Happy Birthday, J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter!
This is probably as good a time as any to look back on one of the most inspirational things to ever come from Jo (and Harry too, in a way.)
Category: Harry Potter
Rita Skeeter gossips
“About to turn 34, there are a couple of threads of silver in the famous Auror’s black hair, but he continues to wear the distinctive round glasses that some might say are better suited to a style-deficient twelve-year-old. The famous lightning scar has company: Potter is sporting a nasty cut over his right cheekbone. Requests for information as to its provenance merely produced the usual response from the Ministry of Magic: ‘We do not comment on the top secret work of the Auror department, as we have told you no less than 514 times, Ms. Skeeter.’ So what are they hiding? Is the Chosen One embroiled in fresh mysteries that will one day explode upon us all, plunging us into a new age of terror and mayhem?
Or does his injury have a more humble origin, one that Potter is desperate to hide? Has his wife perhaps cursed him? Are cracks beginning to show in a union that the Potters are determined to promote as happy? Should we read anything into the fact that his wife Ginevra has been perfectly happy to leave her husband and children behind in London whilst reporting on this tournament? The jury is out on whether she really had the talent or experience to be sent to the Quidditch World Cup (jury’s back in – no!!!) but let’s face it, when your last name is Potter, doors open, international sporting bodies bow and scrape, and Daily Prophet editors hand you plum assignments.”
– “Dumbledore’s Army Reunite at Quidditch World Cup” by Rita Skeeter on Pottermore (I can hear Miranda Richardson’s voice reading this story in my head. XD )
On Rowling’s new Ron/Hermione reveal: The ships have sailed; it’s time to move on.
J.K. Rowling’s latest revelation about the Harry Potter series, which came in the form of an interview conducted by Emma Watson for “Wonderland” magazine (February/March 2014 issue), has re-awakened the long-slumbering Potter Shipping Wars of old. It seems that everyone has written something about the topic, from a very insightful analysis of love in the series, to a passionate defense of Ron, to suggestions for other ships.
I’m on the crew of the HMS Orange Crush (Harry/Ginny) myself, so Rowling’s confession bothered me, especially how it was first reported: that Jo regrets writing that Ron and Hermione ended up together and that she should have married Harry. I told myself I would wait for the full interview to be released before commenting because, more often than not, people tended to misinterpret or to put words into Jo’s mouth.
Nowhere in the interview did she say that she “regrets” writing Ron/Hermione. Emma asked her if she had a new perspective on Hermione, and she replied:
What I will say is that I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment. That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione [ended up] with Ron.
I know, I’m sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I’m absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility. Am I breaking people’s hearts by saying this? I hope not.
It was a young relationship. I think the attraction itself is plausible but the combative side of it… I’m not sure you could have got over that in an adult relationship, there was too much fundamental incompatibility. I can’t believe we are saying all of this – this is Potter heresy!
[Later, she adds]
Oh, maybe she and Ron will be alright with a bit of counseling, you know. I wonder what happens at wizard marriage counseling? They’ll probably be fine. He needs to work on his self-esteem issues and she needs to work on being a little less critical.
When “Deathly Hallows” was published, I felt that the Epilogue seemed out of place. I knew from following every single interview that Rowling gave (I am on the staff!) that she had been writing toward a particular ending and even a particular last word (“scar”) for a long time. Maybe this has blinded her to how her characters evolved as she wrote them, and how they may not fit that ending anymore. If she just left out that Epilogue, then there wouldn’t be this much hullaballoo over what could have beens.
The troubled Ron/Hermione relationship differs a bit from her other post-Potter reveals (e.g. Dumbledore is gay) in that she does not seem to be insinuating that this is Canon. It’s understandable that she now has a different perspective on the relationships of the Trio. Whether or not it was prudent of her to have revealed what she thought is another story, but I want to look at this as a glass half-full: at least she didn’t say “Ron/Hermione shouldn’t be together”, and the Canon remains unchanged.
For the record, I agree that Ron and Hermione would have had difficulties in their relationship, and that if they worked on it, they would eventually be okay.
Credit: Naomi (potterpuffs.livejournal.com)
As for Harry/Hermione…
In some ways Hermione and Harry are a better fit and I’ll tell you something very strange. When I wrote Hallows, I felt this quite strongly when I had Hermione and Harry together in the tent! I hadn’t told [Steve] Kloves that and when he wrote the script he felt exactly the same thing at exactly the same point.
