1. Vacuum the family room.
2. Take Hambet to swimming lessons.
3. Make dinner (bratwurst on the grill.)
4. Wait for the THUMP on the doorstep that means the UPS man’s brought my book:
.
Drop everything and start reading, remembering to take it slowly.
5. Kick myself for not having plugged this book when I read it in May:
I wish I’d had this book in college just as a general reference. The chapters on alchemy were fascinating, and the chapters on post-modernism were enormously helpful (and jargon-free.) I’m going to try to get my husband to read it, even though he will probably never open a Potter book, for its explanation of how symbols really work (as opposed to the this-equals-this “code” approach.
I understand that Granger will update the book post-Deathly Hallows. It will be well worth reading, both as a guide to Potter and a friendly guide to reading in general.