The Best of 2012: Characters

Continuing my series of posts entitled The Best of 2012, Friday brings me to my favorite characters of the year. When I was first deciding what I wanted my lists to consist of, I hadn't thought of characters right away. I then realized that characters are really the most important - their point of view moves the story along, and sets the tone for the entire book. Each one is unique, crafted by the author to send a particular message.

My favorite characters are sometimes quite different then myself - for example, Bella Swan was so clumsy, yet so brave, I sometimes wondered what I would do in the situations that were tossed at her. Would I be that courageous? That strong? But in the time that I read The Twilight Saga, I got to be her - I got to be in love with a vampire, best friends with a werewolf, and a mixed up teenager all at the same time - and it was so darn cool.

This list is compiled of both major and minor characters and does not include re-reads or series where previous books where read in past years (ex. The Hunger Games).


Top 12 Characters of 2012

12  Jamie Sullivan, A Walk to Remember

11.  Esme Cullen, The Twilight Saga

10.  Ian O'Shea, The Host

9.  Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible

8.  Hazel Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars

7.  Elizabeth Bennett, Pride and Prejudice

6.  Jase Garrett, My Life Next Door

5.  Alice Cullen, The Twilight Saga

4.  Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

3.  Sam, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2.  Edward Cullen, The Twilight Saga

1.  Bella Swan, The Twilight Saga


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Books of 2015: Historical Fiction

Image
Today marks the second "Best of" list of 2015. Having revealed my Best Autobiography / Memoir / Nonfiction books yesterday, today will be the Best Historical Fiction. None of the novels on this list were a disappointment, in fact I had a very difficult time deciding which spot each would take.  A God in Ruins was just as intricate and spellbinding as its companion novel, Life After Life . The Secret Life of Violet Grant was the perfect vacation read -- full of adventure and drama. I was completely invested in Anita Diamant's beautifully feminist book, The Red Tent , and was pleased to find that her most recent novel, The Boston Girl , was just as thrilling. The novel you will find at #1 is the perfect combination of all of these books -- its story is both elegantly written and undoubtedly important.  Top Historical Fiction of 2015: 8. Beloved , by Toni Morrison 7. The Poisonwood Bible , by Barbara Kingsolver 6. The Secret Life of Violet Grant , b...
Read more

Where She Went

Image
Where She Went Gayle Forman 260 pages "Her eyes were closed, and her brow was a little furrowed. She was so still, it seemed like she'd taken a brief vacation from her body...I somehow knew then she was listening to music then, was grabbing the notes from the silence...I stood there, riveted by her, until she seemed to wake up and start playing with this intense concentration."  Four years after the accident, Mia and Adam have gone separate ways.  Mia tries to put the pieces of her life back together as she studies at Julliard, while Adam struggles to find comfort in the whirlwind of his rockstar-celebrity life. By a stroke of chance, the two are brought together for one night, and although their hours are short, together Mia and Adam explore the city, and who they have become. Gayle Forman's sequel to the New York Times Bestseller If I Stay , is written through Adam's voice, in that raw prose which defines her novels. I enjoyed this change in point of v...
Read more

What My English Teacher Said

As I think I stated in a previous post, my English class had been reading the famous play The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The Crucible was written in 1953, in the midst of The Cold War, but with a setting during the Salem Witch Trials which took place in the 1690s. I finished the story a few weeks ago, but we completed watching the film just yesterday. Right after the final scene, when John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey are hung, my teacher stopped the film for a minute or two, at the very final image: a close-up of the rope, against a beautiful bluebird sky. At this point, the whole class was trying to stifle their tears, but she just turned to us and said, "Write." She then continued to say, "Write about the rope. What's the point? Channel your emotions, and write." She gave us about ten minutes or so before we shared them out loud, but I've taken the time to develop my piece a bit more here: The Rope A rope is something strong and roug...
Read more