I know this family is.

In 1996, when it was just Hubby, the Girl and me, we moved to Germany. Due to distance and other factors, including our inability to speak German, we found ourselves, every Sunday, riding an hour and a half by bus and train to get to the English-speaking Catholic Church in Berlin.

After awhile we needed something to help us pass the time, and I started reading books out loud. I read a lot of the Goosebumps Books, something the Girl was into for awhile. Then, after a trip to the States, we got several books by John Bellairs, a favorite author of my husband when he was a kid.

When we got back to the States, Harry Potter was just released but we didn’t really know anything about him until about 2001when the Girl’s fifth grade teacher read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1) to her class. We’d heard some of the hype by then because several of the books were out. The Girl had read the first one, but I wanted to read it and Hubby suggested that I read it to the family.

For the first book I did voices and we were all kind of in shock when the movie came out because I did Hagrid pretty close to Robbie Coltrane’s take on him. After the first book or two, which we read pretty much right together, I stopped doing voices. It was hard to remember how I’d done each character, and the family forgave me. I still try to do Snape’s voice because he’s just great. (I love Alan Rickman!)

Now that our family includes the Boy, reading the books takes a lot longer. Everyone on the planet knew about the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) before we’d gotten halfway through it. I suggested that we all just read it to ourselves. I was dying to keep reading and I had a lot more time to read than anyone else, but that idea was vehemently vetoed!

Now, I know that when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) comes out, it’ll take months for us to get through it, but when that’s finished, then what??????

Well, as it turns out, SF Signal asked that very question and came up with a great answer. They have a list of suggested books to read after you’ve finished the Harry Potter saga.

Looking over the lists, I’ve read several of these and Hubby has read more, but I think I’m going to make it “goal” of sorts to try to read as many of the fantasy titles as I can. I would like read some of the science fiction ones, too, as it’s been years since I read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and I’ve always want to read Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1).

I read The Lord of the Rings when I was in the Army, to impress some guy who considered the books the thing he’d built his life around, but I don’t really remember much. Now that I’m older and have seen all the movies and understand more of the significance of the story, I want to go back and read them again.

What books do you have that you’ve always wanted to read? What would you suggest for someone finishing up Harry Potter’s story and looking for more in the same magical vein? Tell me and maybe I’ll add it to my list.