stop supporting JKR!!!
books to get for the middle grade readers in your life that have similar vibes but are NOT Harry Potter (and are in fact better)






Alternatives to Harry Potter
You liked Harry Potter but youโre angry at the author for being a huge transphobe and you would like some alternatives because you donโt want to give money to her so she can finance transphobia and you have enough of Harry Potterโs racist stereotypes like Cho Chang and other problematic themes in this saga? Youโre in the right place! I havenโt read all, if some are misplaced, let me know! Also, if you want more fantasy recs, I have a queer fantasy list! It is addressed to different ages.






Over the Garden Wall ๐ธ๐
Over the a Garden Wallโฆ and into a book! Spooky, cozy, and creepy fall vibes






Doorways to Other Worlds
Portal fantasy (middle grade through adult lit with maybe some sci-fi too).
Because sometimes you just want to read about characters literally escaping their world or temporarily exploring other ones since youโre stuck here.
(Please note: series will only contain the earliest applicable volume even if more/all are the same to avoid clutter. Also, open to recs!)






Lost in the Forest ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
Humans share 25% of our DNA with trees and I share 100% of my affections with these books that feature forests, trees, and wild landscapes.
Leave your recs in the comments!
๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ See you in the forest โ๏ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ






Monsters in the Woods
Stories that involve monsters (literal, psychological, metaphorical) and the woods. ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ






reading in stereo
from fiction to memoirs and everything in between, all of these books were written by (mostly recognizable) musicians!
As always, recommendations for additional titles are super appreciated! ๐ซถ๐ป






books that take place in the pnw
fiction books that primarily take place in the pnw






pacific northwestern reads
a collection of books that take place in oregon & washington






if books were a season: fall edition
books iโve read (and liked) that made me feel the cozy calm (or dark grit) of fall
no rhyme or reason, just โจvibesโจ
**iโm including some cozy fantasy/spooky season/fall-occurring books, but this list is also meant to expand beyond those limited sub-genres to include books i think would hit different if read during fall or majorly incorporate elements i associate w fall like mountains/forests, adventures, murder, small towns, seasons of change/hardship, grittiness, dark academia, pirates, etc






The cold is a character
It's always there just oozing into every part of the story






Books set in Portland, OR
Books set in Portland or written by authors from Portland, OR






Escapism ft. Whimsy
Very studio ghibli vibes






Laika Studios
Books adapted to (and adapted from) films by the fantastic Laika Studios!!






(Kinda) Cozy Botanical Books






one-book-fits-all [ages]
middle grade adventures! recs welcome :)
thereโs a special place in my heart for middle grade novels. i think they have the hardest audienceโtheyโre written for a group defined by transition, bridging the gap between childhood and adolescence by creating space in the in-between. when done well, their universal themes (like change!) and prose make the books translatable to any age. since it feels like that should be impossible, iโm convinced authors of this age group are geniuses.






Under the Covers with a Hot Cup of Tea
These stories are the perfect companion to nestling under a pile of blankets and rubbing your feet together.






Bibliophage 2026 Book Club
This list is from the Bibliophage Podcast, information can be found at https://www.bibliophagebooks.com We've selected twelves books to read together through 2026. Month and name of book author: Jan.- Django Wexler Feb. -Francois Clemmons Mar.- Peng Shepherd Apr. -Jodi Picoult May -Gwenna Laithland Jun. -Linda McRobbie Jul. - John Scalzi Aug.- Bryn Greenwood Sept.- Raquel Gililand Oct. - Rebecca Skloot Nov.- Colin Meloy Dec.- Pip Williams






best children's books EVER
books that rewrote my brain at age 10