Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books About Friendship

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books About Friendship… and it was a surprisingly difficult list to put together! Every time I had an idea about a book to include, I’d realize that it ended up as a love story or a family story. In fact, it was hard to come up with a selection of books that didn’t focus on romance or wasn’t about siblings — but that really just place the emphasis on friendship. But after much torment and scouring of my real and virtual bookshelves, here’s what made my list this week:

1) Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White: I don’t think there’s a better friend in fiction than Charlotte the spider. And I’m sure Wilbur would agree.

2) The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien: A motley band, to be sure, but from a group of strange companions, the fellowship develops into a deeply devoted band of friends.

3) Code Name Verity: Sigh. Julia and Maddie. Tears. Oh my.

4) The Harry Potter series: This probably belongs up at #1. Why was Harry able to survive and triumph? Because he didn’t have to do it alone. Ron and Hermione are the best friends a young wizard could have, not to mention all the various and sundry other members of the Hogwarts gang and their extended families. (Dobby! Neville! Weasley twins!)

5) Lamb by Christopher Moore: I hope it’s not disrespectful to say that this novel about Jesus and his childhood pal Biff is one of the best buddy books I’ve ever read! Hilariously funny, and surprisingly touching as well.

6) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See: Just a beautiful, beautiful book about two friends in 19th century China.

7) Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando: This is probably the newest book on my list. I really loved the focus on two strangers getting to know one another via email before becoming college roommates — with all the revelations, secret sharing, and misunderstandings that you’d find in real life. True friendship may not be easy, but it’s worth the work!

8) Doc by Mary Doria Russell: This may seem like an odd choice, but one of my favorites things about this historical novel about Doc Holliday is the portrayal of his friendship with Wyatt Earp.

9) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 8 and beyond): Okay, maybe it’s a bit of a cheat, but I love the comic series that picks ups where the TV series left off — and as with Harry Potter, the secret of Buffy’s success is her gang of friends. Where would Buffy be without the Scoobies?

10) And finally, for a unique look at friendship gone wrong, check out the darkly comic The Basic Eight by Daniel Handler.

I’m sure I missed some books that will pop into my head in the middle of the night…

What’s on your list this week? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

21Apr2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Characters With Essential Survival Skills

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Characters Who… (choose a characteristic and find ten characters who fit). So many options! Characters who make the best friends? Characters I’d like to invite for dinner? It’s so hard to narrow it down!

Going with my chosen theme, these are my picks for characters who you’d want by your side in a crisis — characters who have the skills it takes to survive!

1) Claire Fraser (Outlander series): You’ve got to hand it to Claire. She manages the transition from 20th century to 18th century without missing a beat, and adapts her modern-day physician skills to become a healer woman in her new home. Medicinal herbs, home-brewed penicillin, hand-made ether for surgical anesthetic — Claire can do it all!

2) Brianna Randall MacKenzie (Outlander series): Just as inventive as her mother Claire, although with a different focus. Bree is an excellent shot, can hunt for dinner any day of the week, and in her spare time figures out how to create a kiln and make water pipes from clay.

3) Darla Edmunds (Ashfall series): Darla, a super-talented teen, is the key to survival for her entire community. She invents Bikezilla (a hybrid bicycle/snowmobile that can be used to haul just about anything), bike-powered corn mills, wind-powered turbines, and central heating. When there’s no electricity and everyone is on the verge of starvation, Darla figures out how to feed, house, and warm hundreds of people at a time.

4) Lauren Olamina (Parable of the Sower): Lauren founds a religion, protects her people, creates a community, and keeps hope alive when the world seems to be falling to pieces. She also thinks ahead to the little things, like stocking up on ammo and plant seeds.

5) Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire): Tyrion seems to always manage to survive, somehow, by using his wits and his tongue. Whether these will continue to work for him remains to be seen.

6) Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games): No explanation needed, right?

