Book vs. Adaptation | Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

This is sort of a new feature I'd like to start on my blog - though I'm not sure how regular it'll be! - where I talk about a book adaptation. I love book adaptations, I love watching interviews with directors and producers and costume designers and actors and finding out how a particular adaptation has been put together, and why it is the way it is. Why were those actors chosen? Why do the costumes look like that? Why did the director choose to include those scenes and not others?

Last month I finally finished, and loved, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, and a few days later I decided to watch the 2005 BBC adaptation starring Sally Hawkins and Elaine Cassidy.

If you want to hear my thoughts on the book, you can check out my review here!

The adaptation is around 3 hours long, and was originally aired in two 90 minute episodes. 

What struck me most about this adaptation is that it was cast very well. Sally Hawkins is something of a period drama veteran - she portrayed Anne Elliot in the 2007 adaptation of Persuasion and Mrs. Reed in the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre - so I was sure her portrayal of Sue would be perfect, but it was Elaine Cassidy who really blew me away. I wasn't sure what to expect from her, but I thought her portrayal of Maud was perfect.

The costumes and colour tones throughout gave it a very period drama feel, which I loved. It almost felt like I could be watching an adaptation of an Elizabeth Gaskell novel, not a novel written in the 21st century.

It has to be said that the adaptation wasn't as good as the book, in fact I was a little disappointed with it. This could partly be because I was so looking forward to watching it once I'd finished the book - let's face it, hype never makes adaptations better, does it? - but the adaptation was lacking something that I could never quite put my finger on. 

If you're interested in this story, I can't stress enough how vital it is that you read the book before you watch the adaptation because the book will blow you away in ways I don't think the adaptation ever could. It certainly gave it its best shot - it's not a bad adaptation - and perhaps if I hadn't read the book I would have found it more dramatic than it felt, but for the most part the adaptation felt a little subdued. The book isn't exactly a loud book, if that makes any sense, but it's certainly lively and there's no doubting Waters' skill as a storyteller. If you find yourself watching it, look out for Waters' brief cameo!

So Fingersmith isn't a bad adaptation, and I'm sure I'll watch it again, but I definitely recommend reading the book before you do anything else. I'm not sure if I would have understood certain parts of the adaptation if I hadn't already read the book, and it's a fantastic read.

Going Once, Going Twice!

I was contacted by the lovely people at Invaluable, an online auction marketplace who have items like jewellery, fine art, and collectibles for sale. Invaluable wanted to know if I felt like blogging about some collectible and antique books I'd love to own. Naturally, I said yes; I'm a book blogger, so I'm never going to miss an opportunity to talk about books

Just as a disclaimer, I'm not getting paid to do this post - it's just a bit of blogging fun!

I've never been to an auction, book or otherwise, but one day I'd like to go to one - though there are some first editions I'm sure I'll never be able to afford.

After perusing the selection of Invaluable's first editions - because let's be honest, I'm not buying a book from an auction unless I can have a first edition - I managed to find three that I certainly wouldn't mind adding to my shelves given the opportunity. I decided to stay away from the obvious choices: I think it's fairly clear from the title of my blog that I'd trade my firstborn for a first edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I'd probably sell a kidney for a first edition of Frankenstein.

1. Lot #98 | No Name by Wilkie Collins

I hadn't even heard of No Name until I stumbled across this lot, a 3 volume first edition from 1862. I love The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - in fact if I could grab a first edition of that I'd jump at the chance! - and I've been meaning to read more of his work ever since I read and loved that, said to be the very first detective novel. No Name tells the story of Magdalen and Norah Vanstone who are disinherited by the law and evicted from their home after their parents die and it is revealed they weren't married at the time of their birth. While one sister struggles through the trials that come with being a governess, the other decides to exact her revenge on those who have wronged them. It sounds fantastic, and I love the colour of these first editions which just so happen to still be bound in the original cloth.


2. Lot #729 | Fables of Aesop

I've always loved Aesop's Fables, they were as much a part of my childhood as the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Roald Dahl, and this first American edition from 1848 is gorgeous. I love how royal it looks with that deep blue and embossed gold all over the cover, and I think it would look very pretty on any bookshelf. (But especially on mine!)

3. Lot #260 | Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank


You might be thinking 'Jess, what the hell do you want with a book you literally can't read?', but I love the idea of owning books in their original language. Anne Frank didn't write her diary in English, she wrote it in Dutch, so I think this Dutch first edition from 1947 is very special indeed.

