Books for Gryffindor/Ravenclaws/Slytherins/Hufflepuffs- *ULTIMATE EDITION*

 

Hello all! I have a *huge* bumper post for you all today! Over the last few months, I’ve seen so many fantastic posts recommending books based on your Hogwarts houses- most recently on the wonderful Weird Zeal‘s blog (do check out her brilliant version for more recs!)- so I thought I’d do it myself.

Gryffindor– Well, this wasn’t too tricky to choose for, since it’s no secret that Gryffindors make excellent leading ladies and gents!

Alanna: The First Adventure– let’s face it, Tamora Pierce is the *QUEEN* of kickass heroines. And who better than the one, the only, the original: the Lioness!

I Coriander– this may be more of an unusual choice, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of finding your courage.

Last kingdom– something about this book screams GRYFFINDOR! I guess it’s all the fighting 😉 Admittedly, Uhtred gets by on his wits just as much as his sword, so this could be suited to brainy-but-still-brawny-Hermione types.

Hunger Games– I mean, I’d be remiss not to mention this, wouldn’t I? Katniss personifies so many of the Gryffindor traits, speaking of which…

Northern Lights– Lyra is the epitome of fearless! Again, this book would easily have broader appeal, but I think Gryffindors will get a kick out of this wild adventure. Be warned though, by the time the series ends, you may end up cowering in floods of tears. Which reminds me…

The Book Thief– I’ll admit, I get almost too emotional thinking about this book. But it’s such a beautiful story about bravery in the darkest of times.   

Ravenclaw– You’d think that since this is my house it’d be easy for me to choose- not so! I oddly found it more of a challenge to just think beyond what I like to read and pick things with more House-wide appeal- you’ll be the judge of whether I succeeded 😉

Red Rising– this book was a bit of a hatstall to be honest, cos I could easily have put it in any of the houses. It has a similar bravery aspect to Hunger Games, the heroes are all super ambitious, and there’s the incredible Darrow/Sevro friendship at the heart of it… buuut in the end I thought all the strategizing and Ancient-Rome-based world building made it a great fit for us Ravenclaws (to be fair, this could easily have been me being totally biased as a Ravenclaw that loves this series 😉)

Shadow of the Wind– not only is this an excellent mystery for us Ravenclaws to scratch our heads over, but it’s also a story about the love of books. Let me say that again: it’s a story about BOOKS. And we all know how much we love books 😉

Turn of the screw– going the more traditional route, this is a classic, thrilling tale. Even better than a regular scary story, there’s no correct answer here and you’ll be left wondering what just happened? Was the narrator reliable? Who can I trust? Which, you know, is exactly what us geeky types want.

The Waste Land– so. much. intertextuality. You’ll need *all the footnotes* to get every single one of the references. And that works out really well for those of us who love an intellectual challenge!

Crime and Punishment– Dostoevsky is nothing if not thought provoking and this philosophical exploration of a murder really gets to the heart of the human condition. While perhaps some might see this as good for Slytherins looking to (not) get away with murder, I think this will appeal even more to Ravenclaws with a penchant for psychology.

Phantom tollbooth– it’s not all tough classics and mindbendy books for us Ravenclaws! Sometimes we like the quirkier things in life- not least children’s books with jokes about grammar… like this one!

Slytherin– Despite my earlier banter about this house, I have a deep love for Slytherins (and reckon it’s where I’d have liked to end up if I wasn’t a Ravenclaw through and through). Often misunderstood and definitely underappreciated, I’ve got your back with some *wicked* reads:

Game of thrones– duh. I mean, I think most people in these books (who survive) are hardcore Slytherins. I feel like sometimes this comes across as a How To Be Cunning Guide- which is no doubt handy for a lot of Slytherins 😉

Six of crows– loads of people said this but that’s cos it’s perfect. Kaz and the whole gang are an *awesome* set of Slytherin-style heroes- sure, they may be willing to break the law to get what they want, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other! (and will use all their Slytherin wiles to protect each other!)

Prince of Thorns– another obvious one. Prince Jorg is by far one of my favourite Slytherin-types. He is sharp as a blade- in more ways than one- and pretty good at getting what he wants 😉

To Kill a Kingdom– Lira definitely has an edge to her, making her a great fit for this list. Plus, this is a twisted retelling of the Little Mermaid, which is perfect for this house!

Vicious– well, Schwab had to make it onto the list, one way or the other, didn’t she? 😉 And what better pick than my FAVOURITE of her series- the Villains books are complex, different and bold. Also, Victor Vale is *the best* anti-hero imaginable- just sayin’.

The Godfather– anyone that’s read this or more likely seen the films (no judgement! They’re excellent!) will know that the saga of the Corleone crime family is something that will very much appeal to the cunning reader- if only to live out the fantasy 😉

Hufflepuff– This was such a fun house to choose for- perhaps because Hufflepuffs are easy-going, easy to be around and easy to love!

The Hating Game– it may seem surprising to include a book that has “hating” in the title for Hufflepuffs, but appearances are deceiving! Even enemies can become friends and this book shows the benefit of getting beyond first impressions. On that note…

Carry On– Rowell’s parodic vision of Harry Potter provides a very Hufflepuff take on Hogwarts- in the best possible way. Not only does it show that the very best of antagonists can become something MORE, but its cherry-scone-sweetness is a delight for all the mushy hearted people of the world.

Night of Cake and Puppets– one Hufflepuff trait I don’t see mentioned enough is a healthy love of FOOD! (boy, I can relate 😉) and for that reason alone this had to be on my list. But also, I just adore the fact that Taylor went out of her way to award the loyal best friend in Daughter of Smoke and Bone with her own swoonworthy story 😀

The Princess and the Fangirl– what better way to make friends than at a fan convention? In more ways than one, this is about coming together despite differences and I am HERE for it. Also, there’s great romances! (yup, romances, plural!)

Wonder– this could easily be a great fit for Gryffindors, however I felt with its focus on friendship, acceptance and kindness that this was a book that typifies Hufflepuff’s finest qualities.

Hitler’s Canaries– it’s very rare for a book about the Holocaust to be uplifting- but this is exactly that. In fairness, the tremendous (and true) acts of bravery by the Danish could easily make this a fit for Gryffindors, but I think the unifying humanity of this story really speaks to lengths people will go for each other, and that reminds me more of Hufflepuff’s unwavering sense of right and wrong. It is one of the most life-affirming books I have ever read and I can’t recommend it enough.

And that’s all for now! This was more fun than I expected! Plus, I had so many more books up my sleeve that this easily could’ve gone on a lot longer! Do you agree with any of these? Do you have any additions I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!