7) Yorick Brown (Y: The Last Man): After all males on the planet are wiped out in an instant, Yorick is literally the last man on Earth — and there are plenty of people who’d like to get rid of him too. He survives through goofiness, charm, and his ability to roll with the punches and not give up. Despite his slacker exterior, Yorick excels at forging alliances, and the biggest plus in his fight for survival is the excellent team he holds together.

8) Hig (The Dog Stars): Being a pilot is a matter of survival for Hig in this post-apocalyptic novel, in which viewing the surrounding terrain from the air and being able to spot danger before it arrives at his door is what’s kept him alive for so long.

9) Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit): Never underestimate the survival ability of a burglar! For a simple hobbit who never wanted to leave his own comfy home, Bilbo certainly has a talent for getting into and out of the unlikeliest of places. And clearly, being able to solve riddles when your life is on the line is no small ~~feet~~ feat.

10) Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files): Not only is Harry the only professional wizard in Chicago, he’s a man with the ability to face down any foe, human or otherwise, cast enchantments and spells, and even come back from the dead. Can’t beat that for a survival skill!

What character traits were on your mind this week? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

26Aug2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week.

This week’s theme is Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters. Sometimes we love a book for the dashing heroes, the leading love interest, the grand adventurer. And sometimes it’s the people in the background who really bring a book to life and give it depth, filling out an entire community even while they’re not the main focus. So here’s a salute to all those amazing characters who may not have their own books (yet!), but who make such an impact on us as readers.

Actually, my first thought with this week’s list was to fill up my 10 choices with just Harry Potter characters, which — believe me — wouldn’t be hard at all to do. But in the interest of diversity, I’m branching out and limiting myself to just one from Harry’s world, which is:

1) Dobby, Harry Potter series: We met him as an annoying little creature causing Harry all sorts of woe in book 2 — but by the 7th book, it’s clear that Dobby is one of the unsung heroes of the series. “Dobby is a free elf!” If you didn’t leave the first Deathly Hallows movies in tears, then I’m sorry, my friend, but your heart is made of stone.

2) Ian Murray (“Young Ian”), Outlander series. Ian always reminds me of an overgrown puppy, especially when he makes his first appearance in Voyager. But from a skinny, gawky, always-in-trouble 14-year-old, Ian grows into a strong, brave young man who has survived more than his share of heartbreak and impossible challenges. And always with so much love for his family, and so much devotion and loyalty!

3) Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings trilogy: Is there a better friend than Sam? He doesn’t get the glory, but without him, Frodo never would have made it to Mordor.

4) Reepicheep, Narnia series: A fearless soldier devoted to honor and adventure, who also happens to be a two-foot high mouse. Reep rules.

5) Claudia, Interview With The Vampire: Back before the flood of vampire books, there was Interview… and Interview introduces us to one of the most shocking vampire characters of all time: Claudia, turned as a little girl, destined to always be trapped in a girl’s body even after decades of life. She’s a killer, she’s wanton, and she’s utterly tragic.

6) Ivy Hisselpenny, The Parasol Protectorate series: Never underestimate the power of an atrocious hat! Ivy is the best friend of main character Alexia, and keeps Alexia amused and informed with her never-ending gossip, chit-chat and fashion missteps. Ivy goes from mere sidekick to a more active figure as the series progresses, but never loses her humor or her awful hats.

7) Dee, Just One Day: Gayle Forman’s Just One Day has at its center a love story and a girl’s personal growth and transformation — but a key part of Allyson’s development happens in college once she meets Dee, the outspoken boy from her Shakespeare class who convinces Allyson to break out of her shell and take some chances.

8) Charlotte Lucas, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Charlotte Lucas, best friend of Elizabeth Bennett, is kind of bland and unremarkable in Pride and Prejudice. But in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as one of the afflicted, Charlotte is one of the funniest (and grossest) parts of the book. It’s kind of a riot to watch her slowly turning into a zombie while everyone around her is too well-mannered to mention her little problem.

9) Go, Gone Girl: Margo, twin sister of main character Nick, loves him and supports him, but is no push-over. She doesn’t have a central role, but I did always enjoy it when Go would show up in a scene.

