By Emily Cooper for the Scottish Daily Mail

Published: 8:56 PM EST, March 8, 2024 | Updated: 06:07 EST, March 9, 2024

Young adult (YA) fiction has become increasingly ‘mature’ following a trend towards ‘spicy’ reading on TikTok, which has replaced books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

Books like A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (both based in the US) and The Spanish Love Deception by Spanish writer Elena Armas – all of which contain mature themes and explicit scenes – are popular recommendations . on the app.

Avid readers on the platform often rate their spicy literary finds with a red chili emoji based on how likely a reader is to discover sultry themes and dynamics.

YA fiction is aimed at readers between the ages of 12 and 18 and aims to bridge the gap between books for children and adults, but the young teen audience now seems to be exposed to an increasing amount of smut.

It is the fastest growing genre of literature, with a worldwide turnover of almost £9 billion by 2022.

And more than half of readers who read YA books are over 18, research shows Words Ratedwhich may be partly due to the content appealing to an older audience.

Previous classic examples of YA fiction include Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, and books by John Green, all of which worked to bring “adult” concepts like politics, mortality, and self-discovery to a younger audience to bring. .

But now the genre consists mainly of what is known as ‘romance’ – romantic fantasy, and the predominance of spicy subplots has left little room for those with other interests.

Some of the content is also difficult to recognize, as books like The Love Hypothesis have nondescript and even cartoonish covers, meaning readers may not know what they are getting into.

“Tell me why this was in our school library in the science department,” one TikTok commenter said of the Love Hypothesis, which features a very explicit sex scene.

One of the tamer passages reads: “His palm pressed against her spine, and Olive arched a little more. A kind of sacrifice. “That’s probably an insult,” she exhaled with a smile, “considering that you only like wheatgrass and broccoli.”

Another from Germany, under the username @lunaalovegood, joked in one video that she started reading it because she thought it was just a “cute romance book.”

Meanwhile, Sarah J Maas’s works are now considered ‘New Adult’, for readers aged 18 to 29 – although they were first published in the YA category.

In A Court Of Mist And Fury, the second book in her romantic fantasy series ‘A Court Of’, the heroine Feyre says: ‘I could die from this… from the pleasure of being with him’, during a particularly raunchy scene . .

Ndah Tatani Mbawa, owner of book subscription service Happier Every Chapter, told FEMAIL that they have launched a new box specifically for 13 to 14 year olds due to the difficulty of finding content for young teens.

“The themes in books aimed at children aged 13 and over make me despair,” she said. “It’s clear where the themes are going for YA books and it’s far too adult in my opinion for something aimed at children.

“My daughters are prolific readers and some of the books they put on their reading lists have shocked me.

“When our eldest daughter turned thirteen and I noticed the books being marketed to her age group, I realized what a big problem there was.”

Ndah hopes to return to more traditional young adult fiction in her Book Wolves subscription box, exploring themes such as mental health awareness, dystopian books and other age-appropriate content.

She added: “Lately, the trends on Booktok have had a major impact on what authors publish there. Some authors will include adult-themed scenes that are not relevant or add value to the plot just to jump on the trend and generate sales.

“Because teens are on TikTok a lot, they grab their attention with these racy videos that don’t go into much detail about the book’s content, and kids buy and read these without presumptuousness.

‘It’s even worse in some cases where books have cartoonish character covers, such as Icebreaker (by Hannah Grace) with heavy adult themes, and this can be quite misleading.’

But author Charley Crocker said she doesn’t care what her kids read as long as they keep picking up a book.

She explained, “I had both of my teens reading YA and my 16-year-old has been reading Cassandra Clare since he was 13. Sometimes they read something more for younger teenagers, sometimes they read memoirs for adults. I have no problem with it at all.

‘I’m just glad they’re reading! My 16-year-old says it’s good to become aware of adult themes, as long as they’re part of the story and not just adding to shock or ticking boxes.’

Young adult writer Alexandra Christo told the story The guard: ‘There has been an increase in younger readers engaging with ‘new adult books’ or adult books as it is now easier to find them thanks to the success of social media marketing.

