Grishaverse Creator Leigh Bardugo’s Favorite Books

“The Thief” originally came out in 1996 and became a Newbery Honor Book. Every fantasy trope you’ve ever loved (only a mild exaggeration) is present — and turned on its head — during Eugenides’ quests. Gen, our witty and irreverent hero, accepts a shady deal from a magus to get out of prison. The job? Steal an object of legend. Follow Gen’s adventure through a magical landscape inspired by Ancient Greece. If he doesn’t steal your heart, he’ll certainly steal your breath (with laughter).

Black Girl Magic takes on the canon of Arthurian legend in this breakout contemporary YA fantasy. After the loss of her mother in an accident, Bree Matthews goes off to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the school’s Early College program. There, she learns much more than she bargained for: She can wield magic, and this makes her a member of a secret society where she’s the only Black member. “Legendborn” is an engrossing fantasy that confronts how white knights might not be so heroic.

Bardugo has nothing but love for fellow YA fantasy hit-maker Holly Black. Back in 2019, Bardugo tweeted about the Goodreads Choice Awards; someone asked who won for best YA fantasy, and Bardugo replied “queen @hollyblack. It is an honor to lose to her!” The dedication to Black’s novel “The Queen of Nothing” reads: “For Leigh Bardugo, who never lets me get away with anything.” So it’s no surprise to find Black’s first book, the hit “Tithe,” on this list. Sixteen-year-old Kaye travels with her mom’s rock band around the country, and in New Jersey, she discovers warring faery kingdoms. And who can resist a good faery story?

Helene Wecker’s beautiful debut novel is steeped in Jewish and Arabian folklore. The golem and jinni’s attempts to blend in with the humans surrounding them forms a refreshingly frank look at what it means to be human. Bardugo is Israeli American, so it makes sense that this Jewish-inspired work of magical realism would rank among her favorites.

A children’s classic with a whimsical Hayao Miyazaki adaptation. While lots of people credit Studio Ghibli for making the story magical, much of the delight is directly lifted — amplified, even — in Diana Wynne Jones’ original text itself. Follow Sophie as she works to break the spell the Witch of the Waste placed on her and meets the wizard, Howl.

Like the aforementioned “Cemetery Boys,” this novel revolves around bruja and brujo — but this time, the main character, Alex, is determined to get rid of her bruja powers rather than prove she’s a witch. At the end of the day, her attempts to release herself from magic ends poorly — her entire family is banished to Los Lagos, the underworld. Get lost in a beautiful, multicultural world.

“[Sarah Rees] Brennan delivers witty, nervy, romantic adventure that fizzes with feeling and giddy imagination,” Bardugo wrote in an official blurb for “In Other Lands.” This work is a large undertaking with a big payoff: It starts with know-it-all 13-year-old Elliot being a very obnoxious protagonist whose snarky exterior melts away through the next four years in a fantasyland. Simply magical.