Top 10 Authors Who Come Up With The Best Fictional Character Names

Hello, guys! 

I hope that you're having a good Easter season and spring! Finals are coming up, so I thought I'd do a post before that all starts. I mean, you can expect a post the first week of May without a doubt (still haven't figured out what it is yet, but I'll come up with it.), but after that it might be quiet around here for a little bit. So, I thought I'd do a top ten list!

As the movie Cinderella (2015) says, "Names have power, like magic spells.". Characters are my favorite parts of stories, and while "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", there is something particularly influential when names go deeper than the surface with the names. In all of my writing, coming up with a character's name is something tied to the deepest dark inside them.

Then there are names that are undeniably fabulous.

Today, I'll be talking about both. I have noticed authors with a flair for monumental meanings in names, so I want to honor them today. And fangirl, because its what this blog is about when I'm too busy for reviews. Many of these are just books because I might get more attached to names when I read them. But that could be correlation not causation. Let's get to it!

There are NO spoilers for any of these stories. I'm talking about the introduction to these names we receive and might have hints for the future, but they will be too cryptic to understand unless you are a fan. Enjoy without fear of learning the endings for these characters! (I'm also talking about too many to get into details...)

Honorable Mentions: Agatha Christie (for the world-famous Hercule Poirot.). Rachel Kovaciny (for the eloquent swag of Jedidiah Jones).

10. Leigh Bardugo.

I've only recently (since June of last year?) gotten into Ms. Bardugo's books. I was not thrilled by the names in her Shadow and Bone series. In fact, it only messed me up. I'm trained from Spanish lessons to think that "Mal" means bad so I was biased against his character. Alina Starkov is cool enough, I admit. Though, the Darkling just feels cliche. I was quite happy with Sturmhond, which makes sense because he is my favorite character.

All this is to say, I did not consider her to be skilled or unskilled at naming. Just normal.

Then I read Six of Crows.

These names fit each character so deliciously. 

Kaz Brekker: Why does he do things? Just Kaz. Dirtyhands will break your heart.

Inej Ghafa: Also known as "The Wraith", she is always "on edge". 

BRILLIANT. I don't know if Ms. Bardugo intended those meanings, but I love how well they go with the characters. I also love Jesper (perfectly shows refined and careless simultaneously) and Pekka Rollins (just rolling with evil intent). (not that I love Pekka's character. We aren't talking about characters themselves because Nina and Mathhias would be on this list. We are talking about the NAMES). I am such a fan. I can't wait to meet new characters in Crooked Kingdom.

9. The STAR WARS writers.

This is a HUGE range because at this point there are probably hundreds of Star Wars writers who have contributed to the names and I want to give credit to them all. This universe holds so much potential and these writers step up to the task again and again. 

I first noticed that the names are EPIC while watching Clone Wars and meeting Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Such an amazing name, am I right? After that I began thinking about all of the other names, and came to appreciate them in a new light (pun not intended, but I'll take it.). Luke Skywalker? Big and blusterous, sure, but LEGENDARY. (apologies, I don't know what it is with me and all caps tonight. This will probably not be the last time). Han Solo? A smuggler who's name is Solo? Love it. Leia Organa? The perfect name for a princess and a general. Obi-Wan Kenobi? It seems like a mess of letters, but he has my whole heart.

Moving on to the sequels (which, friendly reminder, some people actually adore, so easy on the backlash, okay?), they continue these amazing names! In a battle of light against darkness, you name the main character one word: Rey. Simple and poignant. Names have such power here, with Finn finding identity once he receives his name, and Kylo Ren's fight against the Ben inside him.

Not all of the names are the most significant artistically. Sure, Darth Vader was lacking, but this more than made up for throughout. Hello there, Ahsoka Tano?

All you prequels fans were expecting something else, weren't you?

8. Maryrose Wood.

Should I talk about her names when I haven't finished the series and stuff might happen to sour them in my mouth? What kind of an attitude is that!? I'm totally talking about them, because my not finishing the series is not from a lack of effort, just resources. 

Ms. Wood combines the "cottage core" and goth of Victorian England perfectly in names in her The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Listening to the audiobooks is an absolute must to hear Katherine Kellgren say all of these names. 

