Sep 16, 2013

Confessions of a Former Muggle: How It All Began

Guys, can I have your attention for a very important post? Is everyone here? Yeah? *counting* OK, I think that's everyone.

Look, I have a confession to make. Some of you know what I'm about to say (and your love and support means more than I can possibly ever put into words), but I also think there's a group of you out there who have no idea.

I, Hannah, am a Harry Potter virgin.



I know, I know! Calm down, and let me explain, OK?

By Harry Potter virgin I mean I have never read any of the books or seen any of the movies. None of it. For years I have lived with the shame of being totally lost in all Potter-related conversations.

I don't know what a Muggle is. I thought a Dumbledore was that smelly kid that lived down the street (seriously, I don't think he knew what soap was). I thought Hogwarts was an affliction pigs suffered from, like a milder swine-flu.



Any time I mentioned, even briefly, that I had never done anything HP-esque, I was frequently met by shock, horror, and sometimes disdain. I felt like a pariah of the YA blogging world. So I kept my dark secret hidden buried deep.



But recently, my secret has been pulled out of the closet and hurled into oncoming traffic thanks to a few people uncovering my secret. And if I'm being called out, I'm totally calling out all the people who called me out. Yeah.

I think it began when I was in a car with Jen and Miranda Kenneally. We were obviously talking about books and when the taboo subject of HP came up, I admitted to not reading it because you don't lie to the girl who holds the cupcakes and one of your favorite authors. The conversation went like this:

Hannah: I just never read Harry Potter. It's not my thing.
Jen: Good books aren't your thing?
Miranda: You need to let Harry Potter touch you.



Well, OK then. And I might have put that online, where Andye and Nicole found out. Those two put the pressure on like a pair of sumo wrestlers tackling Urkel. And there might have been this awkward conversation about Harry and his wand.

But I was still a bit resistant. Even when Nicole picked it as my Secret Readers book and got me a copy of the book herself, did I hesitate.

Then I attended a book launch with a bunch of #YADCers (our "local" group of bloggers, authors, and book addicted people). After dinner, I found myself in being ganged up on by not only Jen and Andye, but not Steph, Jenn, Christina, and Steph - we have a lot of Jen's and Steph's in our group.

I may have made a deal with Jenn that if she bought All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill that I would read book 1.

After that night, I knew I simply had to read Harry Potter. It was time. I'm an adult, I can handle a 12 year old magician ... right?




Enter today's lengthy twitter conversation about my HP read-a-thon with Steph and Christina. I decided I would tweet as I read. And thanks to the help of A.K. Anderson, I have my hashtag:

If you want to see my reactions to HP, check out: #FormerMuggle

24 comments:

  1. Notice how I said I'd BUY All Our Yesterdays if you READ Harry Potter. There was no reading requirement for me because I'm sneaky like that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, you're the one missing out.

      Besides, I'll just tell Andye you didn't read it and she'll be all over you.

      Delete
  2. You are in for such a treat. Seriously. Just thinking about HP gives me the warm fuzzies and makes life seem okay. *hugs*

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    Replies
    1. AUDREY! *hugs*

      I am really excited to get into this series.

      Delete
  3. HP = the best series ever! Have fun reading the series! Such a cute cat in the pic!

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  4. BAHAHAHA! "You need to let Harry Potter touch you." I am dead. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm showering you with my distain as we speak. Or comment. Whatever. Actually, I'm thinking how lucky you are that you get to read HP for the first time and that I might have to reread the series (I haven't reread ANY of the books since the first time...which might be enough time to make me a HP again, maybe? No? *sigh*).

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    Replies
    1. *HP VIRGIN it was supposed to read. Though I wouldn't mind being Hermione for a while.

      Delete
    2. No disdaining! :(

      Everyone seems to be living vicariously through me since you can only read it for the first time once. :D

      Delete
  6. YEAH HANNAH! *does the no-longer-an-HP-virgin happy dance* Bet you didn't know there was a dance just for that did you? I'm sure you wish you could see it in person, so maybe the next time we're face to face I'll dance for you. You're welcome. GO GET HARRY AND LET HIS MAGIC WAND TOUCH YOU! O.o

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  7. See, while the wand conversation may be a bit weird for you, because you're reading about an 11 year old's wand...I get that. But meanwhile, we're all like 'well Harry Potter is actually 33 (I think) so it's not weird for us Potterheads ;) But honestly, I know someone else who is reading HP for the first time and I am SUPER jealous. To be able to read these books, for the first time, would be amazing. I wish I could remove any trace of HP from my mind so I can experience it again. While I'm shocked, I'm more jealous than anything. I REALLY hope you enjoy it.

    I can't wait to find out what house you'd wanna be in. I'm totally Slytherin, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What house I'm in .... I thought I was reading Harry Potter - not Game of Thrones!

      Delete
    2. LOL! You are...I know nothing about Game of Thrones but there are houses at Hogwarts. You'll get to it and then you'll understand. :)

      Delete
  8. You won't regret it and I'm sure you will love every word. This series is a magical masterpiece :)

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  9. I have no provided you with the book. Get started girlie.

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