Top Ten Characters We'd NEVER Want To Trade Places With

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Characters We'd NEVER Want to Trade Places With. This topic was somewhat of a challenge for us, but between Jenny and I we were able to come up with five characters each that made us grateful we get to be on the other side of the page!

Lesley Anne's Top Five Characters She'd Never Want to Trade Places With

1. Anne Boleyn (The Other Boleyn Girl) - How many reasons do you need with Anne? We all know the history here. Loved and hated for her beauty and charm, subject to the whims of a temperamental king, a pawn in her family's ambition for wealth and status, suffering countless miscarriages and unable to produce a male heir for King Henry VIII, ultimately resulting in her beheading. Her story is so very fascinating, but so very tragic at the same time - and I'm so glad I'm not her.

2. Agnes Mangúsdóttir (Burial Rites) - I just finished reading Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and I think it's safe to say I will be haunted by Agnes' story for the rest of my life. I don't even know what else to say here because it's hard for me to put my feelings for Agnes and the last months of her life into words. Even though I would never want to trade places with her, I think her story is definitely worth reading about, and you should put Burial Rites on the top of your TBR if it is not already there. Trust me. :)

3. Marie Tussaud (Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution) - Marie lived during one of the most tumultuous times in French history, and to make matters worse, somehow found herself in the precarious position between the aristocracy and the increasingly disgruntled citizens of France. She had to live a life of delicate political balance, and that's just mentally exhausting. What solidifies this choice for me is that after a certain mob attack, she had to deal with a few men who brought severed heads to her so she could make wax models out of them. Just NO.

4. Primrose Everdeen - (The Hunger Games) - There had to be at least one character from The Hunger Games on this list! I chose Primrose because I think her storyline in the trilogy is the one that makes me the most sad (and mad, if we're being honest, but that's another topic for another day). To live with the knowledge that your sister went through the most horrific experience of her life in order to save you from it, I don't even know how a person can deal with that. And I'm glad I don't have to.

5. Severus Snape - (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) - How do I even talk about Snape without getting all weepy? Snape is probably one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. He is so complex and misunderstood and brilliant and just GAAAHHH. But even though he is one of my favorites, I would never for a second want to trade places with him. There are many reasons for this, but chief of all - I just don't do snakes.

Jenny's Top Five Characters She'd Never Want to Trade Places With

6. Jacob Black (Twilight series) - I would not want to be any character in this series, but most especially not Jacob. The poor dude is a great friend and is taken advantage of again and again. Then, to add insult to injury, his HEA is with his crush's daughter?! That is messed up.

7. Odysseus' Men (The Odyssey) - Odysseus is most definitely a hero; I will not try to argue otherwise. He did, however, make some terrible decisions that worked out rather poorly for his crew. The decision to hang out and confront Polyphemus? Odysseus' idea. Result? A few of his men getting eaten, while still alive. The decision to taunt the cyclops and call down the wrath of Poseidon? All Odysseus. Result? No one made it back home to Ithaca except for Odysseus. Oh, and the Phaecians were also screwed over by Poseidon for helping Odysseus. If your name wasn't Odysseus, you were expendable, as far as Homer was concerned.

8. Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) - I feel like this one really does not even need an explanation. I read this novel in 12th grade and still, to this day, I feel a slight shudder when I hear the name "Cathy". The degree to which he is consumed with and by Cathy is terrifying. I cannot imagine my identity being so wrapped up in another person the way his is. Is there a Heathcliff without Cathy?

9. Emma of Normandy (The Forever Queen) - This book is about a really extraordinary woman who is wife to two kings and the mother of two kings. While that sounds awesome, the reality is it is not at all. Your only value is in your title as queen; this makes you a pawn to the men who surround you. As much as it stunk to be poor during the early Middle Ages, being a wealthy, titled woman would be much worse, in my opinion. (Not to mention all the modern conveniences you would have to do without!)

