I don’t typically read contemporary books. I’m just not usually drawn to them. There is one thing that will make me pick up a contemporary though – a character with a quirky personality. Here are three characters that made me love contemporary…
A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman
I know I keep talking about this book but I loved that it was able to take a dark subject (suicide) and make it something we could face. There’s a lot of laughter in this book and some tears. Ove is a great character because he’s a curmudgeonly old guy who’s got a big heart even if he doesn’t want anyone to know it.
Meet Ove. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell. When a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale.
Where’d You Go Bernadette, Marie Semple
Can you get any quirkier than Bee Branch and her mother Bernadette Fox? I don’t think so. These two take us on a wild journey and we find that despite their supposed craziness, they’re really just both trying so damn hard to make family everything.
Bernadette Fox is notorious but to Bee, she’s simply mom and best friend. But when Bee aced her report card and claimed her reward, a trip to Antartica, Bernadette suddenly disappears. It’s up to Bee to compile email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence in order to find her.
The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion
Two main characters who, despite being complete opposites, are thrown together. What results is bizarre and hilarious.
Prof. Don Tillman’s life is measured in precise minutes, rigid schedule and obsessive organization. So when he decided to finally find himself a wife, he creates a foolproof questionnaire meant to find his one true life partner. When Rosie enters the picture, Don knew she didn’t quite fit any or all of the criteria.
What kind of characters are you drawn to?
// Comments //
the other one
I’m usually drawn to sarcatic/witty characters 🙂