Books
With January on the horizon, it's time to get excited about 2018 reading. (Cue fireworks.) And if you're a Harry Potter fan, I'm sure you're itching to embark on a new literary adventure. You could just read the series over and over again, but where would the fun be in that? And while J.K. Rowling may not have announced any plans to release a book eight (though we can still cling on to some hope, right? Right?), there are plenty of great books just waiting for you to embark on them this year.
A good reading plan, in my opinion, is full of variety. As all Potter fans know, the series is about much more than just magic. Harry Potter fans are united in their thirst for adventure, their curiosity, and their passion for making the world a better place. The books' themes dive much further than the wizarding world, touching on activism, love, friendships, relationships, family, and more. Harry Potter, in my opinion, is not so much a series about a boy wizard, but a story about what it means to be alive.
So, in this plan you'll find everything from good ol' fantasy to nonfiction. There are books that sweep you away into new magical worlds and epic adventures. There are books that will help you fight back against injustice, and books that will let you explore history. Plus, there are, of course, books that will appeal to every Potterhead's sense of whimsy.
This plan assumes that you read one book per month, but obviously everyone reads at their own pace. Of course, you can also make changes as you see fit based on your own reading style and interests, using this plan as a springboard. You'll also see that many of these books start off new series, and you're definitely going to want to add in their sequels as you get hooked. This list is filled with new releases as well as older favorites (that you may have missed or are due to re-read). Plus, of course, I'm assuming you're going to re-read the Harry Potter series at least a few times this coming year.
So, if you love Harry Potter more than anything and are looking for new reading this year, your quest is over. Here's the ultimate reading plan for every Potterhead's perfect literary 2018. Now, summon your inner Hermione and get reading!
January: 'The Cruel Prince' by Holly Black (Jan. 2)
Start your year with a new series from Holly Black. Jude's parents were murdered when she was just seven years old, and she and her sisters were stolen away to the High Court of Faerie. Now, ten years later, Jude is fighting for a spot on the court, in spite of its cruel leader and the stigma against her own mortality.
February: 'Ink, Iron, and Glass' by Gwendolyn Clare (Feb. 20)
In this exciting debut novel, readers will be transported to a world in which magic comes from the practice of scriptology. New worlds are created with just pen and paper, and our hero, Elsa, comes from one of these invented worlds. But when Elsa's mother is taken, she must travel to the real world, where she discovers the makings of a dark conspiracy.
March: 'Children Of Blood And Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi (March 6)
Zélie remembers when her land still burned brightly with magic — the way it was before a ruthless king destroyed it all. Now, she has a chance to bring back the magic — and hope — to her people. But first, she first must outwit the crown prince.
April: 'Circe' by Madeline Miller (April 10)
From the author of The Song of Achilles, this book tells the story of Circe, a young witch and the daughter of Helios, who is banished to a desert island in the mortal realm. Magic, adventure, and mythology — this one's got it all.
May: 'Nasty Women' edited by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding
Social justice activism and feminism are both huge parts of Harry Potter, and both will certainly be huge parts of 2018. Get inspired to resist with a little help from Cheryl Strayed, Rebecca Solnit, and Jessica Valenti.
June: 'Bruja Born' by Zoraida Cordova (June 5)
This sequel to Labyrinth Lost is coming out in June, and if you haven't already, you're going to want to get in on this electric series. The sequel centers on Labyrinth's heroine's sister, Lula, who uses her magical abilities to bring back her boyfriend.... and accidentally awakens some dark forces in the process.
July: 'Binti' by Nnedi Okorafor
The third book in this series is coming out in Jan. 2018, so whether you're starting from the beginning or eagerly anticipating the next installment, you're going to want to read Binti at some point next year. Binti is the first of her people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, one of the best schools in the galaxy. But as she leaves her home and culture behind, she finds herself on a deadly interstellar journey.
August: 'Shadowshaper' by Daniel José Older
This phenomenal book takes you into another vibrant world of magic and resistance, this time in Brooklyn. When Sierra discovers that her family is part of an ancient order that connects with spirits through paintings, music, and other forms of art, she finds herself wrapped up in an intense supernatural battle. (Its sequel, Shadowhouse Fall, came out in 2017!)
September: 'My Merry Spinster: Tales Of Everyday Horror' by Mallory Ortberg (March 13)
If you were equally entranced by the history of witches and divination, then this just might be the book for you. This collection of dark fairy retellings have a magic — and humor — all their own.
October: 'Literary Witches' by Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan
As a Potterhead you obviously love both witches and reading, so you're going to adore this book that celebrates literature's witchiest authors with illustrations and vignettes. Featuring pieces on Virginia Woolf, Mira Bai, Toni Morrison, Emily Dickinson, Octavia E. Butler, Sandra Cisneros, and more.
November: 'A Darker Shade of Magic' by V.E. Schwab
In this remarkable series, the Antari are a league of magicians who can travel through different parallel versions of London. Readers follow Kell, a smuggler who escapes to Grey London after his plans go awry and meets his match in a cut-purse with grand ambitions.
December: 'The Boneless Mercies' by April Genevieve Tucholke (Oct. 2.)
Did you ever wish that Harry Potter had, well, more girls? Hermione and Luna and Ginny were amazing, and I wish the entire series had been about them. Next October, April Genevieve Tucholke will release her feminist, gender-bent retelling of Beowulf about four mercenaries chasing glory and honor by killing a monster. Need I say more?