And actually I liked that scene in the film, because it was articulating something I hadn’t said but I had felt. I really liked it and I thought that it was right. I think you do feel the ghost of what could have been in that scene.
I’ve always hated the way Steve Kloves kept putting in those Harmonian moments when there weren’t supposed to be any, and how that undermined a lot of Ron’s contributions and importance in the series as it is portrayed in the movies.
I do think the tent scenes, as they were written in the book, were okay, and that maybe the “ghost of what could have been” may have been present, but I never felt any strong romantic vibes there. And if Rowling says she felt something there, then she either did her characters a great disservice by not letting things go where they should, or what she felt so strongly wasn’t powerful enough to make her deviate from the ending she was writing towards.
I also agree that Hermione and Harry are a good fit–and I concede, better than Ron/Hermione–in many ways, but that doesn’t mean they should be in love or would fall in love or get married. Why can’t they have a perfect friendship and why should Harry and Ron be Hermione’s only choices?
I’ve long thought that it was weird that Rowling married Luna off to someone we didn’t know from the 7 books; I even secretly thought it was cute if she had married Neville, after all, everyone was marrying their childhood sweethearts already. But on hindsight, I now like that Luna married someone else and that she met other people outside of their Hogwarts circle. So why not Hermione?
All this says something very powerful about the character of Hermione as well. Hermione was the one that stuck with Harry all the way through that last installment, that very last part of the adventure. It wasn’t Ron, which also says something very powerful about Ron. He was injured in a way, in his self-esteem, from the start of the series. He always knew he came second to fourth best, and then had to make friends with the hero of it all and that’s a hell of a position to be in, eternally overshadowed. So Ron had to act out in that way at some point.
But Hermione’s always there for Harry. I remember you sent me a note after you read Hallows and before you started shooting, and said something about that, because it was Hermione’s journey as much as Harry’s at the end.
Yes, her sacrifice was massive, completely. A very calculated act of bravery. That is not an ‘in the moment’ act of bravery where emotion carries you through, that is a deliberate choice.
Of course it was Hermione’s journey as much as Harry’s…as much as Ron’s, Voldemort’s, Dumbledore’s, Snape’s…it was EVERYONE’S journey. Maybe it was more personal for Harry, but everyone had a stake in the battle. And while we cannot belittle Hermione’s “calculated act of bravery”, we should not reduce it to an impetus for a romantic relationship either. From the tone of their conversation, Rowling seems to be highlighting this as a plus factor for Harry/Hermione (or I could be wrong.) Anyway, we must also not forget that Dumbledore’s and Snape’s sacrifices were just as calculated, and that they have even lost their lives.
And, finally, was it prudent for Rowling to share all these post-Potter revelations? Personally, I think people should stop asking all those “what ifs”; the Potter world, as it is, is difficult enough to keep up with! Rowling has to answer when she’s asked, and she has always been very honest and forthcoming about Potter, which is good. And of course she has the right to add new things to her world and comment on aspects of it (I actually appreciate that about her), but I think she should be careful about what else she reveals. I suppose that as long as she doesn’t change Canon, it’ll be okay. But while she owes readers nothing, really, it is a fact that fans have dissected and new readers do dissect the series to the tiniest detail. How I read Dumbledore before is likely going to be different from how my nephew would read him knowing that Dumbledore was gay. Maybe it will be an interesting literary exercise to compare how different generations interpret it.
Those subtext-shattering revelations are part of why I am excited but scared of what the “Encyclopedia” she never published contained, and why I approach every new thing that pops up on Pottermore as if they are radioactive. She had 7 books and 3 booklets to put in the most important things about Harry’s and the Wizarding World’s stories. Ultimately, it’s what’s in the books that’s important. I believe that’s how it should be.
The ships have sailed; it’s time to move on.
Harry Potter-inspired K-pop songs? Professor Lupin will approve.
Last week, South Korean pop singer IU released her new album “Modern Times”.
I am ambivalent when it comes to IU and her music, but when I glanced at her track list, I could not help but notice a song called “Obliviate”. A song named after a Harry Potter spell? Forget ambivalence.
