Book Porn... there is no other way to put it. You WILL drool.

Okay, okay. Perhaps the term "porn" is a bit much.. for a normal person. For someone who loves books as much as I do (and hopefully as much as you do?) you may completely agree. It reminds me of a time, many years ago that my sister showed me a book of gorgeous cupcakes and called it "food porn". It makes you drool and want to consume it. Seems a pretty accurate description to me!

You're probably wondering why I'm not getting to the goods.. why I'm not immediately inundating you with pictures of this alleged book. First hint? It's not one book - it's four. Second hint? There are three more books in this series (which I suppose is actually two hints, if you think about it). You may have already connected the dots. Another clue? The author is now the richest woman (last I heard) in the UK. Have I said too much?

For those of you who aren't in the know - I am talking about the gorgeously illustrated copies of the first four Harry Potter novels. Some of you may already have these beautiful editions. Some of you may me going green with envy before I even get to the pictures. And lastly? There are probably those of you scoffing and wondering what all the fuss is about.




Here is just a preview of what is to come as I crack these babies open.




Drooling yet?? I know I basically started salivating the moment I even heard about these being released. Having been a fan since highschool, and being someone that always wants to share the magic of the written word with her children.. I needed these editions to add to my library!! I added them to a Christmas list for my husband years ago, so.. at some point they were bound to come into my possession.

On Monday, something incredible happened. My best friend (who had ordered the first book the week prior.. and had me seething with jealous btw lol) sent me the best text I had read in ages. (Which is either pathetic on my end, or just shows how much I adore books.) Chapters had all of the books on sale - for FORTY percent off. Of course, I immediately went onto their site to ensure nothing was out of stock, and got a rough idea of how much they would cost.

Did I ever have to show restraint by not adding them to my cart the second I saw they were available. But; we are a single income family.. so dropping over a hundred dollars on books (especially ones I have other editions of already) seemed greedy. Oh, did I want them, though.

I mentioned to R that evening over dinner that they were on sale. He shrugged and told me to order them. No questions asked. There isn't often a material possession that I really want, and he knew those were on my list. It seemed so selfish to just order them, so I suggested that they could maybe be my Valentine's day gift this year (which he easily agreed to, since he would have paid fulled price another time knowing how much I desired to add these to my library).

Yes. I am that much of a nerd. And proud to admit it. Forget your fancy jewelry or expensive chocolates. Forget roses. BOOKS! (I read a meme a while ago that had a picture of a girl in a bookstore. I can't remember the exact wording, but it stated something along the lines of guys buying girls books getting further ahead than guys in bars buying drinks. I couldn't possibly agree more!) Show a girl (or your guy!) that you embrace their bookworm. I don't know a collector on the planet that would scoff at a beautiful edition of a beloved book - even one they already have! (In some cases, especially ones they already have!)

Just look at these drawings and tell me it was a waste of a hundred dollars, or that you'd rather have diamonds. It would just go to show me how very differing our opinions are. (For the record, I am also the girl that loves watching sports at a pub, or having a greasy burger or plate of wings with my spouse almost as much as going for a fancy dinner. Though my inner foodie can occasionally win on that front. Bottom line? I am not a fancy person.)

How could you possibly look at this incredible artwork and not want to reside in this magical fictional world?

I could post hundreds of photos and not do these impressive books justice of any kind. The artist has done an absolutely magnificent job capturing so much of these characters and the world they inhabit.

Of course, after placing my order? I immediately googled when the next one is set to be released. Sadly, not until fall of 2021. However, after getting a better look at how much
work each of these volumes clearly entailed for Jim Kay, I totally understood the delay. Which in turn, increased my appreciation for the books. Yes, they are costly. But when you look through them and see just how much time Mister Kay must have taken with each and every illustration. They are worth every single penny. These will be enjoyed by me, and by my children... and perhaps even my children's children... and who knows how many generations? They are hardcovers, so.. with the proper appreciation and care? They will last many lifetimes... or.. that's the hope, anyways.

I can comically imagine a version of my own demise during which my children fight savagely over who will inherit these lovely tomes. Strange though you think that may be? I smile to think that maybe (just maybe) I will raise children who love books as much as I do.

If you're a Potter fan?? Get 'em while they're hot! I don't know how long they're on sale.. but I implore you!! All I can hope for now is that they will hire Jim to next put out equally amazingly illustrated editions of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. (Pretty please!?)