Random: Waiting in Lines

Have you ever stood in line for hours to get a book at midnight?

I was wondering about how many people do wait in lines for releases. My husband is waiting in line for some video game, I have no idea what the title is nor do I really care. But this got me thinking and reminiscing about midnight release parties for books. 

I worked at Borders for 4 year (may they rest in peace) and in my time there Borders hosted a few midnight release parties. Breaking Dawn which I vaguely remember and I didn't understand what all the hoopla was all about. A few other unnoticeable by me release parties that I don't even remember what the book was. Than the greatest event Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

I thankfully didn't work the evening shift, I worked the bright and early cafe shift starting at 6am. When we pulled up to the store we already had our first person waiting in line. I still had an hour till to open and prepare the cafe with a barrier blocking off the rest of the bookstore till 9am.

As the rest of the day progressed, more and more HP fans streamed in to wait in line. There was strips of yellow tape creating how the line would progress through the store. From the registers it went past the sci-fi section, past the fiction wall, next to the YA, bending around the staircase, snaking through the media section, past the opposite side of the stair case, past the cafe, out the Borders entrance doors, going past Joann's and around the corner.

All throughout the day people dressed as Harry or some other wizard would come to the cafe and order food and beverages while waiting in line. I was able to leave the madness that was just beginning at 3pm, but I got to hear about all the craziness that went on in the cafe and the rest of the bookstore. 

On the bookstore side activities were planned for the line waiters, the only one I remember was the great debate "Is Snape good or bad?" On the cafe side the drains were flooding and the girls were running around like crazy just to keep up with the orders and the messes.

At 11:59pm one of the book sellers stood on the counters and held up HP7 above her head for all to see. The crowd hooted and hollered and the real insanity began of paying for their books and getting home to read it.

At times I wish I could have been there at the event to laugh at everything that happened and get some great tips, but at the same time I'm glad I didn't have to work till 3am.

Have you been to any midnight release book events?

Was it worth the wait?

Would you do it again?

As much as I love books I don't think I would ever go to a midnight book release. I'll save my patiently waiting for seeing the authors.

<3Books