Many thanks to Invaluable for contacting me, and for letting me spend a few pleasant hours browsing their first editions!

Top Ten Tuesday | Unfinished Finished Series

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Ten Finished Series I Have YET To Finish', and I found this topic really, really difficult. I'm amazed I managed to make it to eight, because for a while I honestly thought I might have to settle for three.

I love a good series, don't get me wrong, but I was wary of them for the past few years. I was tired of the same structure to every trilogy I picked up, which is one of the main reasons I read so few YA series nowadays. I've read quite a few first books in series, but I didn't want to include series on my list that I knew I wasn't going to continue. I hated Legend and I wasn't all that impressed with Angelfall, so there was no way those two were going to make their way onto my list.

In terms of series, I have a lot more finished series that I haven't started yet, never mind finished, so I wasn't going to include them either. And then there are the series I love that are ongoing, such as the White Trash Zombie series and The Lunar Chronicles, as well as a lot of graphic novel series that I love.

So in the end I managed to scrape together eight, and here they are!

The Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy: I didn't start this series until I was in uni, and I thought it was fantastic. I speed through these books and they're so much fun; I love Derek Landy's sense of humour. Then uni got in the way, and for whatever reason I just didn't return to the series - I want to, though! I read the first six, I believe, but rather than start at book seven I think I may actually re-read those first six and read the series in its entirety from start to finish.

The Dust Lands trilogy by Moira Young: One of the few starts to a YA trilogy that I loved was Blood Red Road, and even though I own Rebel Heart and Raging Star I still haven't read them. Boo me!

The Joanna Stafford trilogy by Nancy Bilyeau: This historical crime trilogy came to an end this year, and I read the first book, The Crown, in February. I enjoyed it (and reviewed it here!) and I got my hands on a copy of the second book, The Chalice, I just haven't read it yet. I'm not sure when I'll complete the trilogy as I'm hoping for the release of an edition of the third book, The Tapestry, that will match the two I already own.

The His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers: I have NO IDEA why I still haven't finished this trilogy, it's kind of ridiculous. Maybe this is something I should get to this month, because I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph.

The If I Stay duology by Gayle Forman: Maybe Where She Went is more of a companion novel than a sequel, but give me a break, I'm clutching at straws here. I really enjoyed If I Stay, it's probably one of my favourite contemporaries, so I'd like to read Where She Went soon.

The Healer trilogy by Maria V. Snyder: I didn't love Touch of Power, but I liked it enough to want to know what happens next.

The Khalifa Brothers duology by Salman Rushdie: I had to read Haroun and the Sea of Stories when I studied postmodernism during my first year of university, and I loved it. Now I just need to get my hands on a copy of Luka and the Fire of Life.

The Fruits Basket series by Natsuki Takaya: Love the manga and love the anime, I just haven't gotten around to finishing the manga yet!

Which books made your list?

When Does Defensive Become Pushy?

We all have our favourite books and our favourite characters, those stories and the people in them that we'd go to the ends of the earth to defend. But when does defensive become pushy?

Sometimes it can be hard to sit back while another person talks about how much they dislike the stories that we adore, or how much the characters we hold dear grate on their nerves, but do we always need to jump to the defence of the stories we love?

Everyone's entitled to their own opinion - imagine how boring the book blogging world would be if everyone felt the same way about everything! - and if a fellow reader doesn't like something that we covet, often the best thing for us to do is to just accept it and move on, because ultimately it doesn't matter if another reader doesn't love the same things we love.

This isn't necessarily the case 100% of the time. Personally I think it's great to start a discussion (a friendly discussion!) with another reader if their dislike of something seems misinformed. For example, even though I no longer watch Game of Thrones I will always defend Sansa Stark when I stumble across someone who claims they don't like her because 'she's a stupid little girl and it's her fault everything goes wrong'. Ultimately if I were a twelve/thirteen/fourteen year old girl in Westeros, I'm sure I would have made exactly the same decisions that she did, and if you can watch a show like Game of Thrones that's full of rapists, murderers and bullies in every shape and form and the character you hate most is a teenage girl, you have problems my friend.

my sweet summer child

But if I saw someone say something along the lines of 'I don't like Hermione Granger because, despite being able to do magic, there are times when she's quite close-minded, such as her initial attitude towards Luna and her inability to understand that just because she wants to help the house elves that doesn't necessarily mean they want her help and she should respect that'. That's a well thought out argument, so why would I question it? If anything I love reading opinions like that because it gives me something to consider that I haven't thought of before, and that's what's so great about the book blogging community!