‘A bigger problem is that the definition of what is or is not an adult book has become blurred, as many books use marketing based on similar tropes for different audiences, confusing things for potential readers.

“When clips and content are often short and focus on fun tropes without going into real detail, it’s difficult to know who the intended audience is for a given book.”

British publisher Simon & Schuster said: ‘It’s important to us that our books find their way to the right readers, and we are mindful of age appropriateness as part of that.

“We include warnings for explicit content and make it clear when books are for adult readers.”

Books for young adults have been the fastest growing category over the past five years, with print sales increasing 48.2 percent since 2018. Words rated – peaking at more than a quarter during the pandemic.

AN ULTRA-rare first edition Harry Potter novel that was bought for 13p has sold at auction for more than £10,000.

The uncorrected proof copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was purchased at a second-hand store in 1997 together with two other books for a total of 40 cents.

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The title page incorrectly listed the author’s name as “JA Rowling” instead of JK Rowling, and then on the other side as “Joanne Rowling”.

The uncorrected proof copy was one of only 200 copies printed by Bloomsbury 26 years ago.

It has now sold at auction for £14,432.

The seller, 52, originally from London but now living in Italy, said she bought the book at the age of 26 and lived in Crystal Palace.

She said: ‘I didn’t have much money, but I always enjoyed treating myself to a round of second-hand bookshops on Saturday mornings.

“I went to one of my usual haunts, one of the second-hand bookshops just off the main drag in Crystal Palace, in search of some Agatha Christies.

“Piles of books were all mixed up in baskets on the floor with a maximum price of 40 cents.

“The Harry Potter book was in the piles – maybe even by accident – just like the rest Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh etc as far as I remember.

“I bought it as a throw-in with a few other titles – 40 cents for all three. I don’t think I looked at it properly to tell the truth.”

After attracting worldwide attention, it was sold to a private British buyer at Hansons salesroom in Staffordshire on Monday.

The book sold for a hammer price of £11,000, and the premium total was £14,432.

Jim Spencer, the auction house’s Harry Potter book expert, said: “This book deserved to do so well. This proof copy started the Harry Potter phenomenon. This is the very first appearance of the first Potter novel in print.”

Since 1997, the book has gone to China, Taiwan, Britain and now Italy, where it has been packed and unpacked without being read.

“It ended up behind a shelf in my bedroom until,” the owner continued, “for no good reason other than the fact that my children were becoming Harry Potter fans, I went looking for it.

‘Even the children haven’t read it – there are four of them aged from 12 to 25. Unfortunately – or fortunately in this case – they always preferred the movies.

“I was bored one evening scrolling through the Internet when a story popped up about the incredible prices being achieved for Potter books, so I decided to contact Jim Spencer to see if my book would be valuable can be.

“For me to find it when I did was just an enormous amount of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

She contacted Spencer to see if her book was valuable, admitting that “finding it when I did was just a huge piece of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

The remarkable discovery comes just weeks after another ultra-rare Harry Potter book was auctioned for £10,000 after it was mysteriously dumped at a charity.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the Isle of Wight store, where it was expected to fetch a staggering amount due to the many printing errors.

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AN ULTRA-rare Harry Potter book, bought from a charity shop for just 13p, will sell for an eye-watering £16,000.

The vintage novel was unearthed 27 years ago by an unsuspecting buyer and is now worth a fortune.

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The scarce copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a combination of a few other books purchased in 1997 for a total of 40 cents.

The version is such an early example that the author’s name is even misstated: “JA Rowling” and “Joanne Rowling” instead of JK Rowling.

The “Uncorrected Proof Copy” was one of only 200 copies printed by Bloomsbury 26 years ago and marked the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

It was purchased in a London bookshop almost thirty years ago and was taken around the world for years before collecting dust on a bedroom shelf.

The book will now go under the hammer on February 26 at Bishton Hall, Staffs., through Hansons Auctioneers with a guide price of £12,000 to £16,000.

The 52-year-old salesman, originally from London but now based in Bologna, Italy, said: “In 1997, when I was 26, I had just returned to Britain and was living in Crystal Palace in London.

“I didn’t have much money, but I always enjoyed treating myself to a round of second-hand bookstores on Saturday mornings.

“I went to one of my usual haunts, one of the second-hand bookshops just off the main drag in Crystal Palace, looking for some Agatha Christie’s.

“Piles of books were all mixed up in baskets on the floor with a maximum price of 40 cents.

“The Harry Potter book was in the piles – maybe even by accident – just like the rest Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh etc, as far as I remember.”

The owner said they bought it along with two other books as a “throw-in” and only paid 40 cents for it.

Since then it has been to China, Taiwan, Britain and now Italy, where it has been packed and unpacked without being read.

“It ended up behind a shelf in my bedroom until,” the owner continued, “for no good reason other than the fact that my children were becoming Harry Potter fans, I went looking for it.

‘Even the children haven’t read it – there are four of them aged from 12 to 25. Unfortunately – or fortunately in this case – they always preferred the movies.

“I was bored one evening scrolling through the Internet when a story popped up about the incredible prices being achieved for Potter books, so I decided to contact Jim Spencer to see if my book would be valuable can be.

“For me to find it when I did was just an enormous amount of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

Hanson’s book expert Jim Spencer has come across only one similar book, which sold for £18,750 at auction last year.

Jim said: “This book has its own story. It has spread all over the world and cost pennies, not even 40 cents.

“Because it was sold with two other books, it actually cost about 13 cents. The previous uncorrected proof copy I discovered went to a school library.

“I’m not sure how this ended up in a London second-hand bookshop, but you have to remember that this was before the first Potter book was even printed.

“This proof copy is where the Harry Potter phenomenon began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Potter novel.

“The author signing tours, the midnight lines at the bookstores, the movies, the merchandise — it all stems from this.”

The remarkable discovery comes just weeks after another ultra-rare Harry Potter book was auctioned for £10,000 after it was mysteriously dumped at a charity.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the Isle of Wight store, where it was expected to fetch a staggering amount due to the many printing errors.

And in December, an extremely rare first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold for a whopping £55,000 after being bought for just £10.

The “fantastically well-preserved” edition of the auction achieved the eye-watering price at another sale organized by Hansons Auctioneers at Bishton Hall.

BOOM times are back at Harry Potter book publisher Bloomsbury – thanks to fantasy fiction writer Sarah J Maas.

The company said profits and revenues will be higher than expected if readers pick up its latest novel, House of Flame and Shadow.

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It was a hit in the UK, US, Australia and elsewhere, boosting sales of the author's previous 15 books.

The company's shares rose 7 percent yesterday.

Bloomsbury has six more titles in the pipeline as part of the contract with Maas, who has been with them for more than a decade.

According to Nielsen Bookscan, the fantasy and sci-fi genre in Britain has grown by more than 50 percent in the past five years.

Harry Potter remains one of Bloomsbury's best-selling series.

Top sellers recently included The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac gift book.

Other recent bestsellers include Ghosts, the companion book to the BBC series, and Pub Kitchen by Tom Kerridge.

Thin good

THOUSANDS of price cuts helped home furnishing store Dunelm's half-year profits rise by almost five percent to £123 million.

It warned that “the outlook for consumers remains uncertain” but said it can appeal to customers because it has “a firm grip on operating costs”.

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Boss Nick Wilkinson told The Sun: “We actually cut prices by a few thousand this time last year and over the summer.”

Sales rose 4.5 per cent in the six months to the end of December, while the average price for an item fell slightly to just £14.

On a volume basis (number of items), sales increased by six percent.

Mr Wilkinson said he was pleased with the “wide variety” of new customers, while existing customers were returning “more often”.

The chain employs more than 11,000 employees and four new stores will be opened in six months, bringing the total to 183.

It hopes to open another four this year and the same again next year, with a focus on London and Scotland, where there are gaps in coverage.

It pleased shareholders by announcing a £71m special dividend of 35p per share, to be paid in April.

It says it is on track for full-year profit guidance of £202 million in 2023-2024.

Russ Mold analyst AJ Bell said: “The steady performance is impressive given the pressure on household budgets in Britain. It suggests that the company is finding the right balance in terms of price, quality and product.”

A Lyft of blooper

SHARES in a taxi company Lyft rose more than 60 percent on Tuesday after making a crucial mistake in its results.

Lyft said margins would grow by “500 basis points,” or 5 percent, when it should have said 50 basis points, or 0.5 percent.

Shares fell as bosses confessed.

But shares still finished 16 percent higher on news that cost cuts had been successful.

Lyft cut 1,200 employees last year and cut costs by 12 percent.

A fall in house prices of £4,000

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the average UK house price fell by £4,000 last year.

It's a drop of almost £11 a day.

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The typical house price in December 2023 was £285,000, 1.4 percent lower than in 2022.

It was also the sixth month in a row with price falls.

Property values ​​fell by 2.1 percent annually in England and 2.5 percent in Wales, but rose by 3.3 percent in Scotland and 1.4 percent in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, London was hardest hit in Britain, with house prices falling 4.8 percent.

Propertymark's Nathan Emerson said the housing market has gone through a period of disruption.

He said: “It means people cannot afford houses in the same way they could during a period of economic growth.”

Private rents paid by tenants also rose by 6.2 percent in the year to January.

Virgo in buyout

FIVE years after teaming up with Abrdn to launch an investment business, major bank Virgin Money is investing £20m to buy out the fund manager.

Virgin Money Investments manages approximately £3.7 billion of client assets and has more than 150,000 client accounts.

Virgin Money, which has around 6.6 million UK customers, said the deal would help it achieve its growth ambitions.

Stocks are buzzing

COCA-COLA'S European bottling company saw its shares rise by almost 8 percent yesterday after posting a record profit of £815 million.

Coca-Cola HBC said sales rose 17 percent last year as there was strong demand for its energy drinks and coffee products.

It increased its dividend by a fifth after initially forecasting earnings would rise 7 percent this year.

It said future growth will be boosted by the purchase of Finlandia Vodka in November for £153m.

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HMRC has told taxpayers to be wary of false tax refund offers.

In the year to January it received 207,800 referrals from the public about suspicious emails, text messages or phone calls.

The number of reports increased by 14 percent compared to the previous year.

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£25m rainy discount

Last year's series of storms will leave North West water supplier United Utilities £25 million worse off, the report says.

High rainfall has negatively affected its performance, meaning it will receive a smaller service payment from water regulator Ofwat.

The company said: “There have been fourteen named storms since the start of 2023, nine of which have occurred since the end of September.”

But the water company will still receive a £40 million Ofwat payment that rewards companies for providing good service to customers.

AN EXTREMELY rare Harry Potter book that was mysteriously dumped at a charity is now selling for £10,000.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the store on the Isle of Wight.

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The beloved classic book is now expected to fetch a staggering amount of money due to its numerous printing errors.

Staff at the RSPCA charity shop were shocked to find the valuable book on the door of the shop as part of a donation.

Rebecca Busby, an RSPCA fundraising officer at the Isle of Wight branch, said: “The book was donated to one of our charity shops as a possible first edition.

One of the volunteers confirmed it was a first edition after discovering errors on the back cover and in the book.

Rebecca added: “She called me and I could hear her excitement as she said, 'I can't believe we're having a Harry Potter first edition, it is the best condition I have ever seen.

“Can you please find somewhere to sell this as we can't sell it in store.”

The book is part of the first 5,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

All the books were printed with the same errors – including the words 'one wand' printed twice on page 53 and a typographical error on the back cover.

Famous author JK Rowling's name also appears to be misspelled as 'Joanne Rowling'.

Harry Potter expert Jim Spencer of Hansons Auctioneers said the copy could fetch up to £10,000 as it is in excellent condition.

He explained: “This book represents the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

'Not many paperbacks published in the 1990s have the potential to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.

“No one predicted the enormous popularity of Harry Potter, so these books were printed on cheap paper.

“This, combined with the fact that it is a children's book, means that most examples are in very poor condition and show signs of having been swung around in a school backpack, covered in scribbles, smeared with orange squash, or at least faded at first face. the back against sunlight falling on the bookcase.

“This one is exceptional. The only minor flaws are a few slightly creased corners and the usual light brown edges of the pages, which is actually a reassuring sign due to the cheap paper used. I would be concerned if the pages had this light no discoloration.

“It should appeal to collectors all over the world and the lucky buyer can be doubly happy with this knowledge money raised will help animals like Harry.”

The charity is now hoping to raise £10,000 to help dozens of animals in need of care.

Rebecca said: “We have over 50 at the moment pets in our care – inclusive dogscats and rabbits – and because of the cost of living crisis, we, like many animal protection organizations, are having a hard time.

“More animals are coming into our care as owners struggle to maintain them and fewer people are adopting because of the costs involved.”

Mr Spencer added: “This deserves to fly, especially for such a great cause.

'I hope collectors will be generous with their bids and help the RSPCA.

“It would be very difficult to find another example as well preserved as this example, so it deserves to be wagged at auction.”

The first edition will go on sale at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire on February 26.

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King Charles can give a breathtaking turn as characters from Harry Potter when he performs for his grandchildren, Queen Camilla has revealed.

The monarch, who shared the 50p coin with wizard Albus Dumbledore last year, can pull off a 'brilliant' imitation of the characters from his wife's beloved children's series.

The Queen revealed her husband's talent for mimicry last week on her new podcast, The Queen's Reading Room, making her the second royal to switch to online programming after Meghan Markle's now-canceled Archetypes show.

In the opening episode of the new podcast, in which she largely played second fiddle to crime writer Sir Ian Rankin, Her Majesty revealed that she enjoys reading JK Rowling's books to her five grandchildren.

After being silent for most of the show, Camilla said, “I can't imitate voices for love or money. I'm totally hopeless at it… but my husband is doing brilliantly. He can do all the voices.”

Camilla has been open in the past about how good Charles is with all ten of his grandchildren, including five of her children Tom and Laura: Lola and her brother Freddy, plus Laura's Eliza, Gus and Louis.

In an interview for Prince, Son & Heir – Charles at 70 in 2018, Camilla said: 'He gets down on his knees and crawls around with them for hours, you know, he makes funny noises and laughs and my grandchildren love at him, absolutely adore him.

'He reads Harry Potter and can do all the different voices and I think children really appreciate that.'

A year earlier, she claimed her husband's performances had left the grandchildren “enchanted.”

Speaking about the books she likes to read to her grandchildren on the new podcast, Camilla said: 'I think the one I most enjoyed reading was Harry Potter… all the stories.

“I can't impersonate voices for love or money. I'm completely hopeless at it. I was a very bad actor at school and I never mastered the art of mimicry.

'But my husband does a brilliant job, he can do all the voices.'

The decision to largely omit the conversation with Scottish crime writer Sir Ian from the Queen's new podcast is believed to have been a conscious one.

A source told the Times there was a conscious decision not to convert the podcast, which follows the success of her Queen's Reading Room book club set up during the pandemic, into 'the Camilla show'.

Future guests in the eight-episode series include Dame Joanna Lumley, author Elif Shafak and comedian and writer David Baddiel, with the Queen expected to make a fleeting appearance in each episode.

The newspaper had already been downloaded in more than 120 countries and 60 percent of the audience came from abroad, the newspaper reports.

The comments gave listeners an insight into the seemingly idyllic family life Charles and Camilla have, and the importance Her Majesty places on family.

Three of her grandsons played a role in Charles' coronation, while the Queen was also able to spend time with her own family away from the royals' traditional Sandringham gathering at Christmas.

It comes after a BBC documentary gave people a behind-the-scenes look at the royal family during Charles III's coronation year.

In the film, the Queen's sister said the couple is 'yin and yang' but makes an extremely formidable team.

Annabel Elliot described her sister as the King's 'rock', while Camilla's close friend Lady Lansdowne said the fact the couple had to 'fight' to be together has only strengthened their unshakable 'bond'.

And speaking publicly for the first time about the long relationship between the king and queen, Princess Anne – not known for her emotional exuberance – gave her sister-in-law the royal seal of approval.

'I've known her for a long time. “Her understanding of the role and how much difference it makes to the King has been absolutely excellent,” she said.

“This role is not something she would come naturally to, but she does it very well. She provides that change of speed and tone, which is just as important.'

By Ellen Coughlan for Mailonline

Published: 10:33 EST, January 3, 2024 | Updated: 10:55 EST, January 3, 2024

By Zeenia Naqvee

Published: 09:57 EST, December 12, 2023 | Updated: 10:01 AM EST, December 12, 2023

Harry Potter, Ronald Weaver and Hermione Granger are beloved characters in the world of children’s literature.

The terrifying trio has captured the hearts of readers around the world since the first Harry Potter book was published in 1997.

But while the main characters in the franchise, which was later adapted into a franchise, are loved for their adventurous spirit, their actual physique was never crucial to JK Rowling’s storylines.

However, thanks to the magic of AI, the cast of the hit films – including Daniel Ratcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – have been reimagined as diehard gym goers.

Earlier this year, the YouTube channel Fantasy Images uploaded a video titled “The Boy Who Lifted.”

The hilarious AI-generated visuals begin with a fanatical Dumbledore asking, “Harry Spotter, did you skip leg day again?”

Then the AI ​​responds to Harry Potter aptly, “Every day is gun day, sir.”

Referring to the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Hogwarts Headmaster continues: ‘It’s your job to make sure I keep drinking this protein shake. Even if you have to shove it down my throat.’

A beefy Potter asks why he can’t drink it himself, to which Dumbledore explains, “Because I have to bulk, Harry.”

Voldemort also gets in on the action, offering a light remix of one of his most infamous lines: “There is no right and wrong. There is only weight and those who are too weak to lift it.’

Even a burly Sirius Black joins in, asking, “If you want to know what a man is like, see how much he’s on the couch.”

The credits of the unusual video go to Midjourney, a generative artificial intelligence program, while the voices go to ElevenLabs and speech animations to D-ID.

The video has since gone viral after racking up more than 4.4 million views on the platform.

It has also garnered over 150,000 likes while thousands have commented.

One of them wrote, “That image of Hedwig is going to haunt my dreams.”

A second wrote: “This is truly the most inspiring video I’ve ever seen as a Harry Potter fan.”

Another wrote: ‘This is perfection, a work of art. I recognize a fellow perfectionist when I see one.’

But many complained that Hagrid was missing.

One of them wrote, “They include Hedwig and Finch, but NOT HAGRID?” Could you imagine? Standing at 8 ft tall. What a beast he would be.’

Robbie Coltrane – who played Hagrid in all eight films – passed away in October 2022 at the age of 72.

The Scottish star, whose real name is Anthony Robert McMillan, was best known for playing beloved Hogwarts game warden Hagrid and starring as criminal psychologist Dr. Eddie ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald in the 1990s ITV drama.

Moreover, British actor Matthew Lewis got his big break when he was cast as Neville Longbottom in the series in 2001.

But since the end of the series, the star, 33, has undergone a surprising transformation and is considerably slimmer and more muscular than he appeared on screen.

In May 2015, the then 25-year-old completed his transition from nerdy to hunky with a raunchy, boxer-clad shoot for Attitude magazine.

But there was one person who was particularly stunned by the bold magnitude of this change.

Author JK Rowling, who met Lewis when he was just 12 years old, expressed her shock at the nearly naked images reaching the Twittersphere.

Rowling tweeted her reaction to seeing the actor’s naked body — essentially dressed only in just a pair of skintight Armani briefs — and a hilarious and slightly embarrassing Twitter exchange ensued.

The author, referring to Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe’s full nudity for his theater stint in Equus in 2008, did a light-hearted dig at Lewis.

She tweeted: ‘@Mattdavelewis Not as bad as watching Dan in Equus, but close. Warn me next time, for God’s sake.’