Wizarding World of Harry Potter merchandise now available from Universal Orlando’s online store

www.insidethemagic.net: If you’ve been one of the thousands of Harry Potter fans wishing you could purchase items from our list of merchandise exclusive to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Islands of Adventure theme park, you’re in luck as Universal Orlando has now unveiled the Wizarding World section of its online store.

While it doesn’t feature each of the hundreds of new items found throughout the Wizarding World, the store does allow you to purchase many of the most sought-after pieces including Ollivander’s magic wands and select items from the other theme park shops including Dervish & Banges, Filch’s Emporium, and the Owl Post.

Pillows, plushes, toys, T-shirts, and other apparel make up the bulk of the items available online. Unfortunately, as of now, you’ll still have to travel to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to buy any of the unique items from Zonko’s Joke Shop or sweet treats from Honeydukes.

More here

The merchandise looks really great. I liked some of the pillows and now that the movies have almost come to an end it be great to have something. The inside of Ollivander’s looks amazing! What did you think of the merchandise? Have you been to the wizarding world yet?

Rowling opens door to digital Harry Potter books

J K Rowling looks set allow Harry Potter fans to read her novels as e-books at last.

Neil Blair, partner at the Christopher Little Agency (CLA) which represents Rowling, said the agency was “currently considering all the options and opportunities that this evolving space provides”. The agency was “actively” looking, whereas previously it had just been “monitoring the developing area”, he said.

Richard Charkin, executive director of Rowling’s print publisher Bloomsbury, declined to comment on whether Bloomsbury was in discussions with the author on e-book plans, saying: “That’s between us and CLA.”

Waterstone’s e-books buyer Alex Ingram said: “Our customers have been asking for Harry Potter on e-book since we launched digital books on Waterstones.com in September 2008.

Read more HERE

Waverly graduate finds strength in family, friends, literature after car crash

Hannah Risner has lots of nerve — so much so that even a devastating family car accident nine years ago could not overcome her.

Thanks to the dedicated support of family, friends, professionals and the engaging characters in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, nothing could squash the 18-year-old Waverly grad’s will to live and to mend.

“I really couldn’t move or do anything,” she recalls of the long, long stay in Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, W.Va. But every night, her father read to her from the Harry Potter books and gradually she became absorbed in the characters’ vivid flights of fantasy and fell asleep with the current book tucked beneath her covers.

“I just wrote and wrote and told her how much I liked the stories and how much they’ve meant to me and how they’d gotten my mind off other things. Mom wrote to her, too,” she said.

The heartfelt letter brought a full-page response from the author — a letter Hannah always will treasure.

Read more HERE

A New Award For Unpublished Writers Of Teen Fiction

Storylines Trust and HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand are proud to announce an exciting new annual award on the children’s literary scene the Storylines Tessa Duder Award for unpublished writers of fiction for young adults, named in honour of one of New Zealand’s best writers for young adults.

Unpublished writers looking for an opportunity to emulate the outstanding writing careers of Kiwi authors such as William Taylor, Kate De Goldi, Bernard Beckett or Tessa Duder herself will be excited by this new initiative.

‘As someone who over three decades has seen New Zealand’s young adult publishing go from strength to strength,’ says Duder, ‘I am truly delighted that the new award will provide a kick-start for an exciting new talent. Storylines and HarperCollins Publishers are to be congratulated for setting up this first award specifically for a YA manuscript, and I confidently look forward to seeing each year’s winners go on to establishing solid writing careers.’

Read more HERE

What Science Fiction Books Should Be In Every Fan’s Library?

The folks over at SFSIGNAL.com had a great two-part post (Part 1 & Part 2) a few weeks ago when they asked a variety of panelists “What science fiction books should be in every fan’s library?” The panelists were allowed to recommend up to ten books, and could explain their selections to the readers. It’s a great read if you are a fan of sci-fi or are just looking for new ideas of what to read.

Classics

Dune(Frank Herbert) – First sci-fi book I read outside of school and it’s still one that I pick up to reread once a year or so.

Wrinkle In Time(Madeleine L’Engle) – This was the first sci-fi book I read, and it was a great way to enter the genre when I was young.

