Harry Potter Books: Reading Order Where To Start And Gift Guide
ByBenjamin Abbott23 September 2021
Find out the reading order for the Harry Potter books and discover which stories are included in the Wizarding World series
The Harry Potter books have been dominating our imaginations for decades, and the series has now ballooned into spin-offs, stage plays, and beyond. If you’re a newcomer, that can make it tricky to know where you should start. How do you read the series in chronological order? And are there new Harry Potter novels on the way? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the full lowdown here.
Because the Harry Potter books aren’t limited to the boy wizard anymore, we’ve also included info about the series as a whole. Do the Fantastic Beasts scripts ‘count’? Is The Cursed Child a sequel to the Harry Potter novels or films? All will be explained below.
Strap in for some gift ideas as well. We’ve listed a few suggestions for yourself, a friend, or a loved one within this guide, and they rank amongst the best Harry Potter merchandise overall.
The Magicians By Lev Grossman
When Quentin Coldwater is unexpectedly accepted into a secret and elite college of magic, his longtime obsession with a series of childrens fantasy novels no longer seems so absurd. But by the time he discovers the dark and dangerous truth behind the magical setting of his beloved books, it may already be too late.
Buy now: The Magicians
Does Ron Hate Harry
24 Hes insecure his mother doesnt love him
Before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we thought Rons jealousy toward Harry was purely because of the latters achievements. But the Horcrux showed us Rons worst fears and one of the main ones was where his own mother preferred Harry as a son over him.
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Deadly Education By Naomi Novik
Thank goodness Hogwarts is nothing like this school. There is not a single first year that would survive. This school for magic, The Scholomance, is bursting with magic that is very dark and unforgiving. Losing a few classmates is nothing surprising. You either graduate or die. If you love the dark side of Harry Potter, you will love this book.
Best Harry Potter Books
Selecting the best of the Harry Potter books is akin to choosing among star-studded things. Why, every book in the said series is mind-blowing! However, the first three novels are the best, perhaps by virtue of chronological order. Philosophers Stone, which has been discussed previously, is the cream of the crop.
Author J.K. Rowlings vouchsafed the masterpiece Chamber of Secrets to her readers; the book revolves around Harry Potter, unhappy with his hosts, after his encounter with the eccentric creature which delivers a doomy prediction.
In Prisoner of Azkaban, which is a literary dessert, figuratively, the prediction proves to be true after Potter returns to Hogwarts for another school term. A deadly prisoner and escapee is being tracked by prison guards who nourish themselves with others souls. In Potters fools paradise, Hogwarts is seemingly a haven.
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Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix gets political in big way: despite Voldemorts revival at the end of GoF, the Ministry of Magic continues to deny all rumors and refuse to take action, worried that theyll upset the public. This means the real adults have to take a leaf out of Harry, Ron, and Hermiones book and start fighting him themselves, through an underground vigilante group called the Order of the Phoenix.
But the Order cant do much about Dolores Umbridge, the newly instated and highly sadistic Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, who perpetuates the Ministrys lies about Voldemort. When Harry openly defies her in class, she retaliates by giving him chronic detention during which he must write lines with a blood quill that carves the words into the back of his hand. Despite this torment, he and the rest of the class do not acquiesce to Umbridge, and establish a secret defense organization for themselves called Dumbledores Army.
On top of all that, Harry keeps having frequent, harrowing visions of Voldemort when hes asleep, and must take Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape to prevent them. This is a different kind of torture, with Snape forcing entry into Harrys private memories at every lesson and relishing the opportunity to cause him pain. Of course, Snapes own twisted motivations are revealed when Harry gains access to his memories one of which is a bitter altercation with Harrys father.
What To Read After Harry Potter
But like all good things, these magical books eventually come to an end. Fortunately for young readers and adults alike, there are lots of great options for what to read after Harry Potter that will give you a similar thrill as J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series and its companion Harry Potter Wizarding World theme park. Heres a comprehensive list of the best books like Harry Potter for every grade level, continuously updated as new fantasy books make their debuts.;
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Dominion Of The Fallen By Aliette De Bodard
Book one: The House of Shattered Wings
Paris has suffered from the war in Heaven. The city lies in destruction, its people learning to live besides haunted ruins. But even then, the Great Houses still want dominion over the capital.
House Silverspires lies in disarray. Its founder is missing, monsters lurk in the dark. Therefore three different people will team up to save or break this House: a Fallen, an alchemist, and a resentful man.