Let's start with Penelope Lumley. Penny's so young but already has so many responsibilities as a governess, which the introduction of her and her name shows us. These books are bursting with amazing names. Charlotte Mortermir shows she is caring (excuse any misspellings. As I said, I only listen to the audiobooks.). Judge Quincy makes a shiver run down your spine. The darling children's where picked for convenience, but are nevertheless PERFECT. Laaaaaaaaady Constance is constantly thinking about herself. Agatha Swanburn is the epitome of education sophistication. Though, my favorite is three darling words: Simon. Harley. Dickinson. Which spells out heart throb, in case you were wondering.

Me, every time his name is said.

7. L. M. Montgomery.

L. M. Montgomery's writing itself is the most gorgeous I have ever read, so of course her naming skills are incredible as well. I love how she makes fun of fancy names by giving her most famous protagonist the plainest name she could come up with: Anne Shirley. Anne hates her name herself (Cordelia, anyone?), but lets her inner character shine through without frills. Am I saying the name Anne is boring? Not at all! I adore it. I'm just saying Ms. Montgomery makes it all the more magically as Anne comes to accept her name and herself.

Surrounding Anne, there are amazing names that can tell you instantly what a character is like. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Mrs. Lynde. Gilbert Blythe. Phillipa Gordon. My special favorite is Roy (short for Royal, you know) Gardener. How. perfect. is. that.? Each page is alive with characters and their names that stay with you forever.

When I talk about names I can go on forever or be concise like Thor.

The Avonlea Chronicles is my prominent read which consists of the above characters, but I also want to give a shout out to The Blue Castle. I mean, Valancy Stirling? Gorgeous and melancholy, which Valancy wants to reject as she wants to be full of life.

6. Wendelin Van Draanen.

Have I read enough of her books to be an expert in this? No, probably not. I've only read five of her books, and three of those were in the same series, so for the most part the characters were the same. Too bad I'm under qualified, because I'm going to talk about the names in her books anyway.

Starting off with my favorite: Bryce Loski and Juli Baker. Iconic. (I especially love Bryce's excuse about there being a bee tying into his name when the only bee was B-R-Y-C-E.). Though, those are almost the only two names that remained the same for the movie, as almost all the other names were given a more 60s vibe or something?

"Goodness, child! Are you alright?"

"There was a bee."

Who knew a medieval movie would provide real footage of Bryce?

I also want to talk about Sammy Keyes. I've talked about her a lot recently (yes, two months ago is still recent because that was only three posts ago). Samantha Keyes: such a fitting name for a detective. Unlocking all the mysteries, you know? It has a nice ring to it while being fresh and young.

As some of you may remember, my absolute favorite book I read in 2021 was Wild Bird. I read this book a year ago, so I don't remember most of the names (I also read this book in one day, so if I had taken longer the names would have stuck with me more, you know?), but I do remember being blown away. Names are SO important in this book. Our main character, Wren Clemens, has always been insecure about her name. Yes, its after the bird, now leave me alone. We learn that because of this she was able to relate and find a friend in Meadow, but that lead her down a very destructive path. Now can she spread her wings and fly again? LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.

5. Kate DiCamillo.

We're entering the top five, and who is better to lead us than Kate DiCamillo? She is the middle grade fiction QUEEN. All of her books change my life and are so powerful. Her names, too? Whether it's a pig named Mercy Watson or an animal control officer named Francine Poulet, the names are always highlights. How about a squirrel named Ulysses? A cynic named Flora? A toy rabbit originally named Edward Tulane who goes through other names as well?

"There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name."

We cannot go through this post without talking about the sweet little mouse, Despereaux Tilling. His mother named him "despair" because he was the only child that year who survived. Can you image being named "despair"? What does he do with it? He becomes a gentleman. He does the opposite of despair; he hopes. 

"The story said she was a prisoner but that wasn't totally true because she had hope and whenever you have hope, you're never really anybody's prisoner." (this applies to Despereaux as well as Princess Pea!)

He fails all classes that teach him to be scared and has true courage. So chivalrous! This story alone is a gold mine for names. Roscuro, coming from the word chiaroscuro, the perfect name for an antihero. Can Ms. DiCamillo get a round of applause for Miggery Sow?

Did I purposely use a gif from a different movie about rats? You bet.

