10 books like A Great and Terrible Beauty

A Discovery of Witches is an exciting journey! Deborah Harkness masterfully weaves together history, science, and fantasy to create a captivating story that will keep you guessing until the  end. The book is filled with layers of clues and mysteries that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well-developed, and the romance between Diana and Matthew is both compelling and heart-wrenching. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait to dive into the  next installment. This book is a true page-turner, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with a touch of magic!

I have been a reader all my life, but Inkheart is the story that made me want to be a writer. Every page is both an invitation for book lovers to step inside the dream of beloved characters coming to life and a call to confront the villains who emerge from the very same pages. If ever there was a book that celebrates the simple wonder of being a reader and crafting stories of your own, it’s this one.

Classism and competition meet in this young adult first-in-series. Thirty-five poverty-stricken girls compete for a chance to swap out their down-and-out lifestyles for a chance at wealth and prestige. Being “selected” means winning the affections of heart-throb Prince Maxon and being allowed to live in some pretty fabulous new digs (it’s a palace!). But what happens if the selected one doesn’t want to be selected? That’s the case for America, our protagonist…until she actually gets to know the prince she’s won. Some have said this series is The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, and I couldn’t agree more. 

This book is such a heartfelt tale surroundings two sisters raised by a woman who cared little of their emotional states and only of perfection in the arts. While revolving around the real world, readers are taken to a mystical realm with the protagonists as they discover magic and the fae exist. It’s the struggles we all face in life that this book touches on. As an artist I can understand the need for perfection in my art, like the characters.

As you can probably see, I like books that are emotionally provocative. This book does just that! It’s just such a different kind of story where the protagonist was built to be exactly like someone else, including memories and life, just in case something happens to the original. It’s a raw look at who someone really is and how they become that person. 

This one is a dystopian novel (again) but another that’s all about survival and emotions. Making decisions isn’t always easy and sometimes we have to overcome a lot and that’s precisely what the protagonist has to do. Surviving in the new world isn’t easy and she’s got some tough, emotional changes to endure in this read. 

When I was recommended this book, I was in the midst of my own journey of self-discovery, like the author was in writing it. I was just starting to embrace who I wanted to be: someone who could open people’s imaginations to the magic that is already all around us. Faery Tale is the story that prompted me to book that trip to Ireland and Scotland and experience the mysticism of the lands for myself. I’m not a memoir enthusiast normally, but Pike’s (at first) skeptical POV,  detailed research into Celtic folklore, and real-life magical encounters inspired much of my debut novel. 

I'm always reluctant to recommend occult books (there's definitely a weirdness factor that will turn some off), but this isn't like any other. Don't worry: you don't have to purchase a wand, crystals, salts, oils, or herbs. Scott Cunningham was a widely respected practitioner that always advocated for age-old tools of natural magic—like water from a spring. For those interested in exploring the Craft, this is the perfect starting point because it reminds us of the fundamentals: nature is magic. It doesn't get more complicated than that.

Carry On is the ultimate work of subversive literature. Not only does Rainbow Rowell brilliantly parody the most popular series of wizarding fiction ever written, but she turns it on its head. Simon is about the least likely ‘chosen one’ ever and Baz is an arch nemesis with some surprising secrets. This book takes everything you expect from the genre and makes it even better. It’s like fanfiction come to life with a story that steals your imagination, characters that stick with you forever, and lines that make your heart stall, dip, and pound in your chest. This beautiful piece of writing about finding love and finding self reminded me to keep looking for answers in unexpected places. 

Contains: LGBTQI+ main characters

This was one of my favourite books when I was a child, and it still makes me laugh even now. On first reading, I was immediately captivated by the witty depiction of the closed world of Linbury Court Preparatory School, a traditional boys’ boarding school inspired by the school at which the author had taught. The endearing central character of Jennings is well-meaning and spirited, but his mad-cap schemes, in which he is aided by his chum Darbishire, inevitably backfire with hilarious results. I especially loved the language of their schoolboy banter, eg “what a wizard wheeze!” for “what a great idea”. Although first published in 1950, it’s still a very entertaining read.