Where to start with J. K. Rowling

British novelist, born 1965.

Best J. K. Rowling book to start with: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), on 2 of the 21 lists it could have made.

The lists place Goblet of Fire first, but begin with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The books follow one story and a boy growing up, so they are best read in order. The Philosopher’s Stone is the shortest and lightest, and it sets up everything else.

Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban come next, and each is longer and darker than the one before. Goblet of Fire is the fourth, where the series turns more serious. Readers love it for good reason, but it only works if you know the characters. The index also lists the series as a whole, and that is a fair way to think of it.

The Casual Vacancy is her first novel for adults, set in an English village, and it is nothing like the Potter books, so do not expect wizards.