And the names in her Three Rancheros series? Still absolute fire. Rayme Clarke. Louisiana Elefante. And Burke Allen III? That one broke me and I haven't recovered.

4. Kent Davis.

He's only published the A Riddle in Ruby trilogy, but in addition to mind bending world building, his characters names are top-notch. Our protagonist's, Ruby, full name is Aruba Teach. I want that name! And her father is Wayland Teach? That name sails into illustrious status. (*laughs at own pun no one will get*)

But that is not the pièce de résistance. Are you ready to be blown away?

...

Wisdom Rool. 

Most. Epic. Bad. Guy. Name. Ever. Wisdom?? Rool?? I adore it vastly. (it breaks my brain so much that I can't even write sentences properly).

The kids in this book are so talented in so many ways, and their names are fantastic. You have Athen and Henry, then you have Cram Cramson. Cram is my favorite, guys. He is awesome. In later books we meet more. Like, Avid Wake?? Such a good name for a nemesis! Then the twins Levi and Never (or is it Ever? It kept changing on me) Curtsie. Gideon Stump. Each one describes the personality of the characters so well. I should come up with a more original way to explain this phenomena, but I'm gobsmacked, okay?

Also, Gwath? Perfect for a mentor even though we do not see enough of him. Or any of Evallina Puddledump. Sure, we never see her, but the NAME. The name cracks me up and I love it.

My reaction.

3. Lemony Snicket.

Mr. Snicket and I have a history that I have probably gone into in the past here or there. But, coming up with as awesome a pen name as Lemony Snicket, shows that he has talents for naming. Not just characters but locations, too. Lucky Smells Lumber Mills? Say that five times fast. 667 Dark Avenue? I mean, Lake Lachrymose? Meaning tears?

I mean, naming it A Series of Unfortunate Events told us that already.

But, I'm here to talk about the characters. You guys might have noticed that I love side characters who pop up very briefly. This goes for Justice Strauss, Captain Julio Sham, and Esmé Gigi Genevieve Squalor (just that last name, guys.). And the Denouement brothers? Are you Frank or Ernest? My answer is always yes. The fact that "quagmire" means "an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation" (according to the New Oxford America dictionary)? That describes the triplets perfectly.

Count Olaf has such a sinister nature to it (this was before everyone associated that name with a snowman), but what really got me appreciating it was the Netflix series. The "It's the Count" song?? "N for the knowledge cuz I'm very very smart." *dies*

Enough about ASoUE. I mostly want to talk about my love for the All the Wrong Questions series characters. Lemony is, of course, one of the highlights. There is also S. Theodora Markson. What does the S stand for? Silence, Snicket. Then you have darling Jake Hix and Cleo Knight (and Jake's aunt, Hungry. That always makes me giggle). Ellington Feint? Mysterious and determined. Moxie Mallahan? What a name for a junior reporter! My babies Pip and Squeak! There are two names of important characters that I cannot remember, so it must be time to read those books again.

My ultimate favorite: DASHIELL QWERTY (Possibly the best name ever). Librarians are the best. This series is good stuff mixed with dark curling tendrils of forgotten ink.

2. J. K. Rowling.

Regardless of quibbles I have with anything, Ms. Rowling slays writing characters names. And my experience only comes from Harry Potter. That name itself spread popularity like wildfire. I tended to scream in excitement even when it was the smallest character has a great name. I also like to think that I remember every name. The other day I panicked for a second while watching Goblet of Fire with friends because I couldn't remember Fluer's sister's name. But, the second passed and I remembered it was Gabrielle. Whew. And they weren't even out of the water yet.

Get ready for me to commence spewing epic names.

Oliver Wood.

The amount of times my older sister and I quote this is ridiculous.

Hermione Granger. 

Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood? Crazy and lovable and just as sane as I am. 

Severus Snape? Immediately sowed the seeds of suspicion with a name that is short and cold. 

Newt Scamander? Who is a magizooligist, dealing with magical creatures? Brill.

Draco Malfoy? Nemesis name perfection. 

Minerva McGonagall. Rubius Hagrid. Names that foreshadow brilliantly, like Remus Lupin and Sirius Black? Nymphadora Tonks. Good feelings with all of the Weasleys: Molly, Arthur, Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. (Yes, I said Charlie. Don't you dare forget him). Beatrix Lestrange? *shudders*. Viktor Krum. Gilderoy Lockhart? Glittering, but a locked heart. Dolores Umbridge. Dobby?? Pius Thickness?? That, friends, is my second favorite fictional name of all time: Pius Thickness.

