100 books like Taran Wanderer

I have recommended this book to so many people over the years! I loved the unique setting—deep beneath the sewers of New York City—and the way Gregor travels to this world—through a chute in his apartment’s laundromat. 

My ten-year-old son and I both read this one and loved all the talking creatures and subterranean adventure—giant anthropomorphic rats, cockroaches, and bats you can ride! All those creepy crawlies might sound a little icky to some, but I loved how inventive and unexpected it all was. One of my favorite characters is a smart-mouthed, grumpy warrior rat named Ripred, who, deep down, has a soft side (plus a powerful love for stinky food).  

This was a hard book to put down. Nearly every chapter ends with a high-stakes, dangerous development. I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next. 

Sometimes you read a book that lingers with you for years—this is that book.

The Goose Girl is an enchanting, beautifully poetic read that captures the essence of everything that makes fairy tales magical. It’s a bit longer than most fairy tale retellings, but it makes the pages count, and it develops sweet relationships between the characters.

This is also the start of a series, with later books covering the side characters and giving them their own chances to shine. 10/10.

A classic adventure story full of hobbits, trolls, and so much more.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed The Hobbit!

It’s underrated how funny this book is and it’s not as challenging a read as you’d think.

(I also highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis).

This is the third book in this seven-book series where Hermione Granger plays a more central part in the plot. It was around about the time this came out that I discovered Harry Potter and went back to read from the Philosopher’s Stone onwards.

I was always convinced, from the very beginning, that Hermione Granger is black with her ‘bushy brown hair,’ so I was disappointed when Emma Watson was cast in the subsequent film versions. As we now all know from the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hermione Granger is black. 

I often suspect that characters in novels are black or Asian, even though there is no explicit reference to them being so in the text. Not all black characters' experiences are just about gangsta or slavery, and not all Asian characters are escaping arranged marriages.

The Horse and His Boy is the story-within-a-story of The Chronicles of Narnia that baffles some readers of the series but is beloved to others. I am one of the latter. I have always, since I was a kid, loved this story of longing, coming-of-age, and enemies to friends to lovers—all couched in a race against time to warn Narnia about a coming invasion! Shasta and Aravis are a perfect quarreling couple as they both leave home and comfort to set out into the wide world, and the profound changes they undergo along the way add just the right depth to the classic tale. From start to finish, this is fantasy Bildungsroman at its finest.

Hathin needs to cover up that her sister isn’t an oracle. Actually, she’s pretty useless. But now leaders are coming to investigate her sister. Can Hathin fake it? 

Frances Hardinge writes so many good books, but this is my favorite of hers by far. She sets up what you think will be the plot… and then zip! Something totally unexpected happens. So you figure you know where the story’s going… and nope! Now it goes a different direction entirely! And each zig builds tension until the finale of the story, wrapping everything together. If you enjoy female protagonists in a rich fantasy setting, check this out!

Matt serves as a cabin boy on an airship when he encounters a man who claims there are creatures that fly and never touch the ground…

This book is pure fun and adventure. Looking for amazing creatures? Real stakes and human conflict? A likable main character? You’ve got it all here. I particularly loved the work the author put into creating an entire ecosystem of creatures that live so far up in the sky that we never see them on the ground! 

A lot of people are familiar with The Wizard of Oz through the old movie. Most people, if they’ve read any of the books, are probably most familiar with the first one. For my money, though, the second book is so much better. The Land of Oz brings in more magic, more delightful characters, some truly villainous foes, and sets up the rest of the book series. I’d encourage readers to check out the original books by Baum as well as the continuation by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Yes, it’s aimed at younger kids, but I still read and love the Oz books as an adult! 

If, like me, you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away or Ponyo, then this graphic novel is for you. It not only tackles a story revolving around growing up with magic but it adds in many other things that many of us have struggled with such as family expectations, living up to your potential, and more. Of course, everything feels a little more exciting when magic is added to the mix, but those themes that exist in the real world ground this story and allow for a strong connection to Sophie, our young protagonist.

Gail Carson Levine has been one of my favorite authors all my life. She and my maternal grandmother are jointly responsible for my deep obsession with fairy tales.

While Ella Enchanted is more well known, Fairest is my favorite of her fairy tale novels. It’s a Snow White retelling that made me truly fall in love with the main character. Aza’s insecurities felt real to me, and I loved the twist that she is not fairest in all the land because of looks but, rather, because of her voice.

This story breaks me down and builds me back up again. I’ve reread it many times and intend to reread it many more.