# J.K. Rowling book -- COMBINED thread



## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I know it has been announced that it will be for adults but very little else has been said about it other than (strangely enough) it will be available in ebook format.

I am super excited to know that she is writing again. The H.P. series is one of my all time favorite series out there. 

I am so curious about what her new book will be about and what it will be like. It must be hard trying to write something after the huge success of the H.P. series.

What are your feelings about it? Will you read it just because it is by Rowlings?


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm not saying I won't read it, but I'm not going to read it just because she wrote it. She captured lightning in a bottle once, but can she do it again with different a different work? Certainly if she wrote more Harry Potter, it would be an instant best seller. But when you make a big change in what you write, there is always a risk. Of course, since she doesn't need the money, she can write whatever books she wants. They might be as big as Harry Potter, or they might not. We will have to wait and see.


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## SawyerKing (Jan 12, 2012)

I hadn't heard! That's really interesting and I'll probably check it out, though not sure whether I will buy or borrow.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Here is a link for those that haven't read about it yet.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46497871/ns/today-books/#.T0a27fWeO_k


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

It'll be interesting to have something new of hers to read. I'm curious to her skills outside of HP and the HP universe.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

QuantumIguana said:


> I'm not saying I won't read it, but I'm not going to read it just because she wrote it. She captured lightning in a bottle once, but can she do it again with different a different work?


Isn't getting an answer to that question good enough reason to read it and find out? I'm sure I'll be reading at least the sample, out of curiosity. Unless it's on a subject I really don't like.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

MLPMom said:


> It must be hard trying to write something after the huge success of the H.P. series.


Normally, I would agree with you on this...

...but the fact that she could write the last few "HARRY POTTER" books while there was such *enormous *expectation leads me to believe she'll handle this just fine.

It's the _reception _she may have a hard time parsing in relation to HP...

Todd


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## roy le coeur (Aug 17, 2010)

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/little-brown-publish-j-k-rowlings-first-adult-novel.html
Let the speculation begin.............


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I've merged two similar threads, thanks for understanding.

Betsy


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## lj.briar (Sep 15, 2011)

Actually, I'm probably more likely to read it because it's not Harry Potter. I was never that crazy about HP, but I would be curious to see what she's like for a book aimed at grown-ups.

LJ


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## shelbymhailstone (Jan 17, 2012)

See, this is why I love this site. I get to learn about things like this. I think it's definitely worth checking out, but I'll hold of on the preemptive celebrating until I find out what it's about. Like a lot of you have said, it's not Harry Potter, and it's a new challenge. We'll see how it goes.


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## martaszemik (Dec 4, 2011)

I would read it because it is hers. The kind of imagination it took to write HP, I'd be interested to know what else Ms. Rowling has up her sleeve (cliche intended).


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## Borislava Borissova (Sep 9, 2011)

I am impatient to read it. She is a good author with great imagination that would serve her in depicting different stories - young adult, or mystery or suspence etc.


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## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

I can't wait to read it and very curious to see how she writes for adults


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## Selina Fenech (Jul 20, 2011)

It's very clever of her to do books for adults now. Sure she's probably just writing what she wants to, but so many adults loved Harry Potter, and younger readers who loved Harry Potter have now grown up. Regardless, she's got a huge market waiting to read her adult books.


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## SeanBlack (May 13, 2010)

She signed with David Shelley at Little, Brown, which is a major clue. David's a first rate editor who works with Val McDermid and Gregg Hurwitz, and whose list is mostly crime, so it seems like Jo's new book may well be in that genre. I know that Gregg thinks very highly of him, as does Val. Jo is a class act who handled her fame and fortune with consummate grace so I wish her the absolute best with her change of tack.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

This is slightly odd, but the thing I'm most interested to see is if she cuts down on the ol' adverbs for a 'novel for adults'.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I think we're probably looking at a year down the road before we see this book. They're not even going to announce any details until later in the year.

Whether or not I read it depends on the price. I don't expect it to be $2.99, but I won't pay $14.99 for it either. Sorry, but I'm just feeling a little bit cynical about JKR after the Pottermore/ebook debacle.

