Talk to Me Tuesday: Male vs. Female Protagonists

Talk to Me Tuesday is a great new weekly meme for bookish discussion, hosted by Melissa of I Swim For Oceans. 

This week's question: Do you have a preference between male and female MCs, and why?

I have always preferred female protagonists, simply because I find I can relate to them better. Also, Melissa brings up a good point in her answer — it may depend on what perspective the book is written in. I find it easier to read a novel featuring a central male character written in third-person than one in first-person.

Just scanning my shelves right now, I do see a few books with guys as main characters — for instance, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, and of course, Harry Potter. It seems like of the books with male protagonists I do read, they mostly seem to fall under fantasy!

Still, I think I should challenge myself to read a few more (and get outside my comfort zone for the challenge I'm holding!) I've been considering books like The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, The Limit by Kristen Landon, Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, and Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher...trying to mix it up with a variety of YA & MG reads in various genres.

What about the rest of you — do you find it equally easy to relate to male and female protagonists? Does it matter if it's in first or third person, or which genre it is? And any male protag books you absolutely love?

Dislikeable Characters: When Do You Call It Quits?

Characters and their relatability are very critical for me as a reader. I appreciate a blend of admirable qualities and flaws, and I enjoy seeing the character grow and learn from their mistakes. Nothing is worse than a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu) that is as perfect at the beginning as they are at the end.

However, I was wondering...are there any qualities in a character that make it impossible for you to root for them? Have you come across any characters so reprehensible that you've put the book down in dismay before you've reached the end? Admittedly, it takes time to show that the character has genuinely changed, yes...but is there ever a point at which you give up on them entirely?

There are a couple books that I've enjoyed where the protagonist starts out as dislikeable. One is a very popular 2010 debut, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (my review here), where the main character Sam Kingston is lacking in self-awareness and compassion at the beginning. The point of the whole book is to show how she gradually changes as she is forced to repeat the same day over and over and evaluate her actions and their consequences. As readers we can see her realizing her faults and trying to become a better person...and she does, but it takes a while. Yet Oliver manages to take Sam from a character I would not have hung out with to one I might have been friends with, and that's quite an accomplishment.

Another is The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty. Bindy is a Type A overachiever who believes she's a cut above the rest of the school, but throughout the novel she discovers that she may have been viewing herself and others through a very distorted lens. She is the kind of protagonist you want to shake really hard at the beginning, but I actually ended up feeling a bit sorry for her partway through, and it is gratifying to see her loosen up a little and make some friends.

Both of these books I definitely read to the end, and I enjoyed seeing the character's journey. Yes, they were frustrating at the beginning, but I think the authors both managed to plant the seed of possibility for change in the protagonist...and that is essential. I have to see some tiny speck of goodness in their personality (or on the flip side, sympathy-inducing aspect of their situation) that leads me to have hope that they will become more likeable.


Because frankly, I don't like to read about totally despicable people. I know some readers like Wuthering Heights, but though I'm pretty sure I read to the bitter end, the characters turned me off. What's there to enjoy about characters that start out as selfish, twisted and vengeful...and never learn? Catherine and Heathcliff spend the whole novel tormenting each other! Also, I like to see some growth within a certain number of pages...it doesn't have to be major, but it has to be something. For instance, I disliked Crime and Punishment partly because Raskolnikov takes so long to change; after committing a crime he spends about 400 pages hemming and hawing before he "sees the light" and makes an important decision. I'm sorry, but I would have probably given up about 200 pages in — if not sooner — if I hadn't been assigned it in school.

Couldn't resist posting this cover! This must be his 'revelation' scene...a pity you have to slog through 400 pages to get there.

I've found myself having a similar reaction to the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen. Gorgeous covers and setting, of course, and a few of the characters are decent, but most of them are extremely egotistical, self-serving liars and they have stayed that way through the 3 books I have read! I *want* to have some characters to root for, but they're not giving me much to work with...or much potential for future growth.

So, what about the rest of you? Do you guys prefer to read about characters that are considerably flawed, but make a large improvement by the end? Or ones that are mostly likeable but still screw up now and then? How important is the development of the character vs. their qualities? And do you ever like to read books about characters that are completely unlikeable and don't change?

In My Mailbox (13)

In this meme, hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, we share the books we've received, bought or taken out from the library.

