harry potter non-spoilerage

So I wandered out at about 3pm today, and decided to try Tower Records, which is just across the street from our apartment, for the new Harry Potter. Of course, having no actual gumption, I hadn't reserved it. But fortunately, people don't think to look in Tower Records for, uhh, books, and there were about 5 copies left. So I'm about 150 pages in (speed reading is a curse as well as a blessing, frankly), and so far.. I like it a great deal. I like the way that JK Rowling has a certain, unshakeable sense of where she's going in the books. As I was saying to Holly, the Bridget Jones sequel, although pretty good, felt like Helen Fielding was, well, reaching a little for places to take Bridget. And Hannibal was a darn strange direction to go in for Thomas Harris. But the Harry Potter books always feel they're going in the right direction, getting ever murkier, ever darker and more epic as the series progresses. I'll try to post again when I'm actually done - still no spoilers, mind you.