This song—heck, the entire album—was a pleasant surprise for me because it’s different from the recent batch of k-pop releases. The album’s theme seems to be more swing and bossa nova and a little bit of jazz, but of course there’s the usual ballads. Other favorite tracks: “Between The Lips”, “Everyone Has A Secret (Feat. Brown Eyed Girls’ Ga-in), “Bad Day”, and “Voice Mail”.
“Obliviate” (English lyrics, click!) is about someone who is so heartbroken, she wants to erase all the bad memories of her failed romance with one spell and have the one she used to love become a stranger to her. It’s good; give it a listen! 😉
But wait, there’s more!
My friend Lea clued me in on 2 other k-pop songs inspired by Harry Potter spells:
Xia Junsu’s “Tarantallegra” ♫ English lyrics: click!
and Jo Kwon’s “Wingardium Leviosa” ♫ English lyrics: click!
LUNAFLY’s Teo is a big fan of Harry Potter as well, so I hope he writes a Potter-inspired one for the band. I’ll be waiting, Teo. 
Harry Potter 15th Anniversary Cover Launch at the Manila International Book Fair
Come to the 34th Manila International Book Fair on Sunday, September 15th and join Scholastic, National Book Store, and Hogwarts Philippines in celebrating the release of the new editions of the Harry Potter books! The cover art for the 15th anniversary editions were created by Eisner Award-nominated illustrator and author Kazu Kibuishi.
There will be games and prizes and surprises!
And we’ll have cake. (Really.) Join us!
★• ★• ★• ★• ★• ★• ★
Press Release: Here comes the Book Fair!
The country’s biggest book event is right around the corner: the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), which heads back to the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City on Sept. 11-15, 2013.
Now on its 34th year, the MIBF still remains the country’s biggest and longest-running book fair. It showcases the largest and most varied collection of literature for leisure and academic reading. Everything you need from fiction bestsellers, to textbooks, to graphic novels, and even educational materials are all under one roof. Moreover, the MIBF is also the go-to venue for this year’s most awaited book launches and signings, dialogues with readers, contests, and other literary events.
After three decades, it has evolved from an event for the publishing industry and the academe to one of the most-awaited exhibitions for all sorts of readers. The MIBF has become a gathering of sorts for bookworms of all ages and walks of life to celebrate the joys of reading and the knowledge each book brings about. It has also been providing a venue for the exchange of ideas amongst players in the publishing and academic industry.
Co-located events at the SMX Convention Center will also capture the interest of book fair visitors. The National Conference on Language and Literature is slated on Sept. 10-12, while Educare, a conference on early childhood education, is slated on Sept. 13-14. The Best of Anime 2013 is also slated on Sept. 14-15.
The MIBF runs from Sept. 11-15 at the SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. MIBF is organized by Primetrade Asia, Inc. in partnership with Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc., Book Development Association of the Philippines, Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc., and the Overseas Publishers Representatives Organization of the Philippines. For details, call 896-0661 or 896-0682, or e-mail bookfair@primetradeasia.com.
Scholastic and Award-Winning Illustrator Kazu Kibuishi Unveil New Cover for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”
Harry Potter cover reveals continue August 1-7 with never-seen-before back covers of the seven new paperbacks by Kibuishi – books will be released on August 27, 2013
New York, NY — July 31, 2013 — Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today unveiled the new cover for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – the seventh and final trade paperback edition with new covers illustrated by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Kazu Kibuishi.
Kibuishi, along with Arthur Levine, Vice President and Publisher, Arthur A. Levine Books and David Saylor, Vice President, Creative Director, Scholastic, unveiled the new cover in New York, NY at a special event at The Scholastic Store. The complete series of newly jacketed books and a new boxed set will be available on August 27, 2013, as part of Scholastic’s celebration of the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the original book in J.K. Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter series.
Following today’s unveiling, Scholastic will release the seven back covers of the new paperback trade editions illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, one each day from August 1st through 7th. Each day at 9 a.m. (EDT or eastern time), fans can see the amazing new Harry Potter art at www.oomscholasticblog.com.
In each of the new cover illustrations, Kibuishi perfectly captures a pivotal moment from that particular book. For Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the illustration shows Harry, Ron and Hermione clinging to the back of a gigantic dragon, as they are carried ever closer to the pivotal battle which will determine the fate of the entire wizarding world.