Moderns

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter(Seth Grahame-Smith) – Yes, it’s more Horror or even Biographical than sci-fi. Still, the story was so engaging and the topic of vampires was worked in so deftly and at the right moments that I like to recommend it to people to show how a vampire book can be great without the capes, fangs and eastern european accents

Read more HERE

What do you think about today’s book news? Come join our discussion on the FORUM

Why Harry Potter Is A Timeless Series

By Farrha Khan

A series that has inspired movies, encyclopedias, board games, video games, and even a theme park, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter is now inevitably a timeless piece.

Some may argue that it isn’t a timeless piece and that it can not stand up against other timeless pieces such as Moby Dick or Lord of the Rings.

It’s been more than a decade since the first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published and about 2 years since the last of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released. The series has inspired thousands of fan fiction stories, fan art and fan made websites, games and even a Quidditch competition in England. But more importantly, the readers of the Harry Potter series are not only children of all ages but adults too.

Many, considering the fact that the first of the series was released in 1997, have either grown up with the series, eagerly awaiting each installment’s release, or have just now discovered it and read them all in one hit. I personally started reading the series by the persuasion of a close friend. While I enjoyed learning about this whole new magical world, I couldn’t quite understand the hype surrounding the series until I reached book number three. Of course, this is different for everyone, as some people love it 5 pages in to the first book. But for me, the storyline of the friendship and treachery shared between Sirius, Remus and Peter fascinated me and drew me further into the whole series. This I believe is the main draw of the series.

The fact that there are 7 books, the fact that within the story line there are so many different generations of people facing differing issues, the fact that there is so many sub-plots and relationships, sociological issues and questions explored within, the series lends itself to be very easily related to by any number of people from all over the world (and it has been translated into more than 67 official languages already).

To put it simply, there are many reasons this series should be considered a timeless piece. Some of these include:

Story structure: The heroic quest of little Harry Potter against the evil Lord Voldemort generally follows the traditional structure of any fantasy epic, albeit drawn out over 7 books. The fact that there is seven books allowed JK Rowling to really dig deep and flesh out the plot, sub plot and explain the main workings of the magical world. White each novel holds its own adventures and own main problem, climaxing and drawing to a conclusion to the end of the novel, the over-all plot holds it all together and builds an inevitable climax in book 7. Because of its typical fantasy structure, one could almost guess the outcome of the main plot line, but what keeps the story strong are the sub-plots and the minor characters and their storylines that the reader can follow just as easily.

Good vs. Evil: This is the most important theme of the series. The triumph over good, the want for our hero to defeat evil. Or in Harry Potter’s case, the power of love to do good over evil. It’s epic, timeless and the theme most people relate to.

Motifs and Symbolism: There are many motifs, themes and symbolisms in the series and each lend the reader to draw out whatever meaning they have, relate it to their own lives, their own relationships. Although this is a story mostly set in a magical world, it is also a story based in contemporary society – a society we can all relate to, whether it is family structure and relationships, political and governmental issues, school environment, bullies and friendship, sport, etc. These are just a few of the things I could draw meaning from and relate back to my own life and society. These aspects that will remain a part of society, cultures and communities well into the future. The fact that the magical world is just a hidden part of today’s society makes it more meaningful than say Moby Dick’s society or a completely fantastical world like Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Racism and Prejudice: The political undercurrent that flows through all the novels in the Harry Potter series is one that I find striking with a humorous irony. It may not be obvious or even intentional but it is there. Oppression, inequality, poverty, racism is all very evident in the main three character’s. Harry is oppressed and almost slave like in the home of the Dursley’s, Ron and his family is stricken with poverty, and Hermione is a “Mudblood’ – not a pure blood wizard with a wizarding heritage, as her parents are both non-magical. Voldemort’s main prejudiced cause is to rid the world of Muggles (non-magical folk). The Dursley’s are frightened of magic, and oppress Harry because of his wizarding heritage. The prejudice in Harry Potter exists on both sides. Can you make a comparison to our society today?

The role in education: Another reason why Harry Potter is a timeless piece is because of the very prominent role it is playing in our education system. Many schools around the world have Harry Potter firmly in their syllabus as a teaching tool. The popularity of the series has made it became a novel that teachers are eagerly using to promote reading, writing and understanding prose. I personally would have loved to have Harry Potter as homework reading, though I was lucky to have Roald Dahl as well.