10. Sicarius (Emperor's Edge series) - This guy was bred to be an assassin. Literally. He spent his whole life learning how to be the best. This included fun things like learning languages, drawing, etc. It also included lessons on how to withstand torture, physical and psychological. Serious case of child abuse. At first it seems cool because he can do some awesome stuff, but when you realize what went into making him awesome.... it kind of turns your stomach.  

CMLT 2500

As most of you know, I am a T.A. at the University of Georgia. I am working towards a M.A. in Comparative Literature. I really wish I had a dollar for every time I was asked to explain, what, exactly Comp Lit is. To be honest, it is a bit of a hazy concept. This, to me, is part of the beauty of Comp Lit; you can make it what you want. The official UGA Comp Lit page gives a very vague, fancy sounding answer that actually does not tell you a lot. My best explanation? You get to study literature without getting bogged down by tedious things like grammar- that's for the English department.

This semester I am teaching something a little lot out of my comfort zone- literature written after 1600. Sure, I like to read stuff written in this century, but that doesn't mean I want to teach it. Modern literature can be so subjective! Anyways, the official name of my class is Comparative Ethnic American Literature (have you noticed how good my department is at titles that don't actually give you a lot of information?). What does this mean? It is a class composed of books that are from different ethnic backgrounds but are all American. The protagonists in these books are working out their identities through their own cultural backgrounds. Which, really, is what we are all doing, every day of our lives. So far, the class has been going surprisingly well. I thought I would share with y'all these wonderful (thus far!) books that I would recommend for anyone.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Ethnicity: Jewish-American. This is a book about friendship between two boys in New York during WWII. The boys belong to different branches of Judaism, which is one area of tension the novel explores. Friendship, intelligence, suffering, and religion- this book packs a lot in 304 pages.

Sula by Toni Morrison. Ethnicity: African-American. This is a book about friendship between two girls in Ohio. It spans their lives, rather than just one specific period. A few issues explored- social norms, racism, poverty, parenting styles.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Ethnicity: Native-American. This book is about a boy who lives on a reservation but goes to school in the nearby town. There are neat illustrations in this book, adding a new dimension to the story. Some issues- poverty, alcoholism, racism, friendship.

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Ethnicity: Chinese-American. I have not started reading this book yet, but it is more autobiographical than the others (with the possible exception of The Absolutely True Diary). Kingston weaves traditional Chinese folktales in with her own personal stories.

The Brief Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Ethnicity: Dominican-American. This is a story about a boy who wants to be the next J.R.R. Tolkien- what is not to love about that?! I have not started this one either but I have been wanting to read it for a while.

Fledgling Octavia Butler. This book is the one I am ending the semester with and it is a....wait for it.... vampire book. Yes, that kind of vampire. It explores issues of family, belonging, and experimental genetic mutation.

So, as you can see, it is going to be a very interesting semester. We are almost done with The Chosen. I will be putting up an official review on here in couple days. What is your favorite book exploring ethnic diversity? If you were teaching this class, what would your syllabus look like?

Review: Winter Passing

The Vitals

Winter Passing by Cindy McCormick Martinusen

Release Date: 1 September 2000

Page Count: 377

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Adult

Series: Winter Passing Trilogy #1

Source and Format: Purchased; Paperback

Summary (From Goodreads)
Darby Evans stands before her grandmother's bed, wondering why the dying older woman calls the name of a stranger--Tatianna. A young woman searches for clues to her grandmother's love and legacy lost during World War II. A beautiful story of ultimate love and the passing of a sixty-year-old winter of sorrow.

Notes on Winter Passing
As you can tell from the chart, I really love this book. It combines one of my favorite time periods- WWII- with a beautiful story. When I say beautiful, I mean beautiful. It is one of those stories that is so poignant it will stick with you for a long time to come. I do not want to tell you a lot about it because I want you to go read it for yourself. The book is both historical and contemporary fiction. The protagonist- Darby- is searching out her grandmother's story. The storyline switches back and forth from Europe in WWII to the present day as Darby is uncovering her grandmother's secrets. I like stories that do this; I can understand that not everyone is a fan. This book will make you so thankful for your best friend and make you want to hop on a plane to Europe.

