Hello! Today's Friday, so I wanted to publish a non-book-related post. While thinking of ideas, I looked through my old posts and found this one. I decided to renew it, since most of the images it contained got lost. I am also planning a follow-up to this post, so that's why I'm re-publishing it. Apart from replacing the missing images, I left it just the way it was. Without further ado:
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Good morning, everyone! I’m back with the first blog post that’s not a book review. I’ve published a bunch of those in the time since my last status update post. That was back in June, a whopping four months ago. I can’t believe time flew by this fast! Today, I’m publishing a special blog post. I've shared lists of my favorite books, both from last decade and from previous years. This time I’m writing about my favorite characters. I’ve read so many books that quite a few characters have stuck with me. Some of these are popular, and others not well-known. This list is in no particular order. I am also including images for some of the characters, at least those that I could find. For others, I fan-cast an actor I think would portray them well. Here it goes:
Spensa Nightshade – Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Few
characters have left an impression on me as quickly as Spensa
Nightshade. She’s a teenager who lives on a remote planet with what
remains of humankind. Spensa’s greatest wish is to be a spaceship
fighter pilot, like her father. Unfortunately, the latter was declared a
traitor after turning on his team during a crucial battle. This puts
pretty much everyone against Spensa. She doesn’t let this stop her.
Spensa is resolute, eager to prove what she’s made of. Her name is also
cool and weird at the same time. It fits, as Spensa is a weird girl,
though charming and spirited as well.
Camryn Bennett – The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
If
a fictional character could be a kindred soul, Camryn would be mine.
Like me, she’s not the kind of person to settle for an ordinary life.
Camryn wants something different. She needs purpose and fulfillment,
things worth getting out of bed every morning. Camryn doesn’t understand
why most people just accept their existence as it is. She’s not afraid
to dream bigger. Camryn is also comfortable with her looks and
sexuality. I admire a woman like that, even though it was Andrew who
brought down Camryn’s shyness.
Andrew Parrish – The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
Andrew
is the kind of guy I aspire to be. At least, the guy he becomes at the
end of the book, not the one he was at the start. Andrew is much like
Camryn when he’s introduced. He was also searching for something worth
living for. Andrew had a secret that rocked his life and made him leave
everyone to find himself. Camryn turned out to be exactly who he needed.
She became Andrew’s reason to exist. Now, that’s not to say Andrew
fixated on Camryn like Bella did on Edward. Andrew has other things that
give him purpose, like great friends.
Lizzy Gardner – Abducted by T.R. Ragan
I
admire strong, inspiring women, and Lizzy is among my favorites. She
survived an abduction when she was a teenager. This led Lizzy to become a
private investigator and a self-defense instructor. Lizzy wanted to
teach other women how to defend themselves from attackers. She’s also
well-adjusted despite fighting evil every day. Lizzy is a strong
believer in justice. Over the course of her six-book series, Lizzy
brings down lots of criminals. She has trusted assistants who are as
compelling as she is.
Maven – Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson
This
is a character I could get judged for liking. Maven’s not bad, just
different. She’s a centuries-old, powerful vampire who looks around
nineteen. Maven owns a coffee shop that’s a front for her headquarters.
She is the leader of the supernatural world in Boulder, Colorado. Maven
is one of those rulers who didn’t want power. She’s intimidating and
strict, but soft on the inside. Maven genuinely cares for her subjects
and for human life. Despite having been a vampire for ages, she’s
retained enough of her humanity. The book series Maven is a part of
isn’t over yet, so I look forward to seeing what’s next for her.
Luna Lovegood – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Of
course I had to include a Harry Potter character. What kind of bookworm
would I be if I didn’t? I like Hermione too, but chose Luna for this
list because she’s in my House, Ravenclaw. Luna is a weird yet
charismatic and pleasant girl. She’s also an unerringly loyal friend.
That mural she painted on her bedroom ceiling was awesome. One of Luna’s
best qualities may also be one of her main drawbacks, though. She's so
open-minded she’ll believe in outlandish stuff. Crumple-Horned
Snorkacks? Nargles? Still, Luna isn’t a girl I’d ever write off. She’s
cool and charming in her own way.
Detective Chris Martinez – Shade Me by Jennifer Brown
Detective
Martinez is another of those men I want to be like. He’s a major
supporting character in the Nikki Kill mystery series. Chris helps the
titular character solve a mystery in the first book. He goes on to
protect Nikki when a strong antagonist emerges. Chris is very young for a
police detective, so he and Nikki are close in age. Their relationship
grows steadily over the trilogy. Nikki trusts Chris because of her
synesthesia. She can “see” emotions as colors, and Chris glows
yellow—Nikki’s color for justice. Chris proves himself as both a cop and
a man you can count on.
Roux – Also Known As by Robin Benway
This
is probably the least-known character on this list, and that’s a shame.
