Top Ten Tuesday: Books for People Who Like Character Driven Novels

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and it's a way to share what you're loving in list form. The topic changes every week, so there is always something new to discover!
This week's topic is:  Character Driven Novels.  Characters, to me, make the story.  Yeah, a good plot is necessary, but it's the characters that most readers connect to.  For me, these are my top ten recommendations for character driven novels:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • A brilliantly sensitive book placed against the backdrop of WWII.  The story revolves around Liesel Meminger and her adoptive parents in a small German town.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  • This is a fantastic book.  The characters are fleshed out and stand for something...even if you don't agree with their stance.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
  • This really needs no explanation.  It's full of well-developed characters.  So many characters!
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
  • Unlike GOT, this has one main character; two if you're getting nit-picky, which you probably should.  Both Richard Parker and Pi are leads in this adventurous tale of awesome.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • My favorite Austen novel, both Lizzie and Mr. Darcy are guided by their wonderful characterization. 
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
  • Multiple characters with interesting/sad backstories that mean something in the environment. 
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  • Brilliant characters, brilliant story, all-around brilliant. 
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  • Francie drives this story.  Without her, this would be a dull, lifeless, lackluster book.  But Francie...oh Francie :)
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
  • This is all about character relationships.  Yes, there is a lot of action...and zombies...but it's the characters you become attached to.  What drives them and where they're going matter.
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
  • Another brilliant novel about personal and familial discovery.  This book is just great all around. 
What are some of your favorite character-driven novels?

Look for next week's topic:  Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit (Fictional or Real)

Happy reading!

Comments

  1. Karen Jones GowenOctober 9, 2014 at 6:28 AM

    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my all time favorite books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MelOctober 13, 2014 at 8:50 AM

      I finally read it after a few friends displayed a little shock and appall at the fact that I'd never read it :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. MelOctober 13, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    I was a little intimidated at first, but I wanted to read the books before I started the tv series. I'm so glad I did because there is so much that you don't get in the show. Awesome series and surprisingly quick to read! Thanks for stopping by :)

    ReplyDelete

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