Faves of 2011: The Characters

Faves of TwentyEleven is hosted by Inkcrush.
Day One: The Books
Day Two: The Characters

1. favourite female main character

Lady Alexia Maccon nee Tarabotti: She knows the importance of a good cuppa tea and wields a parasol with great purpose and dexterity. Even whilst being 8 months pregnant. From Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. The latest title: Heartless.

2. favourite male main character

Vampire Richard (aka "Dick") Cheney. He's a supporting character in Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series. Lives in an trailer (which was blown up in Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs), wears rock band t-shirts, makes a living from "fallen off the truck" deals, and has a delightfully snarky sense of humor.

3. best couple

Sookie and Eric in Charlaine Harris' Dead to the World, aka Book Four. Amnesia Eric = yummmmy.

4. who i so want to be best friends with

Lord Akeldama, another of Gail Carriger's wonderful characters. Fantastically flamboyant, deliciously decadent, notoriously naughty. Won't you be my friend?

5.  who i fell completely in love with (new literary crush)

Vampire Eric is still my favorite literary crush, but that's in no way new.

6. worst (best and baddest) villian

Brenda Fortunato Dupres from Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's Agnes and the Hitman. One time mob-wife turned Southern Bell bent on destroying her granddaughter's wedding to get her greedy hands on mob-money, and she doesn't care who she has to destroy, kill, or "bless her heart" to do it. She's on par with Professor Umbridge for hate-ability.

7. best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa)

In Brian Selznick's Hugo, the toy maker and notebook "burner" is actually George Melies, one of the original film makers, and the man behind the famous Man in the Moon film.

8. best kick-arse female

Agnes Crandall, or Cranky Agnes, in Agnes and the Hitman. She is one with whom you ought not mess. Cheat on her and you'll get a frying pan to the noggin. Try to steal her home and she'll cook you into submission. Mobsters and hitmen dine at her table and all of them fear her. And she cooks with butter - my kind of woman.

9. best kick-arse male

Curran Lennart, aka The Beast Lord, in Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniel's series (the latest entry is Magic Slays). When the Beast Lord roars, you'd best pay attention, or he may eat you for your disrespect.

10. broke your heart the most

11. favourite pet/animal character award
Rhett, Agnes' lump of a hound dog, who slobbered his way into my heart.

12. best YA parents award
It would appear that all the YA books I've read have dead or inept parents. Maybe Carter and Sadie Kane's parents in The Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan. They may be dead, but they're still watching out for Carter and Sadie.

13. favourite sibling relationship
Speaking of Carter and Sadie Kane, they're definitely my favorite siblings. Sadie just turned 13 in Throne of Fire, and Carter isn't much older, so they're both firmly entrenched in the I-love-you-but-think-you're-terribly-annoying age. Still, they manage to save the world together and learn to better appreciate each other in the process.

14. favourite best friends/friendship award
Cecelia and Kate in Patricia Wrede's Sorcery and Cecelia Or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot. They may be cousins, but they're also best friends. The entire story hinges on this friendship since it's told in the letters between the two. They completely trust one another and are delightful to read.

15. best/worst character names
This award goes to Eloise "Weezie" Foley and her ex-husband Talmadge Evans III in Mary Kay Andrews' Savannah Blues. Runner-up: Weezie's friend Bebe.

Bonus: best love triangle

Private Kaylin Neya, Corporal Severn Handred, and Lord Nightshade in Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. The newest entry is Cast in Ruin.

Faves of TwentyEleven: Books

Faves of TwentyEleven is hosted by Inkcrush.

The Rules:
Your answers come from books you read this year
(They don't have to be limited to books that came out in 2011, obviously)

The Other Rules:
Do what you want
Skip a category, rearrange a category, smish some categories together. Create sub-categories and shout-outs...work it for you :)
Nominate multiple books for one category (when you are torn) or limit yourself to one
Challenge yourself to not use the same book more than once, or sprinkle the same books throughout half the categories...
Join in some days and forget the rest...
Whatever works for you. Have fun :) 


Day One: The Books

1. favorite book read in 2011 Agnes and the Hitman (always), Cast in Ruin, Heartless

2. most powerful book n/a
 
3. brilliantly funny Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
 

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read n/a
 
5. most beautiful story The Peach Keeper
 

6. delicious rainy day comfort read Sorcery and Cecelia: Or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot
 

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award Magic Slays
 

8. the beautiful prose award Chime
 

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting Cast in Ruin
 

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award Heartless, The Peach Keeper

11. most original and imaginative The Invention of Hugo Cabret
 

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book Cast in Ruin
 

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

14. most haunting story Chime
 

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it n/a
 
16. series that i’m loving Cast in Ruin, Heartless, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Magic Slays, Pack of Lies

17.  always recommending this book award Agnes and the Hitman
 

18. completely awesome premise award Pack of Lies, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Uncommon Criminals
 

19.  would make the best movie Agnes and the Hitman, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Invention of Hugo Cabret (and it was sooo good!)

20.  want to re-read already Cast in Ruin, The Peach Keeper

I know I reused a lot of the titles here (I did read more than this), but these were the standouts. A fantastic year of reading!