Last night I was at a BBQ, and talk got around to books. The couple that was hosting mentioned that they had each set a goal of number of books they wanted to read in the year, and they were reading mostly nonfiction. The wife said, “I’d like to read more fiction, though…” and, of course, my ears perked up. When I asked her what she fiction books she enjoyed, she said, “I mean, I like Harry Potter.”
I think this is such a common trait for people who are in their late 20s and early 30s. When we fell in love with Harry and Hogwarts, we fell in love with reading. It’s hard to capture that magic as an adult! And, while no book can recreate the nostalgia from reading this series for the first time (trust me, I’ve tried), I thought I would put together a list of recommendations for those adults who love Harry and want some fiction that captures some of the same essence of what we loved about that series growing up.
If you loved the magic and magical beings…
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (All Souls’ Trilogy)
The best thing about this book (and the trilogy as a whole) is that, like with Harry, we are learning about magic for the first time. Diana Bishop comes from a long line of witches, but she has been suppressing her power in order to be “normal”. When she runs across an ancient (thought to be lost) magical object, creatures start coming out of the woodwork to find her and this object.
Sure, there’s vampires and daemons, but this book captures what it’s like to have magic run alongside the real world. With Harry, the idea that there was a secret society living in the shadows of the Muggle world is so enticing to readers, and this book creates a very similar feel. There’s also an amazing love story (between a witch and a vampire), and it’s definitely adult fiction. But it’s honestly my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a deeply magical series.
If you want magic, but not like… THAT magic…
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
So maybe vampires and daemons and magical battles aren’t your thing? Totally get that. Sarah Addison Allen’s books are my absolute favorite books when I need a little lift. Her books are like… sunshine. And a warm hug. She takes magical realism, and makes it even more realism. All of the novels she writes feature characters that are just a touch magical, whether it’s books appearing to them in times of need, or a stranger bringing “strange occurrences” to the town.
Garden Spells is the book I’ve read most recently by her, and it’s also Allen’s debut novel. It features two sisters who are a bit estranged but are forced back together by circumstances that will bring them even closer. There is, of course, a lovely love story mixed in, and Claire has the ability to cook things grown in her family’s garden that bewitch its diners. From apples that bring up love, to herbs that soothe worries, to edible flowers that heal heartbreak… there’s a magic in this book that feels so similar to when Harry first discovered Diagon Alley.
If you wanted to be immersed in Hogwarts and its mysteries…
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Gemma Doyle Series)
One of the best things about Hogwarts (besides all the really interesting classes #Ravenclaw) is that it is hiding so many things within its walls. Most of the early books spend a lot of time with the trio as they try to locate something or manipulate something within the castle (information about Nicolas Flamel, what’s behind the trapdoor, the Chamber of Secrets, finding and brewing the polyjuice potion, how is Sirius Black getting in?, etc.). A Great and Terrible Beauty feels very reminiscent of that mystery.
It’s Victorian times, and after Gemma’s mother dies, she is shipped off from her life in India to a finishing school in England. Gemma has visions of the future, and she ends up falling into a group at school that are very interested in the spiritual and the occult. At it’s center, this book is a coming-of-age book in which Gemma has to find her voice and speak up against those around her in power, but in the meantime, she is exploring an entirely new world with some friends she just made, and, whew, the world building in this series is excellent. Teenagers discovering new worlds and figuring out how to inhabit the ones they are in… definitely on trend with Harry and his friends.
If you relate to Harry as a loner and an orphan…
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky
Okay, hear me out. Lots of people think that Order of the Phoenix is the worst Harry Potter book because #ALLCAPSHarry and his moody, broodiness. Totally get that, even though I could go into a pretty lengthy, detailed, well-researched discussion on how he is actually suffering from PTSD and this is his trauma reaction (again, #Ravenclaw), but that’s not the purpose of this post. What is the purpose of this post is finding books and characters that connect to Harry, through all of his ups and downs, and Charlie in Perks is my closest approximation to shouty, broody, teenage Harry… in the best way?
It’s no secret that my love for Perks of Being a Wallflower run long and deep, and with Emma Watson cast in the movie, it’s just even purer perfection. Charlie has endured some shit in his life, and this novel is a compilation of his letters to *someone* talking about his past and his present, the friends that take him under their wing (for better or worse) and help him understand how to reenter society after going through some things that have left him withdrawn and bereft. While Charlie isn’t an orphan like Harry, he has experienced profound loss and the confusion that comes with that, and he relies heavily on his friends and support system to help him see his way out of the darkness. It’s a darker novel (not unlike Order of the Phoenix which was the darkest of the series, in my opinion), but it shows the resilience of teenagers.
If you loved the trio and their antics…
A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Okay I may try to put this book on every recommendations list that I write, BUT IT WORKS HERE, I promise. Reading Harry Potter while growing up with the series, I felt such a strong connection to the trio. Hermione was literally my best friend in those awful middle school years, and I loved Ron’s loyalty to the group. Their friendship, which often felt so effortless but also very real, was the model I used for years when picking friends.
Gentleman’s Guide is a bit different, but it features three young adults (2 boys and a girl!) going on a tour of England before settling down and going to university. It’s set in the past, but, featuring a bisexual character and love story, it feels both very old and very modern. It’s also hilarious. There’s misadventure and star-crossed lovers, and the whole thing feels like what the trio WOULD have done if they weren’t, you know, saving the world from Voldemort.
If you want Hermione to be your best friend…
The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen Series)
Ok I really was trying to stay away from putting too many Young Adult books on this list, because it is a list for adults. But really, adults can read YA, and we all need some escapism in our lives. Hermione is my favorite character ever written (probably), and she’s hard to live up to. Smart and unwilling to hide her intelligence for the sake of being liked, but also deeply warm and caring and loyal to those she loves. In literature, we so often see females being loyal and warm OR being ambitious and driven, but rarely both, and I know that seeing this portrayed for me when I was a child left a lasting impact on who I am now.
When trying to figure out who would ever compare to Hermione, my first and really only thought was Mare from The Red Queen. Dystopian YA books have a lot of strong female characters (Katniss from The Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent spring to mind), but I found Mare’s vulnerability in her strength to be so relatable, and so similar to Hermione. We see Hermione doubt herself and her actions, and we see the same with Mare. She makes hard choices throughout the series, but, in her quiet moments, she questions herself and if she’s doing the right thing. She’s also fiercely loyal and protective and would DEFINITELY punch Malfoy in the face.
Honorable Mentions (Because I love strong female characters): The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, Sadie by Courtney Summers
If you believe that love conquers all (even Voldemort)…
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
This was the hardest category for me, because how do you find a book (or series) that so perfectly dives deep into the darkest parts of humanity and still manages to find the light and hope at the end? So I scrolled endlessly through Goodreads until I came across A Monster Calls… and it just felt right.
No, this isn’t an in-depth seven-part series in which our protagonist escapes the clutches of evil to emerge victorious. But, in this beautiful gem of a book, there is love and loss, guilt and frustration, horror and hope. There are monsters, both of the literal kind and the emotional kind, and this novel will leave a deep, lasting impact on you because of its vulnerability and its strength. Make sure you read the version with illustrations, and devote a few hours one afternoon, maybe when it’s raining. It won’t take you long to read, but it will leave you feeling that same feeling you felt when Harry Potter ended… thankful for a book that gave you so much emotion and heart.
I only listed seven books here (the all-powerful number seven, right?), but there were many more I could have talked about. What did I miss? Any recommendations? Leave them in the comments!
