100 Books Like The Devil You Know

Harry Potter has done wonders for young people's reading. But that’s not why I love the final book. We have a hero dueling against a villain, courageous allies united against evil, and supporting characters killed off because they’re not all that important, and someone has to die. So far, it's a typical fantasy.

But I love this book because for a whole bunch of eleven-year-old witches and wizards, this was their first year at Hogwarts, and everything goes to hell! And I love that. They’re caught between overwhelming forces, forced to fight when they hardly know how to swish a wand, and everything blows up at the end. If this isn’t a great example of what real life is like then I don’t know what is.

I am cheating here on two counts. Firstly, I’m not recommending a single book but actually TWENTY NINE books and counting! Secondly, it’s not strictly fantasy; however, when a lowly street orphan ends up featuring in every major battle from 1799 through to 1821 whilst also playing a pivotal role in each one, I reckon even Gandalf, after coming back from the dead and riding saddle-less for days on end would look at Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Sharpe and think “Hmm, bit far-fetched.”

But this is the reason why I love Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe books. Richard Sharpe is an outcast in his own army, a victim of bullying and constantly underestimated, only to battle through dirt and smoke to prove all the posh snobs wrong every time. Here’s to the thirtieth!

Oh dear, I’m cheating again. Sort of. This isn’t really fantasy, either. It’s an adventure for young adults featuring teenage spy Alex Rider. But I love it too much to care, and besides, cheating is cool, kids! But there’s a specific reason why I’m finishing this list with Stormbreaker. Despite its exciting action, the book is written as a relatable and grounded affair. Alex Rider is an ordinary kid with ordinary problems. He’s ginger, often lonely, underestimated, and regularly cast aside. He’s relatable and that’s why I loved the books.

The film adaptation is a ridiculous charade of impossible stunts starring an incredibly handsome blonde-haired model and it feels like someone threw up confetti over a story that actually meant something to me. Fifteen-year-old me was justified in throwing his popcorn at the screen.

This is my favorite book. It’s funny and thoughtful, and I relate to the bedraggled hero in so many unfortunate ways. Rincewind is a wizard in name only (and only when wizard is spelled with two Z’s). He’s a bit hopeless at everything, we join him in the middle of a desert digging a pointless hole, and he is constantly struggling against forces that couldn’t care less about him. So unfortunate and so very, very relatable.

In truth, though, I could recommend any of the Discworld books. They proudly flaunt usual fantasy tropes and instead delve into the nitty-gritty of what it would really be like to live in a squalid city populated by self-important wizards, thieves with the correct documentation, and shadowy assassins for hire.

This book had the greatest influence on my desire to write my own ghost story.

I liked the stalwart Brit characters, Roderick and Pamela, even though they were a bit slow putting together the clues. I figured out the secret before they did, which only added to the fun. The writing style is old-fashioned enough to add to the atmosphere, and the story is beautifully told.

First off, I love Jonathan London’s illustration style. Froggy is a goofy, energetic animal character with his own series. In this story, he’s fired up and packing for a sleepover at Max’s house. But bedtime is different at Max’s, where Froggy’s comfy routine is upended. When Max starts telling ghost stories, Froggy wants to go home. And so, they decide to sleep over at Froggy’s instead. Then it’s Max who feels out of place and wants to go home. So, it’s back to Max’s. Then back and forth between houses until morning, when, finally, they fall asleep at Max’s. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to be away from home--a common feeling told with humor.

Darkhouse is the first in the Experiment in Terror novels by Karina Halle. I absolutely fell in love with her writing style, the way that she builds the world of Dex and Perry, their complicated acquaintance, and the lighthouse in which they find themselves drawn back to. Complete with anti-hero and strong heroine, as soon as I read this first book, I devoured the series. Without saying too much to spoil the series, I have to say that this ghost story was one that has gotten under my skin and one that I know I’ll go back to in the future.

Fans of literary fiction may not even realize that Edith Wharton (1862-1937), author of novels like The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome, also loved to write ghost stories, which often revolve around themes of class and gender. This collection includes such gems as the truly unnerving "The Lady Maid's Bell," the eerie yet poignant "Afterward," and "All Souls," one of the most unusual Halloween tales ever penned.

This is actually a short story rather than a novel, but there’s enough plot and character for a full novel. The story opens with this announcement: ‘I didn’t stop giving hand jobs because I wasn’t good at it. I stopped giving hand jobs because I was the best at it. For three years, I gave the best hand job in the tristate area.’ How can you not read on? The unnamed narrator is damaged, cynical, funny, and extremely unreliable. 

Yes, this novel is about life, death, and love, but if you’re envisioning a Bergman film full of angst, think again. For nineteen years, Jonathan Rebeck has been living in an abandoned mausoleum at Bronx’s Yorkchester Cemetery. Finding a way home has been as challenging for Rebeck as it was for Odysseus.  Rebeck has spent his time at the cemetery talking to ghosts, and to a raven quite the opposite of Poe’s. Usually, the human sees to the needs of the animal. In this instance, it is the raven who brings Rebeck pilfered food, and his unique wisdom.

As a romance blossoms between two of the ghosts at the cemetery, Rebeck and a widow he has become friendly with, try to help the spirits belatedly find love, and give Rebeck his own way back to life.