P is for Percy Jackson

Books He’s In:Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan and Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. He wasn’t, however, in The Lost Hero, to everyone’s surprise and horror.

Favorite Characteristic(s): Ummm, he’s Percy Jackson? Most of you probably already know why Percy is the best. He’s funny, if often immature about it. (Hey, in the first book, he was eleven. Immaturity is expected.) Also, his fatal flaw is loyalty, which is totally evident in all the books, because he’d do anything for his friends. He’s a son of Poseidon, which means him and Annabeth got the “best underwater kiss ever.”  He’s clever. He often comes up with solutions to problems that nobody else would have ever thought of. (Like turning Frank into a crazy dolphin. Not literally, but still.) Also, him and Annabeth are the cutest and it’s so romantic. I don’t use that word a lot, either.

Favorite Quote(s): This is a truly impossible question. There are nine books of Percy Jackson quotes.  Five of which, he narrates. The other four switch narrations between him and the rest of the seven. (And Nico and Reyna in Blood of Olympus.) So, that being said, here is the link to my daily quotes from these books, and here is goodreads list.

O is for Oliver

Book(s) He’s In: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. If you want to read a good contemporary romance book, you need this one. It’s one of my favorites.

Favorite Characteristic(s): Oliver is one of those characters who could be a real person. And if he was, I woud marry him, just saying. Because he’s also one of those characters that even in real life would be a great person. He’s not a character we’d probably hate in real life, but idealize as fictional characters. He’s sweet and funny and perfect. On second thought, he’s way too awesome to be real.

Favorite Quote(s): (About cumulous clouds) “They’re the best ones […] Because they look the way clouds are supposed to look, the way you draw them when you’re a kid. Which is nice, you know? I mean, the sun never looks the way you drew it.”  And because Hadley reads the safety instructions on an airplane “I feel incredibly safe. When I’m knocked unconscious by my tray table during some sort of emergency, I cant wait to see all five-foot-nothing of you carry me out of here.”

N is for Nico DiAngelo

Book(s) He’s In: Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. He’s not in the first two Percy Jackson books, or the first Heroes of Olympus book, but he’s in all of the others with varying frequency. Blood of Olympus is the only book that includes his POV.

Favorite Characteristic(s): I think a big part of me will always see Nico as the excited little kid he was in The Titan’s Curse. But, because Rick Riordan is a terrible awful human with no soul, he does everything he can to ruin Nico. He puts him through hell. Literally, sometimes. *SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ HOUSE OF HADES* My favorite thing about Nico is that he’s such a unique character. I’m always saying that Rick Riordan puts variety in his characters (at least in HoO), and Nico has a lot of that. He’s Italian, he’s from the past, and he’s gay. His being Italian is the only thing he doesn’t have problems with, but then there’s a range of ethnicities in that series. *End Spoiler* Also, he’s really just a strong charcter. He does what he feels is right no matter what.

Favorite Quote(s): “With great power comes great need to take a nap.” And “Your voice is your identity. If you don’t use it, you’re halfway to Asphodel already.” Also, “Nico felt like a hundred skeletal butterflies were resurrecting in his stomach. ‘Three days? I – I suppose that would be okay.’” because, Solangelo.

M is for . . .

M is limited, but I still debated for quite a while over what I would choose. I kept coming back to McGonagall, however. She’s the best. But I couldn’t leave out Mason. They ar eincredibly different charcters, but they’re both great.

Minerva McGonagall

Book(s) She’s In: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Obviously. She’s a minor character throughout the entire series, but there are may scenes with her character, as she is head of Gryffindor House.

Favorite Characteristic(s): I think the only way to sum McGonagall up is respectable. She may seem strict to the students, but she’s an incredibly important part of the school and is very good at her job. She is everything Gryffindor stands for personified. Not to mention, she’s the only person (adult at least) that stands up to Umbridge.

Favorite Quote(s): “Have a biscuit, Potter.” Much better in context, but I have a feeling some of you knw the context. Also, “I should have made my meaning plainer … He has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher.”

Mason Ashford

Book(s) He’s In: Vampire Academy and Frostbite by Richelle Mead. He’s the one thing I will never forgive Richelle Mead for. I mean, I understand why, but just no. (Actually there is another thing. . .) Still, Mason was a great character. He’s definitely not a main character, but he’s not really that minor either. I don’t tink so, at least.

Favorite Characteristic(s): His humor is the best. And he’s realistically immature for a teenage guy, especially compared to a lot of other teenage characters. He’s adorable and funny, and perfect (not really that last one though, then I probably wouldnt like him) and I love him.

