Contest Time…Two Is Better Than One

Posted on 3rd August 2010
in Blog
by Erin Blakemore

I was laying in bed this morning after my first fully restful sleep in a while and thinking about literary duos. Not necessarily titular (though Betsy-Tacy is not to be ignored), but those great pairings that make my favorite books so juicy to read. You know…Scarlett and Melanie, or Marianne and Elinor. Pairs that prove that opposites attract (or never do), who must go through life as heroines or as enemies or, even better, both!

Then I got up and learned from Beyond Little House that today is Carrie Ingalls (Swanzey) Day and thought, “I’m on to something!” Who can forget Laura rocking the seat for an exhausted and humiliated Carrie? I’d call that a literary match made in heaven.

So what better way to celebrate literary duos than with a contest?

I have two sets of two galleys of The Heroine’s Bookshelf to give away to two lucky winners…one to read, one to pass on to a friend. To enter, all you have to do is post in the comments here and tell me a literary duo you love, and your email address.

This giveaway is limited to USA only, unfortunately (there have been and will be international ones), and I’ll close entries at 5 p.m. MDT on Friday, August 6…so tell a friend!

Tags: contest, giveaway, heroines, literature, pairs

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http://trundlebedtales.wordpress.com Sarah S. Uthoff

One of my favorite literary duos is Dianna Barry and Anne Shirley. I wish it was as easy for all of us to discover a kind spirit who genuinely loves you. All Anne had to do was run through a beautiful wood to the house next door.
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http://twitter.com/eclecticrain Christina

The sisterly connection between Elizabeth Bennet & Jane Bennet in Pride & Prejudice is my favorite literary duo. They both just want the other one to be happy.
http://littleowl.com/heidi Heidi

Emily and Ilse, from Emily of New Moon.
http://katieleigh.wordpress.com Katie @ cakes, tea and dreams

I love Anne and Diana…and Betsy and Tacy…and Charlotte and Penelope, from Eva Rice’s book The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. Too many to choose!
JenP

Without a doubt, Anne and Diana.
Sarah

My favorite literary duo is Anne and Diana. Definite kindred spirits!
http://yarnsandyarns.blogspot.com Anne

Sargent Havers and Inspector Lynley in Elizabeth George’s Britishesque mysteries – partners by assignment, good friends so unexpectedly because of their vastly different backgrounds and expectations.
http://bigwoodsmemories.com Judy Green

When ever I am asked, “Can you choose an all time favorite book”, and I am limited to adult fiction, I have to say the Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
A complex and intricate story of relationships paring Meggie and Father Ralph romantically, but heroines Fiona/Meggie/Justine ( mother/daughter/daughter)
that illustrates differences and connections and how people become who they become.
Julie

My favorite juicy duo is Clare and Irene from Nella Larsen’s “Passing.” It’s a fascinating exploration of jealousy, race, and sexual ambiguity. They envy each other’s lifestyles (Clare is the daring one; although she’s part black, she’s married to a white doctor and “passing” as white). Irene’s disdain for her “friend” is palpable throughout the entire novella. I don’t want to give away the ending, but it’s a doozy.

On a more positive note, I love the duo of Johnsy and Susie from O. Henry’s short story “The Last Leaf.” They remind me of me and my best friend; we even share the same first initials as the characters. They are aspiring writers/artists, best friends, and close to family, caring for one another in sickness and staying strong for each other. It’s a fabulous story that I recommend to everyone!
Laura

My favourite duo is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. In the original short stories, I think they compliment each other perfectly.
http://ramblingdesigns.blogspot.com/ spinndiva

I am very partial to Hercule Poirot and Hastings! How can one not love those two! One with his little gray cells and the other always a bit of the bumbling sort….
http://www.lafabuliste.blogger.com Christina

This is an interesting question. And I think it’s interesting that most of the answers so far have been from books in the past (Anne, Austen, Betsy-Tacy). Female relationships aren’t really celebrated these days, are they? Maybe it’s just me and the sort of books I’m attracted to– I’m a big YA fantasy person with a focus on strong female characters. And so many of those seem to be a girl with a close group of male friends– Hermione, Katniss, Katsa, Lyra, Tamora Pierce’s girls. I think part of this comes from the deep-seeded (and often sneakily hidden) belief that the Exceptional Girls are the ones that run with the boys, leaving smaller, girlier things behind.

Am I just reading the wrong books?

