Hello! My name is Chie. I am likely to be the girl you'll see whose eyes would bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a book store and be seized by waves of epileptic shock whenever there is a book bargain. I'll probably be the one pushing you out of my way to get through the book bargain bins and tediously combing through the pile. (I forget my manners when it comes to books). I am tone deaf and have two left feet. But I would endure the embarrassment of a performance in exchange for books (terms and conditions apply). I have created this blog in order to find kindred souls. Those who would gladly share the same passion for books and reading because although reading is solitary task most of the time, it's no fun having no one to ramble to after..
Bloomsbury Reveals Plans to Celebrate Twentieth "Potter" Anniversary
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 Time: 7:51 PM
Last October saw the release of the first Jim Kay Illustrated Harry Potter. The next in the series, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, is due to be released this coming October. The first in the series had already sold over 94,000 copies in the UK. In the lead up to the release of the second illustrated book and following the second successful Harry Potter Book Night on February 4, Bloomsbury have revealed their upcoming Potter plans. With the twentieth anniversary of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone looming in 2017, plenty of plans are in place to celebrate this exciting anniversary. Special Hogwarts house editions of the first book, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone will be published in 2017 to coincide with the anniversary.
The plans also include ways of celebrating the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, which is due to be released this coming November. An updated version of the school text book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them originally published in 2001, will be released early 2017. The new edition will contain new content from J.K. Rowling.
Bloomsbury also plan to publish Illustrated editions of The Hogwarts Library books and the releases will be staggered from 2017.
Bloomsbury will commission three new illustrators to create lavish, full-colour illustrated editions of J.K. Rowling's three Hogwarts Library books, starting with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in Autumn 2017, The Tales of Beedle of the Bard in 2018, and Quidditch Through The Ages in 2019. Illustrator announcements will follow in due course.
Scholastic, Little Brown UK to Publish "Cursed Child" Script this Summer!
Only a couple of weeks ago, I was cautiously optimistic that Harry Potter and The Cursed Child would be published as a book sooner than I originally hoped, meaning those fans unable to make the trip to London to see the show wouldn't be missing out on reading the next chapter of Harry's (and Albus') story. Now, I have confirmed - the full script of Cursed Child will be released on Harry's (and Jo's) birthday: July 31, 2016. Of course this is only a day after the play officially opens (although it does run in previews for a few weeks prior) which means that readers around the world will get the chance to read the story almost in real time, greatly reducing the risk of running across spoilers on the internet.
In the U.S., the book will cost $29.99, and in Canada it will priced at $39.99. The British hardcover will be £20. A digital edition will be released via Pottermore simultaneously. Information released by the publishers states that this edition will contain the script of the play as it stands during the production's preview period - a Special Rehearsal Edition. As further rehearsal and transition to performing in front of the live audiences may produce changes to the script, this edition will be available for a limited time - a Definitive Collector's Edition with the final version of the script will be released at a later date.
The CEO of Little Brown Book Group UK, David Shelley said of the announcement:
We are so thrilled to be publishing the script of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. J.K. Rowling and her team have received a huge number of appeals from fans who can't be in London to see the play and who would like to see the play in book format - and so we are absolutely delighted to be able to make it available for them.
Scholastic's promotion for the book's release has already got me excited. And planning which robes I am going to wear to the midnight release of course. Wait, there's no such thing as midnight release here in the Philippines.
Upcoming Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Cast: Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), Samantha Morton (Mary Lou), Ezra Miller (Credence), Collin Farrell (Percival Graves), Faith Wood-Balgrove (Modesty), Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina), Jon Bought (Henry Shaw), Ron Perlman (Gnarlack) Directed by: David Yates Date Premiered: November 18, 2016 Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Based on: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Newt Scamander -J.K. Rowling) Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Synopsis: The story revolves around Newt Scamander's arrival at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), for a meeting with an important official. Central to the story and this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American Wizarding after Newt, and it threatens even further strain the state of magical and non-magical relations, which is already in a dangerous place, due to the threatening presence of fanatical New Salem Philanthropic Society, an extremist organisation dedicated to the eradication of wizard-kind. The story tells of what effect this devastating mistake has on the state of wizard/No-Maj (the American term for a non-magical person) relations in New York City's community of wizards and witches in 1926, the effort to correct the mistakes, and the horrors of the resultant increase in violence, fear, and tension felt between magical and non-magical people.
Thoughts: I thought I would be done with this. I thought I had cried my final tears four years ago when the last Harry Potter film ended. Never would I have thought that I would be writing related to Harry Potter in my adult life, especially something that is relevant to our present day. But as Warner Bros. have decided to adapt J.K. Rowling's novel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to the big screen. I am obviously going to take any chance that I can get to write about it. Within the past couple of months, the public have been given a handful of information about the film here and there, which have been spread sporadically through our social media platforms. However, I am going to try and lay out all the information I could gather about the film for you all in one post. And I hope that my inner childhood Harry Potter fan girl doesn't take over.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is originally a 2001 novel written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander, a fictional magizoologist (the study of magical creatures). In the book, Scamander lists the 85 magical creatures that reside around the world, which he found through observations from his travel around 5 different continents. Within the Harry Potter Universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is uses as a Hogwarts textbook that is compulsory for first year students (even though the class Care of Magical Creatures is not introduced until third year). However, the book is a helpful encyclopedia to identify dark creatures for the class Defense Against the Dark Arts, and according to Dumbledore, is a wonderful addition for a wizarding household.