Harry Potter Books Into Tv/movies
From the perspective of filmography, the greatly penned Harry Potter series has been made into film adaptations. Philosophers Stone was filmed and produced in 2001 with Daniel Radcliffe being the star. Chamber of Secrets was adapted into a fantasy film and produced in 2002; the starring actor is still Daniel Radcliffe. Prisoner of Azkaban also has a related film adaptation, and starred Daniel Radcliffe. Goblet of Fire was adapted for silver screen in 2005 with the said star. The film adaptation of Rowlings Order of Phoenix followed in 2007, and starred Daniel Radcliffe. Rowlings Harry Potter-based 2005 book, Half-Blood Prince, had silver screen-adaptation and premiered in 2009. Daniel Radcliffe is still the starring. Her 2007 book called Deathly Hallows was been filmed and it premiered in 2010.
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Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter is an orphaned boy brought up by his unkind Muggle aunt and uncle. At the age of eleven, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid informs him that he is actually a wizard and that his parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. Voldemort also attempted to kill one-year-old Harry on the same night, but his killing curse mysteriously rebounded and reduced him to a weak and helpless form. Harry became extremely famous in the Wizarding World as a result. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learns about magic. During the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher’s Stone which is being kept within the school.
The Fantastic Beasts Screenplays
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this entire time, you’ve probably heard of the two new Wizarding World movies that have hit Hollywood in the past few years. Led by actor Eddie Redmayne and an all-star ensemble cast, the Fantastic Beasts films tell the story of Newt Scamander, Albus Dumbledore, and the dark battle against Gellert Grindelward in the blackened days before Lord Voldemort entered the scene.
Of course, you can choose to simply watch the continuation of the Wizarding World on-screen but reading the screenplays of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: the Original Screenplay and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald The Original Screenplay;will undoubtedly give you that extra level of depth and insight into the characters.
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The Alchemyst By Michael Scott
If your interest was peaked by the character of Nicolas Flamel in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, then Michael Scotts six-book fantasy series centered on teenage twins Sophie and Josh Newmans dealings with the immortal alchemist will keep your attention until the very last page. Book one opens with the Codex, a spellbook that contains the secret to the elixir of life, being stolen from Flamel by master necromancer Dr. John Dee.
Buy now: The Alchemyst
Price Wars And Other Controversies
Asda, along with several other UK supermarkets, having already taken pre-orders for the book at a heavily discounted price, sparked a price war two days before the book’s launch by announcing they would sell it for just £5 a copy. Other retail chains then also offered the book at discounted prices. At these prices the book became a loss leader. This caused uproar from traditional UK booksellers who argued they had no hope of competing in those conditions. Independent shops protested loudest, but even Waterstone’s, the UK’s largest dedicated chain bookstore, could not compete with the supermarket price. Some small bookstores hit back by buying their stock from the supermarkets rather than their wholesalers. Asda attempted to counter this by imposing a limit of two copies per customer to prevent bulk purchases. Philip Wicks, a spokesman for the UK Booksellers Association, said, “It is a war we can’t even participate in. We think it’s a crying shame that the supermarkets have decided to treat it as a loss-leader, like a can of baked beans.” Michael Norris, an analyst at Simba Information, said: “You are not only lowering the price of the book. At this point, you are lowering the value of reading.”
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What Is The Message Of Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone
There are several messages in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. However, the most important message in Harry Potter is that love and friendship triumph over anything no matter how fear-inducing the obstacles may be. Another message in this book is also that taking action in the face of adversity despite fear is the true sign of bravery.
Gilded Wolves By Roshani Chokshi
This is a fantasy that takes place in Paris in 1889 where coercion, magic, betrayal, and murder are the norm.;;Severin and his fiercely loyal friends come together to find an ancient artifact in the hope of also obtaining Serverins inheritance. The magic in this book is everything you would hope it could be in Paris!
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The Making Of Harry Potter
In March 2011, Warner Bros. announced plans to build a tourist attraction in the United Kingdom to showcase the Harry Potter film series. The Making of Harry Potter is a behind-the-scenes walking tour featuring authentic sets, costumes and props from the film series. The attraction is located at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, where all eight of the Harry Potter films were made. Warner Bros. constructed two new sound stages to house and showcase the famous sets from each of the British-made productions, following a £100;million investment. It opened to the public in March 2012.
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The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern
The circus arrives without warning, opens Erin Morgensterns stunning debut novel. And so Le Cirque des Rêvesa nocturnal carnival of magical attractions like a Wishing Tree and Pool of Tearsbegins to materialize before readers eyes. Its in this enchanting setting that star-crossed magicians Celia and Marco are pitted against each other in a fantastical duel of wills that only one can survive.
