Yes, dear friends, I did go to Barnes and Noble this evening to get Harry Potter fresh off the presses. We got our copy at about 12:20 am. They were pretty well organized with wristbands and everything. I don't get to read it first though. My daughter has it now. Maybe I can sneak it away from her when she goes to sleep.
Hope all your gillyweeds, Whomping willows, mandrake roots and mimbulus mimbletonias are doing well.
Martha
Herbology
Oh. I had missed this. Good for you Martha. My wife & daughter did the midnight bookstore run. I was home with the little guy. We have a poster from a theatre that is about 10 feet tall showing Ron pulling out the mandrake root. Charming.
Dave,
Sally finished the book early Saturday afternoon, I finished it mid-afternoon on Sunday and my hubby finished early in the am on Monday. My son is reading it now and is about halfway through having started this morning. I think we got our money's worth out of one book!
Martha
Isn't a gillyflower a kind of carnation?
yes, but gillyweed is a herbological item. Helps the wizards breathe underwater. See HP and the Goblet of Fire. My son is finished with Harry Potter since yesterday. I love a book we can all read together.
Martha
Seandor...Yes, gillyflower is the name Chaucer and Shakespeare used for what we know as dianthus caryophyllus--a border or cottage carnation used to flavor wine (hence its other name, "sops in wine") and even candied.
I started a variety, Fenbow Nutmeg Clove, from seed in March. A family in England has documented it on their estate as early as 1652. Has yet to bloom but the vendor, Thompson & Morgan, says says it "may" blossom the first year. A Dave's member lists in plant files here:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/104862/
Other spellings are gelouer, gyllofer and gilofre. It is confusing because the name, most often used for dianthus caryophyllus, was applied to unrelated plants as well--most often matthiola incana or common stock.
Thanks David_Paul. I received Harry Potter book yesterday, while we were out at Cape Cod.
Started reading it last night. I am trying to discipline myself to read a chapter, mark an exam, read a chapter, mark an exam . . . .
Good Luck, Michaela! Hope this works out for you. I got to the "I can't put it down" part pretty quickly and I had to stay with it until I was finished.
Martha
I know - but marking is soooo dreary that some sort of incentive helps. Got the term papers marked. Maybe I will do the exams tomorrow. lol.
Currently I am at Chapter 15. . . .
Have you graded 15 exams?
Martha, you must be a family of speed readers! I finished yesterday. (After my daughter & wife, but we get 2 copies). I think JK Rowling is bloody brilliant and this series is up with the best of Children's literature which is always great for adults.
Exams are finished - and I am now reading the book for the 2nd time. I agree, Dave47 - the series is bloody brilliant . . . I wonder whether we shall see a new series in 2026?
I started a spoiler thread for N.E. forum
I just came home from an antique show where I had been working the Mass Hort table at Mass Hort today. At one of the stalls there was for sale a first american edition 1998 HP and the Sorcerer's Stone for $1,350. Yes, dollars!
I just finished re-reading our copy, read at least 12 times by the four of us, and boy does a lot of it make a whole lot more sense now than it did before!
yes, we do read fast.
Martha
I read favourite books over and over again - I find I pick up so many details I miss the first time. What I find facinating is how authors are able to keep all the threads going - so clues are dropped in each book, finally leading to the conclusion.