The Lost Man by Jane Harper Blog Tour

Blog tour alert! As you know, I don’t normally do blog tours that include reviews. In fact, I usually stay away from them and, when asked to be involved, I run to the hills screaming. But when I was asked if I wanted to be involved in the blog tour for The Lost Man by Jane Harper, I was planning to read The Lost Man before the end of last year and make it one of my first reviews in 2019, so it just fitted nicely together. Plus, I have never read Jane Harper but heard she’s wonderful and sounds like an author I could really sink my teeth into reading for my Year of Blood and Magic challenge. 

I do want to say, before I go any further, that I am not going to lie about this book. I was asked to be honest so I am going to be honest, whether the publisher wants me to or not. 

• Title And Author: The Lost Man by Jane Harper
• Publisher: Little, Brown
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review
• Length: 384 Pages

In the Australian outback, two brothers - Nathan and Bub - stand side by side. They are at the stockman’s grave, a landmark so old that no one knows who or why they were buried there. Normally, they would avoid it, but not today. Today, their brother, middle child Cameron, is lying on the grave, dead, due to the heat and lack of water. But why did he leave his fully-stocked car - which had water, food, and equipment - and walk 9 to 10 kilometres away? Some kind of bizarre suicide? If so, what made him do it? If not, the suspect list is dangerously short as the closest neighbours are hours drive away…

The past is a dangerous thing in the Australian outback… 

So… what do I think of this? 

#re3 - The Sunday Philosophy Club

Ok, I have to admit this before I go any further. I have read this once before, many many years ago. I vaguely remember liking it, but I can't for the life of me tell you what happened. It was an easy, cosy read. I must have liked it back then as I am certain I read the second book in the series, Friends, Lovers and Chocolate afterwards (again, no idea what the mystery was. I only remember really one detail).

So, when earlier this year (Spring), I saw this and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on NetGalley for review, I jumped at the chance to reread them both. I wanted to see if I would still hold them to my memory of them. I reread The No. 1 Detective Agency back in February (review/#re3 for that is here), but I held this one off as I wanted the time to be right. And, with my job at the start of the month being all over the place with shift work (6am to 2pm for me), it screwed up my reading of La Belle Sauvage so I picked this one up instead. I wanted something light and easy and thought this would do the trick.

Oh, dear reader, how very wrong I was. But more on that later!

When philosopher and amateur detective Isabel Dalhousie saw a man fall from the gods at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, her instincts are telling her that the man didn't fall, but was pushed. With this in mind, Isabel decided to find out the truth...

Out of the two, I much prefer Precious Ramotswe over Isabel Dalhousie. Precious is much more a warmer character, a character I related to very easily and I wanted her to succeed. But Isabel isn't warmer. She's more spiky and prickly, so it makes it harder for me to relate to her.

Plus, as she is the philosopher, there were times were she would go off on a philosophy trail of thought. And this dragged. There were times, the whole chapter would be philosophy and ethics, and because of this, I felt the story slowed to a grinding halt and struggled to care about the mystery Isabel was trying to solve or about her and her family/friends.

I know I like reading crime/thriller books that have a bit of pace to them, so I am not use to much gentler, cosier crimes, but this was a struggle, whereas The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency was a joy to read.

The writing is good, don't get me wrong. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy this book and will enjoy the series. But this isn't my cup of tea, I'm afraid. And, if I decide to go back to his books, I think I will go toward Precious and read Tears of the Giraffe.

#re3 - The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

This, like Northern Lights, was a reread. I wanted to read something completely anti-fantasy before I dive back into the world of Sin Eater's Daughter. I know that, once I start reading Sleeping Prince, I would binge this and Scarecrow Queen so I can finish them before the end of March. And I love fantasy but worried that if I binge-read these after finishing Sin Eater's Daughter and Northern Lights, I would be a little sick of fantasy so, when I saw this on NetGalley, I went "Let's read this. It's a reread, it should be a fast fun read".