Favorite Quote(s): “Belikov is a sick, evil man who shoul be thrown into a pit of abid vipers for the great offense he commited to you this morning” and “How do you not know where the heart is? Especially considering how many of them you’ve broken?”

L is for. . .

It wasn’t incredibly difficult to narrow it down to these two, but it was impossible to choose. So today will be a two character day.

Logan Drake:

Book(s) He’s In: The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey. Blood Feud, the second book, is focused on him and Isabeau, and is the only one with his POV.

Favorite Characteristic(s): He is swoon-worthy. He’s one of those really romantic guys. Him and Isabeau are perfect together, and it’s the best. Also, he can pull off wearing tights, and how many guys, fictional or not, can say that?

Favorite Quote(s): “Very possibly this was the night my white-night complex, as Solagne put it, would get me killed. Someone had better write a poem about it. It’s only fair.

Leo Valdez:

Book(s) He’s In: Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I don’t think he’s in Son of Neptune, but I know he’s in all the others. He has a bigger role in The Lost Hero, but he had a big part in Blood of Olympus, and my favorite scenes with him are in House of Hades, so just read all of them.

Favorite Characteristic(s): His humor is the best, even if it’s sometimes just a mask. Also, he’s incredibly multi-faceted for a character in a children’s book. But it’s a children’s book by Rick Riordan, so maybe that doesn’t count. He’s almost self-deprecating at times, but he gets over his self-esteem issues, and it’s awesome and I love him.

Favorite Quote(s): There is so many! I narrowed it down to five though, which is close enough. They are alternately funny and serious. 1)“We’ve all got weaknesses. Me, for instance. I’m tragically funny and good-looking.” 2) “I figure the world is basically a machine. I don’t know who made it, if it was the Fates, or the gods, or the capital-G god or whatever. But it chugs along the way it’s supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break off and stuff goes haywire once in a while, but mostly… things happen for a reason.” 3)”Lots of death, huh? Personally, I’m trying to avoid lots of death, but you guys have fun!” 4)“Don’t stay in one place too long. It was the only way to stay ahead of the sadness.” 5)“Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out!”

K is for Katsa

Honestly K was not a difficult letter for me. Katsa was a shoe-in. Also, I’m almost positive at this point that nobody in the Seven Kingdoms trilogy has a last name and this causes me great, although not particularly well-founded, annoyance. However it is set in a medieval world, so I suppose some allowance must be made.

Book(s) She’s In: The Seven Kingdoms trilogy by Kristin Cashore. I’m not sure that she is in Fire, but I know she is in both Graceling and Bitterblue. The first book, Graceling, features her as the protagonist, while both Bitterblue and Fire are named after their protagonist.

Favorite Characteristic(s): What I enjoy about Katsa, as well as most of Cashore’s female characters, is that they’re portrayed as very strong women, even though the series is set in medieval times, where its not particularly uncommon, but not really expected either. I also like the fact that despite her falling in love, she doesn’t give up her independence and that she has character development without losing her strength.

Favorite Quote(s): To describe her: “She knew her nature. She would recognize it if she came face-to-face with it. It would be a blue-eyed green-eyed monster, wolflike and snarling. A vicious beast that struck out at friends in uncontrollable anger, a killer that offered itself as a vessel of the king’s fury. But then it was a strange monster, for beneath its exterior it was frightened and sickened by its own violence. It chastised itself for its savagery. And sometimes it had no heart for violence and rebelled against it utterly. A monster that refused, sometimes, to behave like a monster. When a monster stopped behaving like a monster , did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else? Perhaps she wouldn’t recognize her own nature after all.” And to show that the book isn’t just about serious stuff like that: “She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. ‘If there’s anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I’ll hit him in the face.'”

J is for Jillian Mastrano

I probably could have done a top three or a top five today, but I did choose one, so here we go.

Book(s) She’s In: Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. She a very minor charcter in Vampire Academy. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t show up until Shadow Kiss. In Bloodlines though, she’s a much bigger character, although she still isn’t really a main character.

Favorite Character: It’s kind of difficult to answer this question, because I feel like Vampire Academy Jill is very different than Bloodlines Jill. In Vampire Academy, she seems a lot younger than the others, and her naivety is endearing. Also, it was relatable to me at the time, because I was about her age. *SPOILERS* After the surprise in Last Sacrifice, Jill becomes a lot more reserved. She has difficulty with her new status, and the fact that everybody wants her for some reason or another isn’t incredibly helpful either. Luckily, she has Eddie and Adrian *END SPOILERS* My favorite thing about Jill in Bloodlines is probably her loyalty and her quiet strength.

