Hello everyone,
It is about time I returned to my A-Z posts, and today I have a rather sizeable one. Lots of things begin with ‘L’!
So from books and their authors, characters and their settings, let us look back at some of the things I have read about that start with ‘L’.
L’Eden
The hotel in Paris which is owned by Severin Montagnet-Alarie in the Gilded Wolves trilogy by Roshani Chokshi. He and his friends use it as a base to plan their next acquisitions.
Laddie
A young man in The Confessions Of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins who was taken away from his slave mother when he was a young child and given as a pageboy. He now secretly plots against Frannie’s master, George Benham.
Lady Hualing
An exiled immortal in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. She captures Xingyin and Prince Liwei, leading to one of the tensest battle scenes I have ever read!
Laila
One of the main characters in the Gilded Wolves trilogy. Famed for her baking skills and her appearance as the dancer L’Enigme, her life force is slowly draining away and her friends grow desperate to save her.
Lale
The title character in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. A real person, Lale’s harrowing job at the concentration camp was to ink numbers on to his fellow prisoners.
Laodamia
One of the many Greek women affected by the Trojan War, as depicted by Natalie Haynes in A Thousand Ships. After her husband dies in the war, she finds she cannot live with the grief and so takes her own life.
Lara
One of the students at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs in Amari & The Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. Lara is a bit of a bully towards Amari and so not such a likeable character…
Larkspur
A character in These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, who is silently pulling all the strings in Shanghai and is responsible for the spread of ‘The Madness’, a contagion which causes people to tear out their own throats. Rival gang heirs Juliette and Roma investigate, and it turns out the identity of the Larkspur is hidden in plain sight.
Last Time I Lied
The first, and so far, only book I have read so far by Riley Sager. That will certainly not be the case forever, as I really enjoyed this one. It tells the story of three teenagers who went missing at a summer camp, and history being in danger of repeating itself.
Latin Society
A group of students and tutors at Wellsworth boarding school in The Mystery Of Black Hollow Lane series by Julia Nobel. It is a mysterious group and despite being asked to attend, Emmy – the main character – is never made to feel welcome.
Laura
The main narrator in Bone By Bone by Sanjida Kay, whose daughter Autumn is being bullied by an older boy called Levi. Her helplessness is really brought out in the writing as her life comes crashing down due to an orchestrated campaign against her and Autumn.
Laura Marshall
The author of Friend Request. I read this thriller back in 2018, soon after I started book blogging. What drew me to the book most was the title, I guess. Overall it was good, but I did not love it.
Laura Purcell
My favourite author of spooky books! Laura Purcell writes dark and Gothic fiction, mainly set in the Victorian era. Her best novels are probably The Silent Companions (super creepy!!) and The Corset. She has also written short stories and a series on Georgian queens.
Laurel
The main narrator in Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. Her daughter Ellie is kidnapped and years later she meets and falls in love with a man who has a daughter that looks exactly like Ellie.
Lauren Gibbons
The main character in We Watch You by fellow book blogger NS Ford. A bit of a misfit, Lauren tries to play detective when a young woman goes missing, and she believes her two best friends are responsible for her wanting to run away.
Layla
A nurse who advises parents Pip and Max about treatment for their son Dylan, who suffers from incurable cancer. This is in After The End by Clare Mackintosh.
Leah Johnson
The author of You Should See Me In A Crown, a fluffy sapphic young adult romance that I read in late 2020. I really enjoyed it, too! That makes me wonder even more how I still have not read her follow-up, Rise To The Sun.
Lean Cullinan
Author of The Living, which I read in 2018. This thriller was a bit of an underrated gem that I borrowed from the library because I liked the blurb, and it ended up being a very well written and gripping story.
Leigh Bardugo
An author who needs very little introduction. There are not many more popular young adult authors than Leigh Bardugo, who has created the wonderful, in-depth world of the Grishaverse – the Shadow And Bone series and the Six Of Crows duology and several associated spin-offs. A fantastic author whose world-building and character development are truly standout.
Lenni
A terminally ill teenager in a Glasgow hospital, and one of the two main characters in The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot by Marianne Cronin. A very thoughtful and witty character, the sense of life she has is one of the main emotional driving forces of the story.