The artwork on the box set portrays a sweeping panorama of Hogsmeade, the picturesque village near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as Dumbledore and Hagrid, walk through town, past Honeydukes Sweetshop, and Zonko’s Joke Shop. One special feature of the box set is the dramatic spine artwork which, as the volumes are placed in the order from one to seven, becomes a breathtaking view of Hogwarts at sunset. The entire box becomes an invitation to enter the enchanting world of the Harry Potter stories.
Fifteen years after the first U.S. publication of J.K. Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in September 1998, there are more than 150 million Harry Potter books in print in the United States alone and the series still hits bestseller lists regularly. The seven Harry Potter books are published in over 200 territories in 74 languages and have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide.
For more information about Harry Potter and the new paperback releases, visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/harrypotter where downloadable images/movie files of the new covers for all seven Harry Potter books, the box set image, and new book-trailer video are available.
Courtesy: Scholastic Philippines
I Spy: “Catching Fire” in “Wild Romance 난폭한 로맨스”
This is the result of me being unable to start on my review of “The Rithmatist” because I have to finish writing my story on Sungha Jung’s concert for publication. 😀 It’s been difficult to even start writing it because:
Now that I have my alibi, let’s get down to business. So here’s what I Spied recently:
Screenshot from Episode 9 of the Korean drama “Wild Romance 난폭한 로맨스”: “Catching Fire” (Korean Edition)
Or to be more accurate, that’s what my friend Rainecaphriel spied recently. (Thanks, Lea!) 😉 She said the book didn’t play a particularly significant role, it was just among the things that one of the characters (a guy who is suspected to be the main male character’s stalker) had. Well, what do you know? Suspected Stalker-types read YA books! Kidding. 😛
“Wild Romance 난폭한 로맨스” was shown during the first cycle of dramas in Korea last year (January-March). It’s a romantic comedy/suspense drama that explores the relationship between a star pro baseball player (Lee Dong-wook) and his lady bodyguard (Lee Si-young). It didn’t fare too well in the ratings there because it was up against the juggernaut that was “The Moon That Embraces The Sun 해를 품은 달”, but apparently the drama had a small, loyal following.
5 Memorable “Cave Scenes” in YA Books
Some of our favorite books have memorable “love scenes” and “fight scenes” and “death scenes”. Apparently, they also have memorable “cave scenes”–scenes that are set inside caves.
My The Mysterious Reading Society friends and I started talking about this out of nowhere while waiting for our detained discussion leader to arrive. He never did. *hem hem*
So anyway…
1. Achilles and Patroclus consummate their relationship in “The Song of Achilles”
a.k.a. While the centaur mentor is away, the boys will play. 😛
“The Song of Achilles” is one of my favorite books ever because of the way Madeline Miller took me on an emotional roller coaster with this story.
One of the turning points in the book is when Achilles and Patroclus finally became lovers in the truest sense of the word. It’s tastefully written and actually rather emotional.
The cave smelled hot and sweet, like fruit beneath the sun. Our eyes met, and we did not speak. Fear rose in me, sudden and sharp. This was the moment of truest peril, and I tensed, fearing his regret.
He said, “I did not think—” And stopped. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to hear what he had not said.
It’s a Cave Scene and a Love Scene! 😛
Interestingly enough, Chiron’s Cave is one of the few places in the world where Achilles’ goddess mother Thetis’ omniscient eyes cannot see through. Convenient, eh? 😉
2. Karou and Akiva stare each other down in “Days of Blood and Starlight”
a.k.a. Karou and Akiva’s TV drama moment
Spoiler warning for those who haven’t read the second book of Laini Taylor’s wonderful series, “Daughter of Smoke and Bone”!
At the end of “Days of Blood and Starlight”, Karou and Akiva, along with a handful of chimaera and seraphim, bide their time in a cavern as they wait to fight against a common enemy. And because Taylor’s prose is more capable of triggering a “wave of feels” than I ever can…
Her eyes are pulled elsewhere, across the cavern to where Akiva sits at another fire with his own soldiers around him.
He is looking back at her.
As ever when their eyes meet, it is like a lit fuse searing a path through the air between them. These past days, when this has happened, one or the other would turn quickly away, but this time they rest and let the fuse burn. They are filled with the sight of each other. Here in this cavern, this extraordinary gathering—this seethe of colliding hatreds, tamed temporarily by a shared hate—could be their long-ago dream seen through a warped mirror. This is not how it was meant to be. They are not side by side as they once imagined. They are not exultant, and they no longer feel themselves to be the instruments of some great intention. They are creatures grasping at life with stained hands. There is so much between them, all the living and all the dead, but for a moment everything falls away and the fuse burns brighter and nearer, so that Karou and Akiva almost feel as if they are touching.