Oh, Andrew. Never think "This is will a fun, fast read". I started reading this and, like Northern Lights, I soon realised that there was a lot of things in here that I forgot. I mean, how old was I went I read this? Late teens? So, over ten years ago... Yeah... there is a lot I forgot. 

The first in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, we follow Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's first - and finest - female private investigator. Following her starting up her business and investigating cases such as cheating husbands and wayward daughters. All the while, with warmth, humour and a gentle understanding of human nature. 

Now, it's been so long since I read this that I am going to have to treat this like a review rather than a reread. This is a very different crime/thriller I am use to reading. I like pace, I like action, I like twists. This is a complete gear shift for me as this is a gentle crime. And Precious Ramotswe is probably the Queen of gentle crime within the past two decades. 

There is a cosy, warm feel to this. Perfect reading for the cold months of January/February. It's a bit like Sunday evening TV. You can curl up on the sofa with a hot chocolate, wearing your comfortable, happy clothes and feel happy. It's a feel-good factor to them, something I remember from when I read them YEARS AND YEARS ago. This carried over when the BBC/HBO turned a few of these into a TV series back in 2007/2008 (if I can, I will include a pic from the TV series somewhere in this post!)

Some crime readers might not like this series as the mysteries in this book and within the series aren't exactly thrilling or compelling. They're quite laid-back mysteries and some are quite easy to figure out. But this is more a look at life and human nature - something that applies to me. It's refresh for me to read something that isn't running at a hundred miles an hour. I can just relax and enjoy. 

I might have to get my hands on the second book in the series, Tears of the Giraffe. But, at the same time that I requested No 1 Detective Agency, I requested another of Alexander McCall Smith's stories, The Sunday Philosophy Club (which I think I might have read but I can't remember if I have or not!), so this will be my next Alexander McCall Smith read. 

A Day In The Life of L.A. Larkin

It's rare I post anything on Sundays, but I would like to welcome L.A. Larkin to the Pewter Wolf! L.A. Larkin is thriller writer who has written Thirst and The Genesis Flaw and her latest, Devour, has just come out.

The first book in the Olivia Wolfe series, it's follows the investigative journalist who's life seems to be always in constant peril. Hunted by enemies from all sides, Olivia must unravel a complex web of lies to uncover a terrifying truth and, soon, she will be forced to make a choice: save one life or the lives of millions. Because something has been contaminating a hidden Antarctic lake and the catastrophe it can cause is beyond words...

Now, before I hand over to L.A. Larkin, I just want to thank her for finding time to write this post for the Devour tour. I know you must be busy. And I always want to thank Leanne for asking if I wanted to be involved. Am always in the mood to discover a new thriller that will keep me on the edge of my seat!

Also, if you want to check L.A. Larkin out online, you can check out her website lalarkin.com or check her out on Twitter @lalarkinauthor. Now, over to you, L.A. Larkin!

Book Review - Fantastic Beasts: Original Screenplay

Another "I Read This Before Christmas 2016 so I can't Count this as one of my British Book Challenge 2017" books. Oh well... I can imagine Michelle from Tales of Yesterday (and person in charge of BBC 2017!) going "ANDREW!!!".

But look, I wouldn't be a good Harry Potter if I didn't read this. Though I admit I felt icky watching the film over the casting of [insert actor name here] to play [insert character name here] but of events that happened last year. Yes, I saw the film and yes, I still feel unsure on if I did the right thing seeing the film and supporting [insert actor's name here]. But I wanted to see if I could separate the actor from his work... Am in two minds over if I can do this or not (seeing as I wasn't a huge fan of the actor before the news broke last year so... not sure...)

I'm not going to review the movie. Because I can't 100% remember it. I did like the movie, but there were problems, which I will touch upon further down.

Set in 1920s New York (set several decades before Harry Potter), we follow Newt Scamander as he entered New York. It was only meant to be a brief stop. But when his case is misplaced and some of his fantastic beasts escaped, Newt has to stay and find them.

But something dark is stalking the streets of New York City... and it didn't escape from Newt's case...