Chief Complaint
Honestly, I do not have any complaints. I love everything about this book. If I were to try and find a complaint, it would be that the second book, Blue Night, is not quite as good as the first. But it's hard to create perfection twice so I am not overly upset about it :)

Overall Diagnosis

Get A Second Opinion
Sadly, after hours of scouring the internet, I was unable to come up with any blog posts about this book. I think it is because it was published before blogging really took off. If you would like another opinion, I would suggest reading the Goodreads page so you can see what other readers thought.

Throwback Thursday: Anne of Green Gables

Jenny and I are life-long readers; that is, we have loved reading our whole lives. Sure, we played football at recess with the boys, but we also had at least 4 books checked out from our school library at all times. We thought a fun way to showcase the books that solidified our love of literature at a young age is to put a bookish twist on the ever-popular Throwback Thursday meme. If you, too, started your love affair with books as soon as you learned to read, you will probably recognize a lot of these titles. If your love of reading was something acquired later in life, you might have missed these gems. These books are near and dear to our hearts in a special way; it is through them we first learned the hidden power of words and imagination. The beauty of these books is that they remain just as wonderful to re-read as an adult. Ahh, the power of nostalgia :)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Release Date: June 1908
Page Count: 314
Genre: Classic Literature
Target Audience: Children's
Series: Anne of Green Gables #1
Source and Format: Librivox; Audiobook

Summary (From Amazon)
When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables, she surprises everyone: first of all, she’s a girl, even though Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew specifically asked for an orphan boy to help around the farm. And second of all, she’s not just any girl: she has bright red hair, a wild imagination, and can talk a mile a minute.

But she also has a sweet disposition and quick wit, and Anne (with an “e” of course—it’s so much more distinguished!) soon finds her place in Avonlea, making a friend in her neighbor Diana Barry and attending the local school, where she spurns the advances of the popular and handsome Gilbert Blythe when he commits the ultimate sin of making fun of her hair. Anne has a temper as fiery as her hair and a knack for finding trouble, and she also has a big heart and a positive attitude that affects everyone she meets.

Notes on Anne of Green Gables

Oh Anne with an 'e'. Where do I even start with my love for her? I seriously cannot imagine my childhood without Anne of Green Gables in it, and unfortunately it's not because of the novel by L.M. Montgomery, but because of the mini series starring Megan Follows. I know, I know. This is terrible. I completely agree. But hear me out. Something you will quickly learn about me is that as a little girl, if there ever was a movie I really loved, I would watch it over and over (and over) again. Like seriously rewind it as soon as I was done watching it and watch it again right away. I guess my tendency for obsession manifested itself in this funny way, and is one of the reasons I also love to reread. Experiencing my favorite stories again and again, whether told through books or movies, is something I have always enjoyed. And Anne of Green Gables is one of those stories I watched countless times as a little girl. I was even a proud owner of the Anne and Diana Madame Alexander dolls, y'all! I was a pretty big fan. But apparently not fan enough to actually read the books that inspired the mini-series I so dearly loved. Now that I've finally experienced the first Anne novel as an adult, I can't help but feel like I've been missing out on something special all these years.

You see, the more I think about it, the more obvious it is to me that this book is a precious treasure. I fell in love with Montgomery's writing style while reading it, and even more in love with the characters in the story, even nosy Rachel Lynde and uptight Aunt Josephine. The character development is truly superb, and I'm not just talking about our fiesty red-headed heroine. Marilla's journey from being so disappointed in finding a girl on her doorstep to not being able to imagine her life without Anne, Matthew gradually working up the courage to speak his mind and venture out of his comfort zone to show kindness, to even young Gilbert learning to patiently wait for Anne to come around and accept him as a friend (and we all know where that eventually leads!). I remember liking Diana a lot as a little girl, mainly for silly reasons like she had a pretty name, her hair was dark, and she liked frivolous girly things.

But now. Oh how I see so much of myself in Anne! Aside from sharing a name and knowing the struggle of being an Anne with an 'e', I can identify with so many facets of her character. Imaginative, competitive, independent, lover of beautiful things, and loyal to a fault -- I feel like there really is a little bit of Anne in everyone. And that's probably why Montgomery's novel resonates with so many of us. Even though it was written more than a hundred years ago, we can still identify today with the many struggles and joys Anne experiences as she grows into a confidant young woman.

Basically I could go on and on about this beloved classic, but I will spare you a super long post today since yesterday's was just a few words shy of a novella. Hands down, this book is a new favorite, and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters in the next seven novels to follow.

Overall Diagnosis 

Memorable Quotes
“But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an 'e'.”

“It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable.”

“When I left Queen's, my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.”

Shadow and Bone: A Bookish Chat With Brenna

Relatively speaking, Brenna, Jenny, and I recently read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo together. Since we all really enjoyed it (and for me really enjoyed = NEW FANGIRL), we thought it would be fun to get together and do a bookish chat instead of putting our thoughts into a normal review format. If you haven't read Shadow and Bone yet (and I seriously don't know what you are waiting for if you haven't!), any spoilers mentioned are hidden - you have to highlight the text in order to read them. If you are the rebellious type and have a hard time resisting temptation, this may not be the post for you. We had to talk about our FEELS, people! So if you are ready to stick around for a longish post, here's what my girls Jenny and Brenna and I had to say about Bardugo's gorgeous debut novel.

Brenna: Ok. To start. The Grisha = Totally cool. The concept of a "small science" is amazing.

Jenny: Yes. I love the robes that help you distinguish who is who.

Brenna: Ummm yea!!! I want one for myself. So pretty. Who am I kidding? I just want to BE Genya.

Lesley Anne: Me too! If I had a magical power, it would be hers.

Jenny: Hmmm I don't know.

Brenna: Psh. I don't even need her magic. Just her sass!

Jenny: I was surprised by how much I liked the heroine. She was not whiny at all.

Lesley Anne: Yes, I love me some Alina! Her snarky thoughts to herself were cracking me up.

Brenna: OMG. She has amazing comments. Always entertaining. Had me cracking up in Starbucks.

Jenny: And she didn't want to change her appearance all that much.

Brenna: Hmm... Idk. I liked her at first, but I thought she become a little whiny when getting to the Little Palace and complaining about missing Mal all the time…

Lesley Anne: UGH. That part definitely annoyed me too. I hated that she wasted so much time pining away for him when he had NO IDEA how she felt about him.

Jenny: Really? That didn't annoy me because he truly was her only friend. I am not all about Mal. He is a little too flat for me.

Brenna: Ugh. Mal. Boredom. Snore. I think mostly I was annoyed with that because I wanted to know more about the Grisha and what they were. I would have liked that entire chunk about what she was learning and getting excerpts from what she was reading to learn more about the history…I didn't mind that she missed him because that made sense, I just hated how lopsided that part of the book felt because I didn't feel like enough was being explained. 

Lesley Anne: I agree, I loved the parts where she was learning about Grisha history and theory. So intriguing!

Jenny: Yes, I agree with wanting to know more about the Grisha. Other than Genya and the Darkling, you don't really get a feel for any of the others.


Brenna: Yes, Jenny! That's totally what I felt like. I can tell that this author has a really solid structure on the world she has created, but I would love to know a little more about it.

Jenny: I also felt that the token jealous girl was too contrived.

Lesley Anne: Me too! I had to roll my eyes when Zoya walked in.

Brenna: Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I don't even have words for that part of the book.

Jenny: She served no purpose.

Lesley Anne: I hope she has a more important part to play in the other books besides filling that role.

Brenna: I love the Darkling though.

Lesley Anne: OH MY DEAR GOODNESS. ME TOOO!

