Because sometimes the books that already exist aren't enough

JK Rowling's fantastic speech for the 2008 Harvard Commencement is published today.

They say the first line is one of the most important parts of a book. Get it right and the readers’ eyes are all yours, get it wrong and they’ll start looking around, distracted by the feet of strangers or two birds fighting over a sandwich.

Another year is coming to a close, but oh, what a year it's been! In this, the first of three posts, we take a look at the book highlights from 2014, from January to April.

Our Waterstones Booksellers look back on their favourite authors from the past year.

Our Waterstones Booksellers look back on their favourite authors from the past year.

Kerry Meech gives us a Halloween run down of the top ten most terrifying characters ever. Sort of.

Did you know that American book covers are often completely different than the UK's versions? Amanda Stevenson compares and contrasts some of the most obviously distinct, and explains why there's a difference in the first place.

Huw Powell, author of Spacejackers, gives us his take on what the next 'big' genre in children's fiction could be...

Read the first two chapters of the new novel from Robert Galbraith, The Silkworm.

Lucy Hounsom considers the role that narrative voice plays in our reading of a novel.

The follow up to last year's The Cuckoo's Calling is coming this June...