Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban follows Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, where escaped convict Sirius Black, believed to be a murderer, hunts him.
Books
British
Posts related to Britain and British culture.
195 posts
Iona by Iona
Iona's 1990 Celtic Christian debut, a record of wind and water I came to long after it was made.
Music
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his second year, facing a hidden threat as a mysterious force petrifies students.
Books
Harem by Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman's 2003 release, soaring vocal lines over lush arrangements. It came to me long after release and earned its place.
Music
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone introduces Harry Potter, an orphaned boy who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he’s a wizard destined for greatness.
Books
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), directed by Peter Jackson, continues the journey of Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves as they press towards the Lonely Mountain. Martin Freeman plays Bilbo, who must face the dragon Smaug alone.
Movies
Never Go Back by Lee Child
Never Go Back sees Reacher return to his old Army unit in Virginia, only to face false charges and a conspiracy, plus a possible daughter.
Books
The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s The Kill List, a gripping espionage thriller, a mysterious U.S. agency called TOSA is on a mission to hunt down threats to national security.
Books
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), directed by Peter Jackson, is based on the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who leaves his comfortable home to join a company of dwarves on a quest to reclaim their lost kingdom.
Movies
A Wanted Man by Lee Child
In A Wanted Man, Reacher hitches a ride with kidnappers, then joins the FBI to pursue them after a roadside murder in Nebraska.
Books
Open Sky by Iona
A later discovery: Iona's 2000 album folds Celtic folk and progressive rock into long, open instrumentals about faith and place.
Music
La Luna by Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman's 2000 release, a crossover of pop and the classical voice. I came to it well after release and have returned to it since.
Music
The Affair by Lee Child
The Affair revisits 1997, showing Reacher’s exit from the Army, sent undercover to Mississippi to investigate murders near a base hiding dark secrets.
Books
Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay
Coldplay's bright, restless 2011 concept album, a record I came to late and found bolder than its reputation.
Music
Johnny English Reborn
Johnny English Reborn (2011), directed by Oliver Parker, follows Johnny English as he returns from exile to stop an assassination plot against the Chinese Premier. Rowan Atkinson plays Johnny, older but no wiser, pulled back into service by MI7.
Movies
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), directed by Tomas Alfredson, is based on the novel by John le Carre. Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired British intelligence officer called back to find a Soviet mole at the top of MI6.
Movies
Another Realm by Iona
Iona's 2011 double album weaves Celtic folk and prog rock into a long, sweeping work about the unseen world.
Music
Worth Dying For by Lee Child
Worth Dying For picks up after 61 Hours, with an injured Reacher in Nebraska confronting a family-run cartel trafficking humans.
Books
Eden by Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman's 1998 release, grand and unhurried singing. I found it some years after it appeared and was glad I did.
Music
Beyond These Shores by Iona
Iona's 1993 Celtic concept album, a voyage drawn from the legend of St Brendan, which I found long after its release.
Music
61 Hours by Lee Child
61 Hours traps Reacher in a South Dakota blizzard after a bus crash, tasked with protecting a witness from a prison gang and a Mexican cartel.
Books
Timeless by Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman's 1997 release, a crossover of pop and the classical voice. I came to it well after release and have returned to it since.
Music
The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s thrilling espionage novel, The Cobra, the U.S. President calls upon Paul Devereaux, a retired CIA operative known as “The Cobra,” to take down the global cocaine trade.
Books
Avenger by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s thrilling novel, Avenger, Calvin Dexter, a former Vietnam War tunnel rat turned lawyer and vigilante, embarks on a personal quest to hunt down Zoran Zilic, a Serbian war criminal responsible for a horrific murder.
Books
Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
In Gone Tomorrow, Reacher spots a potential suicide bomber on a New York subway, triggering a hunt for Al-Qaeda connections and a corrupt politician.
Books