"We are pleased to announce that as part of our long term strategy for Harry Potter we intend to publish illustrated editions of all seven Harry Potter books in a rolling programme from 2013 onwards in addition to our partnership on e-books with the Pottermore website."

Looks like they are going ahead with the Potter ebooks, but after two years of teasing, I'm no longer interested.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Looks like they are going ahead with the Potter ebooks, but after two years of teasing, I'm no longer interested.


And if they've lost Gertie, they've lost the world!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> And if they've lost Gertie, they've lost the world!


The sad part is if the price is right, I'll probably eat my words and get them.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2012)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The sad part is if the price is right, I'll probably eat my words and get them.


I know how to find out if the price is right!


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

Have no idea why, because I own the first three hardcovers, just never got around to reading HP. Will probably give this one a shot, it has to be interesting!


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## Math (Oct 13, 2011)

She must be in a unique position as an author. She has no adult genre attached to her, and effectively, can write what the heck she wants. She has the power of her reputation to push aside any publisher's concerns, and financial situation to make even James Patterson's marketing campaigns look ordinary.


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## Neil Ostroff (Mar 25, 2011)

I hope it's something crazy.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I read an article on Yahoo that pretty much said she won't sell any of the new book because she's known as a "children's writer." First off, Harry Potter started when I was in my forties, and I liked it. Second, give her a chance before you make such assumptions, dumb Yahoo writer.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

R. M. Reed said:


> I read an article on Yahoo that pretty much said she won't sell any of the new book because she's known as a "children's writer." First off, Harry Potter started when I was in my forties, and I liked it. Second, give her a chance before you make such assumptions, dumb Yahoo writer.


That's so ridiculous. I doubt if the writer read any of HP because it's full of suspense and mystery and red herrings and surprises. JKR is already a mystery writer.


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## TLH (Jan 20, 2011)

I loved the HP series. Looking forward to her next book.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

R. M. Reed said:


> I read an article on Yahoo that pretty much said she won't sell any of the new book because she's known as a "children's writer." First off, Harry Potter started when I was in my forties, and I liked it. Second, give her a chance before you make such assumptions, dumb Yahoo writer.


I think I read the article in question, and I think you have misunderstood it.

This is the article I read: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/j-k-rowling-deal-novel-adults-145241123.html

This is the relevant info:


> _Any Rowling book would seem a guaranteed million seller, although it's questionable that her new novel will have the same mass appeal as Potter. Adult authors from E.B. White to Sherman Alexie have nicely managed the transition to writing for young people but, once a writer is defined as a children's author, the transition can be tricky. Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne, a successful playwright in his early years, once confessed that he was forced to say "goodbye to all that" after his beloved books about the bear and friends. Margaret Wise Brown, author of the classic "Goodnight Moon," tried for years to write stories for The New Yorker.
> 
> Daniel Handler of "Lemony Snicket" fame and Ann Brashares, author of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" novels, are among the recent popular writers for children who have had limited success as adult writers.
> 
> But Rowling does begin with one advantage: The Potter books had an enormous following among readers of all ages and she is widely credited with revealing to publishers that children's books were no longer just for the young. Meyer's vampire novels and Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" trilogy also have caught on with both parents and kids. Meyer herself wrote an adult book, "The Host," a best-seller in 2008._


So what it's saying is that there's actually a very good chance her adult book(s) will also sell well, because HP had a lot of adult fans.


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## hs (Feb 15, 2011)

I loved the HP books, and if her new novel is in a genre that I read, I will read it.

I found the press releases to be surprisingly lacking in any details about the book, including the publication date. Is this normal?


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## ZiKehimkar (Dec 10, 2011)

I'm sure I'd buy it. She's already demonstrated that she's great at building suspense and keeping a reader's interest. I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter as well, and I'm curious to read something different from her. So I'm excited about this. Of course, it will be awhile until we actually get details on this new book.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I'd be very interested.  She's shown she can tell a great story, develop great characters, create interesting worlds etc.  So I'd love to see what she can do with something new.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

hs said:


> I loved the HP books, and if her new novel is in a genre that I read, I will read it.
> 
> I found the press releases to be surprisingly lacking in any details about the book, including the publication date. Is this normal?