That's not to say that every opinion about a story or character we have needs to be backed up with evidence - the example I used is probably a rather extreme one - because ultimately you don't have to justify your opinions to anyone if you don't want to. Mira Grant's Feed is one of my favourite novels of all time, but opinion of it is very divided. I love it to pieces, but I don't feel the need to sing its praises and shove my love for it down the throat of someone who didn't like it. One of the criticisms I often see is that there's too much world-building within the narrative and it slows the story down - I think that's fair criticism! Personally I really enjoyed all that information, but I can understand why other people found it dull and felt as though they were wading through it to get to the action.

This post simply comes from a place of personal frustration. It happens to me more 'in real life' than in the book blogging world, but whenever I've mentioned my dislike for The Great Gatsby in the past, for example, it's as though every Gatsby lover within a 50 mile radius jumps out of the nearest crack in the pavement and talks at me about all the reasons why it's the most amazing, splendiforous book of all time. And I don't care.

It's the same with anything else in life. If I told someone I don't like carrot cake, I wouldn't expect them to go and buy a slice and then shove it down my throat until I loved it because that sure as hell wouldn't make me love it. You could buy me a slice of carrot cake and ask me if I wanted to try some and I might try some, but I also might not!

Is cake a bad metaphor?

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the people who say something along the lines of 'Oh it's a shame you don't like The Great Gatsby; it's one of my favourites', it's the people who look at me like I just told them I tied a piranha to my shoe and kicked Santa in the face that are the problem.

Sometimes I see people putting little disclaimers at the top of blog posts apologising in advance that they're going to be talking about how they didn't like a particular book or a particular character, and I hate that. Why do we have to apologise for the way we feel? More importantly, what could have warranted that apology other than a past experience in which a fellow reader has been very vocal about how shocked and appalled they are by our opinion?

Of course there are the cases in which another reader may be more informed than we are. For example, if I were to read a book in which a character had an abortion and, for the sake of this argument, I thought their decision had been wrong, I think it's perfectly fair for another reader who may have had an abortion to pipe up and tell me I was out of order because everyone's body is their own, and unless you are in a situation like that you can't possibly decide what's right and what's wrong.

One of the things I love most about the book blogging community is discussing the books I love (and the books I don't!) with fellow book lovers, and I whole-heartedly believe that book bloggers are some of the friendliest bloggers on the internet. We all have the right to defend the stories we love and we all have the right to talk about what we didn't like, but sometimes we also need to take a step back before we jump in with our defence and respect each other's opinions. Think how boring blogging would be if we all felt the same!

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag!

Okay, so it's past the mid-year point now, but I saw Cait @ Paper Fury do this tag and it looked like fun, so here goes!

Best Book You've Read So Far in 2015

I've read a lot of fantastic books this year, so this was difficult, but I decided to choose Signal to Noise for a few reasons. 1) It's genuinely not only one of the best books I've read this year, but one of the best books I've ever read. Period. 2) It's a 2015 debut novel, and yet I've barely seen anyone talking about it, which is just ridiculous. It's vital that you read this book. 3) I sometimes find it difficult to relate to teenagers in books, and it's not because I'm a super special snowflake or because they're unrealistic, it's just because, let's face it, a lot of YA is romance-centric and romance has never been a big part of my life. I didn't feel attracted to many people at all when I was at school; I never had a cute moment at a school dance or a kiss in the rain or anything, really. But this book reminded me so much of what it was like to be a teenager, it spoke to me even though I didn't grow up in the '80s and even though I didn't grow up in Mexico City. It takes a special book to bring out feelings like that.

There are, of course, a few very close runners up: The Goblin Emperor; To Kill a Mockingbird; Jane Eyre's Sisters: How Women Live and Write the Heroine's Story; How To Be a Heroine; Fingersmith; The Little Stranger.

Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2015

So this is kind of cheating because I haven't actually finished Blackout yet, but it wasn't until I started thinking about this that I realised how few sequels I've read this year. I've been reading a lot of standalones - I love me a good standalone - and I have been reading a lot of graphic novels, but not a lot of non-graphic series at all. I'm fairly certain this is going to be my favourite sequel once I've finished it, though! I'm just savouring it because I don't know how much more heartbreak I can take with this series...