Comparing this to the Cursed Child script, I think I preferred reading this screenplay script more (and while I enjoyed watching this, I think I prefer watching Cursed Child more, though there are huge problems with the story with both. Both aren't prefect, let me make that clear. NEITHER OF THESE ARE PERFECT).

Let's get this out of the way: this does feel like a first-time scriptwriter writing a script. Yes, I know that this is JK Rowling's first script (she admits that she asked a lot of questions to Steve Kloves who wrote all bar one of the Harry Potter films) but the plot felt predictable. We've seen this plot before. (I watched a video review where the movie was compared to the X-Men movies [link to that video review is here]). There were elements that were meant to shock or surprise us but these kinda feel flat. To most readers and viewers, these reveals could be seen coming a mile away.

Also, there's the romantic. Well, one romantic. Newt and Tina Goldstein. This felt awkward and it didn't ring true. I know this is the first in a five movie series so we have time for character and emotional development but this felt off. Now, canon-wise, fans know they get together, but it felt false somehow. And this is problematic because at the same time as we have that romance, we have another romanic playing out which is Tina's sister, Queenie, and the Muggle/No-Maj (really dislike this term), Jacob. Now, Queenie and Jacob's relationship, I was totally on board with. Watching their relationship on film and reading it in script, I was shipping them SO DAMN HARD! So, why did I feel like this with Queenie and Jacob, but felt out-of-sorts with Newt's and Tina's.

And Graves. Oh, the ending of Graves. I think that needs to explained more as it's left unfinished. And we have no idea if we are going to return to this in later movies or not. But yes, there were things that need tying up.

EDIT: Another thing that has occurred to me after I wrote this review and put in my scheduled (working about a week or two ahead of self at time of writing) is that this script is exactly like the movie. There is no deleted scenes or extended scenes that were edited down. We got no extras. What you read is what you saw.

However, saying that, I really liked this. This felt like a Harry Potter work. This felt like a JK Rowling story, and I missed this. I struggle with JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith (so much so, I have decide not to continue reading the series) and Cursed Child caused problems with canon. But watching this and reading this, it felt like I had truly returned to this world (I felt like this at the start of Cursed Child, but that feel left me very quickly while reading).

I like how we are now exploring the wizarding world. Yes, there has be problems with this with Pottermore and some of the information they have revealed, but this felt more inline with what we learnt within the Harry Potter novels.

While I wasn't in board with Newt and Tina's relationship, I did like their characters. I like Newt's awkwardness and I grew to like Tina (but I did struggle with her. She was a hard character to like). Jacob and Queenie I adored. I didn't realise that I would love them as quickly as I did. Queenie took me completely by surprise but I ADORE her! And Jacob is us - a non-magic discovering the world and I liked him very very quickly.

The character I thought I would like but didn't was Madam Picquery, the head of MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America). I don't know why but I always thought I would warm to her but watching her character, I didn't click with her like I hoped. But Picquery isn't Fudge and that I liked. I liked that we had a strong character in charge and I hope we are going to see more of her in future films.

The characters I liked hugely. The Niffler especially. I think everyone is in love with the Niffler. I was given a Funko Pop of the Niffler for Christmas. But I found the beasts we did see fascinating. I want to know more about them (highly unlikely that we will see them in next few movies but a TV Series would be awesome!)

Oh, before I sign off, this is written as a screenplay. It's in script form (like Cursed Child) and it is exactly like the movie. But I liked reading this as a screenplay. It added texture and, plus, I have never read a novelisation of a movie which felt right or true to the movie. Give me the screenplay from now on!

This is a mixed bag but I think I will continue reading the screenplays of future JK Rowling scripts/movie in this series. Or I might start reading more screenplays in future. It's an intriguing medium to read and I would like to dip my toe into this world more often in the coming months/years...

Book Review - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I have no idea how am going to talk about this. And oh, I SO want to talk about this! But am going to keep this as spoiler-free as I can and write a spoiler-

This is the rehearsal script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is playing in Palace Theatre till December 2017. The show had previews the past few weeks and, last Saturday, the show had it's world premiere. Because it's in London and fans all over the world are desperate to see it (and are/were upset that it isn't a book/movie/touring world wide), publishers have published the rehearsal script the Sunday just gone. The official script (which the actors are acting to now) will be published later this year...

