Hosted by the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads Group
Well everyone, your girl is sick. I’ve got a cold. It’s not as bad as it could be (thank you, Sambucol!), but I did have a fever yesterday. But you’re not here for an update on my health. You’re here for Top 5 Wednesday! This week’s topic is your top five nostalgic book boyfriends or girlfriends. As I 1.) didn’t figure out I was queer until college and 2.) didn’t figure out that I pretty much like exclusively women until more recently, this will be a list of men I once swooned over (for whatever reason that may have been). Because a few of these are from the same books, I’m going to double up on a couple answers. But enough ado about what I’m going to do, let’s get on with the list!
- Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter by JK Rowling: I was an odd teenager. I’ve delved into this before, but I hid behind a scary dark!Slytherin exterior in the tenth grade. For the most part, it helped me feel less vulnerable. But I don’t blame strangers for not approaching the girl who unironically referred to herself as the Slytherin Princess. And guess the fuck who was my prince. That’s right, my first book boyfriend was none other than Draco Lucius Malfoy. Granted, a lot of my love for him was born more out of fanon than canon, but I liked his book incarnation as well. To me, he seemed dark and dangerous (he was not). I didn’t even mind his bullying nature because I was Team Evil anyway (I told you, I was a bizarre kid). In my not-serious-but-who-am-I-kidding-I-was-a-little-bit-serious fanfiction series in which my friends and I (and the Jonas Brothers) went to Hogwarts, he was my character’s boyfriend. As cringy as that time of my life was, I don’t regret it nor do I regret the time I spent “dating” Draco Malfoy.
- Stefan and Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith: This was one of my favorite series in high school, and I could never decide which of these brothers I liked more. Stefan wears his heart on his sleeve and treats Elena with respect, while Damon is a bad boy with a heart of gold. Both appealed to my inexperienced and lonely side. I’m sure I’d find more problems with both men if I read the series again, but they were everything to me back then.
- Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare: While I didn’t read this series until college, I fell in love with both of these characters when I still thought I felt that way about men. Will is troubled, but loves with his entire soul. He’s witty and sarcastic, but knows when to be serious. Jem is kind, truly kind. He’s also a survivor and has his own brand of humor. I do still love them with all my heart, just not that way. And, much like Tessa Gray, I will never choose between them.
- Adrian Ivashkov from Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead: Adrian is another character I still love, just not the way I once did. He’s a hilarious character, but also one of the most relatable. He’s overcome so much with his mental illness, and has some of the best character development of all time. Again, I still love him, but not as a pretend boyfriend.
- Dorian Havilliard from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: If 2015 and 2016 count as nostalgic, then this guy is the epitome of a nostalgic boyfriend. I was head over heels for this guy. He’s charming, but he loves books. He’s a bit of a slut, but he loves with all his heart. He was so pure before Empire of Storms ruined him. Alas, even though a part of me still loves him, I left him behind when I left his series behind. And I have yet to look back.
Who are some of your nostalgic book boyfriends and girlfriends? Tell me about them in the comments!
Strange Storyteller 