For Every Age: Greek Mythology

There's little something for everyone in this new blog series...

Recently a friend of mine has been wishing for an adult book that captured the same magic as a favorite book from childhood. She wanted something just as enchanting and immersive. That can be a hard thing to recapture, not only because of the inherent magic of childhood and the stories encounter at that age. But, that doesn't mean it is impossible!

So I started to think about Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult books that hit similar themes, subjects, or feelings. Did you love the Middle Grade book back in the day? Check out the YA and Adult equivalents! An Adult reader ready to branch out? Check out the others! I firmly believe that these lists move in all directions.

First up in the series I want to take on a pretty straight forward (but popular) one: Greek Mythology! I've always been a mythology fan and each of these are books I would personally recommend.

Middle Grade: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (obviously!)

This series is so fun! I didn't read these until I was an adult and I still loved the adventure and humor. Percy is a great protagonist and the world is full of original and mythological characters. Also, Riordan doesn't shy away from some of the less savory aspects of the Gods, but he does find a way to make it appropriate for younger readers. With five books in this series and five in each of the companion series, The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo, you've got plenty to binge.

Nothing seems to be going right for Percy...and then his teacher turns into a monster. That's when Percy's mom decides its time he learn the truth about who he is by sending him to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods. But things don't go totally smoothly there either, so Percy and his friends take off to prevent a war between the gods.

Bonus: Rick Riordan started his own imprint called Rick Riordan Presents, which produces books and series that follow different mythologies and legends from different cultures, written by authors from those traditions.

Young Adult: Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini

This trilogy combines Greek myth (specifically The Iliad) with the sort of tortured, cursed love story that YA does best. Although Helen and other characters are also demigods, this series has the twist of destiny that borders on reincarnation, which is what makes the romance so starcrossed. Helen and Lucas are a great lead couple and the other characters bring The Iliad into the modern age in a really interesting way. This is a series I loved when it first came out and it's about time I revisited it.

Helen lives on the small island of Nantucket, which makes it tricky to hide how different she is. Of course, it then has to get worse with nightmares and hallucinations. And that's all before she meets Lucas Delos, who she is drawn to, while others are desperate to keep them apart.

Bonus: A new YA Greek Mythology book is coming out in January 2021: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Adult: The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller

If you love Greek Mythology and haven't read Miller yet, get on it! A classics professor, Miller is an expert on The Iliad and The Odyssey (as well as a score of others), which she expands on beautifully in these two books. She also finds an incredible way to use language to capture the feeling of the original myths, while still making the books insanely readable. Miller is also an incredible speaker and worth checking out live or recorded.

The Song of Achilles digs deeper in to the history and personal lives of Achilles and Patroclus (who narrates the book). When Patroclus is exiled from his father's kingdom, he somehow finds his way into the favor of the golden prince Achilles. The two boys grow together into men, finding themselves and each other through training, trickery, and war.

Circe expands the story of the witch from The Odyssey, taking her from one of Odysseus' obstacles into a full character and powerfully independent woman. Although living in exile, Circe crosses paths with some of the most famous mythic figures and finds herself facing off against some of the most dangerous Olympians.

Bonus: A new Adult mythological reimagining is coming spring 2021: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.

What subject or theme should I explore next in this series? I'm hoping to go all sorts of directions and would love to hear what you are looking for. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect recommendation for my friend who inspired this series, but when I find it, you'll see it as part of this series!