Moving on from Harry Potter

Lots of buzz right now about J.K. Rowling's announcement that she's working on a novel for adults.  No title or pub date yet, but there is speculation that it will be a crime novel.  And Rowling recently tweeted that it would be coming out later this year.  I'll be curious to see how this all turns out.

Jeffrey Zaslow

I just read that Jeffrey Zaslow was killed in a car accident last week.  If the name isn't familiar to you, he was well known for his columns in the Wall Street Journal, but in recent years he was also known for his books.  In addition to writing two nonfiction titles, which I'll mention in a little bit, he co-authored several three best-selling books: The Last Lecture (with Randy Pausch), Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters (with pilot Captain "Sully" Sullenberger), and most recently, with Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope.

Mr. Zaslow was often able to find unique, personal stories that needed to be shared with the world.  Pausch, Sullenberger, and Giffords are perfect examples of ordinary people challenged with life-altering experiences, and because of their books we have a better understanding of how extraordinary events can impact daily life.

The two titles that Jeffrey authored himself focus on subjects that at first glance might seem too commonplace for fascinating reading: female friendship and marriage.  It is through his wonderful writing that the reader feels connections with people who could be our next door neighbors.  The book about marriage was just published, and while I am sad that this is his last book, I am so glad that one more book is out there for readers to enjoy.

* The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship (2009)
* The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters (2012)