Being the Ravenclaw I am, I’m a gigantic bookwork. Even as a busy college student, I will still manage to finish 100 books by the end of this year. Since Harry Potter inspired an entire generation of children to read, I decided to give a few book recommendations to you based on your house. I recommend ALL these books, so don’t just stick with your own house if something piques your interest. Without further ado, here are my twelve recommendations.
Gryffindor
“You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring nerve and chivalry, set Gryffindors apart.” – The Sorting Hat (Book 1)
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
“IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.
But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.”
Why I Picked This Book
The reason I picked this book for Gryffindors is that it’s full of action and adventure. The characters are very brave and daring and go through many trials and tribulations throughout the book.
“Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe
“Daniel Defoe relates the tale of an English sailor marooned on a desert island for nearly three decades. An ordinary man struggling to survive in extraordinary circumstances, Robinson Crusoe wrestles with fate and the nature of God. This edition features maps.”
Why I Picked This Book
I decided to pick a classic book for each house as well because I love a good classic. This one happens to be my favorite. I thought that “Robinson Crusoe” fit Gryffindors perfectly because the story follows his life traveling the world and surviving alone on an island for 30 years. He was certainly “brave at heart,” like the sorting hat said.
“The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah
“France, 1939
In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.
Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real–and deadly–consequences.”
Why I Picked This Book
The women in this book were brave in different ways. They had to go through so much to survive the war and play their part in helping people, which was difficult for women at the time. This is a phenomenally well-written book. I could feel the chill in my bones and the hunger these characters were experiencing during the war while reading this. Anyone would call these sisters Gryffindors.
Ravenclaw
“Or yet and wise old Ravenclaw, if you’ve a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind.”
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
“Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.”
Why I Picked This Book:
I’m not one to write in books, but I definitely plan on annotating my copy of “The Alchemist” the next time I read it. This book is the epitome of the word “wise,” and I think everyone should read it. Every time I do, I have a new perspective on life.
“Legend” by Marie Lu
“What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.”
Why I Picked This Book:
I picked this book for Ravenclaw because the protagonists are the two smartest people in this dystopian society. One is a revered prodigy, while the other is the most wanted criminal. Being in their minds and seeing how they survive all their circumstances made me think of Ravenclaw. I also think the series is smart in general. For all the books, the way I thought the book would end happened in the middle of the book, so the rest of the series was a surprise for me. Even the trilogy does this. The second book ended the way most dystopian trilogies end, which made the entire series so unique and fascinating to me.
“Finding Audrey” by Sophie Kinsella
“Audrey can’t leave the house. she can’t even take off her dark glasses inside the house.
Then her brother’s friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again – well, Starbucks is a start. And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she’d thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable.”
Why I Picked This Book:
The reason I picked this book is that it includes some of the wittiest characters I’ve ever read. I remember listening to the audiobook and laughing out loud while walking to class because I couldn’t keep it in. Even though Audrey had extreme social anxiety and didn’t respond to most people, her thoughts always made me laugh. The way her family interacted and quipped with each other also led me to pick this book.
Hufflepuff
“You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuffs are true, and unafraid of toil.”
“5 To 1” by Holly Bodger
“In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.
Sudasa doesn’t want to be a wife, and Contestant Five, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. Sudasa’s family wants nothing more than for their daughter to do the right thing and pick a husband who will keep her comfortable—and caged. Five’s family wants him to escape by failing the tests. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Five thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.”
Told from alternating points of view—Sudasa’s in verse and Contestant Five’s in prose—allowing readers to experience both characters’ pain and their brave struggle for hope.”
Why I Picked This Book:
This book is perfect for Hufflepuff because a core feature of this novel is integrity and honor. Sudasa has to choose between what her corrupt society tells her to do and what she knows is right. Her inner turmoil throughout this novel emulates many of Hufflepuff’s values. It’s a quick read, and I highly recommend it.
“A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
“Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this resourceful girl’s fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children’s literature.”
Why I Picked This Book:
I chose this classic for Hufflepuffs because the main character Sara stayed kind and true despite her horrific circumstances. Even though she was starved and overworked as an indentured servant, she kept her head held high and never stooped to her oppressors’ level (or “unafraid of toil” as the Sorting hat said).
“Room” by Emma Donoghue
“To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world….
Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience—and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough … not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.”
Why I Picked This Book:
I debated on whether to include this book with Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff won out in the end. Even though Jack’s mother had to be incredibly brave to survive her horrific circumstances, the novel is in the point of view of her child. It adds a lot of innocence to the story, and the way Jack handles everything showed that he was “unafraid of toil.” I also think the patience aspect of Hufflepuff house goes along with this novel, as well, because Jack’s mother waited very long to pick the right time to escape.
Slytherin
“Or perhaps in Slytherin, you’ll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.”
“An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” by Hank Green
“The Carls just appeared.
Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.
Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.”
Why I Picked This Book:
This book works perfectly with Slytherin because the main character, April, is ambitious to a fault. Throughout the novel, she works harder and harder to reach a goal and isn’t satisfied with the amount of success she has.
“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas
“In 1815 Edmond Dantès, a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been granted the succession of his erstwhile captain Leclère, returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.”
Why I Picked This Book:
This classic is about a good man who was sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. After years of undeserved suffering, he gets out and takes revenge on those who wronged him. I thought this book corresponded with the line “cunning folk use any means to achieve their end.”
“Renegades” by Marissa Meyer
“Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone… except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.”
Why I Picked This Book:
I personally think that Slytherins get the short end of the stick when it comes to attributes because they’re mostly portrayed as evil throughout the Harry Potter series. I picked the book Renegades because it shows how nuanced a lot of issues are. In a society run by heroes and villains, most issues are seen as either black or white, but since half the book is in the point of view of a villain in their society, we can understand both sides of the story.
Those are my book recommendations based on the four Harry Potter houses. I hope you check them out!
Photo Credits: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]