Newt Scamander
As the current synopsis goes, the film will follow the adventures of Newt Scamander and his quest to find magical beasts. J.K. Rowling herself has stated that it does not serve as prequel or a sequel to the Harry Potter world, but will act as an addition to the Wizarding Universe. It will take place in 1920's New York, which is seven decades before Harry Potter and his gang go to Hogwarts.
Because the film is set in America, we definitely get to see US witches and wizards right? Absolutely! If your are religiously following Rowling on Twitter, you would know that she has already teased the idea of the American School of Wizadry. Even though it is uncertain that we will be introduced to this school, we do get to meet some of its ex-students and may even explore the inner workings of American magic, which apparently is influenced by Native American culture.
It's reunion time for the Harry Potter crew, as all have worked on most/all of the movies within the franchise. Producer David Hey man and Executive Producer Lionel Wigram are making their comeback alongside David Yates who directed the last four Harry Potter films. J.K. Rowling has written the script herself with the involvement from Steve Kloves, who has scripted all but one of the Harry Potter films.
Unlike the crew, we won't be seeing any of the original cast return for the film.
Like The Hobbit, this one singular novel will be turned into three films. Kevin Tsujihara has already confirmed that it will become "three mega movies" and J.K. Rowlkng has nearly finished the material for the first film and is already working on the two additional chapters. Release dates have already been chosen, with the first movie set to come out on November 18, 2016 and the two preceding on November 16, 2018 and November 20, 2020.
Thank you, Warner Bros. Thank you for keeping the Harry Potter and all its magic alive. From what I have read, the public, young and old, are genuinely excited to see this novel adapted into a live-action. Hopefully the success of this film will manifest into others within The Hogwarts Library like Quidditch Through The Ages and The Tales of Beedle The Bard
So here we are again, another year have passed us by. 2016 is gonna be a year that is filled again of anticipated books and growing TBR. So without further a do, here's the list of my most anticipated books of 2016.
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Release Date: August 2, 2016
It made me have this unputdownable wanderlust to Scotland, I fell in love with the magical kingdom of Doon and the characters, especially the MacCrea brothers.
Also if you've already read Shades of Doon, you know why I am so eager to have this beautiful book in my hands. Because if you've read the last book, that cliffhanger made me want to reap my hair out of my head.
The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Okay. Who would say no to this? Rick Riordan is one of my author buy books. Together with growing up with J.K. Rowling's books, shaping your book loving persona, I also have Uncle Rick to shape mine. I grew up with his characters by my side. Plus we're gonna be having Percy in this book, if that doesn't made it more exciting I don't know will. So yeah I am so looking forward in this book. Apollo is gonna be a teenage boy, and Percy is gonna be like in his 20's in this book. The excerpt had us crazy for the book. I can't wait to have it in my hands.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Remember what I said earlier that Uncle Rick is one of my automatically buy authors? Yeah I am so excited for this second book of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The first book is such a fun and amazing read. We met the ever sassy and witty Magnus, we get to see glimpses of Annabeth in the book too. I am just looking forward to reading this book and hang around with Magnus more and maybe we'll see our dear old Camp Half-Blood friends in this book too. And I love Magnus, he's such a fun dude. No official cover for this book just yet.
Demigods and Magicians by Rick Riordan
Release Date: April 5, 2016
This is going to be awesome! Rick Riordan does that just makes your insides go squishy and you can't help but be excited for months for his book releases. There aren't many authors that are on my auto-buy list but let's just say.. HELLS YEAH! RICK RIORDAN IS ON THAT LIST! Something would have to be MAJORLY wrong with me, to not immediately buy his book. This is even better than a Futurama/Simpsons crossover.
Uncle Rick has done it again.
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Red Queen was such such a blast to begin with. I am looking forward on seeing more of the Scarlet Guard, and Shade and Cal and Mare and of course, Maven. The first book had been mind blowing and feels shattering that I was in a cry fest when I am done. And if you see that tag line: "Kneel or Bleed", well I thin I should start get freaking nervous.
Soldier by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 26, 2016
I am currently loving Julie Kagawa's works. Soldier is the third book. The feels are totally hitting me like tidal waves and every time there's a climatic scene in her books I am just freaking the hell out. There better be more Ember and Riley scenes in this book. Like really, I wasn't done reading yet, and "if" Riley die on Rogue I don't know if I'll be able to go on.
