Image courtesy of potowizard at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
I’m very happy to be hosting a mini-challenge for our Travel the World in Books Readathon. It’s about one of my very favorite things about reading–great characters! When a truly memorable character transports me to a different place and time, it’s even better, and speaks to my own longings to travel around the world and travel in time too. A beautiful or striking book cover featuring the outstanding character I will meet in the story is sure to draw me in, whether the book is a favorite classic in a new edition or something totally new–a favorite in the making.
I’m sure you’ve had that experience too. I like many kinds of covers featuring characters: original illustrations made just for the book cover; paintings or other art that suggests the character and gives me some notion of time, place, and personality (Penguin is a fan of this approach); or even photographs, modern or period photos of people who then become my mental image of the character as I read.
CHALLENGE
This challenge is meant to be easy, fun, and flexible. The goal is for us to share some favorite characters from around the world, especially those which have been depicted in memorable cover art. Your task is to select one or more book covers featuring any one of your favorite characters (they don’t have to be on my 100 list, of course), and post the result in the format of your choice. Some details:
- You can share just ONE book cover that you especially like–that would be great. Or, if you wish, create a COMPOSITE image, a COLLAGE, or GALLERY with several covers.
- Post your image on the social media of your choice. You can Tweet or Instagram it. You can post it in your blog. Whichever way you choose, be sure to include the hashtag #TTWIBRAT in your posting.
- Share the link with me by leaving a comment to this mini-challenge post. Be sure that you use the specific link that will take me right to your post, tweet, or instagram page containing your submission. I will be tweet-sharing your submissions @Fictional100, and I will feature as many as I can in a follow-up post at the end of the Readathon.
- This mini-challenge and giveaway will run throughout the second week of the readathon, from October 25 to 31.
GIVEAWAY
I am giving away a copy of one of the following books, featuring Fictional 100 characters on their gorgeous covers, to ONE lucky winner. These are all chunksters, in acclaimed translations, and well worth adding to your personal library and your lifetime reading (or re-reading) plan. Follow the links to Goodreads for more details about each one.
The GIVEAWAY is open to those who participate in the mini-challenge and share a fabulous character cover or covers! Because the prize is a print book, which I will ship to your doorstep, this print-book giveaway is open in the US/Canada only. International readers who enter will receive a Kindle version of one of these books if they win.
The winner will be selected by random drawing from those who ENTER using the link below. I will notify the winner by email and arrange to send your prize.
Entry-Form
I can’t wait to see and share your cover selections for favorite characters. If you are participating in the #TTWIBRAT Instagram Challenge, today’s theme is Favorite World Lit Characters, so feel free to share the same photo here if it is a book cover. Thank you for participating, and enjoy the rest of the Travel the World in Books Readathon!
And There’s More!
Also be sure to check out the main Travel the World in Books Readathon 2015 Giveaways Page and enter to win a book from among the 18 books generously offered there! See more details at Mom’s Small Victories.
The Fictional 100 
Totally agree with how important fictional characters are in a book and many of them have been friends for life! You have to form relationships with them for the book but many stay in your head and demand a reread – Jane Eyre being one of mine. There are so many I would love to get around a dinner table and get them chatting. Imagine that!
Love this idea of thinking about fictional characters and I’m going to put together a few of mine right now. Thanks for this challenge!
Great giveaway Lucy! I just downloaded Anna Karenina to listen on audio this week. Thanks for hosting this fun mini-challenge!
I love this challenge! I picked the iconic image of the March Sisters by Jessie Wilcox Smith and tweeted it here: https://twitter.com/LoryECBR/status/658278534138449921
Ooh yes! That’s a good one. I wanted to live in their house as it seemed so lovely.
Another message here to share my own link with you all – forgot in the last post sorry! I have picked out four fictional friends that mean a lot to me and I would love to know who your fictional friends are!
https://thebooktrail.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/fictional-friends-from-around-the-world/
Thanks, Susan! What a terrific post! And great covers too! The Enid Blyton cover is so charming. I hope you’ll enter the Giveaway if you wish, via clicking the Entry-Form.
Here is my entry to the mini-challenge! https://instagram.com/p/9RboxJKrr8/?taken-by=becca_lost_in_books If no one else wants A Tale of Genji, you can totally send it to me because I’ve been meaning to finish reading it since 2009! lol
This one’s a new translation for me. I read the one by Edward Seidenstecker for my book. I hope you’ll enter the Giveaway too (via the Entry-Form button) too!
neat and fun! here is my entry: https://twitter.com/wordsandpeace/status/658450522886832128
I thought I would have to paste it in the entry form, but there was no place for it, so here it is
I have too many faves so I picked up some books I have on hand with great cover art! Thanks for the challenge Lucy 🙂 https://twitter.com/guiltlessreader/status/658469253482283008
Fun challenge and great giveaway! I shared this on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! https://instagram.com/p/9SI64poLDN/
Thank you so much, Tanya! Your instagram challenge has really been great to get in the spirit each day!
Hi Lucy!
Here I am! I wanted to participate with a not-very-known book that I loved: The incredible story of Henry N. Brown, which is told by a teddy bear! Lovely book: https://instagram.com/p/9gq9fws-Nb/
Thanks for the challenge and giveaway!
Oh thank you, Isi! This is a wonderful entry. I love teddy bear characters, like Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington Bear. I just found a copy of this in English translation–the author was born in Germany–and I’m very interested to read it!
Luvd this – just took me forever to get to the internet! not ez when it’s not at home 🙂
Here’s my collage for lots of impact! Drew Farthering of Julianna Deering’s creative vintage mysteries – tweeted @_eHope HERE
Those are fabulous covers, Sharon! Great to put them together like this. He looks very cool, calm, and collected 🙂 and ready for a stylish mystery. Thanks so much for participating!