I have known Melissa Anelli, peripherally, for over ten years. Long ago, in another lifetime, we were…ardent? fans of the musical RENT. (We are still fans; we are still ardent; we no longer go almost exclusively by our AOL screen names or sleep out on the streets of Manhattan for $20 tickets. Especially not me. I am old. Melissa was only a teenager back then.) Strangely, we have only met in person once, although we have in recent years kept up fairly well with one another through various forms of online contact. I knew, of course, of her involvement with the Harry Potter phenomenon, but I don’t think I realized just how involved she had gotten until I heard from a mutual friend that she was going to interview J.K. Rowling.

Melissa is the webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron, which has been my go-to site for HP news for as long as I can remember. When I heard that she was writing a book about her experiences in the fandom, I thought, well, that’s one fan memoir I’d actually care to read.

I finally got my hands on a copy and not only read it in one day, but immediately after picked up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to re-read (because her book showed me that I’d missed…a lot).

This book is a lot of things. It’s Melissa’s personal journey in the fandom, of course; that is the overarching story, and because she’s been so involved, it’s the right one to tell. The book has been criticized by some in reviews on a well-known non-independent website where one may purchase books (rhymes with glamazon) as being too much about her. Um…it’s a memoir, people. The blurb on the back makes it quite clear that it’s a memoir.

But in addition to being a memoir, it’s a history of wizard rock. A tale of a woman who has devoted part of her life to having HP banned. A tale of websites run entirely by volunteers getting press credentials. A description of what it’s like to be at a fan convention. And yes, a history of HP itself – Jo Rowling’s now-famous backstory; the publishing history of the book worldwide; how the movies came to be; how the book got to be such a phenomenon; what happened after the last words were written. Best of all, it has exclusive interview material AND a foreword by Rowling herself. The stamp of approval, people, right from the very top.

You may have been a part of the HP fandom (may still be, in fact) but there’s no way you can wrap your head around how big it is unless you read this book. I am what you would call a giant HP fan. I read the first book right after it was published here. I happened to be in New York the month after it came out and saw it on a display at Books of Wonder. I had no idea what it was about. An employee saw me pick it up and said “I’m reading that – it’s pretty good so far.” I thought, what the heck? Melissa came to the party a long time after I did, but she’s the one with her finger on the pulse of the whole thing.

It’s a fascinating story, and for me, it completes a picture. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Melissa’s not only a friend, but she’s a fantastic writer and, now, a fan historian. Her book surprised me at every turn – mostly because I had no idea what to expect on any level – and now I invite you to be surprised as well. Pick it up – if you love HP, I don’t think you’ll be sorry you did.

Order from your local independent bookstore or from Powell’s.