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Harry, A History - Now Updated with J.K. Rowling Interview, New Chapter & Photos
Harry, A History - Now Updated with J.K. Rowling Interview, New Chapter & Photos: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon | Melissa Anelli
A new enhanced e-book edition, featuring an extended transcript from Melissa Anelli's exclusive interview with J. K. Rowling and a new, updated chapter! Melissa Anelli wears a ring that was a gift to her from J.K. Rowling, given as a measure of appreciation for the work she does on The Leaky Cauldron, where her job entails being a fan, reporter, guardian, and spokesperson for the Harry Potter series. For ten years, millions of fans have lived inside literary history, the only fans to know what it was like when Harry Potter was unfinished. When anticipation for a book was just as likely to cause a charity drive as a pistol shootout. When millions of rabid fans looked to friends, families, neighbors, forums, discussion groups, fan fiction and podcasts to get their fix between novels. When the death of a character was a hotter bet than who'd win the World Series. When one series of books had the power to change the way books are read. This has been a time when a book was more popular than movies, television, and video games. The series has spawned a generation of critical thinkers and new readers. The New York Times changed the way it reported book sales just to avoid a continual overpowering of its bestseller list. These events must be given their proper context, and this moment must be preserved. The series will remain important to literature and pop culture, but the experience will change. Harry's fate will be as commonly known as the identity of Luke Skywalker's father, and readers who never had to wait for a Harry Potter book will have no idea what transpired when the series had hundreds of millions of people waiting desperately for the next volume. We are the first wave of Harry Potter fans, the ones that are living in the time that shapes how Harry Potter will be remembered for all time. But when this era is over, fans will need some way to remember this strange, wonderful, dizzying experience. Future fans, too, will want to know what they missed. Harry Potter will exist as a seven-book series, but without the indivisible story of the cultural, literary and emotional impact the series has made, the story is incomplete. How can a fan understand Harry Potter without hearing about the midnight book parties, the scams, the theories, the burglaries, the bets, the bannings, and most importantly, the worldwide camaraderie spurred on by mutual love of a boy wizard? How can they know how Harry Potter changed and touched the lives of so many without hearing it first hand? Harry, A History tells this story. It tells the personal story of Melissa Anelli's journey through the very heart of Harry Potter fandom. And wraps this phenomenon up into one narrative, factual volume one book that tells what happened when Harry Potter met the world.
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A history of “The Boy Who Lived,” or more aptly, a deep dive into the process, publication, hype, and ultimately HP‘s incredible success. Written by The Leaky Cauldron webmaster, journalist Melissa Anelli, this is somewhat a memoir of her experiences, but also a thorough look at the popular culture phenomenon. That book one was rejected several times, and the series went on to become so iconic, is pretty amazing!

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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

All my books are in storage and none of the HP books were available at my library, so this audiobook filled in for my HP fix. While I felt some of the background stories of the fans were a little long and unnecessary, on the whole this book has a lot of details about HP and the fans. I‘ll admit I got mushy a few times while listening.

#harrypotter

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JuliaTheBookNerd
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I love that the Harry Potter novels never had the movie covers! #IHateMovieCovers #PetPeeve #JKRowling #PotterHead #ProudRavenclaw #Novel #QuotsyNov17 #BookNerd 📚💙

Leniverse I've never thought of that, but yes! So many editions and never a movie tie-in! Nor that most dreaded and dreadful "soon to be/now a major motion picture" blemish. 6y
ReadingSusan Oh my goodness I have never thought of that! I love it! 6y
lauren.lerner Movie covers are trash. I adore that HP never did them. 6y
63 likes3 comments
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Kristy_K
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I've been on a book buying ban (which I've surprisingly stuck to!) so I haven't bought many books this months. These are the only two and they are both #blameitonlitsy purchases. 😀

#junebookbugs #latestbookhaul

BookishMarginalia On Tyranny is excellent. I think everyone should read it. 7y
Kristy_K @BookishMarginalia I'm planning on reading it next month! 7y
58 likes2 comments
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MeganAnn
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This made me feel a little like I was reading the books for the very first time again. I learned a few new things I didn't know about #wizardrock #ronandhermioneforever And I finished it this weekend, just in time for the 20th year anniversary. I second what others have said - fans of #harrypotter will really enjoy this one. But even those who aren't fans and wonder what all the hype is about I think would gain some insight into the phenomenon. 💛

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JuliaTheBookNerd
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Pickpick

So I read a lot of children's books, shorter books, and did a bunch of rereads this month. The best of the month that wasn't a reread was Harry, a History! It was so much fun to relive the HP releases ⚡️💙 #MayReads #BookNerd 📚❤️

Reviewsbylola Great month! 7y
Cinfhen Oh wow!!! Amazing 😍🎉🙌🏻 7y
70 likes2 comments
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TheNextBook
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I'm recommending this book to fans of the Harry Potter series. This was good. It brought back that joy of being part of the Harry Potter fandom. It brought back memories of the first time opening Sorcerer's Stone and the feeling of closing Deathly Hallows for the first time. I was apart of something much bigger than myself, much bigger than a book series. My Harry Potter story is my own but it was amazing falling into and experiencing Anelli's.