I had an absolutely awesome mailbox week, because I received my giveaway prize from the Tenners! It was a boxload of book-related goodies, many of them very cute :) Take a look:

I love that a few handmade items were included, like a drawing from Jaclyn Dolamore of her characters Nimira and Erris (from Magic Under Glass, which I read and enjoyed), a crotcheted cat from Chelsea Campbell, soap from Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and a charm bracelet made by Brenna Yovanoff (the charms on it appear to be a horseshoe, a pair of scissors, a wrench and a ring... not sure of their significance yet but I guess I'll find out when I read The Replacement!) Also, I adore The Language of Flowers book, it has the sweetest old-fashioned illustrations. And the journal has a note in it from Kristina McBride, giving it a nice personal touch :)

Plus, some of the items are super practical, which is awesome, like the umbrella, pedometer, travel sewing kit and the carabiner/flashlight/keychain/compass gadget. Very handy!

Anyway, a big thank-you to all the authors who contributed something to this giveaway!! It was so much fun opening the box and exploring what was inside :D I am interested now to see how these items relate to the books that I haven't read, so I am going to have to check them out!

From the library:

The Fire Opal by Regina McBride
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott (this is a sequel to Eight Cousins that I only found out about recently!)

One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

Read Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge: Recommendations?

Just over a week ago I posted about the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" Challenge I'm hosting this year. The goal is to stretch your reading limits a little bit and try something new! Anyway, I came up with several categories of books that aren't my typical reads, including vampire books, non-fiction, adult fiction, PoC novels, and very light/fluffy contemp YA.

Well, since then I keep thinking of more types of books I tend not to read (I never really realized I limited myself quite this much until I actually thought about it!) Here are some new groups I'm adding to my list:

- Short stories. I generally steer clear of anthologies of short stories, as they've always seemed a little too - well, short - for my tastes. But I'm willing to try some more!

- Graphic novels. I'm not too familiar with what's out there in this category. I've heard the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman is good, so I might try that one.

- Novels in verse. I know some YA readers love these but reading an entire story in poetry form (poetry that doesn't rhyme, either) has always seemed a little strange to me. But the premises of some of these novels sound so fabulous that I think I shouldn't let something like its format stand in the way.

- Books with male protagonists. These are few and far between in YA anyway, but though I do prefer a female protag I know I should give these more of a chance!

- Middle grade novels. I don't tend to read these anymore, but sometimes I think I'm missing out on some great stories because of it.

- Sci-fi. Traditional sci-fi usually just plain doesn't interest me, and often requires a level of scientific or technical understanding that I don't have. But are there any YA sci-fi books that aren't quite so demanding, or are a little bit different? I'm thinking of trying Across the Universe by Beth Revis, because that seems to be a real combination of genres and has already gotten lots of positive reviews.

So, fearless readers — are there any books you absolutely love and think I should read that fall into any of the above (bolded) categories? Have a graphic novel you hold dear or a novel in verse you've fallen in love with? Is there a sci-fi or middle grade novel you want to rave about? Tell me what I'm missing out on here!

And of course I am still looking for courageous souls to join me in this challenge! You can read all about it and sign up by either clicking the challenge tab at the top of the page or going to the original post HERE. There are all sorts of levels so you can choose whichever you feel up to. I would love to have some company as I brave my reading limits, and then at the end get your thoughts on what it was like to try something new! :D

Book Blogger Hop (23)

 

Yes, that's right...time again for the Book Blogger Hop! This awesome meme is hosted by Crazy-For-Books and this week's question is, "Why do you read the genre that you do?  What draws you to it?"

Within YA (which I don't consider a genre so much as a category), my tastes are pretty eclectic. I read some contemporary fiction (especially ones with some kind of intriguing angle outside of the typical 'high school' book), lots of fantasy, dystopian and fairytale retellings, some historical, and even a few mysteries from time to time (particularly ones with some kind of psychological element). And I also read ones that fall into more than one of these genres, like historical mysteries or contemp with a fantastical aspect.

So it might be easier for me to answer the question, "Why do you steer clear of certain genres?" My top two of those would probably be horror and sci-fi, horror because I get queasy at violence and gore and I scare easily (though occasionally I may read a book that's something of a "psychological thriller"), and sci-fi because I have never been that interested in outer space/aliens/robots/what-have-you (the exception to this is books involving time travel, because that is awesome and also falls into the historical genre). Otherwise, I'm drawn to books that sound like they tell an interesting story, and I read so many genres because I find a lot of different types of stories interesting, I guess!

Recent posts on the blog:

Read Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge: Recommendations?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Double Life of Cora Parry

Talk to Me Tuesday: Series or Stand-alone?

Forget-Me-Nots: Please Remove Your Elbow From My Ear

In My Mailbox (12)

Re-reads and Ratings



Time to hop!