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

OP, you're NBU to have HP as favourites. I've only read them each once, but having a full series read through is definitely on my to-do list.

Up there with them are others I'd like to re-read: Little House books, a full Chalet read through when GGB finally publish 'Jane' (although the Tirol ones are still my favourites), Narnia and Swallows and Amazons (when I finally get a complete matching set). One of my favourite childhood reads is 'Charlotte Sometimes', which I recently re-read because ds read it as one of his school books. When ds was a baby I managed to do a full series read of Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine series, and they are definitely up there as one of my favourite kids books/series.

I also recently had a full Katy read through when Girls Gone By published the fourth and fifth books in the series ('Clover' and 'In the High Valley') which I'd previously never even heard of! GGB also enabled me to do a complete Marlows read through (Antonia Forest) when they published the last of the titles I was waiting for.

There are a few other new children's/teenagers authors I've also enjoyed reading. As well as Philip Pulman's His Dark Material I've enjoyed Malcolm Rose's Jordan Stryker series and quite a few of his other books.

They don't have to require major effort any more than all of my television viewing does. They just have to entertain me, and lots of children's books manage that. :)

Alan Garner is just amazing, & Susan Cooper (Dark is Rising series).
Philip Pulman, JK of course but also the Iain Colfer Artemis Fowl books.

Well said! I do believe that it's personal preference however, PHILLIP PULLMAN's 'Dark Materials' trilogy was fandipulous : } and I'm 34 : /.

I am curious though as to why such well read people can not spell or have little use of grammar?... I'm no expert but it saddens me to see 'no' as opposed to 'know' blah, blah, blah!

Any suggestions for a good read will be gladly recieved, I'm partcial to historical novels (Tracy Chevalier) yet open to suggestions : ).

P.S please excuse any spelling errors you may encounter within this post ; }

Mr Stink...David Walliams! Off to see stage show soon, excellent with illustrations by QUENTIN BLAKE! I sobbed reading this story to my 6 yr old son!

Who/what is YANBU??? Please?

I love harry potter! Totally agree with the comfort reading, I read a lot of other books and have other favourites but there's something so magical about potter that I cant resist. Have read each one at least 20 times since I was about 10 and I'm 22 now.

I'm even considering asking for one of those HP wands for christmas, I have no shame :)

My favourite books are dystopian novels such as 1984, the handmaid's tale, brave new world etc.

But for comfort reading I love Harry Potter and also reread them every year.

I like them, but I re-read my Discworld novels more often - more depth, better use of language, more humanity, warmth and understanding. Pratchett just gets better and better, and since his diagnosis his work has got darker but more thought-provoking than ever. Ignore the early ones, start with Guards! Guards! and Witches Abroad and work your way up and out from there.

And YANBU is an acronym, meaning You Are Not Being Unreasonable.

I love Harry Potter, but they're not my favourite books by any stretch. Lately though, I've discovered the Harry Potter fanfiction, which (in parts) is superb. However, I am now incapable of envisioning Harry ending up with anyone other than Draco Malfoy... If anyone wants to talk Drarry, feel free to come visit the TSA threads in Adult Fiction

PointyBlackHat - yes Witches Abroad is a good place to start, but what about Mort? I loved that one, and Wyrd Sisters.

Who am I kidding, I love pretty much ALL of Pratchett's Discworld books. I think I'm a hopeless fantasy fan. Now, to bed, with a book!

There are some adult authors that have produced books aimed at children- Terry Pratchett is of note in this genre. He has produced some very entertaining childrens books which in my humble opinion beat the Potter books and it is those that will be on my DC's shelves.

As a librarian for KS2/3 children in a faith school- each fiction book has to be vetted for appropriate language and behaviour. I have read over 700 books aimed at this age group in the last two years, and I can honestly say that there are some very formulaic books out there. They tend to be aimed at the 7/8 year old girl into fairies.

The potter ones seem to be a mark of maturity in the eyes of those 9 year olds that take them out. Older children seem more concerned with Malorie Blackman and keep asking for those vampire books which are late teen. I have read all the Potters through my work and I do own them, but I would read a Pratchett in personal preference.

yousankmybattleship - Judging by your comment, I would say you are the one who is not bright. I could go on but I have better things to do than discuss my academic qualifications with a stranger online

Yy to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. I still feel v sad when I think of Onkel Julius.

Surprised no one's mentioned Judy Blume yet. I would quite happily spend hours rereading her books.

I recently read "The Sad Book" by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake. That's meant to be a children's book, but I'd defy anyone to call it poorly written.

Is anyone else planning some Ebay/Amazon shopping after reading this?

OP - YANBU. Read what you like to read for whatever reason you want to. There's a reason why the HP books have sold, and continue to sell, so well - people, not just children, like and want that escapism.

I am - when not scuppered by work, kids or well just life getting in the way - a voracious reader but will often return to tried and trusted favourite books (especially Dianne Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett ones) for an enjoyable bit of escapism. Nothing wrong or unreasonable about it - just what I like to do.

Oddly enough I have some children's boks on my favourites list [not HP though I found them readable].Top of my list from that genre is The Dark is Rising quintet by Susan Cooper,in particular the title book of the series.Dont be put off if you have seen the film-the title is all they share.
There are so many more-most KM Peyton [try Snowfall],Alan Garner,The Hobbit and Roverandom by Tolkien.Leon Garfield has stood the test of time and Antonia Forrest's books[though quite hard to find]are excellent.Of contemporary books I like Neil Gaiman especially The Graveyard Book and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy.
As you may have guessed I love so many books-the test of 'good' children's literature is that it transcends age and gender.

loved the harry potter books - we listened to one of them on cd whilst staying at a spooky hotel with a big open fire.
Also enjoyed the 'His Dark Materials' series although the books were crud. There was another series about a magician as well, cant remember what they were called but again a good read.
I love to read all types of books and I have enjoyed these as much as any of the hundreds of books I get through each year.

oh wow completely forgot about the hobbit, etc, loving reading them to my son

Wow! The snobbery on here!

As an adult I have read and enjoyed the Harry Potter books and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I have also enjoyed reading Beatrix Potter, CS Lewis and the Lemony Snickett series (although I find his style quite irritating) to DD.

As I don't have a degree in English literature a book would have to be extremely badly written for me to stop reading it on the grounds of writing quality.

I like a good story with a good plot. The quality of wriiting is secondary as far as I'm concerned.

BTW I also read the classics - Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books.

I still love the BFG and all other Roald Dahl kids book

Ooh yes, Roald Dahl as well

Had to post as the snobbery on here is what's unreasonable in my view.
I love HP and I found the later ones a bit confusing (ok so I'm thick shoot me) But also enjoy reading some of DD's Wimpy Kid and Jamie Strong books, I love a good laugh me.
Not sure why op posted, must have know what the mafia would say.
ps I'm 46 and have a degree, but reading should be for pleasure not to gain an intellectual merit badge as some seem to be
Rant over - back in me box now.