I could probably do a top ten list purely for Harry Potter character names. Would you guys be interested in that?

And now for number one...

1. Charles Dickens.

As The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) showed us:

Here, why don't you just watch the genius of this scene.

Then we need to see him saying the name again, because one can't have too many gifs, right?

Ebenezer Scrooge. It says everything about hating Christmas, regret, bottling up feelings and drowning them in piles of money.

Pip. Estella. Miss Havisham. Oliver Twist. Bill Sykes. Fagin. The Artful Dodger. Tiny Tim. Bob Cratchit. Sydney Carton. Try to find a flaw in this excellence.

But, whoa, MC, why does Mr. Dickens have the honor of being your favorite? Because he wrote my favorite character name of all time. From the book David Copperfield. Are you ready for it?

Uriah Heep.

What does that name make you think of? That's the character exactly. Slimy, scheming, unreliable. It is a perfect mic drop. I'll have to just leave you guys with it.

There you have it. What do you guys think of these names? Which are your favorite of the ones I listed above? What are your personal favorites that I didn't list? Who are your favorite authors who come up with the best fictional character names?

Have a great end to your April!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The March Muchness Blog Tag!

Hello, friends!

It has been a while since I've been seen on this corner of the internet. I hope you are all doing well and not going to mad at tea parties. That seems non-sequitur, but it actually is my lead into what I'm going to talk about. I scrambled on to blogger today because I realized that I can't go a month without talking to you guys! I also had to get into the March Muchness fun before it was over! This is a celebration hosted by Christine Smith in honor of her 11th blogoversary and her love for Alice in Wonderland. Her blog's birthday! In addition to her, Sarah, Emily, Victoria, Maple Quill, Kenzie, Jessica, Emma, Esther, Merie, Josiah, and Kal, are all hosts!

I've been awfully silent, but I have been enjoying reading the posts, so you guys should check it out!

Today I'll fill out the tag they put together for the occasion and hope that I'm not late to a very important date...

The March Muchness Blog Tag:

1. List six impossible things you’d love to do – wild and crazy answers 100% welcome!

-Publish a book. I know, I'm really rowdy over here so you guys do not want to mess with me. Haha! I've written first drafts, but that's as far as I usually get, so it seems quite impossible.

-Go hang gliding. My younger sister and I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.

-Be in a play of some kind. I have always thought that I'm good at acting, but I would love to have that tested. This is me trying to be realistic, but I would totally love to be in a movie if someone gave me the option.

Um...(Guys, this is sad if I can't think of more than 3)

-Solve a Rubik's cube (I'm SO CLOSE, I just can't get a last row).

-Zipline across an island of Hawaii (I don't know if this is a real thing, but once again, it's something my sister and I have always wanted to do)

-Learn to actually cook. So you know, I don't die.

2. What is a topic that grew curiouser and curiouser the more you studied/researched it?

Basically everything. I start out mildly intrigued then I get ever more fascinated. Right now it is probably calculus because crazy things are starting to be possible.

3. If you could invite three fictional characters to a tea party, who would they be? 

Elizabeth Bennet, 

Edward Bloom, 

and Eliza Doolittle. 

(I was trying to have all three people have the initials E.B., but I couldn't think of a third one. This was for no reason other than I thought it would be fun. At least they all start with E. Any suggestions? (Not Edmund Bertram!)). 

Elizabeth because she is clever and will have something to say no matter the circumstance, Edward because he tells the best stories, and Eliza because she is my fair lady and has just as much of a right to be here as any of us. ("Cup o' tea!"). (I will also undoubtably be awkward so if she's nervous she'll know she's not alone). Do you guys think these three would get along together?

4. Which Wonderland character do you feel you’re the most like?

It really depends on the adaptation or version. Ack, and it's been too long since I've gone into some kind of a world inspired by Wonderland (that is published *cough*Rachel*cough* it is sad to wait for books to actually be on your shelves...). From the 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland, I would say that I'm the White Queen as I'm kind but a little ditzy. I don't know if our similarities carried over in the sequel when we got more backstory, though. Other than that, maybe the Dormouse because I always want to sleep. Always.

