Sorry, I shouldn't have used the S-word :) Okay, I'll give the first three books a chance sometime--probably after some Heinlein and Asimov, though, as I'm in a classic SF mood right now. When you first read Potter, what other fantasy had you already read? When I was 16 I think my major fantasy reading other than Tolkien and R.E. Howard was Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. I also tried to read Moorcock at that time but didn't get past the first Elric book--not sure why, I liked the character and sword but the rest of it lost me for some reason.
Oh, everything. Tolkien, CS Lewis, Lloyd Alexandar, "Shannara", Piers Anthony, "Wheel of Time", the "Harold Shea" stories, the "Enchanted Forest Chronicles", four or five different Arthur interpretations...
I've read "Thomas Covenant". Hated it beyond all reason.
Ok, hit my word count, at a good stopping point, it's bedtime.