The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

WEEKLY CHECK-IN
May 7, 2025 -- Week 19

Who are some of your all-time favourite book characters?
What makes them stand out to you?

I tend to be very involved with the characters of any good book while I’m reading it, but they don’t always stick with me, so I tend to not have “all-time favorites”. The ones who come to mind right now are Irene from The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman, Naomi Ngata from the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, Vlad Taltos from the series by Steven Brust, and several of the characters from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Sam & Gandalf especially). They are resilient, a mix of strengths and weaknesses, and are generally trying to do the right thing, even in difficult situations.

Tough question. Do these characters stand out to me because I've read the books so many times, or do I keep re-reading the books because of the characters?

Jo March- the heroine of Little Women makes up her own mind, toeing the line while also making her own decisions (example: getting married as expected, but to Mr. Bhaer not Laurie

Elizabeth Bennett- the heroine of Pride and Prejudice is similar to Jo

Anne Shirley- How can you not like Anne (of Green Gables et al) when she can make even the crankiest villager crack a smile?

Olive Kitteridge- She is terribly misunderstood, and I felt like I really understood where she was coming from and recognized her often good intentions

The Master and Margarita- Unforgettable and amazing characters, dialogue, and story. One of the most intriguing stories I’ve ever read. Bulgakov at his finest. The Michael Karpelson translation is pure gold.

True Grit - Incredible and engaging storytelling. Unique characters and beautifully told narrative of redemption. The dialogue is sheer perfection. One of the greatest and most memorable westerns ever written. Top tier Portis.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle - By far the greatest crime novel ever written. The crime scene in 1970s Boston is told with perfect vernacular. The dialogue is subtle and sublime. Higgins’ greatest and most perfect story.

Anne Shirley - for a girl who has had so much heartache and loss, she's also an incredibly strong person... and a much needed breath of fresh air to Green Gables.

Kaz Brekker - Clever characters are one of my biggest weaknesses, especially when they're written well. I've read plenty of books where characters are meant to be clever, but they really don't pull it off. Kaz is the perfect example of a well-rounded, clever character who still has weaknesses.

Thalia Grace - I just always loved her because we look similar and it's hard to find characters who look like me.