Top Ten Tuesday: Books for People Who Like Harry Potter

Technically, today's topic is "Top Ten Books For People Who Like X Author." I tried, honestly. The trouble is, I don't stick to genres consistently enough for that. Give me an author you love, and if I know their work I can perhaps give you one or two recommendations, but not ten. Therefore, I'm attempting to do what cannot be done: recommend books for crazy Potterheads like myself.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Do come join the fun...

This comes with a twist, however. The reasons to love Harry come in quite a variety, and as far as I can tell, no other books in all the earth can be loved for that exact set of reasons, so recommendations are nearly always disappointing. Hence, the if...then format you'll see below.

Hope this helps you, Potter fans!

If you loved Harry Potter for the...

1. Magic
a. Try Shannon Hale's YA fiction, either Princess Academy or The Goose Girl and its sequels. You may start wishing you spoke elemental languages yourself. These are also humorous and sweetly romantic.

2. Humor
a. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series thoroughly succeeds at hilarity. It's also magical and adventurous.
b. Terry Pratchett's works are pretty dang funny. The ones I've read have not included strongly empathetic characters, but the humor and magic are superb.

3. Mystery plots
a. I don't generally care much for mysteries, but have had good experiences recently with Madeleine Brent/Peter O'Donnell and Mary Stewart at Arabella's recommendation.

D. Schoolboy-style adventure storyline
a. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer is the obvious pick here.
b. Likewise, The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis).
c. Anything by Diana Wynne Jones or Brian Jacques.

E. Imaginative worldbuilding
a. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books contain the most thorough and enjoyable worldbuilding I've ever come across, as well as an excellent magic system and good character development. They're a time investment, but worth it if you like that sort of thing.

I'm guessing I don't even need to mention Tolkien. :)

F. Character development
a. Orson Scott Card's Ender and Bean books. They contain the most beautifully sympathetic characters imaginable. Of course, if what you're looking for is the amusing caricatures, go back to Riordan or Pratchett.

G. Christian imagery
a. C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. The head-smackingly obvious choice. You are unlikely to be disappointed.
b. Elizabeth Goudge's Little White Horse. Not nearly well known enough for how awesome it is. It has unicorns in it, and yes, they do symbolize Christ.

H. Social criticism
a. G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries. Father Brown is humorous, generous, and rational, qualities I strongly appreciate when social commentary is involved.
b. Jane Austen and/or Charles Dickens. Enough said.

I. Fan parties
a. Probably Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy is your best bet, unless you can get into George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. There are a lot of us Lewis and Chesterton and Tolkien die-hards out there, too, though. And you could always join the Star Wars fandom or become a Trekkie.

J. Romance
a. Many millions of us rooted for the sweet, friendship-based, innocently-portrayed love between Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny, Lupin and Tonks, and the like. I was one, and I recommend Jane Austen (try Persuasion first, if you're new to Regency English), Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley's The Outlaws of Sherwood and Beauty, Lewis' The Horse and His Boy, and L.M. Montgomery's Anne books or Kilmeny of the Orchard.

Got your own recommendations to add to the mix? Throw them in the comments! I might want to read some of them myself. :)