Book Recommendations Based on Your Hogwarts House

If you’re anything like me, you like books that feel like home. The struggle? Home doesn’t feel the same to everyone. Some people like cozy spaces full of knick knacks, throw pillows, and fairy lights, while other people believe home is minimalist with open spaces and a neutral color scheme.

So, how can we find the books that make us feel at home when there’s so many different ways to interpret home? Well, we have to figure out kind of person we are and find the books that embody our ideal kind of home.

This is easier said than done, which is why I’ve put together a guide of book recommendations based on your Hogwarts house. This isn’t a perfect categorization system (because everyone is multi-faceted and cannot be boxed into a single house), but it’s a good place to start.

Below, I recommend three books (that I’ve personally read) to each Hogwarts house. I’ve tried to keep my own affinity for Ravenclaw as neutral as possible so that the other houses don’t feel left out or like they got the leftover books.

I hope these books make you feel seen and help you find a little piece of home in the vast world of literature.

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Gryffindor

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse…

Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to forswear—no matter what the cost.

Mini Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun blend of old folktales, and it was a great way for me to dip back into the YA fantasy genre back in 2021. Shiori’s courage prevails throughout the story, as she overcomes trials and obstacles, which makes it a perfect fit for a Gryffindor.

If you like this story, the author has written two other books in this world: A sequel, The Dragon’s Promise, and a prequel, Her Radiant Curse (both of which are on my neverending TBR).

Favorite Quote: “Find the light that makes your lantern shine,” she used to say. “Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest wind will blow out the flame.”

Content Warning: Animal death, blood, death, death of a parent, fire/fire injury, grief, murder, violence, and war.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce new children, who are assigned to appropriate family units; one male, one female, to each. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Their community is a precisely choreographed world without conflict, inequality, divorce, unemployment, injustice . . . or choice.

Everyone is the same.

Except Jonas.

At the Ceremony of Twelve, the community’s twelve-year-olds eagerly accept their predetermined Life Assignments. But Jonas is chosen for something special. He begins instruction in his life’s work with a mysterious old man known only as The Giver. Gradually, Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

Mini Review: This is a really important book. It’s a difficult book at times because it tackles such deeply moral and personal issues about what it means to really live, make choices, and what those choices say about us. We don’t tend to give Gryffindors any credit when it comes to deep ideas, which is silly to me. Just because they tend to jump in without thinking doesn’t mean they don’t care—it’s exactly because they care that they jump so quickly. And Jonas’s heart for doing what is right simply screams Gryffindor becuase he, too, cares too much to sit by and not try to make things right.

If you like this book, there are three other books in The Giver quartet (not direct sequels, but seemingly set in the same univers): Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Favorite Quote: “It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?”

Content Warning: Blood, child death, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, pregnancy, and war.

The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes

Some viruses go after the body. But the Nightmare Virus goes after the mind.

When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus.

Cain Cross is determined to find a cure . . . if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world” that exists only in the mind.

Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought.

Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul.

Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be . . . will he even have a choice?

Mini Review: I love this book. The writing is excellent, the worldbuilding is spectacular, the characters are complex and nuanced, the plot twists surprised me and made so much sense, and the themes are actually my favorite thing ever. Cain is such a complicated character, and I think he embodies a lot of the best (and maybe worst) traits of Gryffindors in a way that will really resonate with readers.

If you like this book, check out the first novel in Nadine’s debut dystopian trilogy, A Time To Die.

Favorite Quote: “I’ve dreaded the battle coming, yes, but determination wins out. I’ve felt life. I’ve lived love. I’ve seen the power of light. Even if darkness seems to be victorious today, it is a farce.”

Content Warnings: Abandonment, animal death, blood, child death, confinement, death, death of a parent, fire/fire injury, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, murder, pandemic/epidemic, physical abuse, suicide (a character implies that he killed himself, but it was with the intent of waking up in the real world), torture, violence, and war.

Hufflepuff

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.

Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile . . . and no legs.

Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition—no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.

Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him—and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world . . . or overcome his fear of being seen.

Mini Review: Whenever I think of a Hufflepuff book, I think of this one because Weston is sunshine incarnate. He’s the self-proclaimed sunshine boy, but even sunshine boys carry darkness. Tessa is less sunshine and more rain clouds, but it’s a beautiful thing to watch two characters with broken lives come together and learn how to heal alongside each other and find hope in each other. Click here to read my full Goodreads review for more of my thoughts.

If you like this book, Abbie also released a cozy Christmas sequel, The Best Christmas Ever (and I loved this one even more).

Favorite Quote: “I love you and your broken wings.”

Content Warnings: Blood, bullying, car accident, cursing, injury/injury detail, medical content, sexual content (kissing), and violence.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Mini Review: Hufflepuffs make me think of summer, and when I think of summer, I think of Cousins Beach. This is a fun, light, and quick read that will leave you feeling all of the feels. It’s pretty similar to the TV show, so if you liked the show, I think you’ll enjoy the book, too.

If you like this book, make sure to check out the sequels, It’s Not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer.

Favorite Quote: “When you walk on the beach at night, you can say things you can’t say in real life.”

Content Warnings: Alcohol, blood, cancer, cursing, drug use, grief, injury/injury detail, sexual content, and violence.

ASAP by Axie Oh

New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh’s ASAP is the much anticipated companion novel to beloved romance XOXO, following fan favorites Sori, the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner, and Nathaniel, her K-pop star ex-boyfriend, in a swoon-worthy second chance love story.

Sori has worked her whole life to become a K-pop idol, until she realizes she doesn’t want a life forever in the spotlight. But that’s not actually up to Sori—she’s caught between her exacting mother’s entertainment company and her father’s presidential aspirations. And as the pressure to keep her flawless public image grows, the last person she should be thinking about is her ex-boyfriend.

Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most…

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

Mini Review: This is a really fluffy, light novel about friendship, second chances, the kpop industry, broken families, found families, and what it means to grow up. And aren’t all Hufflepuffs basically your own found family? I’m also incredibly biased because Nathaniel is such a little Hufflepuff cinnamon roll.

While this book does work as a standalone, it’s technically a spinoff of XOXO.

Favorite Quote: “I’m content being loved and appreciated by the few people who I love and appreciate. That’s enough for me.”

Content Warnings: Alcohol, blood, bullying, injury/injury detail, medical content, sexism, and sexual content (passionate kissing and implied sex).

Ravenclaw

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them, and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are to either release the spell and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya has only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction to Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her.

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

Mini Review: This is a beautiful retelling of a tragic and heartbreaking part of history. While is historical fiction and doesn’t stay entirely true to the story of the Romanov family, it’s a deeply thoughtful and spellbinding story about family, love, and the threads that bind us. To me, this kind of book is the epitome of a Ravenclaw because it asks big questions about how far we’ll go for hope and why we must hold onto hope no matter what. Click here to read my full Goodreads review to hear more of my thoughts.

If you like this book, check out Nadine’s other historical fiction novel, Fawkes.

Favorite Quote: “We are Romanovs. The bond of our hearts spans miles, memory, and time.”

Content Warnings: Alcoholism, animal death, blood, death, death of a parent, gun violence, grief, hemophilia, injury/injury detail, murder, suicide attempt, violence, and war.

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser

Amy Lennox doesn’t know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother’s childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.

Amy’s grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy’s new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever cost.

Mini Review: This is truly a book lover’s dream book. I mean, it’s about a girl who can literally jump into books. If that’s not the pinnacle of a Ravenclaw, I don’t know what is. I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and the narrator had a British accent and the whole thing was just the coziest Ravenclaw experience. I highly recommend, if only for the vibes.

If you like this book, check out Mechthild’s other bookish story, The Forgotten Book.