Also, sorry to hijack your blog posting! Mine isn’t a duo, it’s more of a quartet– the Penderwick sisters. I love them so dearly!
http://theeagerreaders.blogspot.com/ Violet

How cool that you are giving away two sets of two! Anne Shirley & Diana Barry were the first duo that came to mind, but Christina’s excellent point about how we all seem to be turning to the classics for our favorite duos has me trying to think of duos in more recent fiction. Although the following duos are not necessarily as memorable or as enduring as the classic duos we all love, I’m glad that there are still some current YA books about best friends or sisters who would do anything for one another: Rose Hathaway & Lissa Dragomir in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series and Scarlett & Rosie March in Jackson Pearce’s Sisters Red come to mind.
http://www.likeabowloforanges.wordpress.com Lua

Hmm… my favorite duo have to be Don Quixote and Sancho Pansa
And what a fun giveaway! Count me in: luafowles (at) gmail.com
http://www.novembersautumn.wordpress.com Katherine (November’s Autumn)

The unlikely friendship of Emma Woodhouse and Harriet Smith, what a pair they make! And how much mischief they cause each other.
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity: novembersautumn (at) me.com
http://christysbooks.blogspot.com/ Christy

This is a hard one, but I’m gonna pick Julian Kestral and Dipper from the books by Kate Ross.

runaway84(at)gmail.com
http://lynne-booknotes.blogspot.com/ Lynne

Gabriel Betteredge and his copy of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ in ‘The Moonstone’ come to mind, as well as Jo March and Laurie in ‘Little Women’. I’m surprised that outside Jane Austen’s sisters, I’m not coming up with female duos as quickly.
Krystal

I immediately though of Anne and Diana as well – mainly because I spent my childhood wondering where my Diana was…LOL

For a more contemporary example, I just finished Hoffman’s Practical Magic and the bond between the three sets of sisters in that book was impressive and interesting to watch develop over the course of the story.
Liz

Hallie and Codi from Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Dreams. Even though Hallie only appears in Codi’s memories, the bond between the sisters is so strong you can’t forget them.
http://www.cvbell.com CaroleB

My favorite literary duo of late is Molly and Cynthia in Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. They are two girls in their late teens, just on the precipice of adulthood, thrown together as stepsisters when their parents marry. The young women become best friends despite incredibly different temperaments, backgrounds, moral codes and ultimately, even despite being cast as romantic rivals.

Molly draws out Cynthia’s best, most caring impulses–when Molly gets sick, Cynthia immediately abandons the London society that she relishes to return home and care for her–and perhaps even helps Cynthia curb her worst instincts just a little. For her part, Cynthia exposes the very sweet but desperately naive and childlike Molly to the realities of human nature and in doing so forces her to grow up. They are an unlikely but compelling and believable pair, each woman playing the central role in the other’s coming of age story.
http://goddessofthelibrary.blogspot.com Sarah Weiss

My favorite literary duo would have to be Graves and Dru from Lilith Saintcrow’s Strange Angels series. Fate brought them together to be an unstoppable duo in a world where they can only really trust each other!
http://wulfluva-shellsstories.blogspot.com/ Rachelle Hayes

My favorite duo would have to be Scout and Jem from Mockingjay. They fight. They play. They have their rough times together. What more could you ask for?
http://literarilyspeaking1.blogspot.com Michelle

There are too many to choose from!

My favorites from childhood are Meg and Jo March (Well, really, all the March sisters) from Little Women and, as others have said, Anne and Diana from the Anne of Green Gables series.

Recently, though, I really like Melanie and Scarlett. They’re such opposites and, no matter how much Scarlett tries to make Melanie upset, Melanie sticks right by Scarlett’s side.
http://literarymancandy.wordpress.com/ Ally

My favorite literary duo is Ben Weatherstaff and his robin from The Secret Garden. That robin was the most adorable thing in the world, especially with cranky Ben alongside him.
Anne-Marie Chaput

Anne and Diana, without a doubt. And I love a trio…. Harry, Ron and Hermione !
http://sixboxesofbooks.blogspot.com LaurieA-B

While Beverly Cleary was an only child herself, she wrote about some great sisters. One of my favorite literary duos is Rosemary and Barbara from Sister of the Bride.

I look forward to reading your book! (And yes, Betsy-Tacy.)
http://elizabethbriggs.blogspot.com Elizabeth Briggs

My favorite duo is Frodo and Sam from LOTR. Sam is a classic best friend, who will do anything for Frodo.

I also love Lyra and Pan from the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. Now I always wish I had a daemon!

Contest Time…Two Is Better Than One

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