Tomorrow they will start the apocalypse.
Tonight, they let themselves look at each other, for just a little while.
I saw that scene in my head as if it was a TV drama, wherein the camera shows the two protagonists from all angles while staring at each other, complete with a voice-over. “Tomorrow, we will start the apocalypse.”
I’ve been watching too many Korean dramas? Why, yes, I sure have.
3. Katniss and Peeta put on the act of their lives in “The Hunger Games”
a.k.a. Katniss and Peeta’s REAL TV drama moment
Katniss tries to put on a “girl madly in love” act as she tries to cure Peeta’s injuries. But it is only when she drops the act and lets her real feelings show that their mentor Haymitch sends them a reward.
“Katniss,” he says. I go over to him and brush the hair back from his eyes. “Thanks for finding me.”
“You would have found me if you could,” I say. His forehead’s burning up. Like the medicine’s having no effect at all. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I’m scared he’s going to die.
“Yes. Look, if I don’t make it back—” he begins.
“Don’t talk like that. I didn’t drain all that pus for nothing,” I say.
“I know. But just in case I don’t—” he tries to continue.
“No, Peeta, I don’t even want to discuss it,” I say, placing my fingers on his lips to quiet him.
“But I—” he insists.
Impulsively, I lean forward and kiss him, stopping his words. This is probably overdue anyway since he’s right, we are supposed to be madly in love. It’s the first time I’ve ever kissed a boy, which should make some sort of impression I guess, but all I can register is how unnaturally hot his lips are from the fever. I break away and pull the edge of the sleeping bag up around him. “You’re not going to die. I forbid it. All right?”
“All right,” he whispers.
And then a pot of broth drops from the sky. And the shippers (as in the people of Panem) all squee. 
4. Sirius and Buckbeak co-habitate in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
a.k.a. The Domestic Saga of Padfoot and Claws
At the end of “Prisoner of Azkaban”, Sirius Black escapes with the hippogriff Buckbeak and spends some time hiding from dementors and Ministry officials together in a far-away cave.
I dunno about you, but I feel like there’s a spin-off sitcom in there somewhere.
The cave scene in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” with the locket horcrux and the lake of zombies was pretty awesome, too.
5. Colin and Lindsey share stories in the dark in “An Abundance of Katherines”
a.k.a. It’s Not That Dark If We Have A Bottle of Moonshine
Lindsey takes Colin to her “secret hideout” where they hang out and share stories. There is no sex, but there is alcohol. And lots of cute dialogue.
“It’s weird talking to you; I can’t see you at all.”
“I can’t see you either.”
“We’re invisible. I’ve never been here with someone else. It’s different being invisible with someone.”
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Colin was probably starting to like Lindsey already, but some of his little brain cells keep shouting “But she’s not a Katherine!”
So, what is it about caves, huh?
But what about you? Are there any memorable Cave Scenes from your favorite books? 🙂
I Spy: “Harry Potter” in “Princess Hours”
I am unable to write a long entry today, so following “Scoring the Book”, I decided to start another feature here called “I Spy”, where I post screenshots of books that I have spotted in TV shows that I am watching.
Various “Harry Potter” books in Korean drama “Princess Hours”
I will cheat today, though, because I haven’t seen this drama myself. Fellow Korean drama enthusiast Rainecaphriel shared this screenshot she took of various “Harry Potter” books seen in episode 7 of “Princess Hours” a.k.a. “Goong (궁)”, a 2006 drama which starred one of my favorite ladies, Yoon Eun-hye. In this scene, Prince Yul (Kim Jeong-hoon) was reading the books. It’s interesting to note that these are the English Bloomsbury editions. 🙂
I chose this as my first entry for this feature because it’s my friend Leia’s favorite K-drama (and the only one she would gush about, LOL), and it’s her birthday today! Happy Birthday, dude!