I don't know if I'm like him because we are not anywhere near the same circumstances, but for some reason I really feel connected to Jefferson in Once Upon a Time's version of Wonderland. So of course I have to mention him. How family comes first and you would do anything for them? That's a way the two of us are similar!

*cough* Totally not just because it's Sebastian Stan *cough*

5. If you could drink a magic potion that changed one thing about you, what would it be?

To discard all of my procrastination. No, not something that is straight caffeine, but can actually help motivate me.

6. How IS a raven like a writing desk?

Most birds have pinions, which are a certain kind of feather that helps them fly. A raven is like a writing desk because both deal with opinion.

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

7. If you were to make an enemy of Father Time, what time in the day would you choose to repeat?

Love this question! Most things that pop into my head right away are really emotional moments, so I don't know if I would want to live in them for ages. I would go mad. I'll chose just hanging out with my sisters in the tent in our backyard. It never gets old and is always a blast.

Wow, this is a classic case of MC misreading the question. I guess I would go with 10PM to best suit what I said above!

8. If you fell down a rabbit hole, what would the land you pop into look like?

I love the idea of bubbles being part of a world, so wherever I go should have transportation that involves that. Yes, I know that's a Oz thing, but I feel like it would work in a place like Wonderland (yikes, I nearly wrote Neverland. I guess you can tell it's late at night for me).

9. If you could have the body of one type of creature and the head of another (for example, the Mock Turtle has the body of a turtle and the head of a calf), what would that combination be and why?

I'm definitely having the body of some kind of bird so I can fly. That is a given. But, if I go with that, any combination looks terrifying when put on top of a bird's body. Oh, I know, a dragon! I'll have the head of a lion on the body of a dragon. That does not fit me probably, but it sounds like the most awesome thing ever so we're going with it. The reason being that I love lions and I love dragons. End of story.

Not gonna lie, I would probably look like this. But with wings.

10. Have you read or written anything stylistically close to Alice in Wonderland? Tell us about it.

Whoa, stylistically? I think the last time I read the original book I was in my stage of not caring one cent about writing style, so I have no idea. I know that Heartless - by Marissa Meyer impressed me by 100% capturing how I see Lewis Carroll's world, so I'll go with that.

11. If you could either be as tall as a tree or as small as a mouse for an hour, which would you choose and what would you do?

#bedroomgoals

Well, I'm already quite tall, so I do not need to be more so. I've always loved the idea of little people, so while both The Borrowers and The Secret Life of Arriety were disappointing to me, I would go with that. I'm basically a fairy at that stage, right? I'm just like Thumblina and need to find my wings! This is my second reference to flying in this post. I just really want wings, okay?

Has anyone else seen this movie?? My sisters and I watched it A LOT and my younger sister still counts it in her favorites. It's super sweet!

12. If you could give your younger or future self one piece of Very Good Advice, what would it be?

Well, as Alice says, "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.". I've been doing so much self-reflection about my past for papers that I cannot even begin to narrow it down. In that case, I'll tell my future self to be kind and open to talking about anything and everything. Fear held me back from talking in the past when I would have benefited from exploring and debating opinions.

Thank you so much to Christine and all of the others for hosting! What do you guys think of my answers?

What was the highlight of March for you guys? It will be March in my time zone when I post this, but it will probably be April when you read it, so tell me ideas for pranks for April Fool's Day! What do you guys think of my wisdom regarding ravens and writing desks? Has anyone else broken their heart over Jefferson in OUaT? 

Have a springy day! *shudders because of the terror those words give me now that I'm doing math...*

Chloe the MovieCritic

What's My Line?: Kim Novak

Hello, classic Hollywood fans!

As soon as you get me talking about movies, I'm sure to mention old movies, even if it is only briefly as the conversation usually gravitates towards newer movies. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I really enjoy exploring the careers of actors and actresses from this period, and my special way to do that is talking about episodes of What's My Line?!

First, I should introduce our guest. This is my entry (at the last second) to The Classic Movie Muse's Kim Novak Blogathon: An 89th Birthday Celebration! This amazing lady just turned 89 and though she is retired from acting, her legacy is far from over as she is a painter.