The Winner's Kiss by: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 29, 2016
I loved The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime. This is the final one and WAR. I love the politics in this book series. The world building is A++mazing and the characters are really remarkable and clever. I am just so excited for this book and what gonna become of Kestrel and Arin. There rumours that they changed the cover design and I am not liking it. The original covers are so fab why change it? My OCD shelf is growing inside. Please keep those amazing covers. No need to change it.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Release Date: August 2, 2016
The third and final book of Mary E. Pearson's The Remnant Chronicles. The first book has been mind blowing and drove the fans over the edge. The second book was kind of okay in comparison to the first book. But hey it's a middle of the book, it's a bridge between the first and last book, and it usually does, Fans are so looking forward on what gonna happen to this crazy love triangle too.
The Dark Artifices: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Another book in the Shadowhunter universe. There's no stopping Cassie Clare on revealing all the secrets of the amazing Shadow World to us. Just so you know Cassandra Clare is one of my auto-buy book authors. She wrote that, I am gonna buy it. Especially if it involves the Shadow World in it. I am so excited to meet Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn and some appearances of our all time loved characters of the past. Shadowhunter books. I am just so excited to read this, my feels about this book is all over the place.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
Released Date: February 2, 2016
I loved Melissa Landers;s Alienated series and I am just so excited to read her works. Starlight is also gonna be a series and I need to have it. I love her amazing galactic imagination and her amazing writing and fun scenes. At some point I think it's gonna remind me of something Star Wars-y and I am gonna love it for sure.
United by Melissa Landers
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Another book from her Alienated universe. Yay. More Aelyx and Cara. I am just so fashing (see what I did there?) excited for this book to come out because if you've read invaded, the second of the series, you know it's not really the end even though the characters seemed fine with their happy ending. We know that there is more to the world that "that" and we've barely scratch the surface of the said invasion. So I am just so happy that we're gonna be having a third book in the Alienated series. The cover is yet to come.
A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: August 2, 2016
An Ember in the Ashes has been a mega amazing book. It was said to be a stand alone but the uproar from the readers who have finished reading the book have made the book two a possibility. I wonder if there's gonna be a Helene and Keenan, Such an amazing series.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 8, 2016
I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, especially Winter. Such a great way to wrap up an epic series. I love her fairy tale re-telling style, it felt so Star Wars-y (again) to which it made mega amazing.
The Fever Code by James Dashner
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Finally a prequel that is related to the series' characters to where I could finally get the answers I am waiting for. Now I don't care if this takes two years or even ten years to be published. I just need my closure and I don't mean just some half-baked story, unanswered questions and forced explanations. It have to be something that would leave me saying "It sure was worth the wait". I won't expect much though, I might be left disappointed again but crossed-fingers.
So that is all. For all the books that I am anticipating this year.
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is the upcoming two-part West End stage play scheduled to open in July 2016, set nineteen years after the end of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, which will be about Harry Potter (now a Ministry of Magic employee) and his son Albus Potter. Considered to be the sequel of the Harry Potter books, most fans are worried because they will not be able to experience it since it is only available for those who can visit London. However, the big hope of getting the play script published as a book was latent since the announcement.
And there seems to be good news now. I read that at least two publishers are trying to get the rights to publish the script play. Remember it is not a J.K. Rowling's work, given the play is written by Jack Thorne and he will probably listed as the author - which is an important fact to be considered in the negotiations.
This is all I know so far - but two publishers negotiating to get the publishing rights is a good sign and almost a confirmation that we will Harry Potter and The Cursed Child published as a book.
Upcoming Show: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Stage Play) Cast: Jamie Parker (Harry Potter), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger), Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley) Directed by: John Tiffany Date Premiered: July 30, 2016 Place Premiered: Palace Theatre, London, United Kingdom Based on: Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling) Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Synopsis: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is an upcoming two-part West End stage play, written by Jack Thorns and based on a story by author J.K. Rowling, Thorns and director John Tiffany. The play is scheduled to open in July 2016, at the Palace Theatre, London, England, and will feature Rowling collaborating with an experienced team to bring the production to the stage. The play is set nineteen years after the conclusion of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and follows Harry Potter, now a Ministry of Magic employee, and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
Whilst Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.
Thoughts: So if you have been following this blog for awhile, you would know that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. The story line was something perfect. Even though multiple of the books were out when I first started reading them, I still grew up on the books. I would not be where I am today if Harry Potter wasn't a part of my life, and I don't think lot of us would be. Harry Potter shaped my childhood, and shaped who I am today. This is why when it was announced that there was going to be a Harry Potter play, called the Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, I was ecstatic. I had absolutely no idea what it was going to be about, but just knowing there was going to be an extension of the Harry Potter world in some form, it was amazing.
Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley and Noma Dumezweni
The plot was announced, and the entire Potter fandom freaked. We are getting an eighth story. They are continuing the story from where it left off. The tagline for the play is "The Eighth Story, Nineteen Years Later".
I was completely fangirling for many, many hours after this was announced. I still am freaking out and fangirling about this play. However, it sort of died down, and turned into a little bit of disappointment and confusion, when I realised that this was a play. It was a play, which at least for now was only premiering in London. How was I, living in the Philippines, going to be able to watch a play that was only showing in London?