Starting within the 19 years later epilogue, Harry Potter is now a father of three, married to Ginny and is about to put this youngest son, Albus Severus onto the Hogwarts Express for his first year.

While Harry struggles with being an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic and a past that refuses to stay in the past, Albus struggles with the pressures that his name and his family legacy, a legacy he never wanted. Soon, things are said that can't be unsaid and the past and present come crashing together...

The darkness is rising... and it's coming from unexpected places...

OK, am going to say this right now. I am going to see Cursed Child up the West End at the end of September so, of course am going to blog about it then as well. So, this is me reviewing (if you want to call this post a review) the script.

As a Harry Potter fan, this fills me with happiness. And it was enjoyable and fun. It was Harry Potter goodness. If you don't look too hard at the plot... Ok, stay with me. Am getting to why I said that in a tick.

For the good half of Part One, I was filled with joy that I was returning to this world. And I feel most Harry Potter fans will feel the same. We have a new HP story, you guys. And it was fun. It was fast, fun, enjoyable. It was fun. And I can see this working as a play. It feels right to see this as a play and I can't wait to see how this works on stage with all the effects.

However, there is problems. As I was reading this script, I couldn't help be think "This feels a bit fan fiction". That's not a bad thing. There are wonderful fan fictions out there and great fanfic writers out there. But this didn't feel like a Harry Potter story, written by JK Rowling. Even though the cover says "Based on an original new story by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne" (and Jack Thorne wrote the script), this felt off. It didn't feel right within the series. This felt separate and, at times, a little money-grabbing. One plot device that was used in the play has been used in different stories in different genres and, at times, it felt like "Rinse, wash, repeat".

But this isn't my main problem. I got on board with the above plot device because it intrigued me how it would work in this world. What bothered me was how there was so many problems and loopholes and it wasn't fully explained. How did A happen so quickly? Why did B happen? And when - WHEN FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS MUGGLE - did C happen?! Things happened and they weren't explain. I get with a play like this, you have to move the story at a pace, but explanations were either explained very thinly or not explained at all.

I sense a reread might be in order before I see the play.

I believe with this that if you can see Cursed Child, you really should. This story is built for the stage.  And if this was ever turned into an actual novel, this would work brilliantly as there will be time to explain things and go into more details. But the script... hmm... am very on the fence. Am viewing it as a standalone, maybe a companion story set in the Harry Potter world...

4 Weeks of Summer - Rebecca

When I asked if I wanted to be involved in this Daphne du Maurier blog tour, to celebrate the release of Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek and Jamaica Inn in the YA edition, I jumped at the chance. I've been curious to read Daphne du Maurier as she's one of those authors I've always been intrigued over. So when Poppy from Little, Brown sent me a copy of Rebecca, I was a mix of excited and a bit fearful. Nearly everyone I know who has read this seems to love this book.

Our unnamed narrator meets and falls in love with widower, Maxim de Winters. But when they marry and return to his Cornish home, Manderley, a change comes over him, and our narrator is filled with an uneasy dread. In this isolated house, she realises that she is friendless, barely knows the man she has married and, wherever she goes in that house, she is faced with the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca. And how is she met to compete with a phantom?

I must admit this from the off: this isn't my typical type of book. I realised this very early on and powered on, willing to try something new and different. Sometimes, this is a good thing to do.

This book is going to spilt you guys. You are going to either really like this tale or are going to hate it.

I can see people really like this book because of the pacing and writing, the tension that slowly builds and the psychologic elements that creep on our unnamed heroines and her doubts/fears that she is never going to meet up to Rebecca's standards (mainly through the actions of people around her, such as Maxim and Mrs Danvers). This is one of the original psychologic thrillers that I have read that tackles jealously, obsession, self doubt and self worth.

However, all those points can have the opposite effect on some of you. You might find it very slow in pacing and it lacks substance. It could been seen as quite a frustrating read.

