Harry Potter for Adults

Are you an adult who loved the Harry Potter series? Trust me you are not alone. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 is being released this Friday (June 15^th) in movie theaters. This marks the end of the Harry Potter saga on film however author J.K. Rowlings has created the Pottermore website that will build an online experience around the Harry Potter books. Registration for the website begins in October. In the meantime to fill the Harry Potter void, I put together a list of Harry Potter read-alikes for adults. What is it that you like about Harry Potter’s story? Do you enjoy the “coming of age” aspect? The humorous fantasy? The adventure, action and suspense? The magic and magical creatures? Or do you like how Harry’s magical world exists within our own “real” world? Included is a handy guide to help you find a book that includes the aspects of Harry’s story that appeal to you.

Handy Guide

C = coming of age

H = humorous fantasy

A = adventure, action & suspense

M = magic & magical creatures

MR = magic within our “real” world

In our Adult Science Fiction collection:

Running With the Demon, A Knight of the Word, Angel Fire East by Terry Brooks (C, A, MR)

Young Nest Freemark is discovering her magical heritage just in time for a battle with evil in Hopewell, Illinois.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher and the rest of the Dresden Files series. (H, A, MR)

Harry’s a wizard and a detective, but his last name’s Dresden, not Potter, and he lives in Chicago, not England. A modern-day mage and consultant to the police finds his stale life suddenly enlivened by the presence of a rival in the black arts.

Magician by Raymond Feist and the rest of the Riftwar Saga (C, A, M)

The orphan Pug came to study with the magician Kulgan, but Pug's strange sort of magic would one day change forever the fates of two worlds. For dark beings from another world opened a rift in the fabric of space-time.

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind and the rest of the Sword Of Truth series (A, M)

Richard Cypher and his trusted companions, the beautiful and mysterious Kahlan and the sorcerer Zedd, begin their quest to destroy Darken Rahl, an evil mage who bids to control the world by using his dark, magical powers.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan and the rest of the Wheel of Time series (C, A, M)

Three young friends, Rand, Matt and Perrin, are attacked by monsters, but with the help of Lady Moiraine, the boys flee their homeland and begin an adventure across a fantastical world of strange and deadly wonders.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and the rest of the Song of Ice and Fire series (C, A, M)

The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. The Stark family has long anticipated this shift of seasons, but are they prepared to deal with the treacherous Lannister family?

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (C, A, M)

A hero named Kvothe, now living under an assumed name as a humble inn proprietor, recounts his transformation from a magically gifted young man into the most notorious wizard, musician, thief, and assassin in his world.

In our Adult Fiction Collection

Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (A, MR)

Because of the magical and fantastic strangeness of the Land and his place in it, Thomas Covenant finds it hard to believe it even exists. Thus, he calls himself "The Unbeliever" and does not realize the perilous fate of the world.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (C, A, MR)

Preoccupied with a magical land he read about in a childhood fantasy series, Quentin Coldwater is unexpectedly admitted into an exclusive college of magic and educated in modern sorcery.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (C, A, M)

Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an grand adventure from which he may never return.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White (C, A, M)

Here is the magical epic of King Arthur and his shining Camelot; of Merlin and Owl and Guinevere; of beasts who talk and men who fly, of wizardry and war. It is the book of all things lost and wonderful and sad.

(Annotations courtesy of NoveList and Barnes and Noble.)

If you are looking for more reading suggestions to fill the Harry Potter void, please see author and book critic Lev Grossman’s article “Curing Harry Potter Withdrawl.” Mr. Grossman's book list includes His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novick. You can see Michelle’s review of His Majesty’s Dragon on the adult services blog as well as a read-alike post for George R. R. Martin's latest release in the Song of Ice and Fire series A Dance with Dragons.

Remember these titles are located in the adult fiction and science fiction areas of the library so the subject matter may be darker and contain adult situations and language.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!