Muggle Monday: Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This past week, the artwork for the cover of the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was revealed:

Gorgeous, no?? This illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will feature 115 new colour images by A Monster Calls artist Jim Kay, retail for about $40, and will be available October 4, 2016.

Of course the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released last year to positive acclaim by fans. Sadly though, I have yet to experience the book for myself! While I had initially planned to borrow the illustrated edition from my library at some point in lieu of shelling out the hefty amount of money to purchase the book, all the positive buzz for it made me convinced that I should be buying a copy for myself - I need to save up for it though.


Here's a little taste of what we have to look forward to in the upcoming illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (click to embiggen):

Portrait of Rubeus Hagrid and Hogwarts

Illustrations of a gnome, the Burrow, and mandrakes

Illustrated feature of the Phoenix

I'm curious if anyone reading this has experienced the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone yet - what did you think? And do you plan on purchasing this illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Muggle Monday: New Tidbits Revealed About The Redesigned UK Harry Potter Editions

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, thanks to the French Harry Potter fan site La Gazette du Sorcier, new tidbits about the newly redesigned Bloomsbury Harry Potter Series have been revealed, including the spine designs, the back cover designs, some extra Pottermore factoids, a J.K. Rowling biography, and a map of the Hogwarts grounds!:

Colourful spines

Back covers for Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban

Back covers for Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix

Back covers for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows

Pottermore factoids - Click to embiggen!

J.K. Rowling biography - Click to embiggen!

And finally, the map of the Hogwarts grounds!

Okay, so I know I already said that I couldn't possibly justify purchasing more copies of the Harry Potter Series, but these versions with all their special features are definitely testing my will!! ESPECIALLY that map. I LOVE maps in books and I think including a map of the Hogwarts grounds is a great idea! I love how colourful the book spines are and the back cover images are pretty cute (though I think the back covers of the new US Editions absolutely WIN in this case because they're gorgeous). I also love the idea of including Jo's bio and little factoids about the Wizarding World from Pottermore (though I'm less keen that it comes across more as an advertisement to visit Pottermore.com). So yes, all in all these new UK Harry Potter Editions are pretty cool, I think! Still doesn't change the fact that I can't afford them though because they are CRAZY expensive as you can see from the price stickers on the books. But if Bloomsbury ever wanted to release a poster of the Hogwarts Grounds Map, I'd be all for that, just saying!! A huge Mercy Beaucoup goes out to La Gazette du Sorcier for taking these photos!

Muggle Monday: Newly Redesigned Harry Potter Covers!

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


There have been a whole ton of new Harry Potter cover redesign releases recently and I am LOVING it (obviously). And no, I don't think these redesigns will ever replace the originals in my mind, but it's still cool to see the covers in a new light:

New 15th Anniversary US Editions of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

J'ADORE! I love these covers as much as the first two Kazu Kibuishi covers for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I love the animation and the attention to detail. I think they've done an excellent job so far at choosing the perfect scene to represent each book for the new covers. I also love how you can see Past Harry collapsed in the background of the new Prisoner of Azkaban cover. The new Goblet of Fire cover is pretty fantastic, too, though in my mind I still picture the Hungarian Horntail resembling the one from the UK/Canada Children's Edition, rather than this version.

I honestly couldn't say which of the four new US Edition covers I like best so far. Does anyone else have a favourite one so far?

EDITED TO ADD - New Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Also Released:

Of course, only a few hours after I had this post scheduled, the 15th Anniversary US Edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released! And of course, it's GORGEOUS:

New UK Adult Editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban:

The UK Adult Editions of the books are also getting a makeover. The first three books have been redone and the next four are set to be released in the coming months. I love the woodcut style of these! They are very bright and graphic and eye-catching. Sigh, if only I were rich, I would buy ALL the editions of the books, new and old, domestic and foreign editions. And they would be my pretties.

What do you think of these new Harry Potter covers? Let me know in the comments!

Muggle Monday: New Chamber of Secrets Cover Reveal and First Edition Philosopher's Stone Auctioned

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


So, I haven't done this feature of mine in over half a year. Honestly, there hasn't been much going on in the Harry Potter fandom to talk about. Pottermore continues to fail to truly impress me and the announcement of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion, while cool, is OLD news as fans have known that it has been in the works, in secret, for years now. But there have been some notable pieces of news recently that I would like to highlight:

New 15th Anniversary US Edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Cover Art Revealed at BEA:

Artist Kazu Kibuishi revealed the cover for the 15th Anniversary US Edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at Book Expo America this past Thursday, May 30. He had previously created the artwork for the 15th Anniversary US Edition of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (as seen to the left).

I am LOVING these new covers. I can't say that anything could ever replace the old covers in my eyes, as I have too many nostalgic memories associated with them, but I really love the artwork and I love how each cover features a key scene from Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (entering Diagon Alley for the first time and escaping the Dursleys in the flying Ford Anglia, respectively).

It makes me wonder what key scenes they're going to use for each of the next five cover releases. Any ideas? I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments!

First Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Featuring Annotations and Illustrations from J.K. Rowling Auctioned Off at Sotheby's:

A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has been auctioned off at Sotheby's for 150,000 GBP (about 300,000 USD). What makes this particular copy so special is that it features 43 pages of notes from Jo herself! There are also 22 original illustrations by J.K. Rowling.

One example of the annotations includes a note about Hufflepuff house on the title page of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone:

"Perhaps Hufflepuff house would have the respect it deserves from the fans if I'd stayed with my original idea of a bear to represent it?"

And, under the chapter title Quidditch, Jo writes:

"-invented in a small hotel in Manchester after a row with my then boyfriend... I had been pondering the things that hold a society together, cause it to congregate and signify its particular character and knew I needed a sport... [Quidditch] infuriates men… which is quite satisfying given my state of mind when I invented it."

AIIIEEEEE!! What I wouldn't give to get my hands on this treasure! My left leg? My first born? My undying and eternal gratitude? I would give it all up, I say! I'm guessing its new owner won't be up to sharing anytime soon though, unfortunately. Ah, oh well. I guess I could start saving my pennies so that maybe one day I could afford to spare $300,000 in an auction for something like this. I can dream!