Top Ten Book Crushes

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic was a difficult one! I realized in scrolling through my highly rated books that we tolerate a wide variety of terrible men in our books, from tough-on-the-outside love interests to cantankerous old men, far more than we tolerate variety in women. It was hard to find male characters I liked at all, and many of the good ones were kids. I finally came up with ten guys that I didn't feel weird about claiming as book crushes. (You'll notice some overlap with my favorite fictional couples.)

1. Gen Watanabe (Bel Canto)
Ah, Gen, always putting others' needs before his own, while still having strong opinions and passions. If only the book had not given him such a weird ending.

2. Silk (Belgariad and Malloreon series)
Probably my first book crush, from all the way back in middle school. He's hilarious and wicked smart, the best combination.

3. Remus Lupin (Harry Potter series)
Before the movies came out and he was depicted as a middle-aged man with a creepy mustache, I imagined Lupin as a hip young teacher, kind of like the stereotypical camp counselor or youth minister you have a crush on because he seems mature but not old.

4. Grant (The Language of Flowers)
I'm not sure I ever found Grant's character personally attractive, but as this is one of my favorite books I thought he deserved a spot on the list. I always admired how he met Victoria where she was and gave her the space she needed to heal and process her past.

5. Willem (A Little Life)
Willem was put in a hard spot given the complicated person he fell in love with, and he didn't always make the best choices, but he was overall a very genuine person who did his very best.

6. The Chairman (Memoirs of a Geisha)
My memory of this book is admittedly pretty fuzzy (I read it about 15 years ago), but I remember swooning over Chiyo's love interest along with her, especially at the end of the book.

7. Dan (A Prayer for Owen Meany)
Dan is one of the best characters in this book — kind, wise, and infinitely patient with John and Owen. He's also warm and funny and has a realistic outlook on life.

8. Simon (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda)
This crush is probably least appropriate, since Simon is gay and under 18, but he reminded me so much of my gay best friend who I definitely had a little crush on in high school.

9. Henry (The Time Traveler's Wife)
Henry's time-traveling disorder puts him in a weird position, especially in relation to his wife, but he's a sympathetic character who's sweet and sensible and funny.

10. Nat (The Witch of Blackbird Pond)
Nat is kind; he befriends the town's outcast because it's the right thing to do, even if it brings him under suspicion too. And he's got a cheeky sense of humor, as evidenced by how he names his ship at the end.

Who are your book crushes?

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