Scholastic Unveils First of Seven New “Harry Potter” Covers
SCHOLASTIC UNVEILS FIRST OF SEVEN NEW COVERS FOR THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS IN CELEBRATION OF
THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE
THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE
NEW TRADE PAPERBACK EDITIONS FEATURING COVERS BY AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR KAZU KIBUISHI
COMING SEPTEMBER 2013
New York, NY (February 13, 2013) – Harry Potter fans and young readers just starting their journey through the world of Harry Potter will have something new and exciting to add to their bookshelves this September. Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today unveiled an all new cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – the first of seven new covers to appear on U.S. trade paperback editions coming in September 2013 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the original book in J.K. Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter series.
The stunning art for the new editions is by critically acclaimed artist Kazu Kibuishi, best known for his #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series, Amulet. Kibuishi is a longtime Harry Potter fan who called this opportunity, “more than a little surreal.” Each of the seven new covers will depict a distinctive and memorable moment from the respective book. The collection, which will also be released in September as a boxed set, will offer new readers just reaching the age to begin the series a glimpse of J.K. Rowling’s magical world and the epic story they are about to enter.
“The Harry Potter covers by Mary GrandPré are so fantastic and iconic,” said Kibuishi. “When I was asked to submit samples, I initially hesitated because I didn’t want to see them reinterpreted! However, I felt that if I were to handle the project, I could bring something to it that many other designers and illustrators probably couldn’t, and that was that I was also a writer of my own series of middle grade fiction. As an author myself, I tried to answer the question, ‘If I were the author of the books – and they were like my own children – how would I want them to be seen years from now?’ When illustrating the covers, I tried to think of classic perennial paperback editions of famous novels and how those illustrations tend to feel. In a way, the project became a tribute to both Harry Potter and the literary classics.”
The inspired original art for the series, created by the talented Mary GrandPré will continue to be featured on the U.S. hardcover and digest paperback editions.
According to Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade Publishing, “The brilliant artist Kazu Kibuishi offers his unique vision of the world of Harry Potter, making each cover an incredible adventure that will transport new readers just discovering Harry Potter for the first time directly into the rich world of J.K. Rowling’s imagination.”
Scholastic also announced that in November 2013, the company will release the first boxed set of the complete Hogwarts Library in the U.S., including Quidditch Through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Sales of the Hogwarts Library will support two charities selected by the author, J.K. Rowling: Lumos, a charity founded by J.K. Rowling which works to end the institutionalization of children, and Comic Relief, a UK-based charity that strives to create a just world free from poverty.
Fifteen years after the first U.S. publication of J.K. Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in September 1998, there are more than 150 million Harry Potter books in print in the United States alone and the series still hits bestseller lists regularly. The seven Harry Potter books are published in over 200 territories in 73 languages and have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide.
About Kazu Kibuishi: Kazu Kibuishi is the Eisner-nominated creator of the on-going #1 New York Times bestselling Amulet series of graphic novels, as well as the comic collection Copper, both published by Graphix/Scholastic. He is also the founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, a critically acclaimed comic series; and the creator of Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, which was named a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults. Kazu Kibuishi lives in Alhambra, California with his family. Visit him at http://www.boltcity.com and on Twitter at @BoltCity.
For more information about Scholastic visit our media room.
For more information about Harry Potter and the new paperback releases, visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/harrypotter, where a downloadable image of the new cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is available.
—
Courtesy: Scholastic Philippines
From Cover to Cover: Thieves, Goddesses, and Sorcerers
There were a lot of cover reveals these past few days but these are my favorites.
First up: The much-anticipated sequel to Maggie Stiefvater’s “The Raven Boys”, called “The Dream Thieves”.
There is no synopsis for this book yet, but Maggie announced that it will be published on 17 September 2013. And also, that’s Ronan on the cover, which is interesting, considering no particular character was featured on the cover of Book 1.
Next up: Mina V. Esguerra’s “Interim Goddess of Love” got a makeover for the release of its international print edition, as well as the 2nd installment, “Queen of the Clueless”.
If you’ve been feeling neglected by the Goddess of Love lately, don’t worry — Hannah Maquiling, college sophomore, is in training to take over. The Original Goddess is missing, but Hannah is Interim Goddess now, and she should figure out how to solve humanity’s love problems soon. Quin (God of the Sun) is still her mentor, still really hot, but apparently isn’t as honest about his other earthly relationships as she thought. It’s frustrating, and enough to make her check out possibilities with Diego (God of the Sea) and Robbie (Cute Human).
