Books

Author Julia Donaldson is to team up with illustrator Axel Scheffle to release the first new Gruffalo book in over two decades. The pair have previously teamed up on the award-winning Gruffalo (1999) and the 2004 follow-up The Gruffalo’s Child. The brand-new as-yet-untitled story is set to release next year. …

For many Harry Potter fans, the thought of going to JK Rowling’s Hogwarts as a kid fills them with delight. Yet given it’s a UK private boarding school based in Scotland, the fees would be staggering. Attraction Tickets has calculated the cost of seven years at Hogwarts in 2025 ahead …

Daniel Radcliffe has revealed his favourite book – and it’s far from what you may think. The 34-year-old Hollywood actor rose to fame by starring in JK Rowling’s renowned Harry Potter series. Though many fans of wizards might assume Radcliffe’s favourite book is an obvious choice, the actor has a …

The fantasy genre has experienced a significant boost in popularity recently, with an influx of new books, TV shows, and  films entering the market. However, some have been long-standing fans of the genre, including the team at Fantasy Book Reviews, who recently revealed their top fantasy series of all time. …

Voting has opened for the ‘Oscars’ of crime writing with publication of the 18 books long-listed for the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award 2025. Now in its 21st year and supported by the Daily and Sunday Express, it remains one of the crime world’s most …

Slow Horses creator Mick Herron believes his books have been stolen by tech giants to be used as learning tools for the next generation of artificial intelligence. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” he sighs. “About two years ago, my younger brother showed me some app he had …

Whether you’re a bookworm who devours multiple novels a week or just a casual reader who enjoys dipping into a book on holiday, everyone has their own go-to genre. Some prefer fantasy or romance novels, while others gravitate towards genres like sci-fi or literary fiction. Thrillers are another choice for …

It’s not as loud as It or as infamous as The Shining, but some Stephen King fans think his best screen adaptation is a slow-burn suspense from 1983. The Dead Zone was directed by David Cronenberg and blends psychic mystery with and political dread – all supported by a haunting …

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) enjoys his favourite tipple (Image: ITV/Shutterstock) We’re all familiar with the stereotypes of crime fiction: the hard-bitten, increasingly world-weary detective searching for the bottle of something strong in the bottom drawer of their desk; or the haggard, haunted street cop sitting at the bar, staring at …

I woke to a detective story. Maybe I had left the radio on, in our pebbledashed family home in Cheam, the storm black and loud outside; I must have fallen asleep while Capital Radio jukeboxed tunes at my bedside. When I woke it was to a particular line, and I’ll …