I couldn’t decide on one category of characters for this post, so I kind of cheated and picked a few. On the plus side, you get a bit more variety!
…Renewed my faith in humanity
The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
There are (thankfully) many more books that could go in this category, but these were recent reads so they are standing out more in my mind.
…Made me want to give them a hug
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake – Aimee Bender
Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery
I don’t think any of the characters I wanted to hug from The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake were really huggers, but the desire to comfort them was there all the same. And Anne Shirley… well, I don’t think that needs any explanation at all.
…Made me laugh
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 – Sue Townsend
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
Love, Nina – Nina Stibbe
I enjoy humour that is dry, understated and often inappropriate. So I guess it’s not really surprising that all three of these are British.
…Made me feel less alone
Furiously Happy – Jenny Lawson
Hyperbole and A Half – Allie Brosh
Not That Kind of Girl – Lena Dunham
I know all these are memoirs, so it’s kind of cheating since the “characters” are real people. But I’ve never met them in person, just as I’ve never met any of the ficitonal characters in my books, so they’re kind of the same amount real to me, if that makes sense.
I’ve had a rough couple of years, and I read Jenny Lawson’s books during that time. It helped me immeasurably. It made me feel less broken – or at least, that being broken didn’t mean I didn’t have value or that I wasn’t worth loving. And she also did make me laugh, but more the helping thing, so that’s why it’s in this section.
I hope somewhere in this post there was a book you recognized and enjoyed or are now interested in reading! I’d love to hear your favourite books/characters that fall into any of these categories in the comments.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.
I love how you mixed the topic up and made it your own 🙂 It makes for a unique and fun post. I just started reading GUERNSEY for book club. I’m enjoying it so far, although I’m only a dozen or so pages in. Book club’s tomorrow night, so I’m hoping to really delve into it today.
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Thank you! I’m glad my hurried attempt seems to have turned out okay! I loved Guernsey. It is a little slow to get started, but if you settle in with some snacks and a cup of tea and read for at least a solid hour, I think you’ll find yourself drawn in. I love the balance of elements – particularly the humour and serious elements. And there are some really stellar characters. I won’t say any more because I think it’s best to discover for yourself, but if you remember, come back and tell me what you think! I’d love to chat about it!
I love your take on the topic this week! 🙂 I love that there are books out there that make us feel less alone.
Thank you! I have to admit this post was a little rushed and I kind of cheated because it seemed too daunting to try to come up with a topic I could find ten books for! But I’m glad it worked out. I completely agree. I have had times in my life when books really did help me to deal with reality. I think that sometimes you just need to find some common ground with another person – and it doesn’t really matter who they are or even, in some cases, whether they actually exist. The shared human experience can mean the world. Thanks for stopping by!