Top 10 Tuesday: Top 10 Literary Characters I'd Want as Family Members

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by the lovely ladies of The Broke and The Bookish) is allllll about family. But of the fictional sort. While making this list I definitely learned a thing or two about my preferences in the types of people I tend to feel familial toward. Let's see if you can pick up the pattern...

Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce my totally fictional, totally uncanny literary family.

1. Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)--Father

He's the perfect dad. Moral, non-judgmental, fights for equality and justice, and is a marksman. Greatest dad ever. 

2. Rachel Morgan (Gallagher Girls series)--Mother
She's a spyyyyyyy. And she's gorgeous. And A SPY.

3. Fitzwilliam Darcy(Pride and Prejudice)--Husband
Duh.

4. Flavia de Luce (Flavia de Luce series)--Daughter
I looooove precocious Miss Flavia. She's smart and British and fearless and funny and great. I really hope that one day I can use those words to describe my daughter. (Especially the British part!)*

5. Ron Weasley (Harry Potter series)--Son
I can't help it. I love Ron. He's just the best. And if I ever have a son, I want him to be an affable British ginger who can do magic.

6. Aunt Peg (13LBE & LLBE)--Aunt
How I would LOVE to have an aunt as awesome as Ginny's. Deceased or no, this woman is fantastic. Her adventurous attitude, generous spirit, love for life, and general wackiness is everything that an aunt should possess.

7. Sirius Black (Harry Potter series)--Uncle
I feel like this needs no explanation.

8. Dumbledore (Harry Potter series)--Grandfather
See sentiments above and multiply them times one thousand. ;)

9. Tessa Gray (The Infernal Devices series)--Grandmother
I LOVE Tessa. And how awesome would it be for her to be your grandma? All of those stories of steampunky London and Will Herondale. Yes please!

10. Zora Stewart (The Vespertine)--Cousin
I'm not really sure why, but I felt so drawn to Zora in this book. Maybe she reminds me of someone I know? I don't know. But what I do know is that I would love to have someone as fun and sweet and loyal as Zora in my life.

So what have we learned from this little experiment? That I am an serious Anglophile. God help us all (and, as always, save the Queen!) if I ever make it to the UK. Not that I would kill the Queen. It's a play on words...oh nevermind.

Let me know your thoughts on my fictional family, and tell me all about yours, in comments!

*Sorry Nick (boyfriend w/ American accent), but if we ever decide to have kids, we have to raise them in the UK.

Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 342

Pub Date: March 25, 2008

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: 
Debate Club. 
Her father’s “bunny rabbit.” 
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. 

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: 
A knockout figure. 
A sharp tongue. 
A chip on her shoulder. 
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. 

Frankie Laundau-Banks. 
No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer. 
Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society. 
Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. 
Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them. 
When she knows Matthew’s lying to her. 
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. 

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: 
Possibly a criminal mastermind. 

This is the story of how she got that way.--Goodreads

This is the first book I've read  by Miss E. Lockhart's and OMG IS IT GOOD. I love everything about secret societies and find boarding schools fascinating--there's just something so romantic in the notions of both, don't you think?--so because of my already established love of the subject matter, I felt like I was preternaturally destined to like this book. However, the quality of the writing and the vividness of the characters exceeded my I'm-going-to-like-this-no-matter-what expectations, and made me crave this story. I seriously couldn't put it down. (I mean that. I didn't even take bathroom breaks. TMI?)

 Before cracking the spine, I thought The Disreputable History was going to be a story about a girl who inadvertently found out about a secret society, and then exploited her knowledge of it to blackmail the members. But what I got was an intelligent story about a girl who refuses to have her ideas and knowledge ignored. Which is so much better than what I thought I was getting in to.

The book is essentially about a girl, Frankie, who returns to her fancy-pants boarding school for her sophomore year, after a summer of physical change so drastic that Matthew Livingston, the perfect senior she crushed on throughout freshman year, doesn't even remember her. She finds herself being pursued by Matthew, and upon her invitation to a by-invitation-only event that paired her with Matthew, is welcomed into his friend group, including the charming, yet poisonous Alessandro "Alpha" Tesorieri.

After about a month, Frankie realizes that Matthew and his friends are part of a secret society called the Basset Hounds, a group that her father was also a part of. After learning that she knows something that the Bassets don't, she seizes the opportunity to slyly insert herself into the group.

In a lot of ways, this book really reminded me of A Separate Peace. But more than that, it reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls. In it, Logan (who is very much like Alpha, but has a little Matthew in him too) tricks Rory into joining a secret society at Yale called The Life and Death Brigade. Not only did the plot of The Disreputable History remind me of this episode, but many of the male characters in the book reminded me to Logan and his group of care free, gallivanting, word-obsessed friends.

But, in the character of the eponymous Frankie is where the genius of the book really lies. I love that Lockhart crafted a smart, crafty, assertive, strong female character, who doesn't let institutions or men or boyfriends or even other women dominate her or change her ideas. But more than that, I love that Lockhart inserted Frankie into a good ol' boys institution and in the middle of a friend group with the good ol' boys mentality. However, despite her gumption and wisdom, Frankie is still a teenager with a boyfriend whom she is obsessed with, so there are moments when she is submissive and does exactly what he wants her to do, but overall, she stands her ground. And when she decides she's had enough of being lied to, she takes matters into her own hands, and leaves an impression on everyone in her life that is absolutely not delible.