This doesn't just apply to me. Potterheads from all over the world started to wonder the exact same thing. How were they going to be able to experience this amazing story, the continuation of a story that we have all loved and grown up with, if they didn't live in London? Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is still in the early stages, and you never know. There could be a professionally filmed version of the play for people to see all over the world, the play could tour the world for others to see, or they may even be a book written for the play.
However, those things, if they were to even happen are very far down the road. The play itself premieres in July 2016, which means that for people that have no way to see the play in London, it could be years before we find out more about what happened nineteen years later.
Don't get me wrong, I am sooper excited to eventually see what happens in this play. If J.K. Rowling thought that the best way to get across her new story, would be showing it up on stage, then I trust her. Though by having thousands and millions of Harry Potter fans around the world, and then making the eighth story available not even a tenth of those fans, just don't feel like a very smart idea.
J.K. Rowling herself said:
"I am confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and The Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way."
Do I wish that our long awaited eighth story, sequel, to the Harry Potter series would have been released in a different format? Yes. Do I wish that the format had been in a book? Absolutely. I just hope that they somehow find a way to get this story to all Potterheads around the world.
I would absolutely hate to miss out on this amazing sequel to my favourite series of all time, just because I didn't live in the right place.
Harry Potter will always be a huge part of my life. I re-read the books all the time, and have multiple movie marathons every month. My dream place to go would be the Harry Potter studio in London, or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. I am a huge Potterhead, and I always will be. I hope that I will be able to see this continuation of the Wizarding World in some way, and that I will be able to experience the continuation of the magic that J.K. Rowling has created.
If you would like to hear more about the play and some official information on it, you can check it out here and here.
I am sorry about this rant, I just felt sad about the subject, and it's all that I have been able to think about for the last 24 hours or so when I found out.
I hope that some of you share my same feelings on this topic. I am still sooper excited for this play, and I can't wait to see how it plays out. I just hope that I get to see this for myself, and not through somebody else's eyes.
Upcoming Book: The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle Author: Rick Riordan Release Date: May 3, 2016
Synopsis: How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, the lands in New York City as regular teenage boy. Not without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
Thoughts: When the second Percy Jackson series and The Heroes of Olympus ended, Rick Riordan promised he wouldn't make an epilogue of the series. During the promotion for the final book in the series, he said, "I hate epilogues, it's like nailing the coffin shut on the story, allowing for no further growth and leaving no room for the readers' imaginations." But it turns out he really should have been more specific, because apparently the thing he only dislikes epilogues is when they explain the characters' entire lives and ruin any future possibilities for the characters. But he seems perfectly content exploring those possibilities himself - especially now that he's announced a new series set in the world of Percy Jackson.
The Trials of Apollo is set to start from where The Blood of Olympus left off. Apollo has been acting up, as he had in so many of the old myths, and Zeus threw him down to earth in a completely mortal body in a fit of rage. He has come to Camp Half-Blood to get help to survive until he can become immortal again.
The reaction to the new five-book series, set to come out on the 3rd of May, was immediate and explosive. When he announced it at a Magnus Chase book tour, the screaming and cheering filled the room. Soon after, the internet lit up with a flurry of activity on the subject. Whilst thee were a few people expressing disappointment with what seems like a way of capitalising on the success of his previous books, the majority of the reaction was extremely positive.
There are lists and lists of what fans want to see in the next book. Since it centers around Apollo, Will Solace is a fan favourite. A son of the aforementioned god and the leader of Cabin 7, he's a minor character that appears again in The Blood of Olympus, where he's revealed as a possible love interest for Nico DiAngelo, another fans' darling. A flurry of activity about their possible romantic future has sprung up, also increasing the two characters' individual popularity. And since Will is the son of Apollo, the main character of the coming series, he is likely to have a larger role in the next five books.
Another character that is being re-visited in fans' comment is Alabaster C. Torrington. He was a character in Rick's son Hayley's short story The Son of Magic, a story set in the Percy Jackson universe, Although they aren't technically Rick's characters, alot of fans like them alot and wanted to see them used in the coming series.
Apollo himself, of course is also the subject of much speculation. He's portrayed in the earlier books as a kind of show-off, although he actually isn't that talented at music or at poetry, two of his spheres of influence (incidentally, all the chapter titles of the new books will be in bad haiku, probably one of the most exciting things about the whole series), and so lots of self-centered hijinx are expected. But there's more to Apollo that that. Several fans have pointed out that in the old myths, Apollo is bisexual, Near the end of his last series, Nico was introduced as the first gay character in the whole franchise, and as previously stated, Will Solace was submitted as a possible partner for him. But fans are very excited at the possibility of more representation for the homosexual community in the coming stories.
Of course, others have pointed out that Apollo is actually the dad of some demigods, which will probably makes his situation a whole lot more awkward, especially after the emphasis in the previous books about the gods ignoring their children. Alot of the Apollo campers may be resentful towards their father. And since, stripped of his powers, Camp Half-Blood's his only hope, this god has certainly landed himself in quite a tricky situation.
