I’m going to be at Borders. In my McGonagall costume 
I’ve never been to one of the midnight book-release parties before – is it likely to be a total zoo? And will they have trivia? (I have a feeling I would kick ass at Harry Potter trivia.)
There’s been a change in plan. It appears I’ll be recovering from knee surgery. Oh well. At least I should have something good to read.
By the way, if the naked Quidditch site is the one I remember, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen! And I don’t even like fan fic as a rule!
CJ
[Reads a bit more]
Yep. It looks like the real thing!
You’re going to Spellbound!?
Do you know how much I hate you right now?
I’ll be picking it up on Saturday. I went throught the hassle of lining up last time (grrr), and the next day saw stacks of books everywhere. I can wait an extra 12 hours if it keeps me out of a line.
<slight hijack>
Is the UK version substantially different from the US version? I ask because I noticed that in the US versions of the earlier books, football is actually referred to as soccer, so as not to confuse us North Americans, and wondered about it. Are there many other differences?
</slight hijack>
Aside from the title change on HP1 (It’s a PHILOSOPHER’S stone, dadgummit) it’s really just word substitutions or the occasional sentence difference
(and I just noticed this is my 4th post in this thread… obsess much??)
The title of the first book is different – the Philosopher’s Stone is the changed to Sorceror’s stone in the US. And Neville’s mistake of the “philological stone” became the “sorcerous stone” – quite weak. Spellings have changed, and I think some colloquialisms, as well.
On a less content-oriented note, the British and Canadian editions (which are identical except for publisher) are both published on 100% ancient-forest-friendly paper – no old-growth forests were clear-cut to make it.
On the other hand, the American edition is the only one with pictures – I do like Mary GrandPre’s art, though a lot of people don’t.
<bigger highjack> Seeing that you’re a Dante in Toronto who’s been reading the American editions makes me wonder if you’re the same Dante I once met through my friend Nathaniel in Montreal. Or am I way off-base, here…?</bigger highjack>
Excellent link, thank you.
I must have gotten some American and some Canadian versions then, since I know I’ve seen Britishisms in some of the books.
Probably not. The last time I was in Montreal was 25 years ago, I don’t know anyone named Nathaniel, and my real name isn’t Dante.
Ah. Okay. Thank you.
My sister and I are making quite the production out of this. We’ve both arranged to take off work next Friday, so our Harry Potter Festival is starting early. Here’s how the day’s looking thus far:
Morning–breakfast at Pit Grill Fine Food. Note that one can only really get breakfast here when one plans to go home immediately afterward and shower. The redolence of bacon and cigarette smoke is not all that pleasant. But the food’s divine.
Then, we’ll take turns taking showers and we’ll sit around and watch a HP movie or two.
Then we’re going to go see “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory” and, perhaps, depending on how we feel about things, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
Then we’re going to Central Market to pick up some chocolate (for dementor protection) and assorted munchables. I was going to brave some Bertie Botts until I saw something about a rotten egg flavor. I could handle earthworm, spaghetti, and maybe even bogey, but no way could I eat a rotten egg flavor jelly bean. So we’ll wimp out with regular Jelly Bellies.
Then back to her apartment to watch another HP movie.
Then, I’m sad to say, she has rehearsal for her plays that open next week. So I’m going to go watch rehearsal and critique the performances. Bwah-ha-ha
And then, yes, back to her apartment until about 11:30, at which time we’ll walk over to Barnes & Noble and buy our books.
Then we’ll stay up and read all night. I’m glad that I read really quickly. IIRC, I started reading OOTP about 12:30, and was finished around 7 or 8. So I figure I’ll be asleep by 8:30 or so Saturday morning.
Yes, I’m a geek. Why do you ask? 
I shall be at the bookstore, buying my book :D.
Got it reserved (which involved calling up the store and telling the guy to reserve a copy… much easier than I thought).
I’ll be at home – probably in bed, possibly sleeping. I’ll wake up Saturday morning around 7 AM, as I usually do, get dressed immediately (which I don’t usually do) and bop over to the Walmart down the street where I will buy da book (and some of the Walmart bakery’s exceptional doughnuts). Then I will come home and read, read, read.
More or less what I did when Goblet of Fire came out. Except my husband and I went on a motorcycle ride that day and I had to put the book in the saddle bag and wait to start reading 'til we got home. And no doughnuts.
Change of plans!! I might be going to my local Chapter’s midnight party on Friday. I’m not sure yet, though, because my parents might have plans on Friday.
Heeheehee! It’s just under an hour away from here so of course! Here is a picture of the costume I shall be wearing.
:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack:
That’s not my costume, that’s a picture of Ted Nugent’s raccoon tail when I saw him live last week. Okay, fixed link. *That’s * my costume.
What’ll I be doing? Well, my plans were to be catching some late-night tube before going to bed. But it turns out that I’ve got me a kick-ass wife.
Today is our 6th anniversary, and she did the pre-order thing at our local B&N, so we’ll be there at midnight.
Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep that night.
Is the photo part of your costume (the one on the carpet)?
I pre-ordered my copy from B&N. I have to work Saturday, so I will pop over on my lunch break. I hope I’m misinterpreting some of the posts in this thread and y’all aren’t saying that pre-ordering is no guarantee of getting a copy on Saturday!
If it does come to that, though, hopefully Ralphs will come through as they did last year; I got the book AND a free six-pack of diet cola AND a bag of cookies!
I’ll be at home, waiting for November 8th to roll around.
12am (GMT) I’ll most likely be in bed with my girlfriend and goddamit I’d better not be thinking of bloody Harry Pothead because of this thread :mad:
It draws closer. It’s Friday/Saturday by the way to assign a day now to it.
Whoa, didn’t notice that there. That’s a shirtless picture of Daniel Radcliffe and is not part of the costume.