Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For the rules see her blog.

The topic this week is a throwback freebie and I’ve chosen to have another go at Books with Character Names In the Titles, which I first did in February 2022.

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville, the fictionalised life story of Kate Grenville’s maternal grandmother, Sarah Catherine Maunder, known as Dolly.

Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench, Brendan O’Hea. This book is a wonderful run through the plays told from Judi’s perspective and, of course, her life, giving her insight not only into the characters but also into the world of the theatre.

Nero by Conn Iggulden. This is the story of Nero’s birth and early years up to his 10th year. But it’s more about his mother, Agrippina than about him. She was ruthless, scheming and ambitious for her son, allowing no one to stand in her way.

Hamlet, Revenge! by Michael Innes, the second Inspector John Appleby book in which he investigates the murder of Lord Auldearn, Lord Chancellor of England whilst on stage during an amateur production of Hamlet at Scamnum Court.

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby, a fictionalised account of Jane Austen as seen through the eyes of her sister, Cassandra.

David Copperfield by Chalers Dickens, said to be his most autobiographical novel. There’s drama, comedy and tragedy, melodrama and pathos as the story follows David’s life from his birth to his adulthood.

Cécile is Dead by Georges Simenon, one of the best Maigret books I’ve read – and it is complicated, remarkably so in a novella of just 151 pages.

The Second Sight of Zachery Cloudesley by Sean Lusk,  a mixture of historical fact and fantasy set in the 18th century, in London and in Constantinople.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, set in three parts, with just the third part set in Australia, not in Alice Springs but in Willstown, a fictional town in the outback. Narrated by Noel Strachan, a solicitor, this is the story of Jean Paget. Jean has great strength of character, determination and entrepreneurial skills. 

Mrs March by Virginia Feito, a remarkable character study, taking the reader right inside Mrs March’s head as she descends into paranoia and madness.The whole book is seen solely from her perspective, which makes it the most uncomfortable experience – but that is down to the brilliance of Feito’s writing.