high in the crackmonkey's tree

JK Rowling reveals Harry Potter loses another friend
(Filed: 08/10/2004) from the telegraph.co.uk

JK Rowling has revealed she has killed off another character in her latest Harry Potter book.

The best-selling author shocked readers by killing off a character in her previous book The Order Of The Phoenix.

Now she tells fans on her website that another character is to go in the sixth book, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.

Rowling was asked: "Are you going to kill off any more characters?"

She replied: "Yes, sorry."

The 39-year-old author has not revealed who it is - but assured readers it is not Harry.

The young schoolboy wizard survives until the seventh and final book, but Rowling is coy about whether he reaches adulthood.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is due to be published next year.

I finished Fitzhugh's Heart Seizure this weekend. All in all, Bill didn't do a bad job but I can't recommend it as heartily as Organ Grinders. This latest book is mostly a forum for him to jump on a soapbox and preach to the choir. (for the record, I happen to be one of the choir. alto, as a matter of fact.) It also read as if he needs a new editor. There were a lot of choppy transitions and some sections that would've benefitted from a rewrite. Check it out if you like his other stuff, but I can in good conscience only give it a knuckle up.

I also read AM Homes' book of short stories titled The Safety of Objects. I saw Rose Troche's movie adaptation first, and it intrigued me enough to pick up the book. I have to say, they are some of the most engrossing stories I've read in a while. Homes is economical with words, sketching scenes that reveal the characters' inner depths without too much exposition; their reactions alone are telling.

These are also some of the most disturbing stories I've read in a while; not in terms of gross-out factor, but in terms of the ugliness of human beings. She doesn't sugarcoat her characters' flaws; they react poorly, make mistakes, are self-destructive, don't connect with their families. That said, I couldn't put the book down. I give it two stubby thumbs up.

Last night on the train I finally finished Chris Moore's latest, Fluke. He's a fun author with a skewed sense of humor, and I generally really enjoy his books. This one, although fun, earnest and good-intentioned felt just a little meh. The last couple chapters felt rushed, the revelation of why the humpback whales sing was corny, and the ending was a little too neat. That said, it's a sneaky way to get unsuspecting schmucks to care about whale conservation. And Kona, the white Rastafarian surfer, was hella fun. I've been walking around saying "Irie, Sista Biscuit" for days.