TheNextBook ☝🏽Pictured above are my sets of the series... 7y
DeborahSmall I love all your sets. I only have the black 'adult' hardbacks but definitely buying a few different editions this year. I have so many books I haven't read I'm concentrating on buying new editions of my favourite books 💕 7y
TheNextBook @DeborahSmall I am not buying any more full sets besides the illustrated edition. I did buy the 20th anniversary set but I plan on stopping. When we finally settle down in one place I will have my dream library and my books will have a place of honor 7y
MyNamesParadise Omg will buy this on Amazon!! Thanks for the review!!! Ahhhh I love HP!!!! 7y
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TheNextBook
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"Harry Potter and the Midlife Crisis" ?

? *coughs* cursed child *cough* ?

#stillnothereforit
#stillbitter
#timeturnerfail
#potterpurist

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TheNextBook
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#orderofthephoenix

*sigh* This is by far the hardest book in the series for me. Every January when I get to this book, I have to give myself some time to mentally prepare for the journey ahead. Harry is a 15 year old teenager, full of angst, terrified and angry! Then there's Umbridge, Snape and the lingering threat that is Voldemort. Then Sirius. It's a lot! And this book changed everything. The world turned upside down...

HotMessJess I think you mean Order of the Phoenix??? :) I could be wrong.... 7y
HotMessJess ❤️❤️ still legit thought 7y
HotMessJess Though!!!! 7y
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TheNextBook
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Guys. I need a minute. This book is filling me with so much joy and I'm not even 100 pages in. My relationship with Potter has been turbulent over the the last two years. My love for the books hasn't wavered BUT the attention surrounding the play and the changes to Pottermore and Fantastic Beast had all become a distraction for me that took away from what I loved of the series. I love the 7 books and Harry's journey and the friendships and the...

TheNextBook ... adventure and the magic. All of those things felt like it was overwhelming and didnt add to the story I loved. I was frustrated and irritated and just trying to tune out all of the noise. But this has brought me back to the story that I love and the fandom that I embrace and was always proud to be a part of. I needed a Potter pick me up and this is it! I'm a Potter purist at heart and this is bringing all of those emotions back. 😍😍😍 7y
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TheNextBook
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Get ready guys. The time for me to clog your feed with sentimental Harry Potter references has begun...

"The Boy Who Lived"

There is just something about opening up the very first book, and turning to the very first chapter and reading the very first line. I'm always overcome with his beautiful sense of satisfaction knowing I'm back, knowing the twist and turns the story will make and knowing how fully absorbed I will be. It's coming home...

moranadatter Looking forward to it! 7y
TheNextBook @moranadatter It's happening! I'm getting all of the feels! 7y
Laalaleighh What is this book? Omg I need this whatever it is! 7y
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TheNextBook
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I ended up borrowing this from my MIL because I got no reading done when I was visitng family.

I was originally hesitant to read this. I feel like my experiences with this series are so personal that I can't quantify it so it's weird to see someone else doing that. But I realized that this was the mega fan that started the Leaky Cauldron website and if anyone could, she would handle this story with pride.

And this date guys... oh the date...

BestOfFates That date makes me feel ancient! 7y
TheNextBook I feel like I should stop everything and reread the series again!!!! @BestOfFates (edited) 7y
moranadatter I've been thinking about rereading it in July for Harry's birthday. 7y
TheNextBook @moranadatter I might reread the last one. I reserve the entire series for January but I think a Deathly Hallows reread starting at midnight on July 21st seems appropriate 😉 7y
moranadatter I used to read it every few years as needed, but I've been needing it more often lately. All of the new to me podcasts haven't helped. Twice in one year seems a bit excessive, but I still have Harry Potter and the Art of Spying to read so I can justify it. 7y
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TheNextBook
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Welp, this is now on my TBR. I've been somewhat interested in this book because, Hello have you met me?, and my in laws had it and mentioned it I could borrow it... so...

HotMessJess 😍⚡️ 7y
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JoeStalksBeck
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Found this Harry Potter book I thought you fans would like . I've never seen anyone post it so here it is😀

[DELETED] 3321848774 I liked this book! It's like a memoir but also the history of the Harry Potter phenomenon. 8y
JoeStalksBeck @bookaddictang honestly I've never read a Harry Potter book but I know many on here are huge fans. Maybe I should take the plunge😉 8y
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JoeStalksBeck @lemonlime799 I just searched the first one on the library list. 6 people ahead of me! Lol 8y
[DELETED] 3321848774 @Book_Addict I think even if you have read Harry Potter this could be enjoyable. (but for reals read Harry Potter 😝). The book I think just describes the hype around the book and how it happened at the right time and the emergence of the Internet fandom. The author also joined the fandom as an adult so I think it provides a really good perspective of how it developed. 8y
[DELETED] 3321848774 @Book_Addict P.S. I've heard from other adults who have read Harry Potter as an adult that the first three books can be difficult to get through. I think it's because of how much it's geared towards younger children. The older the characters are, the more the book matures. 8y
MamaJody @Book_Addict - I read them as an adult (I started when I was around 25, when there were only four released). They are some of my favourite books ever. I agree with @bookaddictang, it was during the third book that I fell head over heels in love! 8y
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queerbookreader
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Found this at a used shop in central NY and I'm nearly shitting myself tbh

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