If you haven't read this book, I highly, highly suggest it. It's the best book I've read thus far this year! 

Review: Angelfire

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 464
Pub Date: February 15, 2011
Format: Galley via NetGalley

In the first book of Courtney Allison Moulton's Angelfire trilogy, we're introduced to Ellie, a seemingly normal high school girl who is struggling with her classes, her relationship with her father (whom I've decided is pure evil), and her intensely vivid nightmares. But other than that, her life is pretty normal--she has friends, she goes to parties, and she loves to shop. Then she meets Will, the mysterious and gorgeous new guy in town. As she keeps running into him, she can't shake the feeling that she knows him. 


Then, on the night of her seventeenth birthday, all of Ellie's nightmares come to life when she goes for a midnight stroll. Will activates her powers and her sight of The Grim plane, and she is thrust into a world of killing demonic reapers, creatures that kill humans and send their souls to Hell. 


The basic premise is very Buffy--girl is chosen, girl's powers are activated, girl struggles to hone her powers,  girl is awesome. But where Ellie differs from Buffy is that she will always exist--not that she can't be killed, but that her soul is reincarnated every time she is killed, and Will always finds her  to awaken her powers on her seventeenth birthday. But Will expects Ellie to just remember how to fight and kill the reapers and sundry other demons, as well as the history of her past lives. Unfortunately for Ellie, and  for Will, her memory is not intact, and the lack of it turns out to be problematic. 


Which brings us to darling, sweet, amazing Will, who is (get ready for Buffy references!) Giles and Angel all rolled into one yummy character--he is Ellie's intensely loyal guardian who also happens to be in love with her, despite the fact that he is forbidden to be in love with her, which makes for some deliciously angsty moments between the two of them. But Will isn't an entirely glum character--though he can be super brooding, he can also be pretty funny and is seriously sexy. 


When Will and Ellie find out that Bastian, this trilogy's big bad, is trying to find the Enshi, a super ancient evil something-or-other than can destroy souls, the two of them take it upon themselves to find it and destroy it before Bastian gets ahold of it. Which creates A LOT of demon drama. 

The book is primarily centered around the balance of good and evil. The supernatural characters in this series are sprung from either Heavenly angels or Fallen angels, and the divide  between Heaven and Hell is discussed often. However, the book doesn't take itself too seriously--there are several teenage parties, including one of the most kick-ass sounding Halloween parties ever, and the dialogue is witty and believably teenaged. It's a fun read, and if you like Buffy and The Mortal Instruments, then this is a book you'll definitely enjoy. 

I Desperately Need More Men (from Books) in My Life

While staring at the mountain of books stacked on my dresser, I realized that all of them had something in common.

They all feature female main characters.

This would be a bigger issue if I was reading the same kinds of books, but I'm really not. Sure, most of them are YA, but I have everything from paranormal to historical fiction to mystery to romance. I kid you not when I say that ALL OF THEM are lady-centric.

Now, part of this makes sense. I am of the lady persuasion (in case you were wondering), so it can be argued that I naturally migrate toward books about "people" I have something in common with. Apparently this thing is being female.

Another notable commonality is that the majority of these books are written by women. And women writing female characters makes perfect sense--you write what you know. I'm not saying that women are incapable of writing great male characters because I am ABSOLUTELY NOT saying that. Hello, female writers have blessed us with Jace, Cassel, the Salvatore brothers, MR. DARCY, and a slew of swoon-worthy others. I'm just saying that it makes sense for women to create female main characters and then, from there, surround them with amazing male characters.

But I digress.

What this all boils down to is my desire to read more books about male main characters. And if it's a book written by a man, awesome. If not, that's awesome too. So, I implore you, dear reader, to suggest books about dudes for me to read. Because I desperately need more men in my life.

Waiting on Wednesday: Bright's Passage

Title: Bright's Passage

Author: JOSH RITTER!!!!!!

Publisher: The Dial Press

Pages: 208 pages

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Henry Bright is newly returned to West Virginia from the battlefields of the First World War. Grief struck by the death of his young wife, and unsure of how to care for the infant son she left behind, Bright is soon confronted by the destruction of the only home he's ever known. His only hope for safety is the angel that has followed him home from the trenches of France and now promises to protect him and his son.

Together, Bright and his newborn, along with a cantankerous goat and the angel guiding them, make their way through a landscape ravaged by forest fire towards an uncertain salvation, haunted by the abiding nightmare of his experiences in the war, and shadowed by his dead wife's father, The Colonel, and his two brutal sons. -- Goodreads

If I had only read the jacket copy/summary of this, and had no idea who Josh Ritter is, I doubt I'd pick up this novella. Well, that's not necessarily true--anything that has a "cantakerous goat" in the description is something I would pick up on principle. However, it's not just the cantankerous goat that has me itching to get my hands on this sucker. The draw for me, is the author.

