Top Ten Tuesday: My top 10 favorite heroic women in fiction (plus a few extra… )

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is “Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books (or movies or TV)”. The term “heroines” suggests a certain amount of adventure and thrilling heroics, and we’ve got plenty of that here. These women (and girls) take the lead, take charge, and are just overall amazing.

1) Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Randall Fraser (Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon): Claire is the strongest, smartest woman around in any century. Fiercely loyal, dedicated to her friends and family, a gifted scientist, and a passionate lover, Claire’s got it all. Plus, who else do you know who makes home-made penicillin?

2) Mercy Thompson (The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs): Auto mechanic, martial arts master, magical shape-shifter, and just overall an incredibly brave woman. Definitely the person you’d want on your side when the big baddies come to call.

3) Lyra (His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman): Lyra is dedicated to her friends, loves adventure, is highly curious, and puts herself at risk even when she’s afraid, if there’s something important on the line.

4) Diana Bishop (All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness): Witch and historian, Diana is a perfect combination of brains and magic.

5) Cassie Sullivan (The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey): How do you keep going when everything you know is gone? Bravery, commitment to a promise, and a sheer determination to make things right or die trying.

6) Scout Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird): Okay, what’s not to love? Scout is a little Southern tomboy who learned her values from an amazing father. Scout stands up for the people she loves and doesn’t understand injustice. Love her.

7) Harry Crewe (The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley): Harry goes from sheltered daughter to a wielder of a magical sword and one hell of a horsewoman, among other achievements. She’s a perfect example of a fantasy fiction woman who most definitely is not a damsel in distress.

I want to use the rest of my list to give shout-outs to a few bunches of amazing women:

8) The women of Fables (by Bill WIllingham): I love just about everything about this graphic novel series, especially the amazing female characters such as Snow White, Rose Red, Cinderella, and Beauty, to name but a few. These are no Disney princesses. Really, if you haven’t read Fables, go get volume one immediately! You’ll be happy you did, I promise.

9) The Stark women (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin): Arya, Catelyn, even Sansa — all have been through enormous trauma, and manage to hold onto their courage even in the face of unbearable loss and misery.

10) The women of Harry Potter (the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling): Hermione is amazing, but so are Molly Weasley and Minerva McGonagall, not to mention Luna Lovegood, Lily Potter, Nymphadora Tonks, and so many more.

Okay, that’s 10 — but I do want to give three cheers to some of my favorite women on TV right now:

Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans)
Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)
Jane Villanueva (Jane the Virgin)
Zoe Hart (Hart of Dixie)
The women of Black Sails: Eleanor Guthrie, Anne Bonny, and Max. (Does Max have a last name? Couldn’t find it.)

Oh, and one more just because no list of powerful women is complete without the one and only Slayer, Buffy Summers:

Who are your favorite heroines? Please share your links!

(Note: All images scavenged from miscellaneous Pinterest boards…)

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

10Nov2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Characters Who Deserve Their Own Books

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is about characters we love so much that we’d love to see them star in their own books.

My top 10 are:

1) Young Ian (Ian Murray, Jr.) from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon: Ian doesn’t appear until book #3, Voyager, but he instantly makes every scene he’s in simply awesomesauce. Ian is funny and fierce, and one of the big delights of the series is watching Ian grow from gawky teen to… well, I won’t say (spoilers!), but he’s just the best, and I’d happily read a whole book from his point of view.

2) Sirius Black (Harry Potter): I’m not sure what else there is to say about Sirius, but his brief time in the series always broke my my heart, and he remains one of my favorite (and most tragic) book boyfriends.

3) Likewise from Harry Potter, I could never get enough of the Weasley twins or older brothers Bill and Charlie. So how about a story about the Weasley brothers (well, those who remain) after the battle for Hogwarts?

4) Bran Cornick (Mercy Thompson series): Bran is the Marrock, the most powerful werewolf in North America, and I find him to be one of the most fascinating characters in the Mercy-verse. He’s always off to the side, pulling strings, and even though we see much more of him in the Alpha & Omega books, an entire novel centered on Bran would make me very happy indeed.

5) Thomas Raith (Dresden Files): Harry Dresden’s vampire half-brother Thomas brightens up every scene he’s in, and usually my only complaint after finishing a Dresden book is “not enough Thomas”. So let’s get Thomas his own book (Backup, at 70 pages, doesn’t really count) — or better yet, his own series of books.

6) Finnick Odair (The Hunger Games): Okay