A fun pastime of book worms and book nerds is to discuss characters, but what about favorite bookish characters? Which are your favorite? You know, the characters in a book that LOVE to read. Those who answer the call to adventure right away because at last a real-life story is happening to them! . . . Or maybe the ones who have to be persuaded, because life between the pages of a book is a bit safer. Let’s chat about some favorites!
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Favorite Bookish Character: Hermione
What list would be complete without including Harry Potter‘s best friend and book nerd? Hermione Granger reveals her love of books when she hauls out the doorstop of a book she’s been studying and states, “I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). And when Harry and Ron need to find her, where do they go? The library, of course! Bookish? Book nerd? Book worm? I would say so.
Unlike some shy bookish folk, Hermione does get out a bit. Though she does spend gobs of time studying in the library, she also runs around enough with Harry and Ron having misadventures. While she is quick with her wand and magic, she’s never afraid to rely on her book smarts to solve the mysteries that follow Harry around.
Favorite Bookish Character: Lia Mara
Like many people who love the young adult fantasy genre, and especially fairy tale retellings, I had to check out Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse so Dark and Lonely. An interesting portal version of Beauty and the Beast, I was taken with several of the characters. While I liked the first book, my favorite bookish character didn’t show-up until the sequel, A Heart so Fierce and Broken.
Lia Mara is your quentiessential book worm. She has retreated into the world of words because she believes her heartless mother and queen is right, she isn’t worthy to rule. We learn early on of her loyal devotion to her younger sister, the chosen heir. But Lia Mara’s attempts at diplomacy fail, catapulting her into the greatest adventure of her life. It will require all she has studied and learned to survive, but there are some lessons she needs to unlearn to recognize her true worth. My favorite quote in this book is, “Ah, yes, the most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with a book.” And yes, it’s because she has secreted away a book among the folds of her skirt so she could go hide and read. Haven’t many of us wanted to do that?
Favorite Bookish Character: Rapunzel
It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would write a character of my own who lives between the pages of a book. Having suffered from chronic migraines during high school, I spent a great deal of time reading and imagining life outside of my house, but not being able to do much.
My retelling of Rapunzel begins with her surrounded by a rounded bookcase that stretches across her tower’s walls. But although she adores reading, she is ready for something to happen. She needs something to change so that she can venture beyond the tower the witch has imprisoned her in. What was great fun in writing this story was exploring how such a bookish, quiet person would react to the world beyond after living her life isolated. How would this book nerd react to fairy tale mysteries and make friends? How on earth would she feed herself? Of course she made the list of our favorite bookish characters, and you can follow the links to get Beyond the Tower for free right now!
Favorite Bookish Character: Owen
This list of favorite bookish characters would not be complete without including one serious fanboy who seems to love reading more than life. He is Owen from James Riley’s Story Thieves series. At the very beginning of the series, we discover Owen bored with school. He is wishing his life were more exciting, and finding the adventure he longs for by reading books.
With a librarian mother, Owen spends most of his time reading. In fact, his bedroom is called a book graveyard, since he gets to take home all the mishandled books that the library rejects. Even better? His new friend, Bethany, accidentally starts teaching him how to jump into books. And thus, his bookish dreams come true. Owen gets to meet all the characters he has been longing to know and become the hero he’s always wanted to be.
Who is Your Favorite Bookish Character?
Alright, I’ve told you about our favorites, so it’s only fair if you were to tell us of yours. Maybe you’d enjoy joining such silly and fun discussions here by commenting, or follow me over on Instagram or FaceBook so we can be goofy and bookish together. For especially book nerdy friends, join my monthly newsletter for fun recommendations and writing updates and get a free novella that unravels the mysteries of Rapunzel’s origins.
About JacQueline
As the author of The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.
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Photo Credits: Ruben Garcia, Yuri Efremov, and Sincerely Media.
Social Media Graphics: JacQueline Vaughn Roe.