So it seems we may have alot to look forward to for this next series - or at least the Percy Jackson fandom thinks so. For everyone's sake, I sincerely hope that The Trials of Apollo will be an amazing ending to a much-loved fandom.
P.S. A conundrum to all you fans - when Apollo comes to camp, which cabin he belong to. His own? Or, going by parentage, Zeus's?
You can read the excerpt here
Bloomsbury Reveals Plans to Celebrate Twentieth "Potter" Anniversary
Last October saw the release of the first Jim Kay Illustrated Harry Potter. The next in the series, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, is due to be released this coming October. The first in the series had already sold over 94,000 copies in the UK. In the lead up to the release of the second illustrated book and following the second successful Harry Potter Book Night on February 4, Bloomsbury have revealed their upcoming Potter plans. With the twentieth anniversary of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone looming in 2017, plenty of plans are in place to celebrate this exciting anniversary. Special Hogwarts house editions of the first book, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone will be published in 2017 to coincide with the anniversary.
The plans also include ways of celebrating the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, which is due to be released this coming November. An updated version of the school text book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them originally published in 2001, will be released early 2017. The new edition will contain new content from J.K. Rowling.
Bloomsbury also plan to publish Illustrated editions of The Hogwarts Library books and the releases will be staggered from 2017.
Bloomsbury will commission three new illustrators to create lavish, full-colour illustrated editions of J.K. Rowling's three Hogwarts Library books, starting with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in Autumn 2017, The Tales of Beedle of the Bard in 2018, and Quidditch Through The Ages in 2019. Illustrator announcements will follow in due course.
Scholastic, Little Brown UK to Publish "Cursed Child" Script this Summer!
Only a couple of weeks ago, I was cautiously optimistic that Harry Potter and The Cursed Child would be published as a book sooner than I originally hoped, meaning those fans unable to make the trip to London to see the show wouldn't be missing out on reading the next chapter of Harry's (and Albus') story. Now, I have confirmed - the full script of Cursed Child will be released on Harry's (and Jo's) birthday: July 31, 2016. Of course this is only a day after the play officially opens (although it does run in previews for a few weeks prior) which means that readers around the world will get the chance to read the story almost in real time, greatly reducing the risk of running across spoilers on the internet.
In the U.S., the book will cost $29.99, and in Canada it will priced at $39.99. The British hardcover will be £20. A digital edition will be released via Pottermore simultaneously. Information released by the publishers states that this edition will contain the script of the play as it stands during the production's preview period - a Special Rehearsal Edition. As further rehearsal and transition to performing in front of the live audiences may produce changes to the script, this edition will be available for a limited time - a Definitive Collector's Edition with the final version of the script will be released at a later date.
The CEO of Little Brown Book Group UK, David Shelley said of the announcement:
We are so thrilled to be publishing the script of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. J.K. Rowling and her team have received a huge number of appeals from fans who can't be in London to see the play and who would like to see the play in book format - and so we are absolutely delighted to be able to make it available for them.
Scholastic's promotion for the book's release has already got me excited. And planning which robes I am going to wear to the midnight release of course. Wait, there's no such thing as midnight release here in the Philippines.
Upcoming Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Cast: Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), Samantha Morton (Mary Lou), Ezra Miller (Credence), Collin Farrell (Percival Graves), Faith Wood-Balgrove (Modesty), Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina), Jon Bought (Henry Shaw), Ron Perlman (Gnarlack) Directed by: David Yates Date Premiered: November 18, 2016 Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Based on: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Newt Scamander -J.K. Rowling) Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Synopsis: The story revolves around Newt Scamander's arrival at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), for a meeting with an important official. Central to the story and this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American Wizarding after Newt, and it threatens even further strain the state of magical and non-magical relations, which is already in a dangerous place, due to the threatening presence of fanatical New Salem Philanthropic Society, an extremist organisation dedicated to the eradication of wizard-kind. The story tells of what effect this devastating mistake has on the state of wizard/No-Maj (the American term for a non-magical person) relations in New York City's community of wizards and witches in 1926, the effort to correct the mistakes, and the horrors of the resultant increase in violence, fear, and tension felt between magical and non-magical people.
Thoughts: I thought I would be done with this. I thought I had cried my final tears four years ago when the last Harry Potter film ended. Never would I have thought that I would be writing related to Harry Potter in my adult life, especially something that is relevant to our present day. But as Warner Bros. have decided to adapt J.K. Rowling's novel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to the big screen. I am obviously going to take any chance that I can get to write about it. Within the past couple of months, the public have been given a handful of information about the film here and there, which have been spread sporadically through our social media platforms. However, I am going to try and lay out all the information I could gather about the film for you all in one post. And I hope that my inner childhood Harry Potter fan girl doesn't take over.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is originally a 2001 novel written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander, a fictional magizoologist (the study of magical creatures). In the book, Scamander lists the 85 magical creatures that reside around the world, which he found through observations from his travel around 5 different continents. Within the Harry Potter Universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is uses as a Hogwarts textbook that is compulsory for first year students (even though the class Care of Magical Creatures is not introduced until third year). However, the book is a helpful encyclopedia to identify dark creatures for the class Defense Against the Dark Arts, and according to Dumbledore, is a wonderful addition for a wizarding household.
