21 Great Reads Edition of "Philosopher's Stone"

Last year, TLC first told you that Bloomsbury would be releasing a special edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as part of their 21 Great Reads for the 21st Century collection. That book is now available, and it contains a new introduction from author Alexander McCall Smith, as well as two pages from J.K.Rowling discussing her favorite Classic, Contemporary and Children's books, along with a general Top Ten list of favorites. Thanks to reader Roonwit, we can now bring you a excerpt of what is contained in this new edition of the first book, which is as follows:

From the foreword by Alexander McCall Smith:

"... this is gripping storytelling: humorous, slightly anarchic and imbued with an immense sense of fun. And it deals with important things, particularly the battle between good and evil....That this book changed something, and changed it for the better, is beyond all doubt. It gave to those who otherwise might not be great readers aninsight into what joy reading can be. It gave to those whose imagination had not been given room to flourish the opportunity to enter a world of imaginative fantasy. It brought great happiness and excitement, just that,into countless young lives. No other book in history has done this to the same extent and probably no other book ever will. That is why this book will not be forgotten."

From J.K. Rowling:

Children's Book
It's a three way tie between "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" by Edith Nesbit, for the character of Oswald, "Manxmouse" by Paul Gallico, for its wistful, magical tone, and "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge, for its plain, vain heroine.

Classic
"Emma" by Jane Austen, for the incomparable characterisation, the humour of so much self-delusion and the Churchill/ Fairfax twist.

Contemporary book
It changes monthly, but the last novel I fell in love with was "Arthur and George" by Julian Barnes, and the last piece of non-fiction I couldn't put down was "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell.
Top 10
"Emma" by Jane Austen
"Chéri" by Colette
"The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield
"Middlemarch" by George Elliot
"Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov
"David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens
"I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"The Van" by Roddy Doyle
"Tender is the Night" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Bloomsbury: Permission Not Yet Given for Pre-Orders of "Deathly Hallows"

A few weeks ago we told you that online retailer Amazon co.uk had set a price and started taking pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the book quickly shot to the number one spot on their best seller list. Today, the Scotsman reports that while UK Potter publishers Bloomsbury finds all of this interestng, and they expect the book to outsell Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, permission has not yet been given for these pre-orders for Book seven, as the novel is not yet finished. Quotage from Bloomsbury spokesperson Lucy Holden:

"Each book in the series has sold more than the last, so we are excited about the last one. Amazon obviously isn't our only customer, but it's very exciting that the book has made it to number one in the bestseller list.

"We haven't given people permission to pre-order the book yet, because we haven't received the final manuscript. JK Rowling is still writing it.

"We don't have any details about the amount of books that have been pre-ordered, and we wouldn't base our print run on that. We don't release details of our print run, and we won't release any information about the book until we have the manuscript."

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

WB to Release Harry Potter High Def DVDs This Year

As long rumored, Warners Brothers has formally announced today that they will be releasing all of the Harry Potter films in a High Definition format DVD this year. While no specific release schedule has yet been stated, fans can expect to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire out on High Def for purchase in the coming months. Back in November, TLC reported that Goblet of Fire was released on a High Def DVD in the UK, however we do not know if the High Def GoF DVD will be the first available here in the States. These new DVDs "offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. HD DVDs also provide a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu-bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film." Earlier this month, we told you the regular Harry Potter DVDs would soon be pulled from store shelves, however a few of these discs still remain available via our Cauldron Shop.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

2007: The Year of Harry Potter

As the new year begins, news organizations and publications are releasing their most anticipated movies and events of 2007, and these include Harry Potter in one form or another. Entertainment Weekly picks both the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie, and (a possibe) Book Seven as one of the "20 Big Events of 2007." MTV takes it even further when they rank the Order of the Phoenix movie as their number one pick for 2007.

"It is time for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago," Dumbledore tells Harry Potter in "Order of the Phoenix" "I am going to tell you everything." And so he does. The real question is whether or not he'll tell us — the explanatory resolutions at the end of Rowling's books have been among the most glaring and obvious omissions from the series' films. And with big characters and plot points that fans reference with capital letters — the Prophesy, the Giant, the Senior Undersecretary, the Death, the Loon, the Order — there's enough here for two movies. After the series' climax in "Goblet of Fire," Harry tries to warn the world of the return of Lord Voldemort to no avail. Fans with a keen eye will be attempting to divine possible plot points for the seventh and final book: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." No time-turners allowed — the film opens July 13."

Finally, CNN has a humorous prediction on Harry Potter in 2007.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Order of the Phoenix T-Shirts from Hot Topic

The first wave of brand new t-shirts for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are now available from Hot Topic. The new shirts available are:

"No Mudbloods Allowed" featuring a photo of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy on the front.
Plus size Mudblood tee
"Harry Potter Imperio Tee" which features the words the Death Eaters seem to favor: Imperio!, Crucio! and Avada Kedavra! (and yes, we know they have it spelled wrong on the shirt).
"Harry Potter Swear Tee" featuring the Marauders phrase "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Voldemort Tee" featuring a photo of Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort as seen on the first OotP poster.
Plus size OotP Voldemort Tee"
"Gryffindor Lion" which features the lion of Gryffindor House.
"Harry Potter Hogwarts Crest Hoodie" a black zip hoodie with the colorful Hogwarts crest on the front.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

"Phoenix" and the "Fandango Fifty"

As the new year starts, many articles are now online highlighting the key movies and actors in 2007. Entertainment site and online movie ticket retailer Fandango conducted a survey asking readers to rank the stars they are most looking forward to seeing on the big screen this year. Actor Dan Radcliffe for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came in at 20 in the Top 25 Actors category, while Emma Watson in OotP was listed at 24 in the Actress category. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released in movie theaters on July 13.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)