What will shock my readers is that I have never actually seen Kim Novak in anything. (Crazy especially considering the movies she was in with Jimmy Stewart! I hope to see Vertigo (1958) and Bell, Book, and Candle (1958) as soon as I can!) Though I did not have time to watch a full length movie for this blogathon, I wanted to be introduced to her work finally! For that, I decided what better way than through the panel of What's My Line?? Though it is in the form of one of my shorter posts, I do not like birthdays going by uncelebrated!

(Fun story: even though I hadn't seen Miss Novak in anything, I was still able to introduce her to someone else. That's what happens when I have a million windows open on my laptop and was shuffling through them to find my math homework. A classmate inquired who Kim Novak is when her Wikipedia page showed up on my screen).

What in the world is What's My Line?? The next few paragraphs will explain the show, so if you've heard about it or if you've been here before you can skip. 

The basic rundown that I give you every time:

First of all, what is this game show? What's My Line? was a 30 minute game show that ran from 1950-1975.

How it worked:

A panel of four judges try to guess contestants' "lines" (jobs) by asking yes or no questions. The host/panel moderator, John Charles Daly, guided them and helped rework questions to fit the correct format. Each member of the panel would guess until they received a solid "no", then a card is flipped as the contestant earns five dollars, and the next person on the panel begins to guess. When all ten cards are flipped the contestant wins! If the panel guess what their line is, then they still get however much money that they won in "nos".

L to R: The three regular panelists, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen, & the panel moderator, John Daly.

Does this sound boring? It's far from it! The occupations are so unique, the panel has a hard time. Sometimes their guesses are so off, that it's a hoot! Plus, the highlight is that after two contestants there is the mystery guest! This guest is a celebrity and would be recognizable, so the judges wear blindfolds and get to ask one yes or no question before moving onto the next panel member and they have to guess who it is.

Blindfolds ready, panel?

For ages I would always just skip to the mystery person, but once I started watching full episodes I realized how much I was missing. However, the celebrity is how I'm connecting it back to my blog. The plan for this series is to talk about all of certain celebrity's appearances. To me, I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they acted here. Some where shy, some were funny, some were bold, you get the idea!

This shows you a piece of history in a small way. It shows separation from those times to now in different was, for example in this episode that I will talk about there was an inside joke or something about the modern times that I did not get. Maybe after I watch some more episodes I'll understand it more!

If I were to review it like I do movies, I would say:

Length: approx. 30 minutes. 25 without advertisements (which are hardly ever there on YouTube, which is where you can watch it).

Script: 10, Iʼve never heard a bad word.

Content: 9, sometimes there are one or two suggestive comments, but itʼs rare.

Age Range: Iʼve been watching this for a long time, but as I said, I didnʼt used to be interested in the first 2/3. I would say that little kids would like to just watch the mystery guest if they knew who it was, just because they wouldnʼt get how funny the rest of it was (especially if they canʼt read the occupations).

It is time to start! Will you come in mystery challenger, and sign in please...

Source

This will be especially short compared to my other What's My Line? posts because Kim Novak was only a contestant on the show once, but this is not an episode to be missed!

February 5th, 1956: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Desi Arnaz (his only time as a guest panelist), Dorothy Kilgallen, & Fred Allen. (This episode is the closest to their sixth anniversary from starting on February 2nd, 1950! It has another special guest for the times in the guessing the occupation part...)

This is a special opportunity for me. Usually I only watch the show when there are contestants that I have seen in other things so I can get a look at their ordinary life, but here I'm seeing Kim for the first time! 

The first word that comes to mind to describe my impression of her is ethereal. She was quite young when she went on this show (22 years old) and she comes in both sprightly and out of this world in some way. Arlene called her a young lady, and they all seemed pleased to have someone from the newer generation (not that any of them were old at the time...) around. She said she would like to think of herself as being in more dramatic roles than comedic, which is something I'm going to look for. Overall, I really enjoyed watching her! Her attempted cockney accent for hiding her voice seemed to fit her personality.

Some highlights from the episode:

One of Arlene's favorite questions is if someone is a leading lady. The contestants I've seen are not sure how to answer this, and here Arlene is starting to take things into her own hands.

Arlene Francis: "Would you be considered a leading lady?"