Newt Scamander
As the current synopsis goes, the film will follow the adventures of Newt Scamander and his quest to find magical beasts. J.K. Rowling herself has stated that it does not serve as prequel or a sequel to the Harry Potter world, but will act as an addition to the Wizarding Universe. It will take place in 1920's New York, which is seven decades before Harry Potter and his gang go to Hogwarts.
Because the film is set in America, we definitely get to see US witches and wizards right? Absolutely! If your are religiously following Rowling on Twitter, you would know that she has already teased the idea of the American School of Wizadry. Even though it is uncertain that we will be introduced to this school, we do get to meet some of its ex-students and may even explore the inner workings of American magic, which apparently is influenced by Native American culture.
It's reunion time for the Harry Potter crew, as all have worked on most/all of the movies within the franchise. Producer David Hey man and Executive Producer Lionel Wigram are making their comeback alongside David Yates who directed the last four Harry Potter films. J.K. Rowling has written the script herself with the involvement from Steve Kloves, who has scripted all but one of the Harry Potter films.
Unlike the crew, we won't be seeing any of the original cast return for the film.
Like The Hobbit, this one singular novel will be turned into three films. Kevin Tsujihara has already confirmed that it will become "three mega movies" and J.K. Rowlkng has nearly finished the material for the first film and is already working on the two additional chapters. Release dates have already been chosen, with the first movie set to come out on November 18, 2016 and the two preceding on November 16, 2018 and November 20, 2020.
Thank you, Warner Bros. Thank you for keeping the Harry Potter and all its magic alive. From what I have read, the public, young and old, are genuinely excited to see this novel adapted into a live-action. Hopefully the success of this film will manifest into others within The Hogwarts Library like Quidditch Through The Ages and The Tales of Beedle The Bard
So here we are again, another year have passed us by. 2016 is gonna be a year that is filled again of anticipated books and growing TBR. So without further a do, here's the list of my most anticipated books of 2016.
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Release Date: August 2, 2016
It made me have this unputdownable wanderlust to Scotland, I fell in love with the magical kingdom of Doon and the characters, especially the MacCrea brothers.
Also if you've already read Shades of Doon, you know why I am so eager to have this beautiful book in my hands. Because if you've read the last book, that cliffhanger made me want to reap my hair out of my head.
The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Okay. Who would say no to this? Rick Riordan is one of my author buy books. Together with growing up with J.K. Rowling's books, shaping your book loving persona, I also have Uncle Rick to shape mine. I grew up with his characters by my side. Plus we're gonna be having Percy in this book, if that doesn't made it more exciting I don't know will. So yeah I am so looking forward in this book. Apollo is gonna be a teenage boy, and Percy is gonna be like in his 20's in this book. The excerpt had us crazy for the book. I can't wait to have it in my hands.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Remember what I said earlier that Uncle Rick is one of my automatically buy authors? Yeah I am so excited for this second book of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The first book is such a fun and amazing read. We met the ever sassy and witty Magnus, we get to see glimpses of Annabeth in the book too. I am just looking forward to reading this book and hang around with Magnus more and maybe we'll see our dear old Camp Half-Blood friends in this book too. And I love Magnus, he's such a fun dude. No official cover for this book just yet.
Demigods and Magicians by Rick Riordan
Release Date: April 5, 2016
This is going to be awesome! Rick Riordan does that just makes your insides go squishy and you can't help but be excited for months for his book releases. There aren't many authors that are on my auto-buy list but let's just say.. HELLS YEAH! RICK RIORDAN IS ON THAT LIST! Something would have to be MAJORLY wrong with me, to not immediately buy his book. This is even better than a Futurama/Simpsons crossover.
Uncle Rick has done it again.
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Red Queen was such such a blast to begin with. I am looking forward on seeing more of the Scarlet Guard, and Shade and Cal and Mare and of course, Maven. The first book had been mind blowing and feels shattering that I was in a cry fest when I am done. And if you see that tag line: "Kneel or Bleed", well I thin I should start get freaking nervous.
Soldier by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 26, 2016
I am currently loving Julie Kagawa's works. Soldier is the third book. The feels are totally hitting me like tidal waves and every time there's a climatic scene in her books I am just freaking the hell out. There better be more Ember and Riley scenes in this book. Like really, I wasn't done reading yet, and "if" Riley die on Rogue I don't know if I'll be able to go on.
The Winner's Kiss by: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 29, 2016
I loved The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime. This is the final one and WAR. I love the politics in this book series. The world building is A++mazing and the characters are really remarkable and clever. I am just so excited for this book and what gonna become of Kestrel and Arin. There rumours that they changed the cover design and I am not liking it. The original covers are so fab why change it? My OCD shelf is growing inside. Please keep those amazing covers. No need to change it.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Release Date: August 2, 2016
The third and final book of Mary E. Pearson's The Remnant Chronicles. The first book has been mind blowing and drove the fans over the edge. The second book was kind of okay in comparison to the first book. But hey it's a middle of the book, it's a bridge between the first and last book, and it usually does, Fans are so looking forward on what gonna happen to this crazy love triangle too.
