Well they just announced Book 7's release date for July 21st at midnight.
I am very excited but also sad that this will be the final book.
Nice! Looking forward to some fun Harry Potter summer reading.
Yey Hey!
Can't wait myself, you just beat me to posting this myself!
I am with you Kenny...mixed feelings on this one. Although maybe I will make a Harry Potter day of it. Go see the movie that day then take my 2 oldest daughters to one of the local bookstores for the release party.
Whew. It's been a great long ride.
I'm hoping that JK Rowling is like many authors who has a need to write; that she'll come out with something else, Harry Potter wise or anything else.
Oh - I love Harry Potter. Really excited about the next book! :)
I can't wait! seems like it has been forever.
I was so excited about the release date this morning that I started a countdown on the whiteboard in my classroom. 170 days and counting! LOL! :taz
That's great Chrystabel... LOL
Rowling Sad At Potter's End
Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling said on her official Web site that she is both heartbroken and euphoric about wrapping up the franchise with the long-awaited seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book is due in bookstores on July 21.
"Even while I'm mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement," Rowling wrote. "I can hardly believe that I've finally written the ending I've been planning for so many years. I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric."
Rowling added: "While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, Deathly Hallows is my favorite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series."
Harry Potter VII A Best-Seller
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final volume in J.K. Rowling's best-selling series, doesn't come out until July, but it is already topping the sales charts of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, the Associated Press reported. A deluxe edition, priced at $65, is number two, outselling the You diet book, Sen. Barack Obama and an Oprah Winfrey-endorsed memoir by Sidney Poitier.
Rowling announced last week that Deathly Hallows would come out July 21. The previous six books have sold more than 325 million copies in 64 languages and broken countless sales records. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, published in 2005, had an announced first U.S. printing of 10.8 million copies and sold 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours.
Out of interest, what is the difference with the Deluxe edition?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Publisher Scholastic Corp. said on Wednesday it would release a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first U.S. printing of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which hits stores on July 21.
The release of the seventh and final book in the popular series by British author J.K. Rowling will be backed by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign and is expected to be one of the biggest publishing events in recent years.
Speculation has run high that "Deathly Hallows" could mark the death of the boy wizard hero.
"Harry Potter" books have sold 325 million copies and have been translated into 64 languages. The series has spawned four feature films. A fifth film based on the fifth installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," will reach theaters a week ahead of the new book's arrival.
The first printing of "Deathly Hallows" breaks a record of 10.8 million copies of the sixth book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," in 2005.
That book sold 6.9 million in the first 24 hours, Scholastic said.
In the UK, it sold more than 2 million copies on the first day of release, making it the fastest-selling book of all time, according to the publisher.
Final Potter book goes easy on the trees
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NEW YORK - The printing for the final Harry Potter book will not only be the biggest, but also the greenest.
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Scholastic Inc. announced Tuesday that it had agreed with the Rainforest Alliance, a conservation organization that works with the business community, on tightened environmental standards for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21 with a first printing of 12 million.
J.K. Rowling's seventh Potter book will be a hulking 784 pages, Scholastic said, a comparable length to the last couple of Potter releases.
Among the details of Tuesday's agreement:
_The paper used will contain "a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste (pcw) fiber."
_Nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper will be approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization with a mission to "promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests."
_A "deluxe" edition of the new book, which has a first printing of 100,000, will be printed on paper that contains "100 percent post-consumer waste fiber."
"We applaud Scholastic's progressive and bold commitment to support responsible forestry practices by buying FSC certified and recycled papers," Liza Murphy, senior marketing manager in the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable forestry program, said in a statement issued by Scholastic.
In 2005, when "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" came out, Greenpeace and other environmental groups complained that Scholastic wasn't using enough recycled paper and urged consumers to buy copies from the Canadian publisher, Raincoast Books.
Scholastic would not say at the time how much recycled paper it used, but said it did not use paper from ancient or endangered forests. Sales, apparently, were not affected: "Half-Blood Prince" sold 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours.
On Tuesday, Greenpeace issued a statement praising the new standards for Potter 7 and noting that in "Europe and Canada, the past several editions of the Harry Potter series have been printed on forest friendly paper, per the wishes of J.K. Rowling."
"Many of the Harry Potter fans worldwide have been able to enjoy the books on FSC-certified paper, and it's great news that Ms. Rowling's American readers can enjoy the final installment of Harry Potter while playing a part in responsible forest management," said Greenpeace forest campaign coordinator Scott Paul.
Here is the US version of the Front Cover of the final Seventh Harry Potter book. You can click on the link and see the back of the book and both UK versions of the book.
