Top 5 Books for Hufflepuffs

Two published posts in the same day? I think I’m losing my mind. However, I take full responsibility for this since I couldn’t be bothered to post my Ravenclaw picks last week. As always, this is brought to us by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, who has gone through the trouble of finding the definition of a Hufflepuff for us:

They are hard working, determined, tenacious, loyal, honest, genuine, well rounded, fair and just, open minded, giving, good hearted, accepting, compassionate, practical, patient, unemotional, and dependable. Their loyalty is not given – it’s earned.

For most of the fandom, it seems that Hufflepuffs have become sort of a joke. They are the bumbling, fumbling, funny house, the ones that don’t seem to do especially well in classes and who are voted “Most Likely to Blow Themselves Up” in the yearbook. However, if you look beyond what the fandom has labelled them as, you find that you won’t find a better friend in the world.

But what books define a Hufflepuff?

To Be or Not To Be: A Chooseable Path Adventure by Ryan North

It’s a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book, but featuring Hamlet, Ophelia, and Hamlet’s dead father! I picked this up on a whim after reading about it on another blog (I can’t remember which one at the moment, which is depressing), but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. Now, I will say that I am probably pulling off the internet’s definition of a Hufflepuff, but I find this book absolutely hilarious. There are dead-ends, yes, and there are happily-ever-afters, but there are also endings that you will never see coming.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

You will not find a friend more loyal than the BFG. (At this point, I’m wishing I had put a Roald Dahl book on every one of my Hogwarts lists!) Both him and Sophie are determined to put an end to the other giants’ eating of humans, and it involves the Queen of England, even giving her an awful nightmare in order to make her believe that things are as bad as they are. If you can read this and disagree with me that the BFG and Sophie are not Hufflepuffs, then you probably need to go back and re-read the definition of a Hufflepuff, because they fit it to a T.

The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron

I love this retelling of the Merlin saga. I know it’s not 100% accurate to the early tales, and Barron does take some liberties with things, but it’s a wonderful story. Merlin really grows and changes as the years go on, and while I never read the middle series of books (I just read the Merlin series and the Great Tree of Avalon series, back when they were two separate series and not part of a larger set), Merlin is a great character. His development as a wizard is subtle, but at the same time you can see what’s going on behind the scenes, usually before he himself knows. If I was in trouble, I’d want Merlin to come and get me out of it – although I might end up with less hair than I started with.

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

I have sang the praises of Jenny Lawson on my blog multiple times before, but I will say it again: if you are going through a hard time, you will find a friend in Jenny. Even if you have never met her, by reading her books you’ll feel like you’ve known her forever. I am hoping that I get to see her when she does her next book tour (I’ll have to find something extra-creepy to give to her at the book signing, of course). I first discovered her book while working at the bookstore (prior to that I had only paid attention to her blog and didn’t realize she had a book) and immediately fell in love. If you’re looking for something a little different (it is a memoir, after all, but doesn’t fall into what someone typical would think a memoir would be), something that will make you feel like you’re not alone in this world.

Beyond the Deep Woods by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddel

First of all, I have this series from when it was originally published, all out of order (sort of like the Star Wars movies). Books 1-3 followed Twig, books 4-6 followed Quint (Twig’s father), and books 7-9 followed Rook (who comes way after Twig). It was just a mess, and was hard to keep straight once I started reading them. At some point, I need to go back and read them chronologically. I will say that Twig shows extreme loyalty to his friends, he is good-hearted and compassionate to everyone he comes across, no matter who they are. (He faces down a Termagent Trog, after all!) If something is going wrong, I’d want Twig on my side. Although I think I’d spring for Older Twig, as the Twig of the first book is a little green around the gills. He gets better as the books progress, don’t worry. (And he shows up again in Rook’s saga!)

So what do you think? Do you think I stayed away from the “Hufflepuffs are just there for comic relief” bit? Do you have any books I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments!

And as always, keep reading.