Hatchette said details will be announced toward the end of the year.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I agree that I think she is a fabulous writer and I know I will be buying whatever she writes, not because of who she is but because of her talent as a writer. I already know I like her writer so I will definitely be giving it a try. 

If she is writing mystery then I think that would perfect, like someone already mentioned, the H.P. series was full of mystery, I think she would excel at it and I doubt she is going to publish rubbish. I couldn't see her doing that.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I will wait and see. I'm sure that there will be many people who will rush out and buy it, and then I can hear from them whether or not the book is any good.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> Normally, I would agree with you on this...
> 
> ...but the fact that she could write the last few "HARRY POTTER" books while there was such *enormous *expectation leads me to believe she'll handle this just fine.
> 
> ...


I think this is a pretty good point. I would have probably folded up and died under that kind of pressure.


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## philippebert (Feb 25, 2012)

I will probably check it out, Harry Potter was definitely a good read and as others said before, it will be interesting to see how she does on the adult book market.
There are quite a few flaws in the HP series (not that I would not be extremely proud, if I had written it ...), that did not matter that much because it was/started as a book for children, but I think it could certainly hurt her sales with a new book.

Regarding the "yahoo writer": The book will be a big success, whether it is good or not. The one after that is what she has to be worried about.


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## maryjhenry (Feb 25, 2012)

I'm not a big fan of fantasy so I didn't make it through any of the HP books. But I did try and found that I like her writing style so I'm anxious to see what she comes up with.


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## JackDAlbrecht (Sep 24, 2011)

If she writes a book in the fantasy genre I will read it for sure!  I just hope that she doesn't way over price the eBook version like many of the popular writers are doing these days.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JackDAlbrecht said:


> If she writes a book in the fantasy genre I will read it for sure! I just hope that she doesn't way over price the eBook version like many of the popular writers are doing these days.


It's their publishers that are pricing the books so high.


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## JackDAlbrecht (Sep 24, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> It's their publishers that are pricing the books so high.


I know. I am merely expressing a wish that they respect the reasons why kindle is so popular and lower the prices accordingly. Cheep and sometimes free eBooks is why I bought one. We don't pay a hundred bucks for a reader so that we can be charged the same amount for an eBook, that's for sure.


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## Math (Oct 13, 2011)

She is clearly very keen to squash the people who say she can't write well, and those who say Harry Potter was about the whole 'machine' that took off after the first book. Of course I don't know, but I get the sense this is a very personal challenge for her. Perhaps it is still in her mind about Bloomsbury and the almost failure of the second(?) book. They were extremely worried by initial reaction and the marketeer's saved the whole shooting match.

If she wanted to write for her own pleasure, and to gauge her own success - she'd write a novel under a pseudonym and guage the success of the book without the Harry Potter subjectivity. (Maybe she already has?? Maybe this is the cause of the delay, and the reason she thinks she is ready to write another under her own name?) It would be very easy for her to go to any publisher with a very expensive lawyer and say 'give this a decent - but not over-the-top marketing campaign - and see how it runs. And if you leak it's me - I'll see you in court.'  

She doesn't need the money or fame about writing a new book "by JK Rowling"  - she wants people to know that JK Rowling can actually write.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Math said:


> She is clearly very keen to squash the people who say she can't write well, and those who say Harry Potter was about the whole 'machine' that took off after the first book. Of course I don't know, but I get the sense this is a very personal challenge for her. Perhaps it is still in her mind about Bloomsbury and the almost failure of the second(?) book. They were extremely worried by initial reaction and the marketeer's saved the whole shooting match.
> 
> If she wanted to write for her own pleasure, and to gauge her own success - she'd write a novel under a pseudonym and guage the success of the book without the Harry Potter subjectivity. (Maybe she already has?? Maybe this is the cause of the delay, and the reason she thinks she is ready to write another under her own name?) It would be very easy for her to go to any publisher with a very expensive lawyer and say 'give this a decent - but not over-the-top marketing campaign - and see how it runs. And if you leak it's me - I'll see you in court.'
> 
> She doesn't need the money or fame about writing a new book "by JK Rowling" - she wants people to know that JK Rowling can actually write.