For me, I did find it frustrating. I really enjoyed the writing and the style, but there were several moments I did want to throw the book across the room as I wanted the book to get to the story. But this was written in a different time, where setting up the mood and tone was more important than the story.

I'm glad I did read this, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. But it might be yours, so if you want to try it out, go for it.

GoodRead - Very Good Lives

There is very little to say about Very Good Lives. Which kinda sucks when you have to write a review.

This book is the speech JK Rowling gave in Harvard University in 2008, highlighting the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. You haven't seen the speech, you can watch it here:

But why should you buy this book when you have the speech on YouTube? Onereason is because this book's profits are going to charity, Lumos. And it is illustrated by Joel Holland in a simply yet beautiful fashion. I shall put some photos under this paragraph and show you guys.

I feel that this speech/book will be very important to some people. I think some lines in this speech are beautiful and give me hope for the future. But there is nothing really I can say to give this book the praise I feel it deserves. So, I shall live you with this last picture... 

The Host Trailer

As you guys probably know, Stephenie Meyer has been busy promoting the last Twilight Saga movie, Breaking Dawn: Part Two. But did you know that her adult sci-fi novel, The Host, has been turned into a movie and will be released next year?

Now, I really love this book, so I have high hopes for the movie and the trailer has been released. And it looks more action-driven then love-driven, but I have high hopes. What are your reactions? 

GoodRead - The Casual Vacancy

I only finished this yesterday so am still in this weird haze of "Oh my God!" and "What the hell happened?" and "Why do I have this weird achy feeling in my chest, like when I finished Maggot Moon?" (not read that? *gasps* here's the review... then come back and we can talk...)

Right, before I go any further, I feel like I need to state the following: THIS IS NOT A HARRY POTTER NOVEL!!! If you think this is a "grown up" Harry Potter, then you better put the book down and move along. Also, this is an adult novel so the language used and the subject matters are only suitable for adults. So DON'T give this to your child! I will state this several times in this post, so you have been warned!

Right, ok. Still with us? Right, here we go...

The small county town of Pagford is in a state of shock when well-liked Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly, leaving his seat on the Parish Council vacant. A Casual Vacancy. With the town secretly at war with itself, and with the hot topic for the Parish Council being the local council estate, The Fields, and the addiction clinic, the Bellchapel, the reader has to ask itself: is this seat worth it? And how well do we know our neighbours?

So, light reading, right? Wrong! This book tackles very dark issues - self-harm, domestic violence, rape, drug abuse, mental health, child neglect and poverty to name a few - and with there being swear words (oh, the SHOCK!), this isn't a light read. When you are going to read this, you are going to read something dark and quite dense.

Now, I completely get why some people have dislike this book. It is a marmite read. You're either going to love it or hate it. There's no middle ground about this!

Now, oddly, I liked this. This isn't my cup of tea in reading, but I enjoyed reading these characters. I found the novel very interesting. It felt like I was reading about the human nature. Why do we do the things we do? Why do we stay when the situation is so out of our control and, when it is, how do we get control back?

This also tackled the issue of responsibility. Who is responsible for those who are less fortunate than ourselves? And when do we realise our responsibilities? Early in the day, or until it is too late?

In my honest opinion, I found this book very dark and very dense (some people have compared this to a Charles Dickens novel - I can't say this as I haven't read any Dickens' novel). And yet, this is a very powerful novel (I read parts 6 and 7 with my hand over my mouth and, when I finished the book, chatting to my other half on the phone, trying to get over the horrible feeling that weighed down on my chest).

This won't be everyone's cup of tea. I say this to you so you can decide for yourselves. I am glad I read it as I think JK Rowling was very brave to write this. This won't suit everyone but, after a hugely successful series like Harry Potter, she wrote it anyway. And for that, I thank you. She has proven that she is not a "one series" wonder.

PS - if you haven't read my blog post about seeing JK Rowling live at the South Bank Centre in London, you can click here to read about it!

PPS - I never liked the Rihanna song Umbrella. And now, thanks to JK, I can never listen to it again without thinking of this book/one or two characters. Thanks, JK.

So, I Met JK Rowling Last Night...

