Greetings! It was unintentional that I took a Top 5 Wednesday break, but it was needed. I had/have so much on my plate! And even this is a day late. But I’m back, and I love this topic. In fact, I love it so much that I split this in two – one list of books that I’ve already read and one list of books on my TBR. So, without further ado – books for my Hogwarts House! (Which is split between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, so I chose from both angles.)
Books I’ve Read
A Study in Charlotte and The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
Ms. Cavallaro has stated that Charlotte is a Slytherin (obviously), but I find these books to be rooted in the values of both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Jamie and Charlotte are incredibly smart and are able to solve riddles and mysteries. That is Ravenclaw right there. And Jamie – if I had to categorize him, he’d probably be Hufflepuff because he’s loyal to a fault, but that’s what makes him brave. He stands up both for and to his friends (namely, Charlotte), and I find that to be the bravest thing you can do. So yeah. These are Gryffinclaw books.
March trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
WHAT IS BRAVER THAN REPEATEDLY GOING UP AGAINST THE MAJORITY AND DEMANDING RESPECT?? John Lewis is a national hero.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
On a related note, Starr continuing to testify and stand up for herself and for Khalil is so so SO brave. I can think of nothing braver.
Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
Sometimes quiet genius and bravery speak just as loudly, and I found Jordan Sun/Julian Zhang to be just that. [Spoilers ahead!] The story is about so much more, but Jordan makes a cognitive decision to go undercover as a teenage boy in order to sing in an all-boys a cappella group. In the end, she ends up defying gender* all together in terms of a cappella at her school. I loved her so much.
*Note: I solely mean this in terms of a cappella – she infiltrated an all-boys group. This does not mean that I believe *she* defies gender. She very clearly identifies as a girl throughout the story and ends in a cishet relationship at the end of the story. But she is the first girl to be in this all-boys a cappella group. That is something.
Dreadnought by April Daniels
Like. Trans girl superhero. TRANS GIRL SUPER HERO. There is very little that could be called braver, aside from maybe what John Lewis did for our country.
Books on My TBR
Girling Up by Mayim Bialik
I met Mayim at BookCon (and she signed my book!), and she seems to be the definition of a true Ravenclaw. I love that she is an advocate for girls in science and also for pursuing what you love. She’s great, and I’m pumped for this book.
Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterley
Okay. This movie was absolute fire, and I can’t wait to finally get to the book. Not only were these women incredibly smart, but they were the bravest to continue to pushing their limits in terms of their jobs. Love it, love them, love this story.
The Girl from Everywhere and The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig
Okay, so I know this is about time travel, but that’s about all I know! This showed up on two separate lists of books for Ravenclaws, and it’s been on my TBR forever, so I’m including it!
The Hogarth Shakespeare Retellings
What is more Ravenclaw than loving Shakespeare so much that you want all the retellings? I have two of them on my shelf right now, and I want to read all of them. ALL OF THEM!
An Ember in the Ashes and Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
This is another one that showed up on lists that I’ve had on my shelf for a long time. From my understanding (because I try to avoid detailed synopses before starting books!), this is about an uprising and an escape and it sounds super Gryffindor to me.
So many books, so little time. What Hogwarts Houses are y’all in?
Happy reading!
-A.
Snark & Squee 