Prince, I'd guesstimate that I have about... oh... 800 pages or so to go. That comes out to just under 50 pages a day. No sweat, right? Right. No sweat, mon!

Anyway, Order of the Phoenix is getting realllllly good. Things are heating up between Harry and Cho. Harry is secretly teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to a bunch of students and they call themselves Dumbledore's Army! The forces of good and evil are preparing themselves for battle against each other. And the calm before the storm is full of such raw intensity that I almost don't want to turn the next page for fear that the very book might explode in my face! Omigosh. It's so good.

I understand I'm probably the only person on the planet that hasn't read all 6 books yet. But come July 21, if all goes well between now and then, I should be all set to crack open The Deathly Hallows with the rest of you when it arrives in my mailbox.

So 18 days... let's see some magic.

When you picture the FBI, what do you think of? Guys in bad suits and Ray-Bans, flashing their I.Ds and their loaded pistols in their holsters, screaming "FBI, get down!" to the bad guys. Drama, suspense, intrigue. Do-gooders who put all the pieces together in the puzzle and bring order back. Yes, certainly this is the case. And no more so than their recent brilliant sleuthing efforts--recovering the lost manuscript of Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth. 

Apparently, one of Buck's ex-secretaries stole the manuscript, and the thief's daughter tried to sell it at an auction house. Not too smooth, thief's daughter! Did you really think you could get away with putting something up for auction that is both famous and stolen? What, there were no original copies of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that you could steal from his heirs and sell on eBay?

Well luckily the manuscript, which has Buck's handwritten notes, is back in the hands of its proper owner.

What a relief! (And no, that wasn't sarcasm--it's an awesome book.) The story about a poor Chinese farmer who must sell everything--except his land--to survive has been a classic since is was published in 1932. It was even selected as a choice for Oprah's Book Club in 2004. Now that's staying power!

Come on, you know you read the book in school. And you know you liked it, which isn't always the case of required reading books. (Sorry, Mrs. Gazzola, but I didn't like everything you made me read in tenth grade.) And if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? (Just, please, don't steal it! Unless you want the FBI coming after you.)