Leo Martin
In The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, Montverre is a mysterious academic institution and Leo was one of its greatest ever scholars. After his political career breaks down, he is forced to return, allowing memories of a tragic accident years earlier to resurface.
Leonie
A memorable character in The Woman In The Photograph by Stephanie Butland. A prominent feminist and columnist, Leonie is influential and outspoken, leaving a great impression on the main character, Veronica. They move in together, but also have many fallings out which create a stormy on-off relationship.
Lesley Kara
The author of slow-burning thrillers set in the fictional coastal town of Flinstead. Her debut The Rumour was highly popular and was a pretty good read. More recently I read Who Did You Tell? in 2022.
Let Me Lie
The third thriller by Clare Mackintosh, which I read in 2018. I enjoyed it, but do not remember too much about it, apart from that it involves a retired police officer helping a woman uncover the truth of her parents’ deaths.
Levi
Along with the aforementioned character in Bone By Bone, Levi is also the name of an antagonist in A History Of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw. He is like a cult leader, striking fear into his rural community and banning them from straying into the outside world.
Lewis Carroll
Real name Charles Dodgson, this is the author of the delightfully bizarre – and classic – Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and its sequel Through The Looking Glass. I read these books in early 2019 and found them a lot of fun and full of wit.
Lia
The adorably smart and badass daughter of Sara in The Devil And The Dark Water by Stuart Turton. Together with Arent Hayes, they investigate a series of alarming events on the Saardam, under the spectre of Old Tom.
Libby
I have read about three characters called Libby. One of them is Avery’s sister in the Inheritance Games trilogy. Another is the wonderfully likeable, headstrong protagonist of The Passengers by John Marrs. And finally there is the young woman who inherits a large house and a considerable fortune in The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.
Lies Like Wildfire
A young adult thriller which I read for a blog tour back in 2021. Written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, it was an unexpected gem which I really enjoyed, full of tension and twists and complexity.
The Lies We Told
Another book full of twists, this is my favourite out of the three thrillers I have read by Camilla Way. It was an intense story with some fascinating characters and memorable moments.
Lily
A lonely teenage girl who strikes up a friendship with an older Odile in The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. Odile becomes a mentor to her, but Lily is very curious about her past.
Lindsay
A young woman from the past who records a video diary in A Different Time by Michael K. Hill. Years later, Keith finds some video cassettes and they are able to communicate through time – they inevitably fall in love.
Linus Baker
A welfare inspector from the Department in Charge of Magical Youth in The House In The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. The main character, he goes to stay in Arthur Parnassus’ orphanage, and there his perspective of the world changes dramatically.
Mrs Linux
The Benham’s housekeeper in The Confessions Of Frannie Langton. She takes an immediate dislike to Frannie, and is even more resentful when Lady Benham takes Frannie as her nurse maid.
The Lion Tamer Who Lost
An extremely powerful book by Louise Beech, which I read in 2020. It tells the story of two men who fall in love, only for their relationship to be derailed by a shocking, coincidental revelation.
Lisa
Starr Carter’s mother in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. She appears as a teenager in the prequel Concrete Rose, which focuses on her relationship with Maverick.
Lisa Jewell
One of the leading domestic mystery/thriller authors around and one of my favourite authors! Lisa Jewell has written so many books, but her popularity shows no sign of abating. With stories that are well developed both in terms of characters and plot, her most well known books include Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, and None Of This Is True.
Little Kilton
The small Buckinghamshire town where A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder is set. For a small place, a lot seems to happen there, with the notable murder of Andie Bell and the legacy of the Duct Tape Killer among others.
Little Palace
The seat of the King and Queen of Ravka in the Shadow And Bone series. After learning of her powers, Alina Starkov is sent there to study the Small Science.
Liverpool
A city in the North West of England where two books I have read were set – namely Don’t Turn Around by Amanda Brooke and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. Liverpool is also I place I have visited many times :)
Liwei
The crown prince of the Celestial Kingdom in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess. With a kinder heart than his parents, the Emperor and Empress, he takes Xingyin as his fellow scholar and they become inseparable over years together in the Immortal Realm.
Liz Lighty
The main character and narrator in You Should See Me In A Crown. An introverted person, she falls in love with another girl at her high school and decides to compete to be the homecoming queen.