Jenny: Phew. That makes me feel better. I did too, even though I didn't want to!

Lesley Anne: He was my favorite character. No shame.

Brenna: Genya was totally my favorite. But the Darkling was a close second, and Baghra even got up there a ways! Mostly I feel guilty about liking Mal less than I do. (Because seriously, his one sappy line was TOTALLY a win).

Lesley Anne: I know, that was a lovely scene and definitely had my heart melting!

Brenna: I maybe flipped out a little and reread the whole chapter. And by maybe I mean definitely.

Jenny: He did grow on me at the end…kind of like mold. So, having not read the second book, it seems an awful lot like Mal is [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> a Grisha. I mean, super tracking ability? That seems somehow magical.

Lesley Anne: Yeah, I have my suspicions about that as well. And it seems The Darkling has a feeling about it too.

Brenna: Oh yeah. For sure. I bet so too. It was way too convenient that they [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> tracked the Stag.

Jenny: Yes to both those comments!

Brenna: [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> Yea I think he was following them because he needed Mal to track the Stag. That's why he was just THERE to kill it. He may have been amplifying him some too? Do you think? I can't remember all the rules to that.


Jenny: So one of my main problems with the book was how [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> Alina finally figured out the Stag power was hers. It seemed to come out of left field for me.

Lesley Anne: Me too, Jenny! That part felt a little contrived and just too convenient.

Brenna: It was a little cliche of "love wins in all magic" type stuff. I guess it didn't particularly irritate me. It just was revealed at a too climactic and convenient time.

Jenny: It's not that I didn't like it, I felt like there was not enough explanation to justify it.

Lesley Anne: Maybe we'll get more explanation in Siege and Storm…?

Brenna: I think it could have been executed far better. [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> If she really did get her power back through mercy, it should have happened right away maybe. Not just when she put it together in her head. Whether or not she made the connection didn't change her actions at all. That probably made no sense.

Lesley Anne: No, that makes perfect sense! I think that's why I had a problem with it. [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> Why did she have to realize it in her head first?

Jenny: Exactly.

Brenna: It just would have been less fun and climactic. Which is why the author didn't do it, but I would have preferred it that way. Yea. That was actually really irritating. The concept was fine, the execution was just irritating.

Lesley Anne: Haha yes, I think all in all it was an excellent ending and thankfully didn't leave us hanging on too high of a cliff.

Jenny: I also do not completely understand why [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> the Darkling needed her to expand the darkness.

Brenna: Oh. That was [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> a political move. He wouldn't have lived in there without her. She was keeping the Volcra away. He couldn't do it without her being in there. He needed her to stay alive. At least, that's what I got out of him.

Jenny: Ahh, so [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> he needed her to kill them and then he would expand it? But that would just create more, right?

Lesley Anne: Or to [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> just keep them away.

Brenna: She wasn't [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> killing them, they're just afraid of light.

Jenny: Hmmmm. I am still not sure about that part.

Brenna: [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> They were in the light, but he was still in the area and power of the fold to expand it. Without her to keep the light there, he would have been attacked by Volcra.

Lesley Anne: I also thought the explanation behind the volcra was sooooo creepy.

The Shadow Fold

Jenny: YES.

Brenna: Oh yea. TOTALLY creepy. Very interesting though. Reminded me of [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> Gollum. The people turned nasty and into monsters from something evil.

Lesley Anne: Oh yeah!

Jenny: Too true. Okay, so [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> HOW IS HIS MOM STILL ALIVE?

Lesley Anne: I was wondering that too!

Jenny: [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> If she was opposed to his plan, wouldn't he have put her away or something?

Lesley Anne: Or do [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> all Grisha have really long lives?

Brenna: [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> Grisha all have long lives. That's kind of explained.

Lesley Anne: I thought that just applied to [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> The Darkling but maybe I'm missing something.

Brenna: The stronger the Grisha, [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> the longer they live I think.

Jenny: I think my main problem with her being around is that [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> she clearly does not agree with him and yet he allows her to train Alina.

