“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”
This is said by Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, and while she may not actually have meant it, it still does a great job of underlining my point: The fictional characters we so enjoy to read about also have some excessive readers and fangirling bookworms among them. And honestly, is there anything better than a book about books? I don’t think so. Therefore I’ll now be recommending books that all have a true bookworm as the main character. I hope you enjoy!
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Cath is an introverted girl who would rather read fantasy and write fan fiction than attend social events at her college. She uses books and fanfic as a way to hide and to disappear. She prefers fictional worlds to the real one and she cares deeply for her favorite characters and ships. I think most bookworms can relate to her in some way.
“This was why Cath wrote fic. For these hours when their worlds supplanted the real world.”
“‘I’m not really a book person.’
‘That might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me.'”
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Liesel isn’t a thief – that is until she discovers what we all know to be the most tempting thing in the world: books. And so she begins to steal banned books from the Nazi book burnings during WWII. Liesel recognizes the power of the written word and discovers both the negative and positive consequences words can have. She calms people down during bomb raids by reading to them, and through books she connects with a jewish man hiding in her basement. Ultimately, books are what gets her through the horrors of war.
“The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Führer was nothing.”
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
(SPOILERS AHEAD) Tessa and Will are the biggest booknerds ever. Come on, they actually named their daughter after a character from their favorite book (A Tale of Two Cities)! The love for literature that these two share is just amazing. They both go through so much hardships, but books make them feel less lonely and somehow connect them to one another, even when they are apart.
“One must always be careful of books and what is inside them. For words have the power to change us.” (Clockwork Angel)
“Sometimes, when I have to do something I don’t want to do, I pretend I’m a character from a book. It’s easier to know what they would do.” (Clockwork Angel)
“We live and breathe words. …. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.” (Clockwork Prince)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Thanks to Charlie’s English teacher, Bill, Charlie reads a lot of books in this story.They’re mostly classics and we hear his thoughts on many of them. I’ve actually used it as a list of book recommendations. Charlie is a wallflower who, at least in the beginning, observes rather than participate. He kind of reminds me of Cath from Fangirl, since they both are introverted young people with a love for books and so much potentiel.
“[To Kill a Mockingbird] is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book.”
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
I think many of us have tried being so completely in love with a certain book or series that you can’t quite articulate how much you love it – you can’t do it justice. When you aren’t able to think about or read anything else, when you’re obsessing over the characters and you have a burning wish to meet the author of this masterpiece that’s so speciel to you. This is how Hazel feels about the book An Imperial Affliction. It’s a story she’s read countless of times and it has a very speciel place in her heart.
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”
And I would just like to end this of with a speciel mention of the bookworm of them all. You know who I’m talking about, right?
Hermione Granger ❤
Have a lovely day everyone!
Books & Stardust 