New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To

I own all six of these 2015 releases and I haven't read any of them yet, but I do really want to!

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year

I mean, duh. I'm desperate to get my hands on Winter even though I'm going to be very sad when this series ends.

Biggest Disappointment

This series has a lot of potential, but I just didn't like it at all. I love the game, The Wolf Among Us, but I'm just not keen on Bill Willingham's writing style.

Biggest Surprise

Oh my God this book. I was warned just how twisty and turny this book is before I started it, but I think I'm usually quite good at guessing what's coming. I wasn't prepared for this. This book left me gaping at three in the morning and desperate to talk to someone about it, while also wanting to shove the book at people so they could read it and we could both be shocked together. It's fantastic.

Favourite New Author

such a cutie patootie

After reading Signal to Noise I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for anything else Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes. I already have her short story collections, This Strange Way of Dying and Love & Other Poisons, and I'm planning on reading them soon!

Newest Fictional Ship

Like Cait, I'm much more of a shipper than a crusher. I love Violet and Orc Dave from Rat Queens, and also Meche and Sebastian from Signal to Noise.

Newest Favourite Character

This was a tough one because I've met so many wonderful characters already this year that I've loved, but there was one in particular who immediately popped into my head when I read this, and that was Maia. The Goblin Emperor is a fantastic, thoughtful book by a very skilled writer, but there's no way I would have loved it as much as I did if Maia hadn't been in it. He's precious and good, but he's never sickly sweet or unbelievable. I love him.

Honourable mentions go to: Meche (Signal to Noise), Angel (White Trash Zombie series), Violet (Rat Queens), Kamala (Ms. Marvel), The Stalk (Saga) and Caroline (The Little Stranger).

Book That Made You Cry

This book is so heartbreaking. Sadness weeps from the pages in waves, but it's so, so good. 

Book That Made You Happy

I opened this book and I didn't stop grinning from start to finish. This series is everything I have ever wanted in a fantasy series all rolled into one, and I can't wait for the next volume!

Favourite Book to Film Adaptation You Saw This Year

I have to agree with Cait and say If I Stay. I've watched it several times now and I'm still not bored of it.

Favourite Post You Have Done So Far This Year

I've done a few discussion posts that I'm quite proud of:

My Problem with Peeta

Should Our Books Have Trigger Warnings?

How Do You See Cinder?

Most Beautiful Book You Have Bought So Far This Year

That would have to be this stunning 150th anniversary edition of The Complete Alice: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. It's beautiful, and I bought it from a fantastic independent bookshop in Monmouth, Rossiter Books.

What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

SO MANY. But especially these ones:

Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland: Donna Thorland was lovely enough to contact me and personally send me an ARC a couple of months before this novel was published - she even left me a little message on the cover of the ARC - and I still haven't read it because I'm a terrible human being. I really want to - it sounds amazing - but I'm only just getting back into historical fiction after many months of reading speculative fiction, and I think I'm a little intimidated by my complete lack of knowledge concerning American history. But no more excuses! I'm determined to read this soon, and leave the lovely Donna Thorland a review.

The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester: One of the 2015 debuts that I couldn't resist picking up. I don't think I've read any books about suffragettes - fiction or non-fiction - and that's something I need to change!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: How haven't I read this yet? I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book, and my mum managed to find me a signed copy last Christmas, so it's about time I read it. I'm going to save it for the next time I'm in the mood for a cry.

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers: I got this for Christmas too, and I still haven't read it. Seriously, what's wrong with me? I really like this trilogy and I have a problem when it comes to finishing series - I never want them to end! It's about time I crossed this book off my TBR, though...

The Falconer by Elizabeth May: I've heard such mixed things about this book that I just want to see what it's like for myself. I'm hoping it's good, because I think it's a cool concept, and I love me some historical fiction with fantastical elements.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: Again, how have I not read this yet? I think this book makes me nervous because it's so popular, but I'd like to try and read it during the build up to Halloween!

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan: Another debut novel that sounds right up my alley, and one that I've heard some amazing things about it. It also has a gorgeous cover, and it's even prettier under the dust jacket.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: This book has been getting a lot of hype so usually I probably wouldn't go anywhere near it, but my friend Elena (who I went to Rome with!) absolutely loves this book, in fact I'm fairly certain it was her favourite book of 2014, so I thought I should give it a try!