For those of you who aren't acquainted with Josh Ritter, let me quickly introduce you--he's my favorite singer/songwriter, other than Bob Dylan. His songbook is full of beautifully-written, emotional, imagery-laden stories bursting with American history, folklore, and, at times, pop culture. But not of the Britney Spears sort. Praise God. 

Based on my knowledge of his songwriting skills, it just makes sense that the man should write a book, and I  am SERIOUSLY excited about reading it. Because I'm obsessed with his music (...and his smile...), I feel that I can say with a good amount of certainty that I will be obsessed with the book as well. And if you're interested in Bright's Passage, and you should be, you can download the first chapter (!!!!!) here.

If for some reason you are a crazy person and you aren't interested in this most-probably-amazing novella, at least check out the videos below. You won't regret it. 

Before you go, let me know what book you're oh-so impatiently waiting on in comments, so that I can add them to my Goodreads shelf. Yay books! 


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top 10 Dynamic Duos

This week's Top 10 Tuesday (hosted by the ladies at The Broke and The Bookish) is all about dynamic duos--those great literary couples, friends, enemies, siblings, and rivals that you just can't get out of your head. Check out my Top 10, in no particular order, and let me know who your favorite literary dynamic duo is, in comments!

1. Elizabeth Bennett & Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)
 Greatest couple ever? Yes. Definitely yes.

2. Alex & Jonathan (Everything is Illuminated)
This one might be a little weird, but I loved the unusual, hilarious, educational, and deeply understanding friendship that grew between Alex and Jonathan in this book.

3. Sarah & Becky (A Little Princess)
 This story is one of my all-time faves, and I love love love the beautiful friendship between Sarah and Becky.

4. Katniss & Peeta (The Hunger Games trilogy)
Every girl needs someone as constant and pure and loyal as Peeta in their lives. Although I wanted to slap Katniss every now and then, I found the relationship between these two to be vibrant in how real it seemed.

5. Felicity Merriman & Elizabeth Cole (Felicity series from American Girl)
I am obsessed with colonial America, and grew up absolutely in love with the American Girl series in general, but especially with the stories of Felicity Merriman. (Partly because of the time period, and partly because she was also a red head with freckles.) The friendship between passionate, impulsive, independence for America leaning Felicity and demure, sweet, loyalist Elizabeth was amazing. They were two young girl growing up in such a tumultuous (but exciting!) time, and found a way to remain best friends despite their families' political differences. LOVE IT.

6. Tiny & Will Grayson (Will Grayson Will Grayson)
I thought this friendship was hysterical and sweet and refreshing and great.

7. Sherlock Holmes & Watson (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
If there is a smarter, more hilarious, and quippier friendship than the one between these two, I don't know if I could handle it.

8. Q & Radar (Paper Towns)
John Green is the best at creating hilarious friendships. I loved the banter between Q & Radar in this book and desperately wished that I knew someone whose parents collect something hysterically racist.

9. Harry Potter & Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter series)
This was actually the very first "dynamic duo" that popped into my mind. And, yes, there are great relationships/couples/friendships in this series, but I would argue that the relationship that is most dynamic is the one between Harry & Voldy. Argue with me if you wish. ;)

10. Clary & Simon (The Mortal Instruments series)
Yes, I do love Clary & Jace together, but I have a huge soft spot for Simon. I love the best friendship between him and Clary. And, really, how lucky is she that gets to have BOTH Jace & Simon in her life?

Review: You Killed Wesley Payne

Title: You Killed Wesley Payne
Author: Sean Beaudoin
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Relase Date: February 1, 2011
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Mystery

When hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.--Goodreads 


I sooo, sooo dig this book. I love old school, pulp, detective novels and movies, and this book is definitely a modern take on that style and genre. The main character, Dalton, fancies himself a detective, and takes a case where he has to solve the mystery of who killed Wesley Payne, a student at Salt River High, which is basically the scariest sounding high school I've ever heard of--everyone is part of a clique that not only has a specific angle, but also a racket, and is comprised of smooth-talkin', cold, business-only kind of teenagers. The girls fall into two categories: kick ass femme fatales and doe-eyed blondes with a secret, and the guys are all just crooked--not one of them is genuine and nice. (Okay, well maybe two of them are.) 

The main character, Dalton, is a weird mix between Jason Schwartzman' s affably puckish character on Bored to Death and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's determined, so-serious-its-scary character (who gets beat up a lot) in Brick. [Sidenote: If you haven't seen Brick, you should watch it.] Dalton has good detective instincts, but he relies on detective novels (that won't necessarily help him in real life) to guide him in his investigation. However, the kid has cajones and the ability to make himself believe that he's confident and tough. As he learns, those two traits will get him pretty far. 

The most striking thing about the book is the language. It evokes the prose in old school pulp fiction novels, full of sass, gumption, and cheekily subtle turns of phrase. And for those of you who aren't as familiar with the vocab, never fear! There's a glossary in the back. 

But language isn't the only throwback in this novel. The book follows the typical pulp fiction story arc, full of melancholia, disappointments, twists, turns, surprises, and double-crossings. It's a fun read that ends very differently than you think it will, and it keeps you guessing and surprised the entire time.