Buy now: The Night Circus
In Which I Risk All My Friendships With People Who Read
I enjoy spending time with people who appreciate great literature. The number of my friends who are intimate with Dante or Tolkien or Austen is, as Oscar Wilde would say with a wink, considerably above the proper average that statistics have laid down for our guidance. My book-loving church regularly ships in world-class English professors to give lectures and field the usual round of questions about Peter Jacksons interpretation of Aragorn and Faramir.
And Ive noticed that in these circles, its often a faux pas to admit that I, like nearly every other Millennial in America, own extremely well-loved copies of all seven Harry Potter books. And I would lose all credibility with many of these people if I suggested offhand that I think the Potter books are in the tradition of the great English novels, deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence, and are easily the most morally and socially insightful works of fantasy published in this generation.
But I do think that. And I think Im justified. So Ive decided to step forward and offer a defense, on behalf of everyone who instinctively agrees with me and has better things to do than figure out why. So here are a few thoughts on why Harry Potter is great literature.
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Trident Chronicles By Cm Spivey
Book one: From Under the Mountain .
When does the next book come out? Its expected to come out later this year.
After a tragic night, Guerline is the new empress. It seems that as soon as she is in power, things start to happen. The four witch clans, her council, even an ancient evil; she will have to face them. Dont leave out the fact she cant fall in love with her companion Eva.
Shadow And Bone By Leigh Bardugo
What if darkness was a place? What if the monsters lurking there were real and more horrible than anything youd ever imagined beneath your bed or behind the closet door? It was with these questions in mind that Leigh Bardugo says she came up with the idea of the Shadow Fold, a land of near impenetrable darkness that serves as the nightmarish backdrop of the debut novel in her best-selling Grisha trilogy. When orphan Alina Starkov and her best friend Mal are attacked on the Fold while serving in the army of the war-torn nation of Ravka, it awakens a long-dormant power in Alinathe ability to summon lightthat thrusts her into the ranks of her homelands magical elite.
Buy now: Shadow and Bone
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House On The Cerulean Sea By Tj Klune
So while this book takes place in an orphanage, rather than a school, it is a place for magical children to learn as well. The orphanage is filled with the most dangerous children and it is Linuss job to make sure that they are being looked after. The magic and the orphan aspect are all reminiscent of Harry Potter.
Children Of Blood And Bone By Tomi Adeyemi
In this;series;lauded by readers and critics, heroine Zélie Adebolas mother is killed by a ruthless monarch set on eradicating magic from the West African-inspired land where the story takes place. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie seeks to restore magic, discovering a lot about her own abilities in the process.;Teen Harry Potter fans should love these books. After all, as Entertainment Weekly says, Meet Tomi Adeyemithe new J.K. Rowling. .;The first book in the Legacy of Orisha series, Children of Blood and Bone, debuted to nearly unanimous praise in 2018. It was followed by Children of Virtue and Vengeance. A third book is expected in 2021.;
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is a wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of;Harry Potter;and;Twilight.
People Magazine
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City Of Ghosts By Victoria Schwab
A spine-tingling page-turner,;City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab is perfect for middle-school readers who love a great ghost story. After 12-year-old Cassidy Blake, a self-proclaimed;Gryffindor, nearly drowns, she gains the ability to see beyond the Veil and visit the spirit world. Casss best friend Jacob is a ghost. And her parents are the ghost-hunting stars of a reality TV show. Things get even weirder when her family travels to hauntingly perfect Scotland and Cass meets a girl who shares her strange abilities.;
Critics and readers love this series, which so far consists of City of Ghosts, Tunnel of Bones , and Bridge of Souls . Kirkus says the books beg;to be read in the dark of night and reviewers on Amazon call it;brilliant and fast paced, funny, a little scary, and sweet.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians By Rick Riordan
Rick Riordans Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one of the most popular series to read after Harry Potter. Like the characters in the Harry Potter books, Percy Jackson grows older as the series progresses, with Percy starting as a 12-year-old in the first book and growing older with each book.;In the first book, Percy discovers that his father is the Greek god Poseidon and is sent to Camp Half-Blood with other kids of divine parentage. From there, he goes on a quest to the Underworld to retrieve a stolen lightning bolt.;The five-book series consists of The Lightning Thief,;The Sea of Monsters,;The Titans Curse,;The Battle of the Labyrinth, and;The Last Olympian.;
If you are a Potterhead, or if you like magic-related books, youll definitely not get bored, raves one reviewer on Amazon, though others note that this series is less likely to appeal to older teens and adults than J.K. Rowlings more complex Harry Potter books.;
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