The Dark Artifices: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Another book in the Shadowhunter universe. There's no stopping Cassie Clare on revealing all the secrets of the amazing Shadow World to us. Just so you know Cassandra Clare is one of my auto-buy book authors. She wrote that, I am gonna buy it. Especially if it involves the Shadow World in it. I am so excited to meet Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn and some appearances of our all time loved characters of the past. Shadowhunter books. I am just so excited to read this, my feels about this book is all over the place.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
Released Date: February 2, 2016
I loved Melissa Landers;s Alienated series and I am just so excited to read her works. Starlight is also gonna be a series and I need to have it. I love her amazing galactic imagination and her amazing writing and fun scenes. At some point I think it's gonna remind me of something Star Wars-y and I am gonna love it for sure.
United by Melissa Landers
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Another book from her Alienated universe. Yay. More Aelyx and Cara. I am just so fashing (see what I did there?) excited for this book to come out because if you've read invaded, the second of the series, you know it's not really the end even though the characters seemed fine with their happy ending. We know that there is more to the world that "that" and we've barely scratch the surface of the said invasion. So I am just so happy that we're gonna be having a third book in the Alienated series. The cover is yet to come.
A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: August 2, 2016
An Ember in the Ashes has been a mega amazing book. It was said to be a stand alone but the uproar from the readers who have finished reading the book have made the book two a possibility. I wonder if there's gonna be a Helene and Keenan, Such an amazing series.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 8, 2016
I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, especially Winter. Such a great way to wrap up an epic series. I love her fairy tale re-telling style, it felt so Star Wars-y (again) to which it made mega amazing.
The Fever Code by James Dashner
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Finally a prequel that is related to the series' characters to where I could finally get the answers I am waiting for. Now I don't care if this takes two years or even ten years to be published. I just need my closure and I don't mean just some half-baked story, unanswered questions and forced explanations. It have to be something that would leave me saying "It sure was worth the wait". I won't expect much though, I might be left disappointed again but crossed-fingers.
So that is all. For all the books that I am anticipating this year.
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is the upcoming two-part West End stage play scheduled to open in July 2016, set nineteen years after the end of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, which will be about Harry Potter (now a Ministry of Magic employee) and his son Albus Potter. Considered to be the sequel of the Harry Potter books, most fans are worried because they will not be able to experience it since it is only available for those who can visit London. However, the big hope of getting the play script published as a book was latent since the announcement.
And there seems to be good news now. I read that at least two publishers are trying to get the rights to publish the script play. Remember it is not a J.K. Rowling's work, given the play is written by Jack Thorne and he will probably listed as the author - which is an important fact to be considered in the negotiations.
This is all I know so far - but two publishers negotiating to get the publishing rights is a good sign and almost a confirmation that we will Harry Potter and The Cursed Child published as a book.
Upcoming Show: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Stage Play) Cast: Jamie Parker (Harry Potter), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger), Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley) Directed by: John Tiffany Date Premiered: July 30, 2016 Place Premiered: Palace Theatre, London, United Kingdom Based on: Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling) Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Synopsis: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is an upcoming two-part West End stage play, written by Jack Thorns and based on a story by author J.K. Rowling, Thorns and director John Tiffany. The play is scheduled to open in July 2016, at the Palace Theatre, London, England, and will feature Rowling collaborating with an experienced team to bring the production to the stage. The play is set nineteen years after the conclusion of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and follows Harry Potter, now a Ministry of Magic employee, and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
Whilst Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.
Thoughts: So if you have been following this blog for awhile, you would know that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. The story line was something perfect. Even though multiple of the books were out when I first started reading them, I still grew up on the books. I would not be where I am today if Harry Potter wasn't a part of my life, and I don't think lot of us would be. Harry Potter shaped my childhood, and shaped who I am today. This is why when it was announced that there was going to be a Harry Potter play, called the Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, I was ecstatic. I had absolutely no idea what it was going to be about, but just knowing there was going to be an extension of the Harry Potter world in some form, it was amazing.
Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley and Noma Dumezweni
The plot was announced, and the entire Potter fandom freaked. We are getting an eighth story. They are continuing the story from where it left off. The tagline for the play is "The Eighth Story, Nineteen Years Later".
I was completely fangirling for many, many hours after this was announced. I still am freaking out and fangirling about this play. However, it sort of died down, and turned into a little bit of disappointment and confusion, when I realised that this was a play. It was a play, which at least for now was only premiering in London. How was I, living in the Philippines, going to be able to watch a play that was only showing in London?
This doesn't just apply to me. Potterheads from all over the world started to wonder the exact same thing. How were they going to be able to experience this amazing story, the continuation of a story that we have all loved and grown up with, if they didn't live in London? Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is still in the early stages, and you never know. There could be a professionally filmed version of the play for people to see all over the world, the play could tour the world for others to see, or they may even be a book written for the play.
