Hello!
So, I thought it would be very fun to recommend a few books for each Hogwarts house today! I myself belong to Ravenclaw, so it was a mental exercise not to put all my favorite books in that house. I had many ideas for each house, so I will do 5 recommendations today and 5 more another time, so this post is not super long!
Write in the comment section what is your house and which books you recommend for it!
Gryffindor
“You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart“
Fantasy
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Alanna is brave, fierce, and will fight patriarchy to the end. She dreams of becoming a night, and so she disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s place in the training to knighthood. The whole Alanna series is a strong message for girls and women to be courageous and follow your dreams, and to dare to dream big, even if the path you want to take is not one that seems open for you. This book has such a great message and its world crafting is done really nicely, I enjoyed very much getting to know it a little more with every book. Honestly, I think everyone should read it.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Oooh, this great superhero story is such a feminist punch! Its plot is similar to the movie, mas not exactly. We get to see more of the island where she grew up and their traditions, and how Diana grew up. She is such a wonderful character, brave to the bone, strong and confident.
Historical Fiction
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This is a wonderful read! It’s set during World War II in France, and tells the story of two sisters, Isabelle and Vianne. Their mother died many years ago, and both girls were soon all but abandoned by their father, who was a soldier at World War I and has never been the same after returning. As the war starts to become a reality and no more just a rumor, the sisters must make hard choices in order to protect those they love. The war brings Isabelle and Vianne pain, heartbreak and so much loss, but they choose to be brave. It’s an inspiring book and Isabelle surely is a Gryffindor through and through.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This gorgeous novel set in World War II is about bravery, moving on, sacrifice, death. It follows Liesel, a German girl who steals books to save them from being burned by the Nazis. It’s a lovely story and its emotional tone will touch the brave hearts of Gryffindors.
Contemporary Fiction
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This book is a contemporary YA, and certainly the best YA debut I’ve read by far. Starr witnesses the murder of her friend and, as the only witness of the crime, she must face her choice to use her voice and give him a very small chance of getting justice, or to stay silent and protect the people she loves. This story is so gripping, so relevant and touching that honestly everyone should read it. It’s about bravery, justice and family.
Hufflepuff
“You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil“
Fantasy
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
The story is about Daine, a girl of thirteen who finds out she has wild magic, hers being the ability to speak to animals and make them obey her. When she meets the mage Numair, she becomes his apprentice and discovers the scope of her magic. This book speaks much of friendship, of loyalty and sacrifice. It is so well-written, the world is so nicely developed and the characters very relatable.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit is a story about seeking adventure, about loyalty to your family, friends and history, and about dwarves seeking justice for the home that was stolen from them by Smaug, the dragon. Bilbo is a homely, bookish person who finds himself entangled in this story and put in the most uncomfortable positions while helping the Thorin and the other dwarves attempt to get their home back.
Science Fiction
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
This is a lovely sci-fi about Tom Hazard, a man who has a rare condition which ages him much slower than the regular person. He looks 41, but is over 400 years old. This book tells his story throughout the centuries, as he goes from one place to another in an effort to hide his condition from other people and to try to find his daughter. Tom is a Hufflepuff for sure and this book brings a beautiful message about humanity and hope.
Contemporary
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
This is a funny contemporary about Katie Brenner, who tries to show the world how perfect her life is: a flat in London, a wonderful job, and her perfect Instagram. When her boss one day rudely fires her, Katie’s life is turned upside down. She needs then to go back to Somerset with her parents and helps her dad with his glamping business – and then her boss comes over for a vacation. This is a fun, light contemporary that is centered in family – Katie’s relationship with her family is so sweet, and it’s one of my favorites from Kinsella.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
This hilarious novel is all centered around family and loyalties. It’s the story of Rachel as she goes visit her boyfriend’s family in Singapore, only to find out they are ridiculously rich and absurdly traditional. The gossip, the foods, the culture are all very interesting aspects of this story! I heard it in Audiobook
Ravenclaw
“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you’ve a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind.“
Fantasy
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Yelena is about to be executed for murder. On the last minute, she is offered a way out – by becoming a food taster for the Commander of Ixia. To stop her from possibly escaping, the chief of security poisons her with Butterfly’s Dust, for which she will need a daily dose of antidote in order not to die a horrible death. She must study poison to perform her new job (which is so awesome, I love reading about studying characters, is that weird?). Yelena is such an interesting character, who develops throughout the story and requires lots of wit to survive the choices she must make.
Science Fiction
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
This is a thriller for Ravenclaws for sure. It tells the story of Jason, who one night gets abducted by a person with a mask whose voice sounds familiar. He wakes up to realize that his life is not as he knows it: he has never married, he doesn’t have a son, he is a respectable person in a ultra-secret and dangerous project. He tries to figure out if this new world or the old one is real, and how to go back to his family. Oh my god, this sticks to your brain and refuses to leave, and you are left daydreaming of alternate universes and infinite possibilities.
The Martian by Andy Weir
Mark is stranded in Mars. He’s so screwed: there’s no communication with Earth possible, the place he’s in is only supposed to have people in it for a month, and there’s a thousand different ways Mark could die if anything went wrong, and a lot of them involve explosions. He will need to be creative, clever and positive if he is to survive in Mars for as long as possible, in hope of a rescue…
Magical Realism
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
This novel is somewhere between magical realism and fantasy, and follows the generations of Ava’s family, cursed with losing the ones they loved. Years and years of sorrow and heartbreak that are weaved into a touching story that definitely makes the reader emotional. How this family is set apart for being so different, so unique, and how other people think them dangerous for it – those are themes a Ravenclaw, who are the most accepting of strange people, will understand and relate to.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
This lovely book also follows the Gold family. Four siblings go one day visit a woman who is said to be able to predict the exact day of the death of anyone. As each gets their own date, half believing it and half not, the shock of this knowledge influences the way they plan their lives from then on to live it to the fullest before their date comes. This reads more like a contemporary than magical realism, but I would still classify it like that. An interesting book that will surely intrigue Ravenclaws!
