Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Secondary Characters

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday with That Artsy Reader Girl has stumped me a little: Characters I liked that were in non-favourite/disliked books. So I decided to take the ‘character’ theme and come up with my own topic today: Favourite secondary characters.

A good secondary character can provide wisdom, comic relief, or anything in between, but the story is always better off for them being there, and I’ve got together a few of my favourites:

Elizabeth Cooley (Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong)
Elizabeth Cooley is exactly the kind of grandmotherly woman everyone needs in their life. She’s full of love and wisdom, and always willing to take in strays.

“It’s lucky you were there.”
Elizabeth lifted her arm as if it weighed fifty pounds and reached for the door handle. “You know better than that, Lainie. Luck had nothing to do with it.”

Rory Forrester (Not a Word by Chautona Havig)
It’s difficult to do children well in novels, but it’s even more difficult to do precocious children well. Rory Forrester is both, and he has to be one of my favourite child characters EVER. Perfect balance of child-like and precocious!

“I’m a pretty cute kid. Everyone says so.”
“Obnoxious kid—”
Rory laughed. “You only say obnoxious when you think you shouldn’t agree with me.”

Abby, the Snarky Barista (Brew Ha Ha series by Bria Quinlan)
This girl makes me laugh. She’s got absolutely no filter, rolling her eyes is her version of a smile, and everything else is deadpan. And just to show you what I mean, here’s a sample:

“Who is she?” She pointed a suspicious glare at Jayne.
“This is Jayne. My best friend from home.”
This didn’t seem to win Jayne any points.
“So, she’s here to visit?”
“Does it matter?” Jayne glared back at Abby.
Well, this was going to be interesting.
“Yes. John says I have to be nice to the regulars, so if you’re going to be coming in all the time with this crew, then I have to be polite.”
“Just to be clear, you’ll only be polite to me if I’m going to be a regular?” Jayne glanced my way and I tried to tell her with a strong look not to engage.
“Right.”
“So, yes. I’m gong to be a regular.”
Now Abby had good reason to look suspicious. “Are you just saying that so I’m polite to you?”
“Is this your version of polite? Because, I have to tell you, it kind of sucks. I almost want to say I’m not going to be a regular to see how you treat normal people.”
“Jayne, for the love of stars, do not tempt fate!” This was the scariest thing that had happened in days. And I’d just gotten out of jail.

🤣🤣🤣 Have I mentioned lately how much I love this series?

Barclay “Cell” Purcell (Tox Files series by Ronie Kendig)
Every intense spec ops group needs a Barclay Purcell. He calls it like it is, and he has the ability to insert a dry, witty comment at just the right moment to break the tension. His opinion of the Assyrian empire?

“You know why they failed?…Because their names were too long. They needed more Bobs and Janes. Some spy comes into the palace and says, ‘Whatchacantremember sent me.’ And everyone shrugs and lets him in because they don’t know if it was Whatchacantremember or Whatchacanremember who sent him.”

Kent Logan Peeper (Turtles in the Road by Rhonda and Kaley Rhea)
I’m not sure that there’s anything that will adequately describe Kent besides actually meeting him in the pages of this book. He can keep up both sides of a conversation all by himself, and he’ll tell you his life story the first time you make eye contact with him.

“…Anyway, me and her got married pretty much right outta high school. We’re like soul mates. Not to be cheesy. Well, sometimes cheesy’s good. I don’t know why people have a problem with cheesy. Like if someone brings out a lasagna and they’re like, ‘Hey. It’s extra cheesy,’ I’m supposed to be like ‘What? No. That doesn’t even sound appetizing’? No. I’d be like, ‘Cheesy? That sounds like the best lasagna ever.” And then I would thank them for making me lasagna and for doling out the dollar bills for the extra dairy. Am I right?”

Ma Mitchell (A Twist of Faith by Pepper Basham)
If Elizabeth Cooley is the grandmother everyone needs in their life, then Ma Mitchell is the mother everyone needs in their life—and their kitchen.

“You can’t do nothin’, Dee, good nor bad to get into God’s heaven. It’s all about Him. His love. His grace.”
Dee slid back into her chair, legs weak, and the inner skeptic offering an objection. “Sounds too easy.”
“Does it?” Mrs. Mitchell’s smile softened. “Not if you really think about it. It takes a divine change of the heart to humble us enough to bring empty hands to God. We all want to be good enough by ourselves so we have braggin’ rights, but nothing else will fit through the door of heaven but Jesus. He’s all you need. He’ll right your wrongs and make you good enough for His family all at the same time.”

Do you have a favourite secondary character?