Revealed: Thatcher’s mystery gems, Reagan’s reading and moon dust

Newly released National Archive files reveal late PM failed to declare diamond and emerald gifts and how the US president prepared for a cold war arms summit

Open thread: what is the best book you read in 2015?

We want to know which books on development, foreign affairs and global politics you enjoyed reading this year

Pass notes: 2015

The Tories won a majority, Wayne Rooney and the Queen broke records and Jeremy Clarkson asked for steak in an unusual manner... it’s been an interesting year. Just don’t mention the rugby.

The man who exposed the lie of the war on drugs

Roberto Saviano is determined to uncover capitalism’s complicity with the narco-lords of South America

British Jews give wary approval to the return of Hitler’s Mein Kampf

Board of Deputies says an annotated edition can put the antisemitic polemic into historical context

The book that reminded me America could be magical too

I had fallen in love with Edinburgh and was desolate to be returning to the US. But a collection of short stories made me see the beauty and complexity of home

The absurd life of Félix Nadar, French portraitist and human flight advocate

Newly translated into English, Nadar’s writings offer us the opportunity to revisit a bizarre and compelling character who took portraits of most of the Parisian cultural elite

To fans who think Hermione can’t be black: muggles gonna hate

From Harry Potter to Star Wars, fans assume their heroes are white by default. But if we let non-white historical figures such as Jesus and Gandhi switch races, why not a wizard?

JK Rowling ‘loves black Hermione’ casting of Noma Dumezweni

Author tweeted approval of casting actor with South African heritage in London stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Patrick Ness: ‘You’re 10, a refugee in a foreign country. What the hell do you do?’

The award-winning young adult novelist on how he helped to raise $1m for the Syrian refugee crisis with one tweet

The superfan strikes back. Star Wars shows us where the creative force lies

George Lucas let go of his Star Wars baby and it’s back bigger and better than ever, with The Force Awakens. Shrewd minds stay open to outside ideas

‘Socialism’ the most looked-up word of 2015 on Merriam-Webster

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders sparked 169% rise in look-ups, says the US dictionary publisher, which awarded word of the year to the suffix ‘ism’

Sam Taylor-Johnson to make Ted Kennedy thriller Chappaquiddick

The Fifty Shades director is working on a thriller about Ted Kennedy’s notorious driving incident, which left a young woman dead and derailed his political career