Brenna: I think he just doesn't want to make anything too suspicious.

Lesley Anne: And maybe he just didn't realize [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> his mom was going to betray him?

Brenna: [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> She's been around for longer than anyone can remember. Longer than him by a LOT (especially when you count the fact that most people don't think he's as old as he is) I think most of that comes down to him being redeemable still. He has some remorse when it comes to his mother.

Jenny: I really wish The Darkling had a name, too.

Brenna: I think he does and that will come into the finale of the last book. Names are usually pretty significant in Fantasy.

Lesley Anne: O CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT!

Jenny: I love meaningful names. Old English and Old Norse are full of them. Do you think he was being honest when he said [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> he is about 120 years old?

Brenna: Nope. [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> He's the Black Heretic remember? That dude is ancient and creepy. Faked a lot of deaths. As huge as the Amplifiers are though to the concept of the story, I think they're a little too convenient and they seem like a random add-on to a solid structure.

Lesley Anne: It reminds me of another story that uses the same concept.

Brenna: Really?

Lesley Anne: Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. I don't think either of you have read those yet though so I won't say anything else.

Brenna: OMG. I have that on hold at the library. Gotta read that. Ok. The Priest. Scared me more than anything else in the book. More than the Volcra.

Apparat Inspiration From Leigh Bardugo's Pinterest.

Lesley Anne: Creeeeeeepy.

Brenna: He's nasty.

Jenny: He is intriguing to me. Probably cause I am a medievialist and work with saints' lives.

Brenna: I agree with you about him being intriguing. I still think he's creepy though.

Jenny: I thought it was a nice addition to the story that is really unique in YA.

Lesley Anne: I know he probably has a bigger part to play in later books, but right now I'm glad Alina avoided him like the plague lol.

Jenny: He is creepy! But I am curious what he was going to say to her. It seems like he sees a lot more than people think. Maybe [Highlight to view spoiler] ---> goes back to mercy?

Brenna: I agree that he's very unique. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like him in another story.

Lesley Anne: The description of him reminds me of The Silent Brothers in The Infernal Devices and Mortal Instruments, but other than that I agree his character is very unique in YA.

Brenna: I think overall this book has some very interesting concepts, a solid structure, with unique ideas. I'm a little disappointed with some of the execution of events and "filler" characters and scenes.

Jenny: I agree. I didn't love it. Alina was really the reason I like it as much as I do.

Lesley Anne: The book for me was nearly flawless, especially with the unique world building and Russian cultural base. LOVED that.

Brenna: I've never been one to want to give half stars, but I really want to give a 4.5. And yea the Russian culture base is amazing.

Lesley Anne: I technically gave it 4.5 stars on Goodreads as well. I found myself getting jealous of even the BATHS Alina got to take, haha! I want a brass gold tub.

Jenny: No kidding. I would be willing to do a lot for one of those.

Brenna: Oh yea. Totally jealous of her entire beauty regime. I think I loved it for the well-displayed characters and potential (and because I love to binge on Fantasy series) but it did have some flaws and nonsense.

Jenny: I would give it a 3.5 I think.

Lesley Anne: Even though this does not matter to most people, I also LOVED the design aesthetic of the book. The map, the chapter and page numbers, the list of Grisha at the beginning. All so well done!

Map of Ravka

Brenna: Probably the best I've seen in a while. A lot of books have pretty covers but this had detail in the tiniest places!

Jenny: Mine was an e-Book so I missed out on that.

Lesley Anne: We need to get you a physical copy! Ok ladies, I think we need to wrap this up. Any final thoughts?

Brenna: I think my final say would be it was a good opener with lots of potential that could still go both ways. Great characters. Great concept.

Jenny: Amazing world building. Unique setting. Engaging characters. Too conventional at times. Not a fan of love triangles.

Lesley Anne: This book had everything I love in a fantasy. Imaginative world-building, strong characters, a dashing romance, and a super creative plot. Loved it!