Death: This is something that is entrenched throughout the whole series. The death of a loved one, the death of a parent or both, the death of a friend, the guilt felt by death and fear of death, the want of immortality. This is something faced by all, the horrors, the nightmares and the truth of finality of it. The wonderful thing about this theme and the others that I have mentioned, as well as the motifs and symbols, is that many of them transcends culture, race, religion, language and even time. Making themes like ‘Death’ play an important role in making this series timeless.

The Magical World of Harry Potter: I want to be magical. I want to be a part of this world. I want to be able to go to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. More importantly, I can do all of this apparently whilst still living in everyday non-magical life. Or so it would be if I was a part of the Harry Potter world. And seeing as I’m not… I can dream and play dress up and it can be a whole lot more real than if I were to dress up in, say, Star Wars regalia. Yes, I could watch the Quidditch World Cup played by the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association in America, I can try to cook up some Butterbeer from recipes online, I can participate in a magical duel on my Wii console at home and soon enough I can walk into a virtual Hogwart’s castle in Orland, Florida. This is all real. That has been the power of the Harry Potter series. Tell me it’s not timeless.

Hogwarts: Well, I’ve added this to my list because I think I would have enjoyed high school so much more had I been able to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Quidditch, the classes, the house pride… I am so jealous of a mythical and non-existent school! More importantly, I think I would have been either a Slytherin or Gryffindor and on the Quidditch team! Yes… that is my most important point here.

These are only but a few reasons why Harry Potter shall undoubtedly be a timeless piece, remembered, read and loved for many years on. I could continue, but we’d be here for a very long time (perhaps this article would end up being more than the Harry Potter books combined).

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter isn’t the most ground-breaking, earth-shattering piece of writing ever written or to be written, and I don’t claim it to be the best series in the world. But it is a story that will endure on for many years, and will be read by many generations to come. Especially if they visit the Harry Potter theme park! JK Rowling’s series is a timeless piece.

For me though, I just want to be able to go to Hogwart’s, own a pet Pygmy Puff, eat a chocolate frog, drink some Butterbeer and play a round of Quidditch while laughing along with the Weasley twins.

Wouldn’t you?

Potter-mania set to invade a new city

Orlando, which can be reached by direct flights to and from the Twin Cities, will have even more magic than usual soon. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens June 18 at Universal Orlando Resort.

The Harry Potter experience will include three themes — Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge.

Hogwarts Castle will tower over The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors will meet Harry, Ron and Hermione as if they were in person. They will soar over Hogwarts with Harry and be swept into a Quidditch match, explore the castle and more.

The design of the theme park lends a 360-degree experience and first-ever combination of live-action, advanced robotic technology and innovative filmmaking. For more, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com.

In case you didn’t know, more than 400 million copies of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have been sold in 68 languages in more than 200 territories around the world. The films have grossed more than $5.4 billion at the box office worldwide, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.

Read more HERE

We ‘Vamp Out’ With Kevin Pollak and Jason Antoon

With anything popular, there is an inevitable backlash. Frankly, I am surprised that it took this long for vampires to be spoofed.

Technically, Vamped Out is not a direct spoof of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, but it was born of them. Let me back up a bit. Vamped Out is the new comedic webseries from actors Kevin Pollak and Jason Antoon. Jason stars as Alowisus, a real-life vampire who, despite the glut of vampire entertainment, cannot get a job on a vampire TV show. Pollak plays a filmmaker who is making a documentary about the plight of the “modern” vampire. Vamped Out also marks Pollak’s directorial debut.

“I was with some friends at a party – slightly inebriated,” Antoon explains. “I was chewing gum and formed it into a single fang, and said, ‘What if you were a vampire with only one fang?’ We came up with this stupid story, and I took notes on my iPhone – I still have them. A week later, I was having lunch with Kevin and his girlfriend, Jamie, and I mentioned the idea when they were bemoaning the notion of another romantic vampire project.”

The idea behind Vamped Out is that Alowisus fed Bram Stoker false vampire information – they burn in the sunlight, sleep in coffins, are allergic to holy water and garlic, etc. – to make Stoker a laughing stock. When Stoker’s Dracula became legend, Alowisus inadvertently became a savior to his people. No one suspects a person of vampirism if they meet you for pizza at noon. It is a great premise with a hilarious execution. Vamped Out is the funniest web series since The Guild.