Resistance is Futile by Jenny T. Colgan: I have a soft spot for Colgan's contemporary fiction - particularly her Rosie Hopkins books - but she's also a big sci-fi nut. This book has been described as Bridget Jones's Diary meets Independence Day, so I simply have to read it. Plus it's another 2015 release so I'd like to read it in 2015!

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: Yet another book that's done well for itself, and one that several of my friends have said is amazing. I was lucky enough to find a hardback edition for only £5 just before Christmas, and I'd like to read it soon! I'm pretty sure it's set in the autumn, so I think September/October time will be the perfect time to cross it off my TBR.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: Yet another 2015 release and yet another book that everyone has been talking about. I snapped up a copy of this when it was released in February and I still haven't read it because I suck.

The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milán: YES DINOSAURS. This is also a 2015 release and the first book in a new trilogy, I believe. I'd like to read it this year so that, if I like it, I can snap up the second book when it comes out next year.

There's so much to read and so little time. Seriously, those of you who manage to read 200 books in a year, I salute you. I'm not going to tag anyone because I'm lazy, but if you want to do this tag then do it!

Monthly Wrap-Up | August 2015

Another month gone. Where is 2015 going? On the plus side, autumn is on its way!

American Vampire, Vol.5

by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Dustin Nyugen

American Vampire, Vol.6

by Various Artists

Fingersmith

by Sarah Waters

Lorelai, You'll Never Die

by Laura Konrad

The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

Parnassus on Wheels

by Christopher Morley

I managed to get through six books last month, but I feel as though I barely read anything. August was a strange month for me, I kept feeling like I was sliding into slump territory which resulted in me reading quite a lot but not finishing everything I was reading.

Northanger Abbey

by Jane Austen

Skim

by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Lorelai, You'll Never Die

by Laura Konrad

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse

by Diana Rowland

Fingersmith

by Sarah Waters

The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

I continued to watch Hannibal, of course, and tonight it's the last episode of Season 3 and possibly the last episode ever if it doesn't get picked up by another network. I'm going to be so upset if it isn't renewed because it's such a good show and it doesn't seem fair that genuinely good shows are abandoned while crap like Big Brother and The X Factor keep coming back each year.

Someone pick up Hannibal please!

Will Graham asking the important questions

The Great British Bake Off returned in August, so all across Britain everyone is going baking mad! I have no idea if the show is known anywhere else in the world, but over here we love it. Essentially it's just a show about baking, judged by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, and each week there's a different theme - from desserts to bread to biscuits - until there's only one baker left to become Bake Off Champion. It's a really nice show, and I love seeing what everyone makes even though it makes me hungry.

Mary Berry: National Treasure

I also ended up watching two different adaptations of Rebecca this month, quite by accident. I bought myself a copy of the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock adaptation - I really enjoy his films, and even though I read somewhere that du Maurier wasn't all that impressed with his adaptations of Frenchman's Creek or Jamaica Inn, I thought if anyone could do a good adaptation of a story like Rebecca it'd be this guy. We might not find his films terrifying now, but they still have a lot of atmosphere, and personally I love Rear Window and Psycho.

I enjoyed his adaptation. It was pretty close to the book, and I think it was cast well, too. Laurence Olivier was a rather dashing Maxim de Winter and Judith Anderson was a fantastic Mrs. Danvers, which is just what I want from one of my favourite literary villains.

Joan Fontaine as Mrs. de Winter and Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers

My mum and I watched the film together, and then the next morning the two-part 1997 adaptation was on the TV. This was another very good adaptation, so I'm not quite sure which one I preferred because neither of them were bad adaptations at all. I think I may have preferred Emilia Fox's portrayal of Mrs. de Winter to Joan Fontaine's, purely because she looks a little plainer and more girlish; she looks very much how I pictured her while reading the book. Joan Fontaine, on the other hand, is stunning in the way all those actresses from the 1940s were, though she still acted the part very well.

Emilia Fox as Mrs. de Winter

The 1997 adaptation also starred Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter and Diana Rigg as Mrs. Danvers, and the two of them were brilliant in their roles, too. I wasn't sure about Charles Dance at first - in terms of appearance, Laurence Olivier's portrayal looks the way I pictured Maxim - but Charles Dance acted the part very well.

If you're a fan of Rebecca, I recommend them both!