Lizzie
The maid in The Dictionary Of Lost Words by Pip Williams. Lizzie cares for Esme and helps her compile her own dictionary for the words that are deemed unsuitable by the lexicographers. Lizzie memorably calls Esme ‘Essymay’.
Lola
Lola Nox is the main character in Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis, a young adult horror where she goes to stay with her grandma in the eerie titular town. Lola is also the name of Emmy’s best friend in The Mystery Of Black Hollow Lane.
London
So many books are set in London!
Long Dragon
The leader of the dragons in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess. After Xingyin frees them, they devote themselves to her and impart their telepathic wisdom.
Lorelei
The main character in The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. A lifelong hoarder, Lorelei lives in the moment and is rather chaotic and sentimental, but she is pretty complex too.
Lorna Clay
A professor at the university Jess attends in The Truants by Kate Weinberg. Finding her charismatic and admiring her work, Jess builds a strong rapport with Lorna, who is a walking mystery in herself and has some deeply buried secrets.
The Lost Apothecary
The debut novel by Sarah Penner, set in – you guessed it – London. I read this in 2021 and really liked it, although the book does split opinion. There is no disputing that the cover is gorgeous, however! Set over two timelines centuries apart, it has some neat little plot twists.
The Lost Ones
A wonderful historical fiction by Anita Frank, which I also read in 2021. Beautifully written, it is quite a thrilling story full of mystery and some very engaging characters. One of my best reads of that particular year.
Louis Frost
A fictional pre-Raphaelite artist who Iris falls in love with in The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal. Well drawn and full of energy that leaps from the page, Louis also uses Iris as his muse.
Louise
The main character in Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. She meets and strikes up a chemistry with a married man called David on a night out. She then becomes friends with his wife Adele, with unexpected results.
Louise Beech
I have read six books by Louise Beech and although they can sometimes be hit and miss, I can quite honestly say that her writing has made me feel things that no other author has – in particular in her debut, How To Be Brave. She is notable for her versatility, writing books that encompass several genres, as well as her unique concepts.
Louise Pinecroft
A character in Bone China by Laura Purcell. When Hester Why arrives to become her maid, she finds Louise virtually mute and spending her days staring at a bone china set in her study. It turns out she is living in fear, believing that evil spirits have been following her family forever.
Lourens
An elusive scientist who works for the White Flowers in These Violent Delights. It is in his lab where he formulates a vaccine for the Madness. Although he is not the most renowned character in the series, I have always been intrigued by Lourens.
Lucien
Anyone who has read The Binding by Bridget Collins would never have expected the direction in which it goes, and the character of Lucien epitomises that. He is the second narrator and is exceptionally well written, too.
Lucifer
Lucy for short, Lucifer is essentially the devil. In The House In The Cerulean Sea, Lucy is the youngest of the children under the care of Arthur Parnassus, but definitely also the most adorable.
Luck Of The Titanic
A moving book by Stacey Lee which I read in late 2021. It tells the story of two Chinese siblings – raised in the UK – who board the Titanic, hoping to earn a living in the United States as acrobats. Of course, tragedy then strikes.
Lucy
Another of the main characters in The Family Upstairs. Lucy grew up in shocking conditions at the house in Cheyne Walk and now, after leaving her abusive husband, is living in poverty in France alongside her two children.
Lucy Atkins
The author of several thrillers with cool premises, I have read three books by Lucy Atkins and enjoyed all of them – most recently Magpie Lane. Lucy also kindly did a Q&A for my blog and I got to meet her in person in 2023.
Lucy Foley
A popular thriller author, whose 2020 book The Guest List was absolutely everywhere at the time. I read it in the summer of that year and although it was not quite worth all of the hype, it was still fairly good.
Luke
A character in Lies Like Wildfire, whose own stupidity starts the fire that begins all the crazy things that end up happening in the book. He was probably the least likeable character in it, overall.
Lying Game
Ruth Ware’s book The Lying Game is based around a game where four friends would tell other people outrageous lies and try to convince them that they were true. A nice concept, but the book as a whole was dull.
Let’s Chat
Have you come across any of these books, settings, authors, or characters? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
Stephen Reads Books 