I'm sure you all saw the news that Little, Brown UK are publishing the screenplay for The Crimes of Grindelwald and I'm also sure you fall in to one of two camps: hyped and uhhhh how shall I say it?? pissed.

This announcement comes not too long after that of the paperback editions of the illustrated Harry Potter books and at this point I just feel a little... frustrated. It feels like... in fact I KNOW that we, the Harry Potter fans, are being taken for as mugs. Not muggles - just downright mugs. 

They KNOW we will pay the money for more *official* books EVEN if we already own it... in several different editions. I currently have SEVEN editions of Philosopher's Stone.

Wait... no... I have 8.

It's crazy and completely unnecessary but I like collecting books. Even so, I collect books in different editions, cover changes, foreign countries and even in different languages yet I haven't been meaning to collect the philosopher's stone. Four of the 8 copes have the original cover art. I haven't collected any of the other UK covers. I have so many copies not because I want them, but because there is such a buzz surrounding a "new" Harry Potter that I feel I have to buy it, or I think I "need" it. I don't. 

I don't need nor want to spend my money adding more and more of the same book to my collection. I don't want a screenplay or a script. I read Cursed Child when it came out and DEVOURED it but a year and a half later when I saw the stage show I realised how bad the book was. The book wasn't there for us to read (trust me, the play is INCREDIBLE but the book does absolutely no justice to the story) it was there so we'd all rush out at midnight (ahem... WORK yup. I had to work the midnight release. Madness that was) and spend our money on it. 

It's the same with this. It's to make money. I know that's what all book releases are about but there's a difference. Books are written to tell and share a story. This screenplay was written to make a film. A film everyone will want to see and will make millions at the box office. This screenplay was obsolete. The film is made. They don't need it. It's redundant. So how to make even more money off a fandom who will throw any amount of money at anything saying "JK ROWLING OFFICIAL"? Bind it and sell it. 

Don't get me wrong - I probably will do the same as I did when I saw Fantastic Beasts on release day: go straight round to Waterstones and grab the book and a pop figure or two (Grindelwald pleaseeee).

But I can't help feeling a little disgruntled by the blatant money grabbing now. It's been nearly four years since the first illustrated edition came out so why only now are they announcing the paperbacks? It's like the forgot about them and in some meeting someone just went 'umm... you know we could totally convince people to buy the illustrated books if they were cheaper so why not make them paperback? and I don't know... include a poster of a dragon or something". 

I don't know guys. I love that the magic is still alive but I'm a bit fed up of screenplays and new editions. Give us a marauders book or something and if JK doesn't want to write that then stop milking a book that came out 21 years ago? 
It's getting to the point that it has more editions than classics have (not quite but you get my drift). 

I know, I know, it's us the readers and fans who keep buying them but they could make it seem a little less... ugh I don't know. I guess I just think that in the last year and a half since the Cursed Child release it's been non-stop new editions and I'm just over it. Gimmie a break in between lads.

What do you think? Should we be getting so many editions or should they chill? Would you like to see more books/series get special editions?

// emmanovella

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love a musical. Dear Evan Hansen is one of the few I adore just from listening to the soundtrack. I have a rough idea on what the story follows but I haven't seen the show so I don't quite know the full story. 

But I just found out that author Val Emmich is writing an adaptation that will be published by Little, Brown in October. Are you excited? Because I am SO excited!!

The best part is that I'll be in NYC the just after publication so if it doesn't get picked up in the UK for release around that time I can grab my copy then.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with DEH, goodreads provides this for a synopsis:

I absolutely cannot wait to read this book and I am a BIG fan of that cover. Let me know what you guys think: is this a good idea and would you like to see more musical to book adaptations? 

// emmanovella

Well... if getting a new John Green* last year was exciting, Markus Zusak sure knows how to up the game.

Obviously, nothing will ever replace The Book Thief, but I have high hopes for anything that comes from its author so you can imagine my delight when I received an email from Waterstones informing me that after over a decade of work on it, Bridge of Clay is finally ready for publication... ON MY BIRTHDAY!
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