Favorite Quote: “It was full of whispered words, the lure of stories waiting to be read, a rustle of promise that hung in the air. How many adventures were hidden here in paper and ink, how many great love stories, how many epic battles?”

Content Warning: Adult/minor relationship, blood, bullying, fire/fire injury, death, infidelity, suicide (this is listed on the Storygraph content warnings, but I can’t remember this moment), and violence.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

A gut-wrenching, startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the number one New York Times best-selling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

Mini Review: This is a very sobering look at an often unrecognized part of history. It is dark, disturbing, and unsettling, but it is also deeply moving. This story is fiction, but Romania’s history is not. One of the biggest traits of Ravenclaws is a desire to learn and reading this story is a great way to dip into the horrifying history of the Romanian Revolution that shook a nation. It’s not an easy book to read, but it will touch your soul and remind you never to take anything for granted.

If you like this book, check out Ruta’s other historical fiction novels, The Fountains of Silence, Salt To The Sea, and Between Shades of Gray.

Favorite Quote: “How could we expect others to feel our pain or hear our cries for help when all we could do was whisper?”

Content Warning: Blood, death, excrement, grief, gun violence, injury/injury descriptions (some people may find these disturbing), murder, sexual content (kissing), torture, violence, and war.

Slytherin

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Mini Review: This is a poignant YA story about the Sinclairs, a family who spends the summertime on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s story about four best friends: Cadance, Gat, Johnny, and Mirren. It’s a story about love, friendship, and, perhaps, of loss. I can’t say anything else for fear of spoiling the best parts of this book, but the reason I’ve given this to the Slytherins is because I think they are the people who dream of being more someday—of waking up one day and knowing that you’ve made a difference. And, well, that’s a lot of what this story feels like to me. Click here to read my full Goodreads review for more thoughts.

If you like this book, check out the prequel, Family of Liars.

Favorite Quote: “It is good to be loved, even though it will not last.”

Content Warning: Alcohol, animal death, child death, death, dementia, fire/fire injury, grief, racism, and suicidal thoughts.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Mini Review: This is a gritty, violent book about enemies who used to be lovers, a mysterious and disturbing plague, and two rival gangs who will do anything to stay on top. Slytherins are ambitious, and everything about this story is ambitious—from the masterful worldbuilding and the suspense of unraveling the mysterious plague to the push-and-pull of our two morally grey leads.

If you like this book, make sure to check out the other books in the Secret Shanghai universe: Our Violent Ends (sequel), Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsmen (spinoff duology), and Last Violent Call (two novellas set between Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsmen. I only read one of them because the other was about two gay boys who are dating and I prefer not to read LGBT-centered stories).

Favorite Quote: “Don’t you dare,” Roma said. “Don’t you dare fall apart now, dorogaya.”

Content Warning: Alcohol, blood, death, drug use, gore, gun violence, insects, LGBT characters (a side character who is a transgender woman and two boys are gay), murder, parental abuse, racism, self-harm (explicit descriptions of gouging self, but not of their own volition), violence

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Mini Review: This is a twisty and disturbing book that goes wonderfully with my love of twisty and disturbing things. I think one of the things that makes Slytherin so interesting to me is how people always assume they’re “evil” or lack morals, which is just wrong. People are complicated, and it’s time we stop putting everyone into black-and-white categories of good and evil, and this book really explores these ideas from a unique perspective.

If you like this book, make sure to check out the rest of the books in the series: Thunderhead, The Toll, and Gleanings.

Favorite Quote: “Mortals fantasied that love was eternal and its loss unimaginable. Now we know neither is true. Love remained mortal, while we became eternal.”

Content Warning (from Storygraph): Child death, death, fire/fire injury, gun violence, murder, self-harm, suicide, torture, and violence,

Let’s Talk!

Which Hogwarts house are you in? Do you agree with my book recommendations for your house? What books would you assign to each Hogwarts house? Let’s talk all things Hogwarts and books down in the comments below!