10 things to adore about Sherlock Holmes

as part of the tour hosted by The {Teen} Book Scene, i had a chance to talk to the author, Ryan Jacobson, about why he adores Sherlock Holmes. 

in related news, i found out more about the author. turns out he's pretty rad AND he likes Batman. i know, you guys. i know. 

so i asked Ryan to please share the top ten things he adores about the world's most famous detective. here's what he had to say!

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It’s great to be here, visiting a fellow Minnesotan’s blog, but Lisa asked me a really tough question: what are 10 things I adore about Sherlock Holmes? Hmm, this could take a while, so let me jump right in:

10. He’s always right. Yep, Sherlock Holmes is like me in this way—at least, that’s what I keep telling my wife. No matter where he goes, he’s always the smartest person in the room. This makes his investigations all the more exciting. We readers know that if Sherlock hasn’t figured it out yet, then it must be quite the puzzle.

9. He’s kind of a jerk. Well, yes, okay, he’s a bit like me in this way too. In his (our!) defense, he doesn’t mean to be a jerk. It’s just that he has more important things to do than worry about whether he’s hurting someone else’s feelings. He says what he’s thinking, tells it like it is, and then moves on with his day. I love it!

8. His hat. It’s called a deerstalker—I’ve also heard it referred to as a hunter’s cap—and Sherlock Holmes totally rocks it. I’m putting one on my Christmas list. I’m pretty sure I’ll look ridiculous, but I intend to wear it with pride.

7. His name. Oh, yes, I have name jealousy. Really, I’m jealous of anyone with a cool name. “Ryan Jacobson” is pretty blah.

6. His timelessness. Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance well over a hundred years ago, and he’s still one of the most interesting and well known characters of today.

5. The movies and TV shows. When I started writing this adaptation, I also started watching old Sherlock Holmes movies and TV shows—and there are a lot of them! I’m still not finished, but I’m having a great time getting there.

4. Howdunit? With so many Sherlock Holmes mysteries, it’s not a question of who committed the crime. Rather, the mystery is determining how they did it. This is so much more interesting; Sir Doyle dreamed up some pretty amazing schemes.

3. LEGO Sherlock Holmes. Thanks to my five-year-old, I’m now addicted to LEGOs. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that the latest line of LEGO minifigures includes a Sherlock Holmes. Whoo-hoo! Now I just need to build a 221B Baker Street to go with it.

2. The BBC’s Sherlock. I already mentioned movies and TV shows, but this is in a class all its own. It’s not just the best Sherlock Holmes; it’s one of the best things I’ve ever watched, period. And Season Two is coming! (As a side note, I want to see Benedict Cumberbatch play Snape in a Harry Potter prequel. How awesome would that be?)

1. Sherlock-Holmes-inspired characters. Whether intentional or not, so many of literature’s great detectives are reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes: socially awkward geniuses with a knack for solving crimes. You’ll find a bit of Sherlock Holmes in everyone from Batman to Lisbeth Salander.

contest closed.

thanks again to Ryan for sharing his insight and adoration for the 2nd most awesome detective of all time (obviously Bruce Wayne is #1) and to The {Teen} Book Scene for hosting the tour.

in case you missed my review of the book, you can see it here.