Congratulations to: Melissa (avidreader25)
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After months of participating in our Harry Potter Book Challenge, it’s time that we finally reveal to you what the final giveaway will include.

I know a lot of you have been excited to find out what the final BIG prize that we keep mentioning will include, well without further ado…

The BIG and Final Harry Potter Book Challenge Prize will include:

- (1) Kindle (3G + Wi-Fi)
- (1) Professor Dumbledore Collectible Hero Wand
- (1) Hogwarts School Journal

Hope you’re excited and make sure you have participated in each month so that you get more chances at winning.

The winner will be announced right here at the end of September 2011.

The Harry Potter books have stopped coming, and the final feature film debuted across the world this summer, but Pottermania will not be subsiding anytime soon. Fans who haven’t gotten enough of all things Potter will be able to get a behind the scenes peak at the phenomenon at a new studio beginning next year.

A new Harry Potter Studio Tour will be opening in a massive Warner Bros complex outside of London, England next year. The tour will give fans a peek inside the fictional characters’ world with a chance to set foot on the same sets where the movies were filmed.

Included in the tour, which lasts three hours, are chances to see Dumbledore’s office, the Hogwarts’ Great Hall, and the Gryffindor common room.

This latest addition to the Potter franchise will give Potter fans another piece of the dynasty to hold on to well after the franchise is gone, and probably even inspire a new generation of Pottermania.

Are you planning on visiting Hogwarts?

When Sony releases their next generation eReader, it will come with a little bit of magic bundled with it. The newest Sony Reader will come loaded with the entire “Harry Potter” series on it; the first time the wizard hero will appear in digital print.

Initially it was reported by The Register that the new Sony Reader would be the only device through which Potter fans could purchase the digital version of the Harry Potter books. The report also states that the launch of the new eReader will coincide with the launch of the new “Pottermore” online experience.

JK Rowling, the creator of the Potter series, confirmed through her people that the digital version of the books will not be exclusive to any platform. Rather, the digital version will be available on all platforms with the launch of the Pottermore website.

Ralph Fiennes can do more than play the nemesis of Harry Potter. His talents extend behind the camera too where he has quietly started a directing career. Fiennes’ next project will be an adaptation of the novel “The Invisible Woman.”

The nonfiction work from Claire Tomalin tells the tale of an affair between Charles Dickens, author of “Great Expectations,” and actress Nelly Ternan. Abi Morgan wrote the script for the film and the project is set to hit theaters in 2012 to coincide with Dickens’ 200th birthday.

Dickens and Ternan met and began a secret relationship in 1857 when he was 45 and she just 18. A year later Dickens separated from his wife and Ternan traveled with him until his death. Fiennes is best known for his recent work as Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” film franchise.

Congratulations to: Jesse G.
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We have reached month 7, which also means it’s time for our last book giveaway as part of our Harry Potter 2011 Book Challenge. By now you probably know what we are giving away, but let me just remind you once more: Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7).

For a chance to win, it’s easy:

1) Sign up to take part in the challenge, you can do so here.

2) Share at least one link/comment for one of the completed month (make sure you use the same name or email you used to sign up for the challenge). If you haven’t done so already, make sure to do it:

- January links/comments here
- February links/comments here
- March links/comments here
- April links/comments here
- May links/comments here
- June links/comments here

3) Fill out the form below. (Please Note: The address provided will be used to mail the prize should you win.)

Note: Make sure you use the same email address in the form, as the one you used to sign up for the challenge.

The giveaway is open until July 17th 2011. Good Luck!

More Rules:

We are almost at the end of our Harry Potter Book Challenge, and it’s time to share your thoughts/links for the sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

This month since Jose wrote an excellent article about Felix Felicis, I will use the question he asked at the end of the article:

“What would you do if you had a little bit of Felix Felicis for luck (remember no sports, contests, or tests)?”

Personally, I would probably save it for one very special day, I wouldn’t want to waste it on trivial matter, so if I had to wait years to use it until I really needed it I would. But that’s just me, it’s time to hear from you.

For those of you who have signed up to participate through the comment section, please answer the above question in the comments.

For those of you who have written either a review or opinion piece on your blogs, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, or YouTube, you can leave a link in the comment section. (Please note: Your comment might be held for moderation because it includes a link, but we will approve all the relevant links. If your comment hasn’t been approved within 1-2 days, please resubmit it so that we count your participation into the challenge).

And feel free to also share your answer to the question.

Remember, your comment and/or link will count as one proof of participation, which will give you one entry into our final giveaway. Also you can add your January links/comments here, February links/comments here, March links/comments here, April links/comments here and May links/comments here if you haven’t done so yet.

Please make sure to use the same name/email you signed up with for the challenge. You can find a full list of participants here.

Felix Felicis is a very curious and interesting potion. Drinking it grants the drinker incredible amounts of good luck, although how long this effect lasts depends on the amount imbibed. You also have to be careful since drinking too much leads to over zealousness or giddiness and can be dangerous. It’s the magical world’s equivalent to performance enhancing drugs as use of the potion in sporting events, competitions, or during tests is forbidden.

We first see Felix Felicis (also called Liquid Luck) in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Harry attends his first Advance Potions class given by Slughorn. It’s one of many potions Slughorn has prepared for the class to name, which is really no challenge when Hermione is in the classroom. Slughorn offers a small sample (about twelve hours worth) of the potion as a prize to the student who creates the best version of Draught of Living Death, which Harry wins thanks to the Half-Blood Prince’s copy of Advance Potion Making, much to Hermione’s chagrin.

The potion becomes an important part of the plot for the rest of the book. Harry feigns putting some in Ron’s drink right before a Quidditch match to help him overcome his jitters at being the new keeper. He drinks some of the potion to help him get Slughorn’s memories about Horcruxes, leading to a series of improbable luck and coincidences. He divides the rest of the potion among his friends in order to help protect them when the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts.

I thought that it was wonderful that the magical world has this very difficult to obtain potion that steers you to have good luck. It seems like the kind of thing we’d all want to try out at least once. I think if I had a small bottle of it I’d try to go out and do something dangerous like rock climbing, stunt driving, or salsa dancing (you’d understand if you ever saw me dance).

What would you do if you had a little bit of Felix Felicis for luck (remember no sports, contests, or tests)? I also thought it was very much like Harry to share the rest of his potion with his friends to help protect them before the Death Eaters came to the castle. Would you share your potion with friends or would you keep it to yourself? Lastly, if you were Harry, would you have kept a little bit of the potion for yourself as well just in case? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and ideas, and feel free to talk about what you thought of The Half-Blood Prince.

Follow me on Twitter @josedaemons

Watch JK Rowling announce Pottermore:

According to the press release, Pottermore is “ultimately intended to become an online reading experience” that will feature “extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories.” In October, the new website will feature an interactive storyline based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Upon entering, users pick a username and begin moving through the chapters. There will be will exclusive new writing from Rowling, and you can visit Diagon Alley, choose a wand from Ollivanders, get sorted into a house, cast spells, and mix potions to help your house compete for the house cup. The second interactive storyline, for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, will go live on the site in early 2012.

While most of us will have to wait until October to use Pottermore, one million people will be chosen to have early access to the site. Registration for Pottermore.com will begin on July 31, Harry’s birthday. The first one million people to complete their registration, which also includes an “online challenge,” will gain early entry into the website.

JK Rowling said in a statement: “I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment – Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.”

It’s interesting that Rowling decided to sell the Harry Potter ebooks directly to readers, bypassing retailers like Amazon and Apple. According to TheBookseller.com, that decision was made so that Rowling would have control over the ebooks and because she didn’t want to restrict the content to a particular device. The CEO of Pottermore, Rod Henwood, said that they will set the pricing, although it’s not clear yet what that price point will be. Rowling’s publishers, Scholastic and Bloomsbury, are partners in this new effort and will also share in the revenue.

So what do you think of Pottermore? Is it what you expected? Personally, I’m excited that Harry is finally going digital. Let me know what you think in the comments.

You can take a look at a few photos from Pottermore below.

Follow me on Twitter @kristendaemons

Click Any Photo Below To Enlarge

There is some mysterious J. K. Rowling news this morning, and it’s getting the attention of Harry Potter fans worldwide. The author has introduced a new website, Pottermore.com. Right now the site just says “Coming soon” and has Rowling’s signature, but fans are speculating that it could mean more Potter books are on the way.

Pottermore.com was discovered last night after fans pieced together ten clues. Nine Harry Potter fansites were given coordinates and a tenth was found on a @Pottermore Twitter account. When put together the clues spelled Pottermore.

The Leaky Cauldron fansite has seen Pottermore and they say, “it is, in a word, breathtaking. That is all we are permitted to say at the moment.”

Rowling said back in February that she is working on “several projects.” She has also said in interviews that while she’s open to writing more books set in the Harry Potter universe, future books probably wouldn’t feature Harry as the main character.

So, Harry Potter fans, are you freaking out right now over Pottermore? Do you think it could mean more books? Of course, it could just be a revamped Harry Potter website. Whatever it is, it’s fun to speculate, and it’s reminiscent of the good old days when we had new Potter books to look forward to.

The final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, will be released July 15th. Check out Daemon’s Movies for more coverage.

UPDATE – There have been a few developments since I posted this:
According to The Bookseller, Rowling’s spokeswoman says, “It is not another Harry Potter book but we cannot reveal any more at this stage, fans will have to keep an eye on the website. It will be launching soon.”

The Pottermore Twitter account linked to a countdown clock that indicates the announcement will take place on June 23rd.

There is a lot of speculation that Pottermore could be an online role-playing game. What do you think of this possibility?

Follow me on Twitter @kristendaemons

Congratulations to: Melissa H.
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It’s month 6 and time for another giveaway as part of our Harry Potter 2011 Book Challenge. We are once again giving away one Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7).

For a chance to win, it’s easy:

1) Sign up to take part in the challenge, you can do so here.

2) Share at least one link/comment for one of the completed month (make sure you use the same name or email you used to sign up for the challenge). If you haven’t done so already, make sure to do it:

- January links/comments here
- February links/comments here
- March links/comments here
- April links/comments here
- May links/comments here

3) Fill out the form below. (Please Note: The address provided will be used to mail the prize should you win.)

Note: Make sure you use the same email address in the form, as the one you used to sign up for the challenge.

The giveaway is open until June 11th 2011. Good Luck!

More Rules: