The Harry Potter books are a series of seven fantasy novels written by J.K. Rowling, which chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The books are set over the course of one school year, and each book follows Harry as he faces new challenges and struggles with the problems he encounters. The books should be read in order to fully appreciate the story. Here is the list of the main Harry Potter books in order of chronology/publication:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997) or Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (1997)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

There is also an eighth book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is a stage play and is a retelling of the story. Additionally, there are two accompanying “Hogwarts library” texts: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages.