Top Ten Tuesday | Bookish Characters

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday! I am a bit (okay, very) behind on this one as it is currently Monday night but it's fine and I hope you will enjoy this post nonetheless! This is a topic I really like because I love bookish characters, even if I think I may struggle to find ten! Let's get into it! 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl  It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

1. Olivia Santos from The Paper and Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

The Paper and Hearts Society is one of my favourite books (probably actually my favourite) and Olivia and definitely my favourite character! This is about a book club so naturally all the characters are book lovers of some sort. But Olivia just takes it to a whole other level. She is completely obsessed with books! She loves Jane Austen, has A LOT of books and also loves YA. She inspires her friends to read and is very excitable. If you know me, you can probably see why I adore her so much and can relate to her. She's the ultimate bookish character and I want to be her friend SO BADLY. If you are looking for bookish friends to hang out with then you need The Paper and Hearts Society.

You can view all Paper and Hearts Society content by clicking here!

2. Charlie Spring from Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

With all the buzz about the TV show, I had to include Heartstopper. In the show, Isaac is a huge reader (he is even seen reading A Good Girl's Guide To Murder - a personal favourite of mine!) but he is not in the books and I didn't want to make it all about the TV show! Charlie is such an amazing character and Heartstopper such a beacon of joy, hope and comfort for so many people, myself included. I am totally obsessed with the show and Charlie is a great bookish character too, although this isn't the main storyline. If you keep hearing about this and are interested, PLEASE do yourself a favour and read it or watch it, or even better, both. You won't regret it. 

3. Characters from the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Another book club book, this time following the inhabitants of Guernsey during the occupation. This is done through letters to a young woman, who becomes increasingly involved in their story. This book is so special and I loved it when I read it! The book club is accidental -first created as a cover up. However, the participants become more and more attached to their society and a love of books follows! It really captures your heart and makes you feel so many emotions. 

Review linked here!

4. Cath Avery from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

This is a book I would love to reread at some point, but Cath is a wonderful introverted bookish character. She especially loves a Harry Potter style series called the Simon Snow series. She writes Fanfiction about it and it ultimately affects her life in several different ways. This is another relatable book with a cute "dimples and nickname" romance.

5. Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I will never forget the scene at the beginning of Jane Eyre where Jane hides from her cousins and Aunt behind a curtain, where she sits and reads. Although books were treated very differently in the time Jane Eyre was written, I still wanted to include her because of this particular scene. It's one I can picture perfectly and I love the idea that she hides and finds escapism in books. This is another book that I really love and I think it's got so many layers and ideas in. It's a masterpiece and Jane is just such a fantastic character in so many different ways.

Review linked here!

6. Matilda Wormwood from Matilda by Roald Dahl

This is a must. I hope I will see it on some other lists this week! I had a big phase of Roald Dahl and went to his house and museum too. Matilda is in my top three of his books and centers around a very intelligent young girl. She reads excessively and is much smarter than anyone her age. This leads her to get very bored and have special powers. She also has to deal with her horrible parents and headteacher. This is a very funny and entertaining read and another bookish character!

7. Liesel Meminger from  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

You can see straight away from the title that this is a bookish book. This is set in WW2 and I've already talked about it quite a lot in various Top Ten Tuesday posts. Liesel arrives at the home of her foster parents in 1938, before the outbreak of World War 2. Her foster father later learns that she can't read and teaches her, although they are poor and therefore Liesel resorts to stealing to find new books to read. This is a beautiful  heart-wrenching tale that is guaranteed to make you cry. 

8. Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth is one of my favourite literary characters ever. She is strong, independent and refuses to conform to society and its expectations. This is one of the most famous love stories and I can't help but love it too. I wrote a lengthy review when I read it back in January 2021 and you can view that here if you are interested! I don't really have much else to say about this book, I love it and Elizabeth Bennet is a bookish character in my eyes. Here's a little quote....

“Do you prefer reading to cards?” said he; “that is rather singular.”

“Miss Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, “despises cards. She is a great reader and has no pleasure in anything else.”

“I deserve neither such praise nor such censure,” cried Elizabeth, “I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things.”

9. Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

This is the last one I could think of and I almost didn't include it because it is one of the problems I have later found with this book. Hazel may be shown as a great reader but she only ever talks about one book and obsesses over one author and mystery. I am still including her because she does like reading, but although I enjoyed this book, had a few aspects that I didn't love. I wrote a review when I read it which you can read here. I know so many people love this book, a lot of people also hate it so it's an interesting one! 

So there you have it: my top ten (or nine) bookish characters. I couldn't find any librarians or anything which is surprising and I didn't want to mention the same book twice (The Paper and Hearts Society), even though it would totally deserve it! 

Hermione Granger may be a popular choice this week, but I made a point of not recommending Harry Potter on my blog. You can read the post about 7 Reasons Why I've Never Reviewed Harry Potter to find out more. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and support me. Make sure you link your Top Ten Tuesday below and I'll check it out.

Happy TTT!

Have you read any of these books? Do you want to? Have you watched or read Heartstopper? Link your TTT below and I'll check it out!

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p.s. casual magic of the day:

(If you are new here and have no idea what I'm on about, click here to find out more)

I spent the whole lunchtime on the field with my friends and it was blissful. We laughed so much and it just reminded me that as much as we are not perfect, I am so lucky to have them. Also, I made a very aesthetic packed lunch for tomorrow!