Slytherin
“Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.“
Historical Fiction
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
This book is about the machinations, scheming and ambition of the people in the court in trying to secure a place of power and money for themselves by playing the King and tearing each other apart. King Henry VIII does not have a male heir, and he desperately wants one. Anne Boleyn and her family will do anything in their power to secure the King’s attention and affections and try to dispose of Queen Katherine. Hilary Mantel does a great job bringing this well-known story to life through the eyes of Cromwell and making it feel brand new. Most characters in this books are Slytherins for sure.
Psychological Thriller
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This book says loud and clear: do not get on the bad side of a Slytherin! It starts with Nick and Amy’s fifth marriage anniversary, when Amy vanishes. The police and the public then start suspecting Nick, as the husband is almost always at fault in such cases, and as the story goes, more and more details of their marriage come to surface. This one is the thriller for Slytherins, for sure.
Contemporary
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo used to be a famous and scandalous Hollywood star – she’s most famous for having had no less than seven husbands. Now older and living in privacy for decades, she decides to give one last interview, under the condition that a particular young journalist should be the one to do it. She is going to reveal her whole story, with no more secrets, and it’s a lot more complex, deep and emotional than anyone expected.
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Alex knows the language of violence very well. She understands it better than her own language, and finds it difficult to make friends when she knows what she’s capable of. Her sister was murdered three years ago, and her murderer and torturer has escaped free due to lack of evidence. For the past three years, Alex has been planning how to exact her own justice on him – and she wants it to be the last time she lets violence take over her. She wants to be normal, have friends, maybe a boyfriend. But can she? Her grey character is very unique, and Slytherins understand better than anyone how grey real people are, never purely good or evil.
Fantasy
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
This was among my favorite books as a child, and it’s the story of the very Slytherin Artemis Fowl, a young and rich genius with the mind of a criminal, who wants to kidnap a fairy in order to receive the ransom and enhance his family’s fortune. I love this story and it’s always fun to see how Artemis tricks everyone throughout the series!
Love this post! 🙂
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Thank you, Jay! Do you know to which house you belong?
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I think gryffindor but pr badly hufflepuff. Ha!
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I’m a Ravenclaw too (woo!!) and would probably recommend On Beauty by Zadie Smith because it’s all about academia. Love the idea for this post! 🙂
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Yes, Ravenclaw sisters!! I only read White Teeth by her, have you read it?? On Beauty sounds really good, I’ll go check it out on Goodreads immediately!
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YES White Teeth is so good!! I had to read it for my feminist writing class last term and it was such a great read 💜
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So fun! I am a Ravenclaw too – and Ava Lavender and The Immortalists are definitely on my list. And I loved the Study books!!!
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The Study series is one of my favorites!! It’s so amazing and I love Yelena!
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Same! And I feel like it’s super under-hyped…which I sometimes love (like it’s my little secret, haha) and sometimes I wish that more people knew about it and could experience all the awesome it has to offer.
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This was really fun!! I am a Hufflepuff and have read and enjoyed The Hobbit, How to Stop Time, and Crazy Rich Asians! I had such a great time reading this. Thanks!
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That is so good to hear!! My mom is a Hufflepuff too and she’s a big Hobbit fan (so am I, obviously! It’s a great book!). How To Stop Time was so beautiful… have you read The Humans, also by Matt Haig?? I’ve been considering adding to my TBR!
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Wow, interesting! I am not really big on Harry Potter (as you might know…) but I want to read all of them!! Great post, Naty!
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I am 100% sure you’re a Ravenclaw, Noriko!! We’re House sisters! 😀 And thank you ❤
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Wonderful post! As a Slytherin with a Ravenclaw tinge, I recommend Faust. We have a very learned (Ravenclaw) protagonist who wants to know more, to understand the world. So he strikes a bargain with his (Slytherin) antagonist – help with all the knowledge and experiences he wants in exchange for his soul after death…
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You are always recommending Faust, I could write a post on “books for taking on vacation to the Caribbean” or “books to teach your small child to read” and you’d recommend it 😛 I’ll read again, I promise! 😀
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Would totally recommend it for the Caribbean. I like to take my copy with me for longer travels – it is small and still offers a big reading experience. If one has read it before, it’s totally a beach read!
Maybe it’s not a good book to learn reading with, but there is at least a (German) “Faust for Kids” edition: http://kindermannverlag.de/produkt/faust/
I have never seen that one, though, so I cannot tell if it is any good (and if the topics and depth are not a bit too much for children).
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Clever idea. 🙂
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Thank you, Barb!! Totally steal if you want to, I love to see what people recommend!!
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This is such a cool idea! I am a Hufflepuff and I haven’t read any of those so I will definitely be adding them to my TBR!
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My mom is also a Hufflepuff and she absolutely loves The Hobbit, so I think you’ll like that one too!
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This is such a fun post, and great recs!! I love The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for Slytherin.
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Thank you, Steph!! Evelyn Hugo is SUCH a Slytherin, I loved it so much.
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Great post! I’m a Ravenclaw. I haven’t read any of the books listed, but almost all of them are already on my TBR list! 🙂
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Yay!! We’re Ravenclaw sisters!! I hope you like the books 🙂 🙂
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