The New Books Roundup, March 14: Harry Potter’s Schoolbooks? Sure!
New books this week include a special rerelease of some excellent worldbuilding materials for Harry Potter as well as titles for a Legend of Zelda fan.
Sometimes, the best new books of all are the ones that return you to worlds that you already know and love. It might seem simple, but it’s true. Of course, there’s something to be said for going somewhere new as well. That’s why, for this week’s look at the world of new releases, we’ve picked a few familiar places as well as a new one. The summaries are paraphrased from official Amazon listings, which you’ll find should you click on each of the titles below.
Hogwarts Library
Although all three of these titles have been published at one point or another, these fresh hardcovers of Quidditch through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard now come in a boxed set edition from J.K. Rowling. Commentary comes from the pen of Albus Dumbledore, as to be expected. Each sale results in a donation to Lumos and Comic Relief, so not only do Harry Potter fans get something good, they can do something good as well. The Bloomsbury edition has made its way onto Goodreads. Scholastic; three hardcovers; list price: $38.97.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Majora’s Mask Legendary Edition
Should you have managed to extricate yourself from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but still want to remain in the world of Hyrule, the new Legendary Editions of the Legend of Zelda manga may not be a bad choice. This one, featuring the work of two women under the name Akira Himekawa, retells the stories of two classic games: A Link to the Past and Majora’s Mask. This edition binds them up into one volume and adds in new artwork as well as color pages. VIZ Media; paperback, 402 pages; list price, $17.99.
New York 2140
Sometimes, though, a trip to a new version of a more familiar place in the real world seems more appropriate. Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest book deals with what may happen should the sea levels continue to rise: a New York City that’s like Venice, in that you use canals to get around. Much beyond that hasn’t changed, though: there are still celebrities and that sort of thing, but when some seemingly unimportant residents disappear, things start to change rather rapidly. What’s a bit of sci-fi without a giant conspiracy at the heart of things? Goodreads has more details as well. Orbit; hardcover, 624 pages; list price: $28.00.
Next: Review: Seven Surrenders, Ada Palmer
The first volume of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess manga is also out today, as is the next book in the Dorothy Must Die series, The End of Oz.
Let us know in the comments below what’s on your to-read pile this week!