Is it unreasonable that aged 30 my favourite books are the Harry Potter books?

[DarlingDuck]

I read them all once a year, usually around Christmas

I agree Op and i find most adult books very boring. For those who do not like the way it is written, what is it exactly do you not like, the fact she uses imagination to create new words that are not in the English language?

I also love Maria v snyder books - fire study and glass study ect.
Lord of the rings was also excellent yet i preferred the hobbit.

Still you cannot beat Roald Dahl books.

Two of my most favourite books are "Goodnight Moon" and "Crime and Punishment". So I would never judge you (even though I dislike the Potter books).

YANBU.

Book snobbery! Gotta love mumsnet...
YANBU DarlingDuck, as a primary teacher I have read loads of children's fiction, and Harry Potter may be formulaic, and 'badly written' in some peoples opinion, but they are a fave of mine too, because it is easy to lose yourself in the story, no matter how many times you read them.
For me reading is all about escapism, and relaxation, and that is precisely what the HP books do for me
There are many other books to read in the world, of course, but you read what you like!
My mum sent me into her loft a few years back to clear out my stuff, and after an hour and a half sent out a search party in the form of my dad. I had found a box of my old childrens books, and was happily engrossed.

i can't stand them - am currently reading order of the phoenix (aloud) to ds1, and i skip huge sections of it. ds1's a big fan, but even he will admit that (even with my skipping) she's taken 700 pages so far and yet NOTHING HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. and still, what, 2 or 3 books to go??? sigh.

They are really comforting, I find when I'm stressed out or feeling down they cheer me up, pure escapism!

I don't think they're well written, but I still like them. The story carries them.

The later ones could have done with stronger editing.

I'm 31 and currently re reading Deathly Hallows in preperation for the 2nd part being released on DVD. I having seen it yet and it's like an itch I can't scratch.

YANBU

Yes, they are really comforting. I'm from New York, everyone started reading them after 9/11 (even those of us who had sneered at the idea of reading children's books!)

My DH re-reads LOTR every year. There's something relaxing about reading a book that you don't have to focus on too much because you've read it a million times, you can just float along and enjoy the ride.

I'd be happy to say the Harry Potter books are some of my favourites and I've read lots of other books thank you very much. It all depends on how you define a book as a favourite. For me, it's a book that can be read and enjoyed over and over again and HP for me ticks those boxes. I don't care whether it's well written from a literary POV, as long as the story grips me, I care about the characters and I can lose myself in the writing (so not jarringly bad, or archaic or odd!) i think I've read the series 4 or 5 times

As someone who has worked in publishing for 15 years, can i just point out that Bloomsbury designed 2 different jackets for the Harry Potter series precisely because they were crossover books appealing to both children and adults? Please don't dismiss children's or young adults' literature, as a genre it contains some of the most fabulous writing. You really don't need to be a child to appreciate Northern Lights, or The Amulet of Samarkand, or the Septimus Heap books, for example. I do enjoy the Harry Potter books, but I will also be forever grateful to JK Rowling for enabling children's literature to be taken seriously and given a decent publishing budget which in turn means great books are written and published.
Sorry this has turned out more ranty than I meant it to be!

I tried to stick with the Harry Potter series, but out-grew them after about the third one.

YANBU, if they're your favourite, they're your favourite. It's just a tad tragic, considering how many other books there are out there, much much better books.

me too me too! YANBU! :o

YANBU they are easy comfort reading and there's nothing wrong with that.

I think they are tosh but the novels I reread most often are also nominally for children (Antonia Forest) so I am not one to judge! As total comfort reading goes, I prefer Noel Streatfeild myself.

DarlingDuck - "They are really comforting, I find when I'm stressed out or feeling down they cheer me up, pure escapism!"

That's why some of the books on my list are there too .

I have one called Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webb, that is a children's book complete with illustrations. I didn't have it as a child but was given it as a gift by my Mum not long after I got married, because she thought I would love it. And I do. It's about an American orphan girl called Judy who is sent to college by an anonymous benefactor after he read an essay she had written. He insists that the only payment she makes in return is a letter, once a month, to tell him how she is getting on. The book consists of her letters and drawings to him.

It's lovely, and very comforting at times of stress or illness.

Nothing wrong with liking a book that puts a bit of magic (or a rich benefactor) into your world at times of stress.

Ahh, comfort reading, haven't heard that term before but that is definately what they are to me, perhaps the term 'favourite' was the wrong choice.

Kalidasa - I love Noel Streatfeild too. Ballet Shoes is lovely, even though it was responsible for my mother wanting to name me Posy (she was vetoed) when clearly I was always more of a Petrova.

And I just remembered I still have and still read my collection of Just William books. I got the first one for my birthday when I was six, still have it and still love it.

I can't wait to start reading them to LO too.

No yanbu. I love reading all sorts of books. but there is something very comforting about reading Harry Potter every now and again.

I go through phases of certain genres. I also love the Harry Potter stories. I also love the Dragons of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey and the Chalet School series by Elinor Brent Dyer. At the moment I have the Dragonsingers of Pern trilogy on the go.

I agree with the term "Comfort Reading", it sums it up nicely.

YANBU to have them as your favourite, it takes all sorts! :)

But I'm amazed you have time to re-read them every year - when there are so many great books to read.

I have read thousands of books and teach English lit. I love Harry Potter books. Pure escapism. I'd rather read a well-constructed childrens fantasy than trudge through yet another worthy but grim Booker prize winner. But then I also enjoyed the Mockingjay books recently and DS and I howl with laughter at Mr Gum.

YANBU

I am well read and enjoy an eclectic mix of genres, I love Harry Potter :)

Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are my favourite escape reading choices.

Judge away, I care not a jot :)

YANBU

I really enjoy rereading the Potter books, also approximately once a year. It drives my DH mad, as I'm like that with most serieseseses - have to read them all, from start to beginning, and can't interrupt it with a book from outside the series.

I constantly reread Potter, the Gone series (which really is a bit awful, but compellling too), all my Pratchetts (thankfully they are stand alones) and Phillip Pullmans (but not His Dark Materials - I'm talking the Victorian era ones). Oh, and the frankly creepy Robin Jarvis books as well.

None of these are choices the Book Snobs would approve of, but they are like slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers, albeit less smelly.

Doesn't mean I don't read 'worthy' books too...just means sometimes my brain wants the comfort of the familiar.

Love the idea that the OP should be reading Agatha Christie, instead of the formulaeic Harry Potter books.