Harry Potter News!

It's been a busy few days in the Harry Potter world.

First was the news that, within the first four months of being available on Audible, Harry Potter has sold one million copies. This is going across Audible.co.uk, Audible.com, Audible.de & Audible.com.au.

But this came within hours of the cover of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - illustrated Edition being unveiled by Bloomsbury UK and Scholastic USA, and with exclusive images being shown on Pottermore.com.

Now, I don't own Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Illustrated Edition (and I call myself a fan!!!), but I just wanted to show you guys the cover and point out the audiobook news so... well... the fandom isn't dead yet! And with this only the start - we have Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them both coming out later in the year... well... Busy time for us lot!

Anyway, here is the cover!

Ok guys, what do you think? Do you like? Do you hate? Do you think it's too similar to the original UK children's cover? Leave a comment down below as am very intrigued over your thoughts and feels on this... 

Book News!

I've been meaning to write one of these for the past week but I keep getting sidetrack. So, luckily, my pals at This Week in YA have done the job for me! Thanks guys!



Although, there was a few pieces of news that they did touch (as they are Americans and this is UK book news) so, let's get started.

Simon and Schuster UK revealed that they were going to be publish Kami Garcia's new series, The Legion. The first book will be out in autumn 2013 with the second book in the series out same time the following year. Legion follows Kennedy, who after discovering her mother murdered, discovers that she is part of a Legion who sole aim is to defeat a powerful demon. But demons aren't always easy to spot...

The film rights to this series has been bought by Mark Morgan, producer of The Twilight Saga and Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. (No news on if her author buddy, Maragret Stohl, series Icons have a UK publisher but the film rights to this series has been sold to the same people behind the Beautiful Creatures movie. Now, as someone who is slowly entering the Caster Chronicles, the news about Kami is great. But I wanna read both authors series so publishers, please! Don't let me beg...)

Second news is Maureen Johnson. The Queen of Teen 2012 is moving publishers. Hot Key Books will be publishing the last two books in her Shades of London series (The Madness Underneath is still being published by HarperCollins), her debut novel The Keys to the Firebird and her Scarlett series. These will be published over a course of two years and the Shades of London books are rumoured to be released in the UK at the same time as the US. Great to hear we're going to get more Maureen on bookshelves!

And third (and finally) the BBC. Earlier in the year, BBC Two announced that they were going to make a drama based on the award winning novels by Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall and the sequel Bring Out the Bodies (it is rumoured that BBC Two has also got the rights for the finale which is currently being written) and, last night, BBC One aired its conclusion to James Herbert's The Secret of Crickley Hall. But today, BBC One revealed that in the autumn or winter 2013, a six part adaptation of Suzanne Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell will be aired. This book was describled by its publisher, Bloomsbury, when released as the adult Harry Potter. The book is set in alternative 19th Century England where two magicians fight not only against a Napolean army, but each other as well...

And also, JK Rowling announced that BBC One was going to adapted her first adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, and that will be aired in 2014. No other information has been revealed at early stage.

ADDED ON 5TH DECEMBER 2012
Two more news articles popped up and, rather than do another post for them, I'm added them here. So...

While being interviewed about her upcoming movie adaptation, The Host, Stephenie Meyer revealed that she was working on the sequel to The Host. She admitted she wasn't that far along, but revealed nothing (and after the whole Midnight Sun affair, can you blame her?)

Also, it was revealed that Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush has been optioned for a movie. LD Entertainment has bought the film rights to all four books in the Hush Hush Saga, with Patrick Sean Smith (the creator of the TV show, Greek) writing the screenplay for the first movie. Becca admits that this has been in the works for almost a year and she thinks it should translate onto the big screen very easily.

And that's it. No more! I will give you links to you can read the articles in full below. So, guys, reactions? Are you excited about The Casual Vacancy being turned into the TV drama? Have you heard of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell before today? And what about the Kami Garcia and Maureen Johnson?

LINKS! 

This Week in YA YouTube Channel

Kami Garcia Being Signed to Simon & Schuster (Press Release)

Maureen Johnson Joins Hot Key Books (The Bookseller)

BBC One Adapts Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (BBC Media Centre)

 BBC One Adapts The Casual Vacancy (BBC News and Mugglenet)
Stephenie Meyer Talks about The Host sequel (The Hollywood Reporter)
Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush Saga Movie Rights have been Bought (EW)

More JK Rowling News!

When the news about JK Rowling comes out, it comes thick and fast (and then we sit by the computers for YEARS, waiting for a titbit).

Anyway, as you guys know, information about JK Rowling's first adult novel The Casual Vacancy was revealed and the internet exploded. A day later, the internet has exploded, yet again. All due to the FAQs & Rumours section of JK Rowling's site.

On the site, the question was asked that all Harry Potter fans have been asking for years: "What about the Harry Potter Encyclopaedia?"

And JK Rowling's answer was... "For a long time I have been promising an encyclopaedia of Harry’s world, and I have started work on this now – some of it forms the new content in Pottermore. It is likely to be a time-consuming job, but when finished I shall donate all royalties to charity."

*imagine all Harry Potter fans (myself included) doing a Kermit Flailing Arms movement... NOW!*

We've all known about the Harry Potter Encyclopaedia since the end on 2007, when Jo mentioned it on the PotterCast podcast where the book was given the nickname "The Scottish Book", but this is the first time to my knowledge that she has DIRECTLY confirmed the news.

My reactions: OH YEAH!!! *Now screams and faints* ... *recovers* Although... it would be interesting to see who publishes this? Harry Potter is home to Bloomsbury in the UK and yet, JK is publishing her new book with Little Brown. I sense a bidding war...!

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?)

Sarah Adderson & Girltank (aka Catching Suki)

Earlier today, I received the following from Sarah Adderson, author of Hunting Lila and Fated. She asked if I could promote this and, yeah, am going to do it now.

*

I was asked by a charity called Girltank that supports young girl change makers across the globe if I might be able to support them in some way and, because kick ass girls are my favourite sort of girl, and because I'm passionate about social change and empowering young women I jumped at the chance.

We came up with the idea of using Catching Suki to help raise awareness of their goal - which is to find 10,000 young women social entrepreneurs, innovators and heroes in 100 days.

So to download your free copy of CATCHING SUKI (a short story from Suki's POV) for FREE (for a limited time only) all you need to do is go here https://www.facebook.com/girltankorg?sk=app_349727475052332

...and sign up to nominate either yourself or someone you know who is making change happen in the world...(could be a school project, could be something they're doing in their community to make life better for other people)...

The director of Girltank says...

'We want to show the world that young women from every region of the planet are making powerful contributions to society and leading social change. We want to tell your stories!

So send us the names of the best examples of young women innovators from Chicago to Hong Kong to Capetown to Buenos Aires. Then spread the word to your networks!

YA Readers (As Reported By Channel 4 News)

On Wednesday, Channel 4 News (produced my ITN) did a small report on YA genre in books, stating where as adult fiction has decreased in UK sales, YA books have increased.

Here is the report in question.


PS - am going to say nothing about the reporter just "putting" Twilight back on the shelf. WRONG PLACE! WRONG FLIPPING PLACE!!!

Lady in Red

Whoever this lady in Red is... I think I am a little in love with her courage!