July 21. The last book. Right after July 13, the Order of the Phoenix movie. I have complex feelings on this last book, but the complex feelings are largely crowded out by extreme excitement and giddiness. Even if it is the very last book, the very last midnight release party, and the end of speculation.
And, because it doesn't deserve its own post, but does deserve to be posted:
I'm currently reading The United States of Wal Mart. John Dicker, while discussing Wal Mart's strategies for keeping people in the store so that they buy more (retailtainment), mentions having in-store concerts, book signings, or cooking classes.
"Readers wishing to meet bestselling authors like Nicholas Sparks or Timothy LaHaye may suddenly realize they need trash-can liners (if their subconscious is in working order)."
Haha. Too corny. Yet too true.
2 comments:
I'm not what you would describe as a HP fan (though, as a discerning academic who has to keep abreast of trends in popular culture, I have read all 6 thus far) I will be at the midnight opening at my partner's book shop. Again, for research purposes. Honest!
Btw good to see you're another social movement bod! There is some material out there on conservative social movements. One book that immediately springs to mind is 'Local Actions' edited by Checker and Fishman. This is a collection of researchers reflecting on their ethonographic practice, and there's some taking stock of their work on the ex-gay movement and evangelical types. I liked it so much I wrote a review of it for a UK-based journal.
Are there any conservative movements in particular that interest you?
Thanks for the book tip, I'll definitely check it out! I'm really interested in the intersection of secular and religious conservatives. What are the processes through which conservative evangelicals (who have interests in blocking abortion and gay rights) join up with fiscal/pro-business conservatives who have a primarily economic agenda and don't really care about social issues?
To what extent is either side willing to compromise their beliefs for the alliance? When does ideology take a backseat to politics? I'm also really interested in movements in state-level Republican parties... the evangelicals will often try to take them over from the grassroots level. How do mainstream Republicans resist? Or do they drop out of state-wide politics? There are a few case-studies on this, but not very many larger-scale analyses (that I've seen anyway)..
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