Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Favorite Couples In Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I have now automatically forgotten every single pairing ever. Such is how being asked questions goes, sometimes. These are... just some of my favourite romantic relationships in books that I now recall...

1. Puck & Sean from The Scorpio Races
Which is, okay, possibly because I do very much love the book, and the characters are individually. I just really like the dynamic, I guess? They're both independent, stubborn, kind of difficult people and it was great watching them come together.

2. Holly & Angela from The Lynburn Legacy
They kind of snuck up on me? Again, I like them both individually (so much), and think I really like how Holly's relationship with Angela plays into Holly's arc, and it's just... really lovely. There are a couple of really stand-out quotes that I really like about them. I also adore that they both also have really great friendships with others in their group of friends! Kami & Jared are also a favourite of mine but I am restricting myself to one couple per book/series.

3. Cinder & Kai from The Lunar Chronicles
I just really like how they both learn from each other and both grow through that, while still remaining really distinct people. Also I like that they both find the other person funny and miss being able to make jokes specific to one another's sense of humour when they're separated.

4. Fire & Brigan from Fire
 I like that a not insignificant part of their relationship is just that they sit on the roof of the palace in companionable insomnia talking about how worried they are about things. Which is a lot of things. They're both... very old young people, I think, because of everything they've gone through, and they both understand that and navigate it.

5. Wolfe & Santi from The Great Library series
 Okay, they're kind of a background couple but they're the best couple in the series. You can quote me on that one. There's just something I really like about them. They've been through A LOT, both individually and as a relationship, and they're complicated. They're dealing with being adults unexpectedly responsible for a bunch of rebellious teens hellbent on overthrowing the current world-order (when, back in the day, they were also both teens hellbent on overthrowing the world-order, it didn't work out so well). I've very concerned for both of them in the last book. I hope they'll be okay. Very very much. It's fine. I'm not panicking.

6. Inej & Kaz from Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom 
I really like their arc! They've both got a lot to work through, and it was fantastic to see them both working toward something. I also really appreciated how Inej wasn't willing to sacrifice her own personal growth or well-being in favour of a relationship that wouldn't have been healthy at the time. I also appreciate that despite how all-out amoral Kaz can be at times (most times let's be real. At least 80% of all times, approximately), he always shows respect for her personal agency, which is something she's been deprived of in the past.

7. Blue & Gansey from The Raven Cycle
I really like relationships that are built on friendship, and the way their relationship was built was fantastic! Also they're both pretty strange people that are able to continue being strange together in a way that works, which is always a plus in relationships for me. One of my favourite scenes is when they have a midnight phone call and discuss facts about ducks and make objectively unfunny jokes about fax machines and calling Congress.

8. Matt & Kate from Airborn
I feel like they were one of the first romantic relationships that I ever read and I just... like that they're kind of brought together by both being very determined people who are going in roughly similar directions, initially. And then sort of taking turns towing each other along on adventures. (Okay it's mostly Kate doing the towing along. She's... reckless. She is a catalyst of adventure.) And then it's just them being a team who definitely argue and have conflicting personalities, but are also work well in a crisis, and are able to depend on each other during said crisis no matter what they've got going on inter-personally.

9. Tana & Gavriel from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
They're both such strange people and their dynamic is really interesting to me? I think it's really interesting to see these two characters meet and have the weird realization that, on a certain level, they just get each other? In a really strange way because it's a super messy situation.

10. Miel & Sam from When the Moon was Ours
They're just a quiet and lovely pair who lift each other up? And that they can define themselves in relation to each other and support each other without being unhealthily dependent? And also I love that Sam paints moons and hangs them up places, I'm just saying that is objectively a great trait for someone to have.

I feel like there are a couple of obvious common denominators with a lot of these... make of that what you will. 

30 comments :

  1. Ugh, Blue & Gansey! My babies. ♥ I know Pynch is the super popular OTP from that series, and I love them, too, but MAN, I adore Blue and Gansey so much. And yes to the midnight phone call scene haha!

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    1. I think I just enjoy... that they are ... both strange nerds. It's possible that that is a unifying feature of a lot of the pairings here, in retrospect.

