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

Snake - Deliberately annoying people, using childish terminology like "ignore haters" and "chill out" in a thread for adults about books?

I think you would benefit from reading more books for adults and less books written for children. And I'm trying to say this nicely. Look, I will even throw in a for you.

Gawd book snobbery? Really? I do like the term 'comfort reading' though makes me feel all warm and snuggly. OP FWIW I love the HP series and think you can't be highbrow all the time, I'm re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse books at the moment. OK not kids books but you get my point.

I also love a bit of Narnia every now and then. I agree it's about escapism and often kids books are brilliant for that. I'm really looking forward to introducing DC's to them. I personally am not keen on pre 20th century classics just because I find the language quite difficult to get used to. I much prefer modern literature, one of my 'adult' faves is To Kill A Mocking Bird.

doublemum makes an excellent point.

They are crossover books and not just "childrens" books.

The Septimus Heap books are brilliant, as are so many of the crossover books - real genius some of them.

I've classics of the classics, purely because I thought I should. Didn't get wuthering heights but really enjoyed Jane Eyre, Sherlock Holmes for example.

For me reading is pure escapism. I don't want it to be 'challenging' or to be taken 'out of my comfort zone'. I read for pure pleasure thanks.

So, OP, YANBU.

ruddy heck. I've read some of the classics! Luckily I am not an author init!

some Dr Seuss is wonderful;

Harry Potter books are OK, apart from the Order of the Phoenix which could have done with some serious editing.

I don't feel the need to be snobby about reading them - they are better written than many 'adult' books. Look at the Da Vinci Code etc: HP books are infinitely superior to Dan Brown's toss.

I used to be a book snob when I was at school, and only read books that I deemed to be "Classics" (Austen, Dickens, Waugh etc). It was the head of English who eventually persuaded me that there were some great modern books out there, and that even going into the realms of trash wasn't going to kill me.

So now I'll read anything anyone recommends, and yes, I love HP. Not great literature, but great reads.

Other children's books I used to love and would really like to buy at some point are the Chalet School series and the Jennings books (absolutely hilariious, if rather dated!)

Noone seems to have mentioned Asterix. I was introduced to them when I was about 8 and have religiously bought the latest one whenever they come out. Admittedly the last few have been rubbish but the older ones are still classics.

I remember struggling to read the longer names when I was younger and only getting jokes like the architect in Egypt being called Squareonthehypotenus when I was older.

hey i just got to the end of delirium by lauren oliver (premise if soceity is told love is a diseases that we all must protect ourselves from)and felt it was one of the most thought provoking gripping reads for ages and it turns out its for teenagres!

I love Asterix! On the Continent, cartoons are taken much more seriously - you will find them in their own department, definitely not among the children's books. Also Tintin, Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe etc.

I think it is a bit like having favourite films. They may not have won oscars or be rated highly amongst film buffs but they are films you choose to re watch more than others. I have a real fondness for the Brenden Frasier Mummy films and even a bit of Jackie Chan. I can re watch them, mainly while ironing as I can wind down and just enjoy the story/ characters/ effects.
I like re reading the HP books as a way to escape and because it is familiar I can put it down easily or only read a chapter here and there. Are they the best books I have read? No but they are amongst my favourites.

What about Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, really clever ideas and much better than HP. There's nothing at all wrong with reading children's books IMO.

I love the Harry Potters, they're so comfortable, even somehow when you're being pulled into a dark cave pool by Inferi

I'll be sure to take your comments on board thanks CoteDAzur. I will add that it wasn't me that started the thread, I just commented that I also enjoyed comfort reading, but please carry on patronising people if that makes you happy!

DarlingDuck, I think you need to broaden your horizons. Try Cross Stick by Diana Cabaldon, if you like magic.

Some right patronising people on this one!

I have an Eng. Lit degree and so am pretty widely read, I absolutely love the HP books - in my experience a lot of people who dislike them haven't read more than one (if that). They may not have the greatest literary merit of all books ever (totally subjective though) but they are well written, captivating, have taught a generation of kids to read and certainly appeal to adults too.

YANBU!

Yes, agree Ormirian - Garner and Pullman are way better than HP. So is Ursula Le Guin, as your own name implies. And so is David Almond. Or Neil Gaiman. Or a good straight fairytale collection, Grimm or Andersen or - best of all - Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales. HP = very modest, really. The last four badly needed a real edit, but doubtless by then nobody would man up and tell JKR so. They are ok, but not great even in kidlit.

Yy to WineAndPizza re the patronising..
Everyone has different tastes, and just because it isn't worthy doesn't mean it isn't a damn good read.
I'm almost tempted to start reading HP again, it's been years since I read them.

I love The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden and The Story of Holly and Ivy also by Rumer Godden. Also her books for adults are suitable for 11/12 and up - The Greengage Summer, Peacock Spring, The River etc. Love them all.

Other childrens' books I love are all the Little House on the Prairie books, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Tom Sawyer, Charlotte's Web, A Christmas Carol, Seven Little Australians, What Katy Did, Little Women, books by Elizabeth Goodge. All the Over Sea, Under Stone books by Susan Cooper. Narnia books.

When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit is great. The Endless Steppe. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - all heartbreakers though. Mrs Piggle Wiggle stories are fun - and I lov eOscar Wilde's stories - like The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant.

Enjoyed Harry Potter but the writing isn't very inspiring although the stories are a good concoction of folk tale and Enid Blyton school stuff.

YANBU. I'm 48 and regularly reread them (coincidentally at Chrristmas). I also read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books every couple of years, and the Narnia ones. And Six Cousins Again, by Enid Blyton. Cannot stand literature snobs. Had enough of them in Uni.

"Garner and Pullman are way better than HP"

I couldn't stand the Pullman books, by the third one I lost the will to live and didn't bother. I didn't mind the Sally Lockhart ones so much but they just seemed to be trying to click all the politically correct boxes.

Bruffin - Agree re Pullman. Huge disappointment. The most tedious stuff...a real slog and didn't care about the characters at all. As overrated as bloody Captain Correlli and his sodding mandolin.

Well, each to his own. Might or might not be worth saying that HP also seems to me to have a PC ticklist. Why btw is it snobbish not to like HP? Why can't it just be not the same as you?

The third Philip Pullman was just daft but the other two were all right. ANd really nicely written - far more literary than the HP Dan-Brown feel.