I like that no matter how casually I title this, I feel like screaming, shouting, crying and in daze as I don't HONESTLY know if this has actually happened or if I dreamed it...

So, the short version. Me and my other half went to the South Bank Centre, met up with some book sellers and book bloggers, watched JK Rowling do two readings and answer some questions from the interviewer and the audience, then get my copy of the Casual Vacancy signed.

That is the short version. The long version is that my other half and I got there REALLY early (we got lost round London so we just decided to go there and get a coffee) and we bumped into two people who work in my local Waterstones (whose names I have COMPLETELY forgotten so for that, I am sorry and I will come in soon and buy something as an apologise!) who run their store's Twitter (@WatChelmsford). They've uploaded pics here so you can see who I met. It was a tad surreal as they went, out of nowhere, "Excuse me, are you Andrew?" and we chatted about me never tweeting the sentence "Am in @WatChelmsford, sneaking round the shelves!" EVER again. After that, I bumped into Leanne from District YA & her Mum (who is a lovely woman! She reads more books than I do!) and I met Daphne from Winged Reviews. I knew that Sarah from Hot Key Books was there (but never saw her). Later that evening (when the audience Q&A), I discovered that one of the editorial director from Leaky, Rosianna, was there and then, this morning, I discovered that one of my fave YouTuber Lex was there too.

I know that means nothing to you, but to me, this is HUGE!

Anyway, after this, we all went into the hall and sat in our seats. After a quick "Hello" from the South Bank Centre's Artistic Director who compared JK Rowling to Lady Gaga with the amount of buzz surrounding her and  her The Casual Vacancy, she introduced JK Rowling and her interviewer, Mark Lawson. When she came on stage, JK Rowling got a standing ovation! And she hadn't even said a word!

After that, JK Rowling (I know I write her name in full but I can't write "Jo". I can't!) read a brief section from the "Prologue", Mark asked her questions about the book, the characters and tackled the themes that are in the book such as death, morality and sikhism.

After this, the live web stream was turned off (highlights of the event is here [I can't embed it into the blog. Sorry]), JK did a second reading, which had several swear words in it (yes, this is an adult book and yes, a tiny part of me was overjoyed to hear JK Rowling swearing! I'm not sure why, but am sure most people wear shocked [I hope not though...]). Not sure what page it was but I will tweet it when I get there... And then, after that, questions were taken from the audience (I think it was meant to be taken from Twitter as well, but I can't remember if any were used). These questions ranged from advice about writing, death, if there were characters she liked and disliked. One person gave her a gift.

And then, the mad rush to get your copy signed. Oh dear Lord. The less I say about this, the better. I am not in a ranty mood. I won't go there. If you were there, you understand. If not, YOU GUYS COULD BREATH WITHOUT FEARING THAT YOU WOULD HIT SOMEONE! Anyway, after an hour (that's SHORT!) I got my copy of The Casual Vacancy signed. You couldn't take pics of JK Rowling (plus the only one I have on my photo makes her look like one of the faceless people from that Doctor Who episode, The Idiot's Lantern), you couldn't talk to her nor ask for a dedication. I was ok with that. I WAS GOING TO MET JK BLOODY ROWLING! And when she was signing my copy, all I could say was "Thank you." She said thank you back (*faints with delight*) and I went off bouncing, skipping and probably looking like a completely idiot. I smiled a lot that train journey home.

And still, it feels one very surreal moment...

Now, I know you guys are probably going "All you said was thank you?" and the answer is yes. That's all I could say. But within that, I wanted to thank for her making me fall in love in reading. I wanted to thank for making me want to write. I wanted to thank her for being my childhood and now really enter being an adult with this book (I giggled when I read the first swear word and howled with laughter when I read the word masturbation). Thank you was all I could say. There was nothing else to say to a woman who I see as one of my idols.

So, JK Rowling, if you are reading this (highly unlikely but you never know...) thank you.

(PS - for those of you wondering, I'm not far in. I only read up to page 27 yesterday [busy day] and am in no hurry to read this. I am going to take my time and savour it.)