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  2. Someday I really do have to become bookworm brave (the page count intimidates me), and pick up the first Lunar novel. They do sound so creative and fun, plus I'm there for good romances! :)

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    1. Cinder itself is a pretty quick read, despite it's page count! It's definitely a fun read. Hope you have a chance to pick it up soon!

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  3. Cinder and Kai, yes! I put Scarlett and Wolf on mine - love that series so much!

    www.tbrandbeyond.com

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    1. It really is just a really fun series overall! That there are so many pairings people love is, I think, a testament to how well Marissa Meyer juggled having a large cast.

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  4. Cinder and Kai are adorable <3 Wonderful list! My TTT

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    1. I'm just... a really big fan of both of them and they have a pretty great dynamic!

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  5. Blue and Gansey sound great- I love the sound of the Raven Cycle.

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    1. The Raven Cycle is an overall great series for character relationships (and character in general... which I guess is essential for having good relationships...)

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  6. I have a feeling this week is going to be a lot of "oooh, I have to read that book!" and "oh yeah, I like them too!" Like... yes I still have to read The Lunar Chronicles! And The Grisha Verse books (including the Six of Crows Duology).

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    1. I think there's definitely a lot of that going around! (Not that I'm necessarily complaining).

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  7. Apparently I really need to read The Lunar Chronicles and Six of Crows... They're getting a lot of love this week!

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    1. It's been very exciting for me to see both of them getting a lot of love! They're both favourites of mine.

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  8. Yes I love Wolfe and Santi-honestly they're better than any of the main couples in that series!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/12/top-ten-tuesday-198/

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    1. I think they're both characters that aren't super common in YA, I think? I'm really anticipating/ stressed about the upcoming last book!

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  9. I love the fact that Kaz and Inej are getting so much love this week. They've been on about half of the TTT posts I've visited so far!

    This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.

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    1. I've definitely seen them around this week! Honestly, they deserve it. They're both really compelling character and they've got a pretty great arc.

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  10. Some couples here that I'm not very familiar with. Looks like I have some new people to meet!

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    1. It's one of the great joys of books, is it not?

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  11. I almost put Inej and Kaz on my list! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday

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    1. There are just a lot of really fantastic relationships to choose from! I definitely have some that would be on this list if there were more than 10 spaces available... I don't even know if these are necessarily my top ten, so much as the ones that occurred to me first, for whatever reason.

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  12. I also love Kaz and Inej so much. I love the way Bardugo writes them both as individuals and as characters who want more from the other, but aren't quite sure how to give it. Miel and Sam are so wonderful as well. It isn't often that we get such a soft coupling.

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    1. Miel and Sam really are just... soft. It's lovely. I like them a lot, and Anna Marie McLemore did such a good job of building them both together.

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  13. If you haven't read the Lunar Chronicles I HIGHLY recommend you read them! The characters are super relatable and funny, and even though the situations aren't nearly as relatable, (a cyborg princess) It's an interesting and immersive read!

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    1. They really are great! They still remain my favourite of Marissa Meyer's books, just because the concept is so interesting and the characters are phenomenal. She does a really good job managing a big and dynamic cast.

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  14. omg yay that you mentioned Meil and Sam!! I love them so much (and all that author's books eep) so it's nice to see them on a list. I think that book is far too underrated <3 also Sam/Puck and Blue/Gansey (and Ronan/Adam) are some of my LIFE FAVOURITES. Will die for my Stiefvater ships.

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    1. Meil and Sam are just so nice together? I like that they're just... together and that's not really the biggest, most dramatic thing in the book... Anna Marie McLemore does such a fantastic job with characters and creating unique stories and definitely more people need to read her books!

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  15. I loved Blue and Gansey! I hated that her kiss could kill, but enjoyed their romance throughout the four books. It was really well written! It's been ages since I read Fire, but I do remember enjoying her simple relationship with Brigan. <3

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. I feel like we didn't get satisfactory closure on Blue's whole killing kiss thing... I guess one of the nice things about them is that that particular part of their arc is generally the least compelling part of their relationship (because the relationship itself is so well-written).

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