The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's sequel to The Da Vinci Code, is set to be published on September 15, 2009, and I just pre-ordered it on Amazon.

I know The Da Vinci Code caught a reputation as being the literary equivalent of the shallow end of the swimming pool, but I enjoyed it is spite of that.

"Probably J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, is the current champ when it comes to back story. You could do worse than read these... (also, the Harry Potter novels are just fun, pure story from beginning to end.)"

-- Stephen King

Hey, I like George Orwell, Anne Rice, John Steinbeck, David McCullough, Harper Lee, and Mark Twain as much as anyone else, but that doesn't preclude me from being captivated by authors like Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling, whose books are absolutely fun to read.

Stephen King, known Harry Potter fan, gives his opinion on two writers.

Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.

Ouch.

Of course, if you like something, you like it.  But you have to admit that Stephen King's opinion carries a lot of weight.