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#article:9653
The UK editions have summaries; the inside flap reads: "Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety , and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again."
And on the back of the adult edition:
"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing, if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?"
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We are officially 100 days away from the end of Harry Potter...could this literally be the end of Harry?! I say yes...anyone want to discuss theories?
I'm thinking Harry will die, but I think that's kind of sad and a cheap way out. I keep hearing she (Rowling) wants to do it just so the series can't really continue - at least one about Harry. If that's the main reason, I think that's wrong. But I'm really looking forward to reading the book and if it is integral to the story then I can accept it.
As many of you know I'm a huge, huge fan of Harry Potter, I would have to say it's my favorite Fantasy series of all time. I love the books, the movies, the action figures and anything else associated with is series. Even though I'm happy the seventh book is coming out it still saddens me to think this will be it for the series. When they announced the title of the book.. that was the last time that would happen, when the released the cover artwork for the book... that was the last time that would happen. Everything is the last time.
As for theories, I really hope she doesn't kill off Harry. The prophecy said, "that neither could live while the other survived". Meaning one has to die for the other to survive and I know for sure JK is not going to let evil win. As for her killing Harry just so no one can write anything in the future, she mentioned this in an interview and said she could understand why an author would do this, but JK is better than that. If by chance she does kill off Harry (which I don’t' think she will) she will do it in a way that make sense to the entire story. I can't see her ending this story on a down note. Even if Harry scarifies himself to save the world it would still be very depressing. Now I can see some of the other main characters dying, like Neville, Draco, Hagrid, Snape, some of the Weasleys but I think the Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione will survive and live happily ever after. At least that how I see it in my little fantasy world ;D
I hope you are right Kenny. But I do think one the main characters that is dear to us won't make it.
I must preface this theory by saying I really don't want Harry to die...I was a basket case when Dumbledore died...BOTH times I read the book! I knew what was going to happen the 2nd time but I still cried like a baby! Harry's death would be like losing a family member--for that reason alone, I hope she didn't kill him off. Yet, in my theory, he does die.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...
This prophecy could have been about Neville as well as Harry, and I really think Voldy made a mistake in marking Harry. V transferred part of his power to Harry during the attack, but Lilly's love kept Harry alive. As a result, Harry has had the power and motivation to stand up to great odds. This also helped him become a great DADA teacher. Yet, we have also seen Neville grow throughout the series; he was the one who had the courage to stand up to his friends in their very 1st year at Hogwarts. He was also one of the only members of the DA that took up arms in the last book. So, my theory has been that, in the final battle, Harry and V will be locked in battle but their sister wands are unable to destroy each other. Harry will see Neville fighting (hopefully after he has just killed Bellatrix!) and realize the prophecy was about both of them. By marking Harry, V gave him the power to excel in the DADA, which Harry passed on to Neville. Neville's courage and strength have grown as a direct result of befriending Harry. Harry will realize that Neville is the one who will have to deal the killing blow and, in doing so, Harry will also perish in the resulting energy charge from the connected wands. Thus, Harry will sacrifice himself for the good of the others (using the power of love to put them first!), and Neville will be the hero who was only able to accomplish this great deed because of Harry.
So, that’s the theory I developed after reading the last book, but now that the covers have been released I’m not so sure! LOL! On the US cover, it appears that Harry and V are performing wandless magic, so that blows my whole idea about them not being able to destroy one another. The good news about being wrong is the possibility that Harry will live…but if Neville dies, I’m not coming out of my house for a week! :wacko
Well I like your theory and I think Neville will play a big part I still think it's Harry will kill off Voldy. Voldy picked Harry to make him his equal. I think once he did that it was set in stone. Will find out in a little over three months... I can't wait!!!!
Amazon Potter 7 Orders Top 1M
Amazon.com said it has booked more than 1 million advance orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the upcoming seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's franchise, which is scheduled for release in late July, Reuters reported.
The online retailer also lowered its price on the book to $17.99 from $18.89. It said it would honor the lower price for customers who had already ordered the book, the last volume in the series about a boy wizard and his struggle against the forces of evil.
More than 620,000 copies have been ordered in advance in the United States, with more than 250,000 in the United Kingdom, Amazon.com said. Advance orders for this book have surpassed those in 2005 for Rowling's sixth release, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
In April, Barnes & Noble said that advance orders for the book had topped 500,000 copies, breaking the bookseller chain's record for the most advance requests in its history.
The book, which is published in the United States by Scholastic Corp. and in Britain by Bloomsbury, officially goes on sale on July 21.