I've often thought she should write under a new name after HP. Like you, I wouldn't be surprised if she had already done it.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

I'm excited she is getting another book out there. I do wonder what it'll be. Personally, I think she would do a mystery novel justice. It'll be interesting to hear more about it.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

CAN I PLEASE JUST GIVE HER MY MONEY NOW AND PRE-ORDER IT FOR WHENEVER IT COMES OUT EVEN IF IT IS TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW??!?... erm... I mean... yes.  Yes, I will be buying this.  *leaning suavely in the door jam*  *setting up a Google alert*  *clearing out my calendar for the next three years in case there is a midnight release party*


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Well...Stephanie Meyers came out with an adult-oriented book that did just fine. ...


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## M.V. Kallai (Feb 20, 2012)

I agree with you, R.M. I also read HP as an adult and loved the series. I am really excited to see what she comes up with next.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

MLPMom said:


> I know it has been announced that it will be for adults but very little else has been said about it other than (strangely enough) it will be available in ebook format.
> 
> I am super excited to know that she is writing again. The H.P. series is one of my all time favorite series out there.
> 
> ...


Yes, and I will definitely read it just because it's by her.


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## Matt Larkin (Sep 27, 2011)

JackDAlbrecht said:


> If she writes a book in the fantasy genre I will read it for sure!


Yes, I'm much more likely to check it out if it has some speculative fiction element to it.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I wonder that they keep using "for adults" in their discussion of it.  That makes it sound dirty - or is it me?  And it's such a wide genre.  Why wouldn't they say it's a thriller or a mystery or whatever.  But I will probably buy it, unless it's a genre I don't care about.  But thriller or mystery - I think it has potential to be great.  As others pointed out, the HP series is full of mystery and suspense.  And considering that she succeeded in finishing the series on a high note while under enormous pressure suggests she can really pull this off.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

DYB said:


> I wonder that they keep using "for adults" in their discussion of it. That makes it sound dirty - or is it me? And it's such a wide genre. Why wouldn't they say it's a thriller or a mystery or whatever. But I will probably buy it, unless it's a genre I don't care about. But thriller or mystery - I think it has potential to be great. As others pointed out, the HP series is full of mystery and suspense. And considering that she succeeded in finishing the series on a high note while under enormous pressure suggests she can really pull this off.


She's obviously typecast as a young adult author due to the huge success of the HP series.

So I guess they're just using this PR to bring in an Adult audience for the new book, and to make it clear it's not for kids.


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## thwaters (Dec 12, 2011)

I recently read about J.K. Rowling's plan to release a novel for grown-ups.  The thought is very intriguing to me because I've been wondering what her next move will be.  Once you've reached such lofty heights, where do you go from there?  Do you think she should make such a risky move?  I'm not so sure that I would do it if I were in her position.  She's obtained a rightful place in history, why open up the opportunity to tarnish her status should her next effort be sub-par.  And the expectations?  Wow.  Unimaginable.  They will be enormous.  Maybe that's exactly why Harper Lee released only one book.  Once you're King of the Mountain, maybe that's good enough.  What do you all think?  Should J.K. risk it all?  Or should she see what's behind Door #2?


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,104883.0.html

A lot of discussion of this in that thread.

I think it's a good move. A lot of the HP audience are now adults who grew up with the books, so it should do well.

I think she's a great writer, so I'm very interested in what she can do with a non-HP book, even better if it's not young adult IMO as I'm not a big fan of the YA genre in general.


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## thwaters (Dec 12, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,104883.0.html
> 
> A lot of discussion of this in that thread.
> 
> ...


I'm behind... as usual *dang*


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## JeffMcIntyre (Aug 28, 2011)

She has another book in he while Harper Lee did not, so I think this is the only move she can make.

I don't see how it would affect her Harry Potter status. Even if the new book gets only mixed reviews, new Potter readers will be too young to have this affect their reading choices.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Have merged two similar threads. . .sorry for any confusion.


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## thwaters (Dec 12, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Have merged two similar threads. . .sorry for any confusion.


Dear Moderator-- thank you for saving me from disgrace


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