10) Lou Carmody, NOS4A2: I absolutely loved the character Lou in Joe Hill’s super-creepy NOS4A2. As I wrote in my review: “Lou is terribly overweight and not very healthy, but has a heart of gold, the soul of a hero, and is a geeky fanboy through and through, as well as one hell of a mechanic.” Lou loves with all his heart, and does wonderful things because of that love.

So, sorry Fred and George, Lupin and Tonks, and the rest of the HP gang, but there just wasn’t room for everyone this week!

Who made your list this week?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a blog hop or book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

1Apr2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Fictional Crushes

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week.

The actual topic this week is “Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character”, but in my mind, I can’t help thinking of it as my Top Ten Fictional Crushes — or, as a friend and I like to say, our top 10 fictional boyfriends. Which makes us sound about 14 years old, but there you have it.

Since this is all make-believe, real-life considerations such as availability and age-appropriateness go right out the window. So here we go — the men of my book-bound dreams:

1) James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser, a.k.a. Jamie Fraser (Outlander). Because, seriously — is there anything better than a tall, red-headed Scottish warrior in a kilt, who’s also mind-meltingly tender and romantic? I don’t think so.

2) Matthew Clairmont (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night). Sexy vampire with multiple PhD degrees? Check.

3) Emilio Sandoz (The Sparrow). I know he’s a priest — didn’t I say that this list has nothing to do with availability? Emilio is so gifted, so perfect, and so tragically wounded in body and soul. Makes me want to protect him from the world. Sigh.

4) Henry DeTamble (The Time Traveler’s Wife). I love his romantic streak and his punk-rock wildness. Totally miscast in the movie version, in my opinion, but Henry in the book? To die for.

5) Eric Northman (Sookie Stackhouse series). I’ve got nothing against Alexander Skarsgard, but book Eric is THE Eric for me. The version of Eric I see when I read the books is a big and beefy Viking, built more like a football player (with super long ultra-blond hair) than the lean and lanky (and totally hot) Swedish TV version of Eric. I truly, truly loved Eric through many, many books… until the last couple, when his character kind of fell apart. In my humble opinion, of course.

6) Sirius Black (Harry Potter series). Love. Just love. Sirius is noble, loyal, misunderstood, intense, and hey — he’s a Gryffindor!

7) Connal Maccon (The Parasol Protectorate). Another Scottish crush! Although this one tends more toward fur than kilts. Connal is a big, strong, devoted man, a fine husband and father, and one heck of a pack Alpha for his house full of werewolves.

8) Ned Stark (A Game of Thrones). Poor Ned. For the 1% of people who haven’t either read the books or watched the HBO show, let’s just leave it at that. But goodness, what an honorable man. And yet another dedicated husband and father — do we sense a theme here? Runners up from ASoIaF: Jon Snow and Khal Drogo. No explanations needed.

9) Harry Dresden (Dresden Files). A wise-cracking wizard who kicks butt, defies authority, and is fiercely loyal to friends and family. What a guy.

10) I got totally stuck coming up with a #10. Should I go with the ever-popular Mr. Darcy? What about underdog Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities? Or Brandon Birmingham, dashing sea captain from The Flame and the Flower (my very first romance novel, which I read at much too young and impressionable an age)? Then again, I did love Jake Epping in 11/22/63, Adam Hauptmann in the Mercy Thompson books… oh, and Aragorn! How could I forget my king?

It’s hopeless. I’m doomed to always fall for my book heroes. But happily, they’re always right there on my shelves, whenever I want to spend time with them again. So let’s hear it for our fictional crushes!

Who’s on your list this week?

29Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

For me, frustrating characters tend to fall into a few broad categories. Those who make bad choices, especially when they should know better. Those who chase after things or people they can never have. Those who bring on catastrophe through a failure to communicate. Those who refuse to recognize happiness when it’s staring them right in the face.

So which fictional characters deserve a good shake? Who do I want to slap some sense into? Or at least treat to a very stern lecture?

1) Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, have you not noticed how many times you’ve almost died? Did you ever think that maybe you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd? People — like Sookie — who consistently put themselves into dangerous situations, fully aware that they’re doing it but doing it anyway, are incredibly frustrating to read about. Plus, Sookie spends way too much time on her beauty routines, and I just don’t have time (or interest) enough to keep reading about her showers, her leg-shaving, and her hair style choices.

2) Scarlett O’Hara. Okay, how could you possibly pick boring old Ashley Wilkes over roguish Rhett Butler? It’s frustrating when a character is so completely deluded about what she really wants and needs. As Rhett tells her:

… you’re such a child, Scarlett. A child crying for the moon. What would a child do with the moon if it got it? And what would you do with Ashley? Yes, I’m sorry for you — sorry to see you throwing away happiness with both hands and reaching out for something that would never make you happy.

But no. Scarlett just will not see what’s right in front of her eyes, and must continually chase after a man so absolutely wrong for her. Wake up!

3) Marianne Dashwood. The embodiment of “sensibility” in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Marianne is ruled by her emotions, which might not be altogether terrible if she also had a shred of judgment. Of course Willoughby turns out to be a cad! For goodness sake, pull yourself together, Marianne. No man is worth that kind of fuss… and oh, by the way, that Colonel Brandon seems like a nice fellow.

4 & 5) Roger Mackenzie and Brianna Randall. Pretty much everything that happens to these two characters in The Drums of Autumn (book #4 in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series) could have been avoided if they had just communicated with one another. Each one withholds key pieces of information, so that the other acts rashly and without knowledge of important facts. And each ends up in awful, devastating danger as a result. Granted, if they’d been straight with each other in the first place, we’d end up missing about half of the plot of this book — but still, talk about frustrating! Secrets and deceptions may make dramatic plot devices, but it drives me crazy when good, strong, otherwise honorable and admirable characters fail to communicate on such a basic level.

6) Robb Stark. So you wanna be a king? You could start by growing up a bit! I’m sorry if you don’t like your arranged marriage, but entire alliances rest upon the deals made in your name. Falling in love is not a good enough excuse for alienating an important ally — not in a world where several different armies want nothing more than your head on a pike. Oh, Robb.

7 & 8) Bella Swan and Anastasia Steele. Men who want to be in charge of your every move are not being romantic. They’re being controlling. Showing up in your bedroom uninvited to watch you sleep is not sweet. It’s creepy. Enough said. [Note: I am not a Twilight-hater. I enjoyed the books. I liked the Fifty Shades books too. But that doesn’t change the fact that these two characters make really poor choices.]

9) Lord Conall Maccon. I love Conall (alpha male of the Woolsey Pack in Gail Carriger’s wonderful Parasol Protectorate series). But his behavior in book 2, Changeless, is beyond frustrating. I won’t spoil what happens (go out and read the books!), but suffice it to way that when faced with a surprising development, hot-headed Conall jumps to the worst possible conclusion, with not a shred of reasonable evidence to back it up, and behaves abominably. Stupid, stupid man.

10) Working on a list of frustrating characters ended up frustrating me! I know there have been countless times when I’ve wanted to throw a book across the room due to some character’s stupid decisions or actions. But now that I have to actually come up with a list? I keep getting stuck. I polled some of my friends, added in a few more of my own, and so instead of just one #10, I’ll skip straight to:

Most Frustrating Characters: Honorable Mention

Romeo and Juliet: Wait a few minutes before doing anything rash, okay? Stop assuming your beloved is dead. Check for a pulse, perhaps.
Hamlet: Just make a decision already.
Ophelia: Oh honey, no man is worth it.
Nathan Price (The Poisonwood Bible) and Pa Ingalls (Little House books): Religious fervor and manifest destiny are no excuse for dragging your family off to dangerous places. Feeling a higher calling is no justification for poor parenting.
The Cat In The Hat: Talk about overstaying your welcome. And geez, would it kill you to clean up a bit?