Read more HERE

WonderCon 2010: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – The Fantasia Remix

Jay Baruchel (She’s Out of My League) could not have been more in his element at WonderCon this past Saturday, April 3rd in San Francisco. In fact it would be easy to imagine Jay, had his life taken another path, standing in line at the Moscone Center, dressed up in oddly ill-fitting attire claiming to be a little known Star Wars character. It’s this geeky quality that makes him so endearing and so perfect for the role of Dave Stutler, an average guy with hidden talents who becomes Balthazar Blake’s (Nicolas Cage) reluctant protégé in the upcoming Disney movie, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

The movie is a comedy adventure based in large part on the animated segment of Fantasia (where Mickey goes crazy with the brooms/water action). The Sorcerer’s Apprentice however, is brought to life in modern day New York City and centers on the classic conflict between good and evil. Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer trying to defend Manhattan from his nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar recruits young Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential to help. They team up to save NYC as well as Dave’s dream girl Becky (Teresa Palmer).

Read more HERE

Percy Jackson May Be Your New Spider-Man, Part Deux

via io9.com

Percy Jackson star Logan Lerman has long been rumored to be the next Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s Spidey reboot. Today it was announced that Lerman’s got the part “almost 100% locked.” Damn, and we were pulling for Bruce Campbell.

Today Hitfix announced that Lerman is slated to portray Peter Parker in (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb’s reboot of the web-slinger’s franchise. According to the Hitfix source, Lerman’s a lock but has yet to enter contract negotiations. Of course, Lerman has been considered the top contender for Peter Parker for several months, so it’s worth taking this news with a grain of salt.

So yeah, Lerman’s neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in Spider-Man and was pretty coy when put on the spot. This report could have some veracity after all, but we’re still furiously writing letters to our congressmen to score some federal backing for our “Sir Bruce Initiative.”

What did you think about today’s movie news? Will you be hitting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this summer? Will you be seeing ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’? Lastly, what do you think about Logan Lerman playing Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man?

ANOTHER HARRY POTTER BOOK?

Source: csmonitor.com

As we all know, children ask the best questions. And sometimes they get the best answers. Speaking at the White House Easter Egg Roll yesterday, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling answered a child’s query about another Harry Potter book with a “maybe.”

According to The Washington Post, Rowling, a guest at yesterday’s event in Washington, read out loud to a small group of children and answered their questions.

While Rowling said that she has no immediate plans to write any more Potter books, she didn’t rule the possibility out altogether. Instead, she suggested that “maybe 10 years from now” it could happen.

READ MORE HERE

Aw. 10 years from now, huh? Interesting … What do you think of this news? Would you like to see another Harry Potter book, if ever the world of Hogwarts revisits Ms Rowling? Do you think the story needs another book? Who’s story do you think it should follow?

Join us in the forum to discuss!

‘DEAD -TOSSED WAVES’ AUTHOR CARRIE RYAN MAKES US FACE OUR ZOMBIE FEARS

Source: Hollywood crush

Carrie Ryan had just found out that the paperback edition of her first book, “The Forest of Hands and Teeth,” made the New York Times Best-Seller List when she was whisked off to do her promotional tour for the YA post-apocalyptic zombie novel’s sequel, “The Dead-Tossed Waves.” And then she found herself almost as trapped as one of her characters as New York City was temporarily crippled by a freak storm.

“It was funny, having written post-apocalyptic books and going to schools where they say, ‘Things couldn’t fall apart that fast,’ I’m like, ‘We had a little bit of wind and we couldn’t leave New York by train, by plane, by car,’ ” Ryan recalled from the safety of a Detroit hotel. At least she didn’t have to face any other dangers to talk to us while on her virtual “blog tour.” We don’t usually bite.

READ MORE HERE

J.K ROWLING FACES PLAGIARISM LAW IN HARRY POTTER BOOK 4

Source: Daily World Buzz

J. K. Rowling Faces Plagiarism Lawsuit in Harry Potter Book 4 – The popular author behind the even more popular Harry Potter book series, J. K. Rowling, is currently facing a plagiarism lawsuit filed by the estate of Adrian Jacobs.

READ MORE HERE

Have you read ‘The Forest of Hands and teeth”? What do you think of ‘The Dead-tossed Waves’?

*Sigh* to the J.K Rowling news- she’s been there before though, hasn’t she?

Join us in the forum to discuss today’s book news!