Thank you!

Would you recommend going to a big chain like Borders or Barnes and Noble or a small, local bookstore?

Surely, in San Francisco, some of the larger indie stores are having big events and you can have the best of both worlds?

Surely, in San Francisco, some of the larger indie stores are having big events and you can have the best of both worlds?

This.

I've had spotty results with the B&N of convenience that I've visited the last 4 years. Two events have been great, two have been meh.

My local can't be arsed to stay up that late, boo them!

There are two indie stores in the Boston area that are having huge events. From the Bostonist:

At Brookline Booksmith, they have the entire Coolidge Corner neighborhood involved, and they have their own website dedicated to the event. They are billing it as "the largest Harry Potter® celebration in Massachusetts."

At the same time, Harvard Square will become Hogwarts Square. Harry and the Potters will play Harvard Yard from 7 to 9 pm on Friday, July 20. Then Harvard Book Store will throw a bash. The event is free. The book is not. Elsewhere on Harvard Square, the Brattle will show Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first of the Potter movies. Tickets are $38, but that includes a copy of the book.

Have people been to release parties for the other books? Would you recommend going to a big chain like Borders or Barnes and Noble or a small, local bookstore? I know chains are evil and all, but for the last book, the Borders atmosphere was fun and excited, and the local bookstore atmosphere was low-key and lame.

Boy, my experience has been completely different. Oak Park (the burb I live in) has an entire community festival starting around noon on Friday and includes muggle quidditch, wizard's chess and all kinds of things. The local stores all change their names to Gringot's (the US Bank branch) and Daigon Alley (the main road) and Honey Duke's (a popcorn shop) and sell things like butter beer.

The whole thing is put on by a local bookstore and they get the entire downtown area involved. There is a Border's downtown, but they don't participate in the festival. They will sell the books at midnight, though.

Here's more info on it: [link]

I wish I could come down there just for Friday night.

Surely, in San Francisco, some of the larger indie stores are having big events and you can have the best of both worlds?

I'm in Oakland! I don't want to go into the bloody city to have my fun!

Here's more info on it: [link]

Neat!

I wish I could come down there just for Friday night.

I have a couch if'n you want it.

Toddson, that's since been resolved -- ASDA Walmart will be carrying it. It was a dispute over money (of course) where both sides threw their toys out of the pram. Then realised their profits went with them.

Naperville also transforms.