Kim Novak *BA*: "I don't know"

Arlene Francis: John!

John Charles Daly: "Yes, I would think, is the answer to that..."

Desi Arnaz: "You get somebody over here today that I can understand."

Kim Novak *British accent*: I can't understand you, sir.

*audience laughs*

Desi Arnaz: "Oh, I like her!"

They mentioned a movie called Picnic (1955), so that gives you reference to the cinema at the time.

That's all I'm going to tell you, so you'll have to watch the episode to see if the panel guessed who she was...

It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Miss Novak. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future!

Thanks to the Muse for hosting this! Readers, make sure to go read the other submissions for this blog party HERE!

Thank you for reading! Are there any famous old movie stars that you haven't actually seen in anything? What are some recommendations for movies that Kim Novak is in?

Chloe the MovieCritic

The We Love Detectives Week Tag!

Who's ready to party?

What's this party about? I'm not telling you. Because it's a mystery. Which, in fact, just revealed what it is. Today is the last day of Hamlette's We Love Detectives Week! Each year around Valentine's Day she hosts a week long celebration talking about why we love a certain part of stories. Whether it is an author, genre, or type of character!

This year's focus is detectives, which makes me happy beyond reason. Mystery books were the first genre that I was able to tell apart from others. I LOVED them and told everyone that fact. I wanted to be a detective when I grew up. In fact, my 8th birthday was themed "spy" (because I couldn't tell the difference between spies and detectives, but I was going for detective and my mom knew that). I received two magnifying glasses. One that was pocket sized and I carried it around with me all that summer in a little bag (I lost it once and my mom got me a replacement which was the sweetest thing ever!).

Stories were what influenced me about this. One of the first books I bought for myself was a mystery (it was a rip off of the Nancy Drew series that is set in the modern times, but I loved it all the same. Though I was betrayed when I learned it wasn't the "real" Nancy Drew. But what really is "real" when it comes to Nancy?). I scoured my library for mysteries, and after I was done reading the approx. 15 Nancy Drew books they owned (it's a small library, okay?) I went on to read some REALLY obscure mysteries. Good times. Also, one of my first books I started writing was a mystery. I made it four chapters in (my first time writing on a computer!), drew a picture of my detective (which is rare for me to do! If I start drawing that means I'm really into something), and planned out at least seven books in the series. Maybe one day I will return to it... Even to this date, I've only finished writing two books (I have...drafts for others), and one of them is a mystery (a poor one at that! It needs revisions). When life doesn't make sense I need someone to solve a slice of it for me, then I can plunge back into my own adventures.

That is my ode to mysteries. But that is not all that I'm here for. Hamlette created a tag for the occasion, so I am filling it out here!

For this tag I said I could only use a book or movie once, but I couldn't help myself when it came to one book or movie per question. There are too many to only talk about ten!

Questions: What's your favorite mystery with...

1. ...a historical setting?

I don't know if it is my favorite because of it's setting, but I want to talk about it all the same, because it doesn't fit anywhere else (because, yes, I am answering the first question last.). The Great Mouse Detective (1986)! This movie t e r r i f i e d me when I was little (Fidget. *shudders* Ratigan. *full on chills*) but at the same time my sisters and I loved it and would watch it a lot. Yes, it is an animated movie with animals as the main characters, but it is fully in a historical setting. Just look at what Basil of Baker Street is wearing! And it involves a historical figure, kind of.

2. ...a modern setting?

Knives Out (2019). It is brilliant in more ways than I can count. Most of the mysteries I know of are set in older settings, so this was so fun to see something set in modern times. And on top of all of that, the aesthetic is *chef's kiss*. (Did you guys here that they're working on a sequel??)

3. ...a lone detective?

Hercule Poirot. Technically he usually has a friend to help him out and explain things too, but it is not dependent on a certain person and changes it up every few books. So, we can call him "lone". I love him in the books (though I have sadly only read 5 or 6) as well as David Suchet's and Kenneth Branagh's portrayals (Death on the Nile came out! Ack! I'm waiting to watch it with my sisters, but I am PUMPED.)

4. ...a pair of sleuths?

Ah, this version! I love it too much. So much that I have watched it two days in a row and enjoyed every second both times.