Something I completely forgot to mention last month because I was too busy talking about Rome, but I'm taking driving lessons again! I was terrified of lessons for the longest time - I hated driving last time I did it - but ultimately I need to be able to drive, and I want to, too. I want the independence of being able to go wherever I feel like going without having to worry about train times or bus times or getting a lift, and this time I'm actually enjoying it!

My instructor is really, really nice - he's funny and he's super patient, which is perfect for someone who's as nervous behind the wheel of the car as I am - and I want to have my licence by the end of the year. I have no idea how I'm going to afford my own car or anything, but I'll tackle that hurdle when I come to it.

In even more exciting news, I have a new niece! My older sister gave birth to her second baby - another little girl - on the very last day of August. Her name's Millie and she's gorgeous. She's so teeny tiny! The poor little thing came out with two black eyes and a bruised lip because the midwives didn't realise she was in the wrong position, so her face got all squished inside the womb. In the end my sister was taken down for a c-section because she was in a lot of pain and Millie couldn't get into the right position, but she's here now and both mother and baby are doing just fine. Plus my other niece is very pleased with her little sister.

My niece, Willow, holds her baby sister for the first time!

Tracy @ Cornerfolds talked about the Female Character Types She Hates

Cait @ Paper Fury talked about wanting Diverse Books that are NOT about Being Diverse

Beth @ The Quiet People talked about why she loves Re-Reading Books

Allie @ Little Birdie Books asked Is Your Own Company Good Enough?

How was your August?

Top Ten Tuesday | It's Not Me, It's You

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

I've returned from my hiatus, so it's time to jump back into Top Ten Tuesday!

This week's theme is 'Ten Characters You Just Didn't Click With'. Thankfully this doesn't happen to me too often, but there's nothing worse than reading a book in which you don't give a diddly-squat what happens to the protagonist.

Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth: I ended up DNFing Divergent when I tried to read it. I didn't believe the world and, more importantly, I just didn't care about Tris at all. I felt like she had zero personality and I didn't care what happened to her.

Lincoln from Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Eh... I just thought Lincoln was a little weird. I enjoyed the sections between Beth and Jennifer for the most part, but I thought Lincoln was a pretty boring guy in dire need of a bit of a gumption.

June and Day from Legend by Marie Lu: Okay so technically this is two, but actually June and Day are basically the same person, only one of them's a girl and the other's a boy. I really, really didn't like Legend (check out my review here), and June and Day were such boring protagonists. I don't care about people who can do everything perfectly. Give me characters with flaws.

Snow White from Fables by Bill Willingham and Various Artists: I love Snow in The Wolf Among Us - in fact I love all the characters in that game - but in the graphic novels? Not so much. Snow in particular, however, grated on me. She was so self-righteous, and perhaps that might have worked with another writer, but I really wasn't a fan of how Willingham wrote any of the characters. You can check out my review of Fables, Vol.1: Legends in Exile here if you like!

Jocelyn, Allegra, Prudie, Grigg, Bernadette and Sylvia from The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler: I know, I'm cheating again, but this is another instance in which I found it very difficult to differentiate one character from another. I did like this book, but not enough to keep it once I'd finished it. You can check out my review here if you like!

Ayla from Darkhaven by A.F.E. Smith: I liked Myrren and I liked Elisse, but I just didn't get along with Ayla. She spent the entire book as a damsel in distress when she had the potential to look after herself. You can check out my review here if you like!

Stargirl from Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: She was a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and, as such, I found her impossible to relate to.

Tana from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black: This was another book I didn't really like, you can check out my review here if you'd like to know why, and the characters were a large part of my dislike. I didn't really care what happened to any of them.

Jonas from The Giver by Lois Lowry: I wanted to love this book and I was disappointed, again you can check out my review here to find out why. I just couldn't connect to Jonas at all, and because of that I found it impossible to worry about what would happen to him. Like so many of the characters on this list, I just didn't care.

Ellen Laidlaw from Blood Sinister by Celia Rees: Ellen should have been very cool. She's a young lady in 19th century England who wants to study medicine, but unfortunately she fell into the poisonous 'I'm not like other girls' way of thinking and thought her dreams and ambitions were better than everyone else's; particularly the women who wanted to get married and have children. Feminism is all about choice, and if a woman chooses to be a wife and mother, and enjoys it, she has every right to be as proud of her choice as any other woman, and she shouldn't be criticised for it.

Who made your list?