Book BFF: Bella Swan

Book BFF was created by Larks Andrea, Paula, and Jen to showcase some of our favorite ladies & was originally inspired by Book Boyfriend. We'd love it if you'd join us featuring your favorite Book BFFs and leaving links so we can check out your posts. We will be alternating between Book Boyfriends and Book BFFs on Thursdays. 

Isabella Swan from The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer 

 Nickname: Bella 

Appearance: 

* Chocolate brown eyes, matching straight hair

* Pale complexion

* Heart-shaped face

Stephenie Meyer said she deliberately kept details about Bella’s appearance in Twilight to a minimum so that readers might connect better with her, but she subsequently revealed a more detailed description on her website that contained the following: 

 * Large, wide spaced eyes 

* Prominent cheekbones 

* Thin nose 

* Narrow jaw with a pointy chin 

* Lips a little too full for her face 

* 5'4” 

* Slender frame 

* Bitten fingernails

 Facts about Bella: 

* Bella has a serious problem with co-ordination; she falls down a lot more than a normal clumsy person. 

* Bella is a dreadful liar. 

* Feels dreadfully faint and nauseated at the smell of blood as a human

* Good at Biology

* Very self-controlled

* Good cook

* Loves reading

* Especially conscientious with homework

* Not really bothered with clothes, fashion or her appearance

* Not a particular fan of TV or music, but has a few favourites

* Willing to sacrifice herself for those she loves, perhaps to the point of idiocy! 

* Able to shield herself from the powers of gifted vampires, even as a human 

 Quotes: 

 * I don’t like to lie – so there’d better be a good reason why I’m doing it. Bella Swan, Twilight, p.65 

 * I knew at any moment it could be too much, and my life could end — so quickly that I might not even notice. And I couldn't make myself be afraid. I couldn't think of anything, except that he was touching me. Bella Swan, Twilight, p.276 

 * If he’d asked me whether I would risk my soul for Edward, the reply would be obvious. But would I risk Edward’s soul? I pursed my lips unhappily. That wasn't a fair exchange. Bella Swan, New Moon, p.38 

 * I was like a lost moon — my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolation — that continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity. Bella Swan, New Moon, p.201

* One thing I truly knew — knew it in the pit of my stomach, in the center of my bones, knew it from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, knew it deep in my empty chest — was how love gave someone the power to break you. Bella Swan, New Moon, p.219 

 * What if you sincerely believed something was true, but you were dead wrong? What if you were so stubbornly sure that you were right, that you wouldn't even consider the truth? Would the truth be silenced, or would it try to break through? Bella Swan, New Moon, p.527 

 Why she’s my Book BFF: 

 I think Bella has had a rough time really; both in terms of the events of the Twilight Saga, and also from some readers. There are a lot of people out there willing to call this character names because they disagree with her life choices. But here’s the thing; I agree with her, to a certain extent. I connected with Bella because I felt like she was just like me... not especially sure of herself, kind of isolated, inclined to give herself a hard time, picks up bruises easily and pretty good at Biology. I also love how she came to really find herself and stand up for what she believed in through the Twilight Saga. Even if you wouldn't agree with her choices, she showed commitment. Sometimes I do think she is a little selfish, particularly in how she treated Jacob, but I could understand her as she felt so miserable and he was such a comfort when nothing else helped. She gave up everything for love, and that is a sentiment I can admire. She would walk through fire for those she loves, and loyalty is a trait I really value in a BFF.