It is cliche to say this, but Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Some people forget that they are a duo, but they are both so important. I have only found one version where I like Sherlock Holmes without a Watson to accompany him (because there is a different detective there, too...named Enola. But you guys are probably getting tired of me talking about that movie...).

And then you have these two. Who I started out annoyed with but love them so much by the fourth season.

5. ...a professional/police detective?

TinTin! That's all there needs to be said.

6. ...an amateur detective?

I already mentioned Nancy Drew a lot in my ode to mysteries, but those were the books. Not the 2007 movie. In this movie Nancy is actually prohibited by her dad to solve mysteries. And she really wants to do what he says, but they come to her despite her best attempts. She never wants payment, she just wants to help people.

Or the Scooby Doo gang! I could watch these cartoons for hours (and have...). Those meddling kids always solve everything and I love them.

7. ...a young sleuth?

Though I've only read 3 of the books (out of 21. I'm a 7th of the way through!), my current favorite is Sammy Keyes from the Sammy Keyes books by Wendelin Van Draanen. Yes, I have deep nostalgia for Nancy Drew, but lately anytime I read one of those books I'm just cringing and making fun of it the whole time. It was perfect for me at a certain age! Whereas with Sammy Keyes, I still enjoy them at this age because there is more depth to the characters. I mean, Sammy is getting in trouble all the time and has so many mysteries up her sleeve. I think if I had read Sammy Keyes when I was younger I would have made more of an effort to read them all. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying these books SO much, but more as a treat from time to time than I need to breathe in these books. You know what I mean?

I have a hilarious story about another young sleuth. Flavia de Luce is a 12 year old British detective-chemist genius from the 50s in books by Alan Bradley. While I didn't adore the only book I've read as it fell into a mystery trope that I LOATHE (and have only seen done correctly ONCE. Which, actually, is on this list somewhere...any guesses?), I saw a lot of potential and have been meaning to get back to the series. (I tried a few months ago by checking out an audiobook, but I hated it because the narrator said every single name differently than I had). 

ANYWAY. Back to the story. I first heard about these books when my librarian read the first one. She recommended it to me because she said there were three sisters and they reminded her of my sisters and I. That intrigued me enough to read it. As soon as I met 'Philia, Daph', and Flav' I started cracking up with laughter. I guess our librarian thinks of my older sister as stuck up and obsessed with her appearance, she thinks of me as rude and obsessed with books and the piano (only partly true), and she thinks of my younger sister as the genius of our century (the one correct element). And that we are all trying to kill each other all the time? I have never seen sisters more far apart than my sisters and I, but I guess that is a mystery to everyone else...

8. ...an aging detective?

I feel like I've seen a brilliant aging detective, but my mind is blanking. I cannot think of one! Man, I guess all I read about is young whippersnappers.

9. ...a cozy feel?

My grandma has a few mystery books and when I got old enough to read them I was so excited, and just thinking about them gives me the coziest feeling. Both The Secret of the Old Post Box - by Dorothy Sterling and The Pink Motel - by Carol Ryrie Brink. Though not complex (in fact, the mystery is quite obvious), The Pink Motel is so cute that I've read it more than once (which is rare for me).

And if I just want to feel cozy in the Old West, I love reading Jedidiah Jones solve what is going on in  Dancing and Doughnuts - by Rachel Kovaciny. Our own dear host of this blogathon!

10. ...a shocking reveal?

...is it a spoiler to tell someone that a book or movie was surprising? I don't know. Well, it isn't for my sister because she goes into every book and movie expecting 100% what is going to happen so when it doesn't she's surprised. As for me, I go in without a thought so everything is surprising...

The Illusionist (2006) keeps me on my toes. The pace of this movie is INSANE as things are always happening or are deathly still. There is no in between. This is one of my favorite movies because (some content aside) it is one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen and my mind is blown every time I watch it. Which is quite a few times.

Enough about me. Check out the other entries HERE! This week had been a blast and has made me what to seek out some mysteries (fictional, not in my life. I don't need more of those). I have my eye on either Sammy Keyes or Flavia de Luce now...

A huge thank you to Hamlette for hosting this! Thank you also to all of you for reading! What do you think of my answers? Have any of you seen or read any of these? I'm especially wondering about Nancy Drew (2007) and The Illusionist (2006)...

Until next time, friends! 

Chloe the MovieCritic