JK Rowling and Bill Bryson top the charts, while film tie-ins give Paula Hawkins and Jojo Moyes a second bite of the cherry – but this unpredictable year has also seen a welcome revival of humorous writingIt was a year when the No 1 book was a play script. When hyper-prolific James Patterson, dubbed the “library king” as Britain’s long-reigning most-borrowed author, could manage no higher than 60th place. When the anonymous, insanely difficult GCHQ Puzzle Book was 43rd, and so beat super-sellers like Patterson and Ian Rankin, not to mention all those much-hyped hygge books.The all-year sales rankings for 2016 are full of such surprises, as befits an unpredictable year, but also contain much that is comfortingly recognisable, such as the ghosts of Christmas charts past at the top. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, JK Rowling reclaims the No 1 spot that used to be reserved for her in the noughties, and her versatility is underlined by four other entries in various genres (12, 28, 64, 95). Bill Bryson reprised the round-Britain trip behind his mid-90s hit, Notes from a Small Island, in The Road to Little Dribbling (13) and the result is the list’s highest placed non-fiction title. Mary Berry (17), easily this year’s leading conventional cookery writer, was penning bestselling festive gifts long before either of them emerged. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood is about to debut. After 2 1/2 years of construction, Wizarding World is set for its grand opening Thursday morning. Leading up to that, a red carpet event tonight will include several stars from the "Harry Potter" films, and more... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' based in the world of 'Harry Potter,' is set in America. Upcoming stories published on the site Pottermore will reveal more about the magical culture in the US. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' based in the world of 'Harry Potter,' is set in America. Upcoming stories published on the site Pottermore will reveal more about the magical culture in the US. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J .K. Rowling has some good news for fans of her "Harry Potter" universe, especially ones on this side of the Atlantic. The author's website, Pottermore, will publish a four-part story this week called "History of Magic in North America." The story will provide the background for "Fantastic... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New research from Booklist shows page counts have grown 173% over 40 years, and suggests that JK Rowling’s boy hero may be responsible for large increase in early 2000sChildren’s novels have almost doubled in length over the last 40 years, according to research from US review journal Booklist,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The script from the forthcoming Harry Potter play leaps to the top of the book bestseller list, a day after its July release was announced. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II will be published the day after the play begins in London, picking up the wizard’s story 19 years after the final novel in the seriesHarry Potter author JK Rowling’s script of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is going to be... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' comes out in book form on July 31, after debuting on the London stage on July 30. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author JK Rowling has announced a new book which will follow the next generation as they set off for Hogwarts. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A movie based on a book inside a Harry Potter book is here, and this is our first glimpse.During a week where many people have reached critical levels of Star Wars overload, Warner Bros. has released the first look at an entire movie based around a book that was listed on Harry Potter's freshman... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2015-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has received his share of celebrity endorsements, with stars such as Mike Tyson and Dennis Rodman backing the controversial billionaire. "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, however, is decidedly not a member of Trump's fan club. The Scottish writer... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Katniss Everdeen may have come out on top of the weekend box office with an estimated $101 million in domestic ticket sales, but the new "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2" fell short of industry expectations and, unlike the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" young-adult juggernauts, her "Hunger... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hungry for wands, stuffy spell books and elaborate magical alleys with complicated villain back stories? Never fear, the Harry Potter universe has returned with the new prequel film "Fantastic Beasts." Entertainment Weekly has debuted a collection of stills for the "Harry Potter" prequel,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canongate has acquired a new non-fiction title on "ecstatic experience", The Art of Losing Control, by writer and philosopher Jules Evans. In The Art of Losing Control, Evans argues that there are ways of letting down our guard and opening ourselves to "ecstatic experiences". The book balances... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new play will pick up the story of Harry Potter where the seventh and final volume of JK Rowling's saga left off, with a plot involving a grown-up Harry and his youngest son, Albus. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Potter' fans now know what the upcoming play will be about and it involves more of the characters from the book series than they may have thought. The show is set to open in London in the summer of 2016. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s a big week for old favorites, especially among children’s authors: Rick Riordan has the #1 book in the country, Harry Potter is back with a new look, and ‘Twilight'’s Bella and Edward are back with new genders. Plus two books delved into Kennedy Clan history, Patti Smith follows up ‘Just... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling’s 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone' knocked Andy Weir’s 'The Martian' from its #1 spot on the iBooks Bestsellers list for the week ended October 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's been several years since the last book in the 'Potter' series was published, but judging by the fervor of fans, the boy wizard isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From the multi-coloured sorting hat, to the sinister Snape to the red glow of Ron’s hair, we revel in Jim Kay’s glorious pictures for the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone• Win a copy of the new illustrated edition, plus a signed Jim Kay print and a Harry Potter... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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