This week’s Broke and the Bookish Top Ten Tuesday post is devoted to the best characters to bring to life in costume for Halloween.

I love creating costumes from my own closet and being inspired by characters from books and movies. This list is devoted to the literary characters I’d love to bring to life for Halloween!

1. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones by  George R.R. Martin

This is a costume I’ve actually completed, two years ago. But I still have it in case I want to break it out again in the future. Daenerys is my favorite character in the series (both book and TV) so it was a lot of fun to create a costume around her. I crimped and braided my hair and wore very natural looking makeup. I found the dragon at a local toy store and then attached it to my sleeve. The “egg” is a Nerf football that I spray painted bronze. I had the belt and the shoes, but I did purchase the long blue dress for the occasion; this was before they had specific Daenerys costumes out, so I had to hunt for something that came close. But I think this turned out well and the people who knew who I was were really impressed.

2. Alanna of Trebond from the Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce

This is the cover I grew up with for Pierce’s series and the other covers aren’t as attractive in my opinion. But this would be such an easy costume! Red leggings, yellow, tunic, puffy shirt, a wig, and boots. So simple! I’ve always wanted to do this for a Halloween costume, so maybe next year?

3. A Hogwarts Student from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I realize this is probably the most obvious costume choice. But it is also the perfect way to reuse your graduation robes from college. To make it more unique, try coming up with your own character. Give yourself a wizard or witch’s name and talk about your classes or the latest Quidditch match.

4. Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Why go as a simple flapper when you could be Daisy Buchanan? Or better yet get a group together to go as the whole gang: Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Jordan Baker.

5. Ms. Havisham from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

 

Go to Goodwill, find a wedding dress from the 1980’s (they’re going to be the closest to Victorian with the puffy sleeves and the beading), and carry around a slice of cake all night. Presto! You’re a deranged literary figure. This could be a costume to have a lot of fun with.

6. Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The really nice thing about this costume is that it’s warm. If you live somewhere with colder climates during this time of year a long sleeved dress or sweater and skirt combo could be a great idea.

7. Offred from The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Along the same lines of number six, being Offred would be warm for a night ought and would offer the same level of societal critique. Costumes six and seven have specific potential for feminist critique given the current issues on voters’ ballots this year.

8. Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Whether you’re male or female this would be a great costume, especially because Halloween is such a candy-centric holiday. This would also be easy to go to a thrift shop or a Goodwill to put together. The trickiest part would be the top hat, but after that almost anything goes!

9.  Lucky Rainbow from A Troll Tale: Lucky Rainbow by Jane Jerrard

Did anyone else have this book as a kid? I did and I read it so many times, I’m sure my Mom was sick of it! It’s a darling story about a troll child who gets teased for having multi-colored hair, but helps discover a crystal cave filled with rainbows so the other kids learn to appreciate Rainbow’s beauty. Maybe I’m not selling this well enough, but I loved this book as a kid! This would be such a cool and simple costume! If anyone knew who I was I would befriend them on the spot!

10. Peter Pan from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

My Mom went as Peter Pan when I was a baby and I went as Tinkerbell. She kept the costume and I went as Pan in high school. It’s a really simple costume: an XL men’s green shirt cut at the collar, sleeves, and hem to look a bit tattered. Add green tights, a pair of boots, and a felt cap to complete the look. I also belted the shirt to add a touch of the feminine to my look, but it really depends on what you’re going for. If I were ever in a jam and needed a last minute costume, this could all be accomplished with a quick trip to Walmart.

So there are my literary inspired costumes. What do you think? But more importantly, who are you going to be for Halloween?

Thanks for popping in!

*All book photos unless otherwise specified were respectfully borrowed from Goodreads*