Is Stephenie Meyer the Author of the Decade?

Read Street, the book blog of the Baltimore Sun, has declared 2000-2009 the decade of Stephenie Meyer. Their reasoning for this bold declaration is that:
Meyer’s novel “Twilight,” released in October of 2005, hit the top of the bestseller lists and has hardly budged since — while being joined by others in the series.
In the comment section the author clarifies:
I’m not saying she’s the best author if the decade, but her emergence is one of the biggest trends since 2000. There’s no doubt about that.
It’s true, vampire books have been a huge trend in the past few years and Stephenie Meyer’s success has spread to other authors like L. J. Smith and Charlaine Harris. On the other hand, while recent years have been all about vampires, I would argue that J. K. Rowling dominated most of the decade. The first Harry Potter book was published in [...]

Read More »

Friday News Roundup, November 13, 2009

Palin’s book bashes Couric and McCain camp (ABC)
Journalist and North Korea jailbird, Euna Lee has a book deal. It will be released through Broadway Books and will be about her experiences after she was arrested (NY Times)
NPR released an interesting interview and feature on the book “Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words” by John Bemelmans Marciano. Marciano delves deep into the world of “eponyms” which are words they are named after people. For example the word “Leotard” originated from a French gymnast who designed himself a 1 piece work out suit to show off his fit body. (NPR)
The latest on the Harry Potter theme park (Mugglenet)
Check out this fun article from CNN featuring “4 Comic Book Legends” (CNN)
I just learned that Food Network’s: Ace Of Cakes released a book last month. You can order it on Amazon.
Top 5 Hardcover Fiction (New York Times)
1. THE GATHERING STORM, by Robert [...]

Read More »

Check Out Universal’s New Theme Park “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”

Universal unveiled new details last week about a Harry Potter themed attraction that will open at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida in the spring of 2010. Until now, few details were known about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but Universal revealed that it will recreate many of the locations in J. K. Rowling’s books. The main attraction will be a huge of Hogwarts castle. According to the Daily Mail:
Pottermaniacs will enter the ‘Wizarding World’ through a station archway named after Hogsmeade, the magical village near Hogwarts. A plume of steam and a train whistle will sound the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. Other rides include the ‘Dragon Challenge,’ a twin high-speed roller coaster themed after the ‘Triwizard Tournament’. There will also be a family roller coaster called ‘Flight of the Hippogriff,’ named after a creature with an eagle’s head and a [...]

Read More »

Percy Jackson & The Olympians – A Harry Potter Rewrite?

One series that helped me get over my Post-Potter depression was Percy Jackson & The Olympians. It’s a fun series of books that chronicles the tales of a young demigod named Percy as he fights off monsters and evil lords all while trying to have a somewhat normal adolesant life.
If you are an uber Potter-geek like me, you’ll notice quite a few similarities between the story of Percy and our favorite boy wizard. Here are a few that I noticed. Feel free to leave a comment and share your own!

Both books start with an 11 year old boy when they find out they are more than what they seem (1 is a wizard and 1 is a demigod)

Both books have 3 main characters 2 boys and a girl

Book 4 in each series features a labyrinth

Both stories revolve around a prophecy that involves the main character

There is [...]

Read More »

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Book Review

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by JK Rowling

The movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens this week so if you haven’t read the book yet, now is the time. Most fans of the series read the book a few years ago, so read on for a quick refresher. If you recall, the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ended with the wizarding world finally becoming aware that Lord Voldemort had returned. The sixth book begins with the magical world at war and a new minister of magic taking office, now that the bumbling Cornelius Fudge has been relieved of duty. As the story of his battle with Voldemort spreads, Harry is once again everyone’s hero, the chosen one who will defeat Voldemort forever.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens with Harry spending his summer at the Dursley’s, until Dumbledore arrives and [...]

Read More »