Stalking Authors

Ever since I learned to read, I haven't been able to stop. It is something I do daily, read books that is. From very early on I would connect with an author and I would begin to seek out everything he or she had written. First it was Beverly Cleary, then Judy Blume. Eventually, I wandered over to the Sci-Fi Fantasy aisle and discovered Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga (Magician: Apprentice, Magician Master, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon) and David Edding's Belgariad Saga. With David Edding's books, I picked up the series as he was still in the process of writing it. I anxiously awaited each installment. Other authors followed: Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Roger Zelazny, Loren Estleman. But most recently, I have been stalking J.K. Rowlings.

I am completely absorbed by the Harry Potter stories. I began reading the first one after the second one was released. I have read and re-read, both on paper and on tape, all of the first five books. I know them inside and out and I cannot wait for the Half-Blood Prince to be released at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow morning. The best thing about this feeling is that it is the first time that millions of other people are as excited as I am about the release of a book. Always before, I have felt alone in my anticipation. I'm sure there are other people who are looking for John Irving's next book, but no one's throwing any parties, that I know of.

It is so rare that a book flicks a switch in so many people at the same time, and I just want to be a part of it.