Favorite Quote: I love the conversation she has woth Rose when they first meet in Shadow Kiss and Jill is still a babbling thirteen year old (I think she’s thirteen at least.) I also love when she’s talking to Sydney about Adrian, but that’s kind of a description of Adrian, so. . .
She also gives the best relationship advice, which is ironic, because she basically does the opposite of what her advice says to do. Still, she plays a major part in Sydney and Adrian’s relationship. With advice like “From everything I’ve seen and heard, you’re just afraid. You’ve always controlled every detail of your life. When you couldn’t-like with the Alchemists-you found a way to seize back that control. [….] Except that we can’t always have it, and sometimes that is a good thing. A great thing, even. And that’s how it is with Adrian. No matter how hard you try, you aren’t going to be able to control your feelings for him. You can’t help loving him, and so you’re running away. I’m just an excuse.” And you can’t even argue with her because she’s the quiet one, and then she just comes out and says the stuff that no one else wants to say, and you know what she says is true.

I is for Isabeau St. Criox

Choosing a character for “I” took me a surprisingly long time. I had thought of about five I characters, but none of them really stood out. Then, I asked Brianna (my sister) and she gave me two, so then, I had to choose between them. (I’m trying really hard now to stick to one character per letter, but I honestly don’t think I can do it when it comes to some letters.)

Book(s) She’s In: The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey. If you like vampires, read these books. In fact, if you have good taste, read these books. (Although they are romantic, so if you’re anti-romance, probably not a good idea.) Isabeau doesn’t come in until Blood Feud, the second book. This is the only book she narrates.

Favorite Characteristic(s): Like many of Alyxandra Harvey’s female characters (*cough**cough* Lucy Hamilton), Isabeau is an extremely strong character who still manages to bring a lot of humor to the story. Plus, Isabeau survived the French Revolution. Kind of. There is that whole being turned into a vampire thing, but that isn’t because of the Revolution.

Favorite Quote: I read this book a long time ago, and again, since I hadn’t even planned to do this challenge until the theme reveal, I didn’t have quotes ready. And again, nobody has put any quotes on the internet for me to find. The quote I finally decided on is “Your eyeballs could be on fire and you wouldn’t bat your lashes at me like that.” Although it’s not  Isabeau’s quote, it’s about her, and it tells you about who she is as a person. Or vampire.

H is for Hermione Granger

I know I did a Harry Potter character yesterday, but whatever. There’s likely still going to be more to come.

Book(s) She’s In: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. (Obviously.) I don’t really think this needs an explanation.

Favorite Characteristic(s): Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite things about Hermione is that she’s smart, and stresses about school, and acts like a normal teenage girl most of the time. The idea that she was worried about an Exceeds Expections versus an Outstanding, I totally get that. I man, it’s like getting a B. I have a lot of trouble with that, and I know I’ll have to get over that by college, but I still stress.

Favorite Quote: “I’m going to bed, before either of you come up with another brilliant idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled.” Although in the book it’s “I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could have been all killed — or worse, expelled.” Also, “Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon dooesn’t mean we all have”, and “‘Ron,’ said Hermione in a dignified voice, dipping the point of her quill into her ink pot, ‘you are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet.'”

G is for Ginny Weasley

I know this is the second time I’ve waited until late at night to post my A-Z challenge post. Hopefully tomorrow’s will be posted between 1:00 and 2:30 tomorrow. (Eastern) my apologies. On a similar but different note, I had difficulty finding a “G” character. It seems it is an underused letter. I did finally settle on Ginny from Harry Potter. Book Ginny, not movie Ginny.

Book(s) she’s in: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I only recently read this series. (I know, so sue me.) I had watched the movies first. (I know, another mark againt me.) However, I did get around to finishing the series this past summer, and, of course, I loved it.

Favorite Characteristic(s): Well, mostly, her name starts with G. (That was a joke.) Otherwise though, she was a great friend to Hermione (have you noticed yet that friendship is one of my favorite things?) Also, she seemed very normal for a witch, which, I guess some people would say makes her boring, but sometimes I think you need a healthy dose of reality in fantasy novels.

Favorite Quote: This isn’t technically Ginny’s quote, it’s from the narration, but you can’t stop me. “And he knew that at that moment, they understood each other perfectly, and when he told her what he was going to do now, she would not say ‘be careful’ or ‘don’t do it’, but she would accept his decision because she would not have expected anything less of him.”