I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good...

This week, on Thursday the 4th of February, is Harry Potter Book Night - a night when wizards and witches all over the country will be meeting in secret, raising their glasses, and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!"

Or, perhaps more accurately, people of all ages across the world will be meeting to celebrate wonderful series of books by J.K. Rowling, and to pass on the magic to those who have not yet experienced it! Bloomsbury began this tradition only a year ago in 2015, encouraging teachers, librarians, booksellers, and fans to host gatherings to share their love of the series and to try and spread the love of reading that these books bred in so many people.

My fellow book blogger (and one of my best friends) Abi (Read her blog here!) and I are going to be spending our night watching our favourite movies in the series, reading the illustrated edition of Philosopher's Stone, and generally weeping over our deep love for the series. Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life for pretty much as long as I can remember, and I'm so grateful to have found people who share my love and are willing to celebrate it with me!

Over the years, I've been sorted countless times in a myriad of different ways (and I'm always a Ravenclaw, fyi, caw caw), let myself be chosen by a wand, been to Kings Cross on September 1st, and so many other things that I never would have done without J.K.'s wonderful world. I met some of the best, most wonderful people because of it. And all because my parents decided, when I was 4 years old, that they would read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to me before bed. And this was before the craze really started, I suppose, when people still weren't sure whether The Boy Who Lived was really going to stick in people's minds.

And of course he did stick - to some of us more than others, but still. Now, at nearly 22 years old, I am still just as in love, maybe more than I was before, with Harry's world.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope that as many of you as possible will spread a love of reading into the next generation and beyond - I'll certainly be reading my children Harry Potter before bed one day.

Are you doing anything for Harry Potter Book Night? Has it been a part of your life for a long time, or are you a relatively new fan? Either way, I'd love to hear about your experience of it!

xoxo