In the meantime, she’s decided to spend some of her precious training time helping to break up a relationship, instead of putting one together. Why? Because the girl in question happens to be her best friend Sol, whose boyfriend is stealing not just from her, but from other people on campus. Sol didn’t exactly summon the Goddess, but this is what power over Love is for, right? Surely it’s not just about matchmaking, but ending doomed relationships too. (Even when it’s not what people want.)
The new covers were designed by the lovely Tania Arpa, and photographed/modeled by Rhea Bue. This is a great choice for the international editions because it immediately gives you that YA vibe, and it is rather eye-catching.
And this is the cover for IGoL’s Philippine print edition published by Summit Books:
While this isn’t my favorite among the covers of IGoL released so far, it’s still cute, and when displayed with Mina’s other books that were released by Summit, this one blends in with the aesthetic of the others nicely.
This edition should hit the bookstore shelves today, while you can check buying info on the other editions here: click!
And last, but definitely not least: The 15th Anniversary Edition of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”! (But but but…I don’t even have the 10th Anniversary Edition yet!)
This was designed by author/illustrator Kazu Kibuishi. Scholastic plans to release a boxed set of trade paperbacks of all 7 books with covers designed by Kabuishi come September of this year. The hardcovers and digest paperbacks will still be published with Mary Grandpré’s art. Kibuishi talks about the covers here: click!
I like the look of Kibuishi’s art, and this actually makes me want to check out “Amulet”. I love that he picked the Diagon Alley scene to illustrate because it captures that sense of awe that Harry felt when he first set foot in the Wizarding World, which is what I felt when I read this book for the first time. The only thing that threw me off here is the color scheme, which immediately called to mind Grandpré’s “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” cover.
J.K. Rowling’s first non-Potter novel!!!! For adults!!!!
This news deserves extra exclamation marks! J.K. Rowling is finally going to publish her first non-Harry Potter novel, and it’s for adults, to boot.
*let’s bring out our clapper for the second time today*
Little, Brown Book Group and Little, Brown and Company are delighted to announce that they will publish J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults worldwide in the English language, both in print and ebooks.
David Shelley, Publisher, Little, Brown Book Group, will be J.K. Rowling’s editor and will be responsible for publication in the United Kingdom with Michael Pietsch, Executive Vice President of Little, Brown and Company, responsible for publication in the United States. The book will be published by Hachette in Australia and in New Zealand and by Hachette’s companies and normal appointed agents for the English language in other markets.
The title, the date for the worldwide publication and further details about the novel will be announced later in the year.
In the press release (full text here: click!), she said that it’s only fitting that she work with another publisher for this new phase of her career. I think it’s a good move, especially if we’re talking about the huge sales that will be generated by just her name on the cover alone. Harry Potter has made millions for Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and her other international publishers, and it’s nice to know that JKR is spreading the love around by giving this book to Little, Brown.
Of course, LB already has The Twilight Saga as the big moneymaker on its roster, so… good job, LB, good job. 😉
I’ve worried for so long about how she can’t seem to tear herself away from Potter after repeatedly saying that Deathly Hallows will be the last of it. We got The Tales of Beedle the Bard, her producing credits for the last 2 Potter films, and Pottermore. Not that I’m complaining, but I love JKR’s writing, and I don’t want her to go down in history as a one-trick pony, so this new book is welcome news.
I wonder what kind of story JKR has seen fit to throw at her adult fans. I hope it’s not a fantasy novel. Or if it is, I hope that the fantasy part is more subdued. If it turns out to have even half the kind of wit and detailed plotting of the Potter books, though, I can breathe a sigh of relief.
But oh, the critics and fans alike who will most likely look at this novel under their version of an electron microscope! Oh, the pressure to come out with something brilliant!
No matter what, this Rowling fan is still going to buy it and read it. *excited*
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Edited to add: Lisa reminded me of that old speculation that JKR’s next non-Potter book will be a mystery, but it was from an unconfirmed source. Well, JKR can probably write a great mystery, something like an Agatha Christie meets Katherine Neville. Or maybe a Steve Berry-esque historical adventure with a dash of fantasy? Hrmmm…
And so begins The Great Next Novel Speculation.
What do you think it’ll be, folks?
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Edit #2: JKR just tweeted!
The Girl Who Read and Other Stories 