However, those things, if they were to even happen are very far down the road. The play itself premieres in July 2016, which means that for people that have no way to see the play in London, it could be years before we find out more about what happened nineteen years later.
Don't get me wrong, I am sooper excited to eventually see what happens in this play. If J.K. Rowling thought that the best way to get across her new story, would be showing it up on stage, then I trust her. Though by having thousands and millions of Harry Potter fans around the world, and then making the eighth story available not even a tenth of those fans, just don't feel like a very smart idea.
J.K. Rowling herself said:
"I am confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and The Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way."
Do I wish that our long awaited eighth story, sequel, to the Harry Potter series would have been released in a different format? Yes. Do I wish that the format had been in a book? Absolutely. I just hope that they somehow find a way to get this story to all Potterheads around the world.
I would absolutely hate to miss out on this amazing sequel to my favourite series of all time, just because I didn't live in the right place.
Harry Potter will always be a huge part of my life. I re-read the books all the time, and have multiple movie marathons every month. My dream place to go would be the Harry Potter studio in London, or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. I am a huge Potterhead, and I always will be. I hope that I will be able to see this continuation of the Wizarding World in some way, and that I will be able to experience the continuation of the magic that J.K. Rowling has created.
If you would like to hear more about the play and some official information on it, you can check it out here and here.
I am sorry about this rant, I just felt sad about the subject, and it's all that I have been able to think about for the last 24 hours or so when I found out.
I hope that some of you share my same feelings on this topic. I am still sooper excited for this play, and I can't wait to see how it plays out. I just hope that I get to see this for myself, and not through somebody else's eyes.
Upcoming Book: The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle Author: Rick Riordan Release Date: May 3, 2016
Synopsis: How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, the lands in New York City as regular teenage boy. Not without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
Thoughts: When the second Percy Jackson series and The Heroes of Olympus ended, Rick Riordan promised he wouldn't make an epilogue of the series. During the promotion for the final book in the series, he said, "I hate epilogues, it's like nailing the coffin shut on the story, allowing for no further growth and leaving no room for the readers' imaginations." But it turns out he really should have been more specific, because apparently the thing he only dislikes epilogues is when they explain the characters' entire lives and ruin any future possibilities for the characters. But he seems perfectly content exploring those possibilities himself - especially now that he's announced a new series set in the world of Percy Jackson.
The Trials of Apollo is set to start from where The Blood of Olympus left off. Apollo has been acting up, as he had in so many of the old myths, and Zeus threw him down to earth in a completely mortal body in a fit of rage. He has come to Camp Half-Blood to get help to survive until he can become immortal again.
The reaction to the new five-book series, set to come out on the 3rd of May, was immediate and explosive. When he announced it at a Magnus Chase book tour, the screaming and cheering filled the room. Soon after, the internet lit up with a flurry of activity on the subject. Whilst thee were a few people expressing disappointment with what seems like a way of capitalising on the success of his previous books, the majority of the reaction was extremely positive.
There are lists and lists of what fans want to see in the next book. Since it centers around Apollo, Will Solace is a fan favourite. A son of the aforementioned god and the leader of Cabin 7, he's a minor character that appears again in The Blood of Olympus, where he's revealed as a possible love interest for Nico DiAngelo, another fans' darling. A flurry of activity about their possible romantic future has sprung up, also increasing the two characters' individual popularity. And since Will is the son of Apollo, the main character of the coming series, he is likely to have a larger role in the next five books.
Another character that is being re-visited in fans' comment is Alabaster C. Torrington. He was a character in Rick's son Hayley's short story The Son of Magic, a story set in the Percy Jackson universe, Although they aren't technically Rick's characters, alot of fans like them alot and wanted to see them used in the coming series.
Apollo himself, of course is also the subject of much speculation. He's portrayed in the earlier books as a kind of show-off, although he actually isn't that talented at music or at poetry, two of his spheres of influence (incidentally, all the chapter titles of the new books will be in bad haiku, probably one of the most exciting things about the whole series), and so lots of self-centered hijinx are expected. But there's more to Apollo that that. Several fans have pointed out that in the old myths, Apollo is bisexual, Near the end of his last series, Nico was introduced as the first gay character in the whole franchise, and as previously stated, Will Solace was submitted as a possible partner for him. But fans are very excited at the possibility of more representation for the homosexual community in the coming stories.
Of course, others have pointed out that Apollo is actually the dad of some demigods, which will probably makes his situation a whole lot more awkward, especially after the emphasis in the previous books about the gods ignoring their children. Alot of the Apollo campers may be resentful towards their father. And since, stripped of his powers, Camp Half-Blood's his only hope, this god has certainly landed himself in quite a tricky situation.
So it seems we may have alot to look forward to for this next series - or at least the Percy Jackson fandom thinks so. For everyone's sake, I sincerely hope that The Trials of Apollo will be an amazing ending to a much-loved fandom.
P.S. A conundrum to all you fans - when Apollo comes to camp, which cabin he belong to. His own? Or, going by parentage, Zeus's?
You can read the excerpt here
