6 of My Favorite Bookish Animals
Despite my legs being mauled by a cat this past weekend, I adore animals. Even more so, I adore animal companions in books. I have a soft spot for characters that care for animals—whether it’s a good doggo, a floofy kitten, or even a spider. So without further ado, here are 6 of my favorite bookish animals!
Bone Goat
From The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
There are so many reasons to read and love The Bone Houses: You get to meet Ryn, our axe-wielding, fiercely protective grave digger, and Ellis, my favorite map-maker soft boi. There’s, of course, the spooky atmosphere and zombies. You also get to meet Bone Goat, the best goat you’ll ever meet EVER. Bone Goat is loyal to the very end—even after death—and adds so many moments of heart and hilarity to the story. We are NOTHING without Bone Goat.
Chainsaw
From The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
We love our Aglionby hot messes. But arguably one of the best parts of The Raven Boys is Ronan’s relationship with Chainsaw, his pet raven. Like, first of all, Ronan names his pet raven CHAINSAW. WTF RONAN. We also get to see Ronan’s soft side through Chainsaw, like when he hides her in his bag at school (because baby ravens need to be fed every 2-3 hours, OBVIOUSLY GANSEY). Chainsaw brings out the best in Ronan. Forever obsessed.
The Red Crane
From The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
In the opening pages of The Astonishing Color of After, we learn that Leigh’s mother has turned into a red crane after she dies by suicide. The crane sends Leigh on a journey halfway across the world to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents and find answers to the questions her mother left behind. When I first read this book, my heart ached for Leigh as the crane guided her through her grieving process. The crane is such a beautiful character, and I still think about its literal and metaphorical meaning in the story.
Goliath
From The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
None of the other characters from The Gilded Wolves can stand Goliath, except for Tristan of course. And normally I’d be on their side. But this is the only time I’ll ever admit to liking a spider. Like most sane human beings, the thought of giant spiders keeps me awake at night and makes me question my desire to visit Australia. But Tristan loves Goliath so much that I can’t help but love Goliath similarly…but from a distance. Far, far away.
Ember
From Eva Evergreen by Julie Abe
Hello, I’m Natali, and welcome to another episode of “I’M CHEATING WITH THIS ANSWER.” Technically this book is middle grade, BUT I love Eva and Ember so much I can’t help myself! Eva has an immediate connection to Ember, an adorable flameless flamefox, when she meets him on a train to the coastal town of Auteri. Ember has his quirks, and taking care of a flamefox puppy turns out to be harder than it seems. But Ember is always there for Eva, just as Eva will always protect and look out for Ember <3. ADORABLE.
The Turkeys
From Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
If you know, you know. Alex Claremont-Diaz, a chaos demon from Red, White & Royal Blue who should never change, and author Casey McQuiston have blessed us with the most perfect scene in the history of romance books. I’ve cheated again, because this one’s actually adult romance. But the turkey scene is just so gosh darn hilarious.