Roux (pronounced ‘Roo’) is a major supporting character in a YA spy
duology. She befriends the protagonist, teen spy Maggie Silver. Maggie
enrolled at Roux’s private school to fulfill her first assignment. Roux
is a former queen bee who became a social pariah. She’s super wealthy
and lives alone in a sweet Upper East Side apartment. Roux’s parents are
traveling all the time. Contrary to what one may think at first, Roux
is not conceited or mean. She’s a funny, bright, and charismatic girl.
Roux ended up becoming my favorite character in the series. She’s the
kind of best friend anyone would love to have.
Izabel Seyfried – Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski
Izabel
(formerly Sarai) is one of the most original characters in fiction I’ve
come across. She’s an American girl who spent years as the prisoner of a
Mexican cartel boss. Izabel managed to escape the man’s clutches by
hitching a ride with a visitor. The man, a fellow American, turned out
to be contract killer Victor Faust. There was no turning back after
this. All those years in hell turned Izabel into a hardened woman
willing to take justice into her own hands. Izabel left Sarai behind
forever to become a contract killer. She still remains a good person.
That Izabel chose to kill bad people for a living doesn’t mean she's
evil. This is why I find her so intriguing.
Although
I like the heroine of this book, I found Micah a good role model. He’s
one of those southern gentlemen types, but that’s not all there is to
him. Micah does have a bit of a bad boy reputation. He’s known for
sleeping around, as he doesn’t do relationships. Micah has no emotional
baggage, so I wondered why he was a no-attachments kind of guy at first.
When Micah meets Sheridan Reed, he changes his ways. She sweeps him off
his feet. Micah becomes faithful to her as soon as he realizes he has
feelings for her. Despite being a ladies’ man, Micah is not the type to
cheat. He is completely devoted to his girl, which raised my opinion of
him. Micah’s the kind of guy I would like to be.
Rachel Knight – Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
As
book characters go, Rachel Knight is memorable and intriguing. She’s a
Special Trials prosecutor from Los Angeles. Rachel loves her job so much
that she even relishes the long hours. This is despite the pittance
that public servants get paid. Rachel goes above and beyond for justice.
She’s not afraid to paint outside the lines every now and then, either.
Though Rachel is a character to look up to, she has her odd quirks.
Rachel is a bit of a health nut, so she usually orders unappealing
meals. This means she can’t resist picking at her friends’ delicious
food. It would drive me nuts in real life, but I still like Rachel. I
mean, she’s a fictional character.
Brandi Vaughn – Unforgiven by Cat Miller
Brandi
is a protagonist in my current favorite vampire fiction series. She’s a
vampire, though unlike Maven, Brandi is neither centuries-old nor a
ruler. Brandi is a princess of sorts, though. Her father is one of the
three ruling heads of the Vampire Nation. At first Brandi is a young
woman unsure of her identity. Seeking to find herself, Brandi sheds her
old persona and adopts a new one. This turns out about as well as you
can imagine. The experience gives Brandi valuable life lessons, and she
comes out a better person. Brandi is also one of the most powerful
characters in this series. She’s a pyrokinetic, the only one to exist in
a long while.
Carlisle Cullen – Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The
Twilight series may not be literary masterpieces, but they still have
some great characters. Carlisle isn’t just one of my favorites. He’s
also one of the first male characters I aspired to be like when I was
young. Carlisle is wise, open-minded yet not gullible, and confident.
He’s an excellent leader as well, rivaling the likes of Dumbledore in my
opinion. And though Carlisle is a pacifist, that doesn’t mean he’s a
wimp. He’ll fiercely fight for the people he loves. I also see Carlisle
as a parental role model. He lets his children make their own choices
without judgment, while still not being an overly lenient fool.
Braden Carmichael – On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
As
a guy, I read romance books for the female protagonist. Jocelyn, the
heroine of On Dublin Street, is a likable and compelling girl. Braden is
her love interest. He’s good-natured and a successful businessman. I
somewhat wish I was one, which is part of why I admire Braden. He is
also chivalrous and warm toward Jocelyn. It’s possible that having a
younger sister helped teach Braden how to properly treat women. Braden
also knows how to get what he wants without being a jerk about it. Lots
of guys would pursue Jocelyn only for her looks. Braden isn’t like that;
he cares about Jocelyn as a person.
Skylar Stone – The Profiler’s Daughter by P.M. Steffen
Skylar
is the protagonist of a rather unknown mystery series. It’s really
good, so it should be more popular. Sky’s full name is Skylar Winthrop
Stone, which is one of the coolest names ever. She’s a beautiful
socialite from Boston who comes from old money. Skylar consults with the
local police as a profiler. Her father was one too. Although Sky is
rich and powerful, she’s not stuck-up. She does police work to help
people. It helps that Skylar is smart and quick-witted. She does have a
weird trait: kleptomania. Sky’s wealthy, so obviously she doesn’t steal
for gain. It’s just a quirky trait. I think Skylar’s positive qualities
more than make up for that little flaw.
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