'Princess Diaries': New novel for adults announced

It’s time to plan a return trip to Genovia.

After a five-year break since the last installment (2009) — and to commemorate the upcoming 15th anniversary of the first Princess Diaries book — author Meg Cabot announced that more Mia Thermopolis is coming next summer. The best part? The now-adult fans of the series won’t have to read a book aimed at teens. For the first time, a Princess Diaries book will be just a regular old novel for adults. Thank you, Meg Cabot.

“In Royal Wedding, Princess Diaries XI, Princess Mia’s planned nuptials to longtime love Michael Moscovitz are in jeopardy when the paparazzi uncover a startling secret: Mia has a long lost younger sister. Now a scheming politico is using the royal scandal to force Mia’s father from the throne, leaving Genovia without a monarch . . . unless Mia can prove to everyone — especially herself — that she’s finally fit to rule,” Cabot explained on her site.

That half-sister will be getting her own middle grade-geared spin-off series: “In From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess, I’m taking readers back to Genovia, this time through the illustrated diaries of a spunky new heroine, 12-year-old Olivia Grace, who happens to be the long lost half-sister of Princess Mia Thermopolis,” Cabot noted. Feel free to buy that one for your niece and then just casually flip through it real quick before giving it as a gift.

Cabot explained that the inspiration came from a certain royal scandal — and, of course, readers have been clamoring for Mia’s own royal wedding ever since Prince William and Kate got hitched. In addition to renewed interest in all things related to the monarchy, it’s become a bit of a trend recently to take beloved YA series and publish new installments that turn them into regular adult novels for the now all-grown-up readers. (See: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.)

Special note to people who only saw the Anne Hathaway-starring movies: Remember, Mia’s dad is alive and well in the books (a departure from the films), just one of many changes. No word on what Grandmere is up to these days — but a royal scandal isn’t going to make her too happy.

Both novels will be released summer 2015.