August 23: Favorite Nerdy Characters

Quick internet searching tells me that a nerd is defined as; “a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted, interested in obscure or not-popular things, and lacking social skills.”

Basically? I am ALL OF THOSE THINGS. It’s like the internet knows my life! (Hi, yes, agents of Big Brother, in all honesty I do hope you enjoy my blog. Quality geek content here.) I am a nerdy-shaped peg and I have found my perfect nerdy-shaped hole in #bookstagram. And I love reading about these types of characters because, spoiler alert, I empathize with them deeply. Give me all of the obsessed, intellectual, somewhat awkward characters please.

Hermione from the Harry Potter Series, JK Rowling

“No,” said Hermione shortly. “Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?”
“Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading,” said Ron, but very quietly.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

“Hermione drew herself to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her hair seemed to crackle with electricity.
“No,” she said, her voice quivering with anger, “but I will write to your mother.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Minerva from A Week to be Wicked, Tessa Dare

“Anyhow,” she went on, “so long as my mother forced me to embroider, I insisted on choosing a pattern that interested me. I’ve never understood why girls are always made to stitch insipid flowers and ribbons.”
“Well, just to hazard a guess . . .” Colin straightened his edge. “Perhaps that’s because sleeping on a bed of flowers and ribbons sounds delightful and romantic. Whereas sharing one’s bed with a primeval sea snail sounds disgusting.”
Her jaw firmed. “You’re welcome to sleep on the floor.”
― Tessa Dare, A Week to Be Wicked

Rimmel from #Nerd, Cambria Herbert

“Romeo had the attention span of a slice of bread. Which is none at all.
Every time I start to explain something, it’s like not only his eyes glaze over, but his entire body. At one point, I wondered if it were possible for him to be asleep with his eyes open.
And God, he smelled good.”
― Cambria Hebert, #Nerd

Maddie from When a Scot Ties the Knot, Tessa Dare

“Here I am, struggling to banish any foolish imagined affections for you so that I can consummate this marriage of convenience in a proper businesslike fashion, as we agreed. And then you go and read a book?”
While he was at it, why didn’t he just bring her a basket of kittens, a bottle of champagne, and pose naked with a rose caught between his teeth?”
― Tessa Dare, When a Scot Ties the Knot

Penny from Carry On, Rainbow Rowell

“Great snakes!” Penny says, snatching her hand away from me and jumping off the bed. “Fuck a nine-toed troll, Simon.” She’s shaking her hand, and there are tears in her eyes. “Stevie Nicks and Gracie Slick! Fuck!”
― Rainbow Rowell, Carry On

Carter from Vision in White, Nora Roberts

“Ah, hi. It’s Carter. I wonder if you might want to go out to dinner, or maybe the movies. Maybe you like plays better than movies. I should’ve looked up what might be available before I called. I didn’t think of it. Or we could just have coffee again if you want to do that. Or… I’m not articulate on these things. I can’t use a tape recorder either. And why would you care? If you’re at all interested in any of the above, please feel free to call me. Thanks. Um. Good-bye.”― Nora Roberts, Vision in White

Alistair from To Beguile a Beast, Elizabeth Hoyt

“She leaned forward, her gaze so intense that Helen wanted to look away. ‘And I love him more for it. Do you hear me? He was a good man when he went away to the Colonies. He came back an extraordinary man. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What my brother has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on.’ She sat back in her chair, her gaze still locked with Helen’s. “That to my mind is what real bravery is.”
-Sophia to Helen about Alistair.” 
― Elizabeth Hoyt, To Beguile a Beast

Piers from When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Eloisa James

“Where did you go to school?” Piers inquired. “You’re all together too literate for a butler. Most butlers I know say things like as you wish, my lord, and leave it at that. Our conversations should be along these lines: Prufrock, bring me a wench and then you would say, as you wish.” 
― Eloisa James, When Beauty Tamed the Beast

Mark Watney from The Martian, Andy Weir

“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.” 
― Andy Weir, The Martian

“Me: “This is obviously a clog. How about I take it apart and check the internal tubing?” NASA: (after five hours of deliberation) “No. You’ll fuck it up and die.” So I took it apart.” 
― Andy Weir, The Martian

Honorable mentions: Kady from The Illuminae Files, Matilda from Matilda, Eustace from The Chronicles of Narnia, Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men.