Treasured Thursdays (2012-05-10)

Treasured Thursdays is a weekly meme I originally created here however, it’s being hosted over at Mel’s Book blog as I’ve not had the time to coax it into fruition. This week our topic (picked by Mel) is most treasured book boyfriends.

It seems like every time I pick up a book I fall a little in love with one of the characters. It's not always the leading man either, and there are several underdogs that have my unconditional love, but with so many, how do I pick one all time favorite?
 

I struggled with this. Book boyfriends are plentiful. I mean, there's Jem, and Etienne, and Irial, and Zach and Tristan and Patch and Four, and Ash, and Vincent, and the list goes on and on... They're all treasured for different reasons. 

Then I decided to make a list. I made a list of everything that I feel should be in the ultimate, above all others book boyfriend. Here it is:

#1 He needs to be able to protect the girl. It doesn't even have to be with super powers, or paranormal skills.  Protecting someone takes a lot of different meanings.

#2 Compassion.  Even a bad boy has compassion. It's important that he's not scared to care or too hard to be kind when needed. 

#3 A well of patience. Hot tempers only lead to angry tears; and rush and rush and rush leads to mistakes or missing the little things. A measure of calm and cool should temper him.

#4 Think, think, think. There are some (and I won't mention names) that jump to conclusions or don't think about reaction when completing actions.  He's got to be able to think clearly and calculate. 

#5 Listen.  Not just hear but really listen. This is a rare skill and it's more appreciated then some guys realize.

#6 He has to be there. Not just pop up when it's convenient for him, but really be there. He has to be able to support during a crisis.  He needs to be dependable.

#7 Sense of humor is a must. Even if it's only mild he should be able to laugh. Some situation can only be cured with laughter. And there are a lot of times when laughter is the alternative to screaming. 

#8 Half-assed-ness is not acceptable. Multitasking is cool , but not to the point where nothing gets accomplished. It's also a mark of commitment. If he can finish a task then he knows how to commit to something.

#9 Responsibility. Does he understand the meaning of the word at all? Or is he flippant and uncaring about everything except what effects himself? Or can he do what is needed to be done without the poking and prodding of others because he's responsible enough to acknowledge it as his burden?

#10 Pride goeth before the fall. He should have some pride but not so much it prevents him from asking for help or leaning on someone when times get tough. It doesn't stop him from crying if needs be or baring his heart. 

Okay, okay, so I realize I'm really, super, extremely picky but this is for the super, ultimate, above all others, treasured book boyfriend. AND I know whit this list there's a lot of my treasured men that don't make the cut. So, now that this list is complete there are only two that make the cut. And I'm okay with that.

*drumroll*

The two remaining above all others, ultimate, book boyfriends are:

Jem Carstairs (The Infernal Devices) and Zachary Moore (Shade)

Congrats boys, you are the best of the best. ^_^