My 10 Best Fiction Friends

Among the many bloggers I try to read on a daily basis, I ran across this interesting idea.  Who would be your 10 best fiction friends?  I read a lot, so this should have been easy, right?  Well, it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.  For example, I love Jane Austen's books, but of all the characters in them, who would I actually like to have a friend?  (Hint: see #1)  The same goes for all the other fiction I read.  Some of it is crazy contemporary romance or chick lit (as an escape).  Some of it is sci-fi where the story and setting is much more interesting than the characters.  After a lot of digging and recalling specifics, I think I've picked my ten.  And so I present my 10 Best Fiction Friends:

1. Anne Elliot from Persuasion -- very down-to-earth and practical; plus who wouldn't want to be friends with Captain Wentworth (WENTWORTH!)
2. Sarah Walker from Married with Zombies -- always good to have a zombie killer for a friend
3. Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby -- need a rich friend who can throw a good party; I'll even take the disillusioned youth thing
4. Arthur Dent from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams created a great down-to-earth likable character thrown into a crazy situation
5. Ford Prefect from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- loving the crazy alien
6. Jo March from Little Women -- another down-to-earth character who I am sure has great conversations; extra plus, she's a teacher in the sequel
7. Edna from The Awakening -- every time I read the book, I want to help Edna find another way to deal with life; I want to be the friend she couldn't find in her world
8. Alice from Alice in Wonderland -- sometimes I feel as lost in Wonderland as Alice; I think we'd get along great and maybe we can help each other navigate the craziness of the world
9. Claire Randall from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series -- a fiery independent time traveling woman?  I am so there with her
10. Pooh from Winnie-The-Pooh -- who can't just love the cuddly bear stuffed with fluff?   I know I can't.  My personality may be more like Eeyore, but I love the caring nature of Pooh.
11. (I know I put an 11, but I just had to) Hermione from Harry Potter series -- we are a lot alike; I want to be her, incredibly smart and practical and caring; plus she ends up with Ron and he's a huge laugh (third favorite character in the series, second is Luna Lovegood)

Who are your 10?  I would love to hear about them.