Lottie Brooks takes No.1 as festive favourites climb Waterstone’s Ballymena chart
Sunday 18 October 2026
Christmas is already making its presence felt at Waterstone’s Ballymena, with Katie Kirby’s Lottie Brooks’s The Twelve Disasters of Christmas taking the number one spot in the store’s latest Top 10 bestseller chart.
The festive favourite moves ahead of Julia Donaldson’s Gruffalo Granny, which takes second place, while Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey: Day of the Heroes completes the top three.
Children’s books feature strongly in this week’s rankings, with Alice Hemming’s The Pumpkin Thief also making the chart as Halloween approaches. Meanwhile, bestselling titles from Alice Hoffman, Rebecca Yarros, Ian Rankin and Mary Berry continue to attract readers.
Five half-price offers are also available this week, while the store has announced details of its next Saturday Storytime and November Fiction Book Club.
This week’s Top 10
1. Lottie Brooks’s The Twelve Disasters of Christmas — Katie Kirby
Festive chaos and plenty of laughs await as Lottie Brooks and the Queens of Eight Green navigate a series of Christmas disasters. Katie Kirby combines the familiar humour of her hugely popular children's series with heartwarming moments of friendship and seasonal cheer.
2. Gruffalo Granny — Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler return to the much-loved world of The Gruffalo with a new adventure introducing Gruffalo Granny, bringing another chapter to one of children's literature's most recognisable families.
3. Bunny vs Monkey: Day of the Heroes — Jamie Smart
The popular comic-book series returns with more hilarious woodland mayhem, as a jelly catastrophe and zombie invasion threaten to plunge Bunny, Monkey and their friends into even greater chaos.
4. Practical Magic — Alice Hoffman
A much-loved novel of magic, family and romance, following the Owens sisters as they navigate love, loss and a family legacy shaped by generations of witchcraft. Hoffman's atmospheric story has become a favourite among readers who enjoy fiction with a supernatural twist.
5. Threshing Day — Rebecca Yarros
Fans of Rebecca Yarros' bestselling Empyrean series return to the world of Fourth Wing in this collection of short stories featuring familiar characters from the hugely popular fantasy saga.
6. Swan Song — Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer continues to attract Ballymena readers with Swan Song, adding another popular title to a writing career spanning history, biography and memoir.
7. The Pumpkin Thief — Alice Hemming
A seasonal picture book from the author of The Leaf Thief, bringing mystery and autumnal fun to younger readers as they follow a new adventure involving a missing pumpkin.
8. The Heights — Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin's first standalone thriller in two decades takes readers into the secretive world of London's super-rich, where the murder of a night concierge in a luxury apartment building exposes the lives of its wealthy residents to unexpected scrutiny.
9. Mary All in One — Mary Berry
The much-loved cookery writer serves up her first collection devoted to one-pot recipes, offering accessible dishes ranging from comforting pasta meals and traybakes to cakes and other family favourites.
10. Games of My Life — Sir Alex Ferguson
The legendary former Manchester United manager reflects on seven decades of football through 21 iconic matches, charting his extraordinary career while celebrating determination, passion and the importance of teamwork.
Five half-price books to discover
There is something for crime fiction fans, home cooks, football supporters and younger readers among this week's half-price offers.
• The Heights — Ian Rankin
Also appearing at number eight in this week's bestseller chart, Rankin's thriller centres on the murder of a night concierge in a luxury London high-rise, where a group of wealthy suspects find their carefully guarded lives under investigation.
• Mary All in One — Mary Berry
Mary Berry makes family cooking easier with her first collection of one-pot recipes, featuring everything from traybakes and pasta dishes to delicious cakes. The book also sits at number nine in this week's Top 10.
• Games of My Life — Sir Alex Ferguson
The legendary Scottish football manager looks back over seven decades of the game through 21 defining matches, sharing the experiences and lessons that shaped his remarkable career.
The memoir also celebrates persistence, passion and the enduring importance of teamwork, both on and off the pitch.
• Bunny vs Monkey: Day of the Heroes — Jamie Smart
The woodland adventures continue with more anarchic comedy, as jelly-related disaster and a zombie invasion bring fresh trouble for Bunny, Monkey and their friends.
The title is also proving popular in Ballymena, taking third place in this week's Top 10.
• Lottie Brooks's The Twelve Disasters of Christmas — Katie Kirby
This week's number one bestseller is also included in the half-price selection, offering readers a chance to enjoy Katie Kirby's latest helping of festive humour for less.
The book follows Lottie and the Queens of Eight Green through a collection of Christmas mishaps, combining laugh-out-loud moments with friendship and seasonal cheer.
Saturday Storytime celebrates Halloween
Younger book lovers can look forward to another Storytime and colouring session at Waterstone's Ballymena next weekend.
The event takes place on Saturday 24 October, when the team will be reading The Pumpkin Thief by Alice Hemming.
The seasonal choice also features at number seven in this week's bestseller chart, making it a timely pick as Halloween approaches.
November Fiction Book Club announced
Readers who enjoy psychological suspense can mark their diaries for the next Waterstone's Ballymena Fiction Book Club.
The group will meet on Thursday 5 November to discuss We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer.
The chilling horror novel follows a young couple renovating an old house whose lives take a disturbing turn when strangers arrive at the door claiming they once lived there.
Readers are invited to come along for coffee, cake and a relaxed discussion about the book.
Festive reading begins as Halloween approaches
With Katie Kirby taking the top spot, Julia Donaldson and Jamie Smart completing the top three, and Alice Hemming bringing some Halloween atmosphere to the chart, children's books are enjoying a particularly strong week at Waterstone's Ballymena.
Meanwhile, the continued popularity of Ian Rankin, Mary Berry and Sir Alex Ferguson highlights the variety of titles attracting local readers.
The five half-price offers provide additional opportunities to pick up some of the week's bestselling books, while the upcoming Storytime and Fiction Book Club offer further reasons to visit the store.
As Halloween approaches and the first Christmas titles begin climbing the charts, Waterstone's Ballymena is already seeing the seasonal shift in local reading tastes.
