On talking animals

I've realized that I tend to focus a lot of my character lists on strong, independent women. While that's important, I want to get away from that a bit by listing books with chatty animals today. Talking animals are a staple in fantasy literature. So today, we've had to narrow it down to a few that really stand out to me - or that used talking animals in a unique way.

• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - While Manchee (the main dog) can't exactly talk, his owner, Tom, can hear his thoughts, so they can still communicate. Manchee can really only think very simple thoughts and they don't always make complete sense to Todd. I listened to the audiobook and that was especially hilarious - the author had a special voice for Manchee and seemed to bark out all the dog's thoughts. It fit perfectly.

• Sabriel by Garth Nix - This entire series is made infinitely better with Mogget, the talking cat who is actually a trapped free magic being. Throughout the series, Mogget can be snarky, sneaky, and rude, but he's also an adorable cat, often wanting a scratch behind his ears or help catching fish. He's a hilarious and extremely memorable character.

• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins - The animals in this series are used so well! There is a civilization below New York City, full of humans, but also giant bats, rats, and bugs. All these animals can talk - and Collins does a fantastic job portraying the different cultures, alliances, and values each species has. Each species also has a distinct way of talking and this really helps bring the tale to life.

• The Builders by Daniel Polansky - While this book doesn't feature any humans for the animals to talk with, it's still a brilliant way to use talking animals - the animals all have distinct features, personalities, and cultures that they come from. This book is Redwall meets classic heist and it's absolutely brilliant.

What talking animals have you most loved? Why do you think talking animals are so common in fantasy stories? What other books would you add to this list?

On quirky heroines

Quirky heroines are some of my favorites to read - they’re usually smart, hilarious, unique, and they don’t care at all what people think. Most of us could probably learn a bit from their example. Plus, they’re an absolute delight to read. Here are some of the quirkiest heroines I’ve read:

• Mattie Ross from True Grit by Charles Portis- Mattie’s quirkiness doesn’t look like your stereotypical quirky heroine. Mattie is humorous and single-minded and therein lies her quirkiness. What other young teen girl in the 1800’s would hunt down her father’s murderer and make it such a hilarious journey? Only Mattie.

• Steris Harms from Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson - Her first introduction in this series makes Steris look stuffy and uptight. By Bands of Mourning, we’ve finally started to see that Steris is a fantastic planner and that she has an eye for detail that is necessary to Wax and Wayne’s work. Also, she’s able to overcome all her fears to help the people she loves ultimately. Steris’ slow warming to people and her love of lists endears her to me and earns her a spot on this list.

• Sunnie Stone from Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris - Sunnie is a caring nurse, a cool head in difficult situations, and a voracious reader of anything she can get her hands on. Some of my favorite passages in this book are Sunnie rambling about what she’s been learning about whales from her reading and watching Sandy fall for her smarts and dedication.

• Faith Herbert from Faith Volume One: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser - Faith is optimistic, happy, and somehow balances her job writing for a Buzzfeed-esque company with her superhero job of saving people (and puppies) around town. Plus, there’s all that drama with her ex-boyfriend, but she won’t let that get in the way of doing her job(s). Faith is a wonderful twist on the classic Superman story and she’s a delightful character to read.

• Mallory Sullivan from Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey - Mallory belongs on this list as a stereotypical quirky YA girl - in some ways. She’s an awkward high school student whose anxiety has stopped her from leaving the house for months. But a new friend on her favorite alien forum and getting to know her next-door-neighbors completely change Mallory’s perspective - and perhaps her approach to life.

What characters would you add to this list? What do you think of the characters I included? Who are your favorite quirky heroines?

On puppies

Alright, folks. It’s time for something random and ridiculous and today, I have some of my favorite book characters as portrayed by pictures of puppies that I found on the internet.

This lil’ beauty is the spittin’ image of Beth March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - if Beth was a tiny maltese puppy. Like this puppy, Beth is a) absolutely adorable, b) tiny and vulnerable, c) always wearing a shawl or blanket (at least she does in my imagination whenever I read the book…), and d) capable of making everyone want to take care of her all the time.

This little guy is being cast as Locke Lamora from Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora. Like this cutie, Locke a) always has his eye on the prize and goes all in to get what he’s going for, b) is kind of oblivious to the fact that what he’s doing may not always be the best idea. (Spoiler: I’m still crying.)

A+ grade for this adorable pup who is wholly dedicated to getting the part of Kaladin from “The Stormlight Archives” by Brandon Sanderson. Kaladin and this pup both a) try to escape and have freedom NO MATTER THE COST, b) get into all sorts of shenanigans by being themselves and by striving for said freedom and c) venture where they shouldn’t.

Some puppies just can’t be messed with and this little one falls into that category. So does Mattie Ross, the heroine of Charles Portis’ True Grit. Maddie and this pup have quite a bit in common: a) Both are tiny and adorable, b) both are going to mess you up if you don’t do exactly what they want, c) both are really good at getting their way by looking like they’re about to pull out their revolver to shoot you in the face.

This cutie aspires to play Ford Prefect from the Hitchhiker’s Trilogy by Douglas Adams. Like our pup here, Ford is a) typically upbeat and optimistic and beyond earnest, b) absolutely determined to get his entry into the Hitchhiker’s Guide book (among other things), and c) sweet and hilarious and wonderful. I just can’t get enough of either of them.

And finally, here is our contestant for the part of the Dormouse from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. He’s a good fit for this part because a) he’s in a teacup.

Do you know any puppies who personify characters? Do you know any characters who could pass as a puppy? DO YOU KNOW ANY CHARACTERS WHO ARE PUPPIES?! Let me know in the comments.