(PPS - I have been told by Daphne from Winged Reviews that I was frighteningly calm while in line and then meeting JK Rowling. I have no idea why I was so calm. I think I must have gone into shock or something... Hence the whole "this is surreal" moments I'm having...)

The Casual Vacancy - Cover Revealed!

Earlier today (while I was attacking Zoe Marriott's Frostfire), Little Brown revealed what the cover of JK Rowling's first adult novel The Casual Vacancy would look like:

What do you guys think? Most of people's reactions on Twitter has been "It's a bit underwhelming". 

But I think that's the point. It has to be different from Harry Potter and this is different! Us Potterheads can't pick it apart looking for clues. This is the same reaction to when John Green revealed the cover for The Fault in Our Stars. And look at us now? We LOVE that book and we've grown to love the cover!

This is a grown-up cover for a grown-up book! And I like that! Bring on September! 

Also, more news has been revealed. Little Brown has confirmed that it will be 512 pages long (YEAH!) and the audiobook version will be read by Tom Hollander, who has been in two of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Gosford Park, Pride and Prejudice with Keria Knightley and the BBC2 smash hit, Rev. 

Like I said before, BRING ON SEPTEMBER!

PS - While researching this article, I have been looking at the Autumn Catalogue for Little Brown this year. Shouldn't have done that! I now have a small list of books I want to read: Scott Mills autobiography, America Pacifica (which I actually have!), Will Young's autobiography, Judy Finnigan's debut novel and goodness knows how many from Atom... Plus with Miranda Hart's "autobiography" (I use the term loosely) being published by Hodder, I sense the latter part of this year and the beginning of 2013 to be a mix of YA fun to meaty "grown-up" reads. Sorry in advance! 

The Casual Vacancy

Little Brown has released information about JK Rowling's new book. It's gonna be called... THE CASUAL VACANCY and this is what the story is about, as revealed on the Little Brown website:

The Casual Vacancy

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Little Brown, also, confirmed the international date of release - THURSDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER (so, I fear no midnight launches... *sigh*) - and the UK prices for hardback (£20.00), ebook (£11.99), audio download (£20.00) & CD (£30.00)

So, reactions? This is as far removed from Harry Potter and I love it! It's like The Archers, but darker! I CAN NOT WAIT!

Chris Weitz - Movie Director, Producer, YA Writer...

News has hit me that one of my fave directors, Chris Weitz, has signed a publishing deal with Little Brown to publish a "post-apocalyptic young adult trilogy" in Spring 2014. According to the EW article in question, the publishers feel that Chris's "...work on film adaptations of young adult titles makes him especially plugged into the genre."

The trilogy, The Young World, has been given the following information:

The Young World is the gripping first installment of a trilogy set in the not-so-distant future in a post-apocalyptic New York City following the catastrophic destruction of the world as we know it. An unknown trauma has left every child and adult on earth dead, but, for unknown reasons, teenagers are spared. Anyone between the onset of puberty and the age of twenty-one are in a world with no authority figures. And while that world would normally be a teenager’s fantasy, this world has no heat, running water, television, video games, phones, or Internet. Teenagers are the heirs to a world brought back to the Stone Age, and now they must learn to master it in order to survive.

So, what do you guys think? This reminds me vaguely of the TV show, The Tribe (Not heard of it? Here's the Wiki Info), but am intrigued over what Chris writes.

What are your reactions?

JK ROWLING'S NEW BOOK NEWS!!!

*tries very hard not to scream or explode* Ok, let's talk JK Rowling.

Earlier today, her literary agent (The Blair Partnership) revealed that JK Rowling will be publishing an adult book! A NEW STORY FROM JK ROWLING!!!

Though no details have been revealed (these will be released later in the year), Little Brown has confirmed that they will be publishing the book in the UK and the US!

JK Rowling has written in a quote revealing the news that "Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life."

Of course, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr has exploded! And with information being vague on title, release date (guesses range from 6 months to 18 months) and details in general, we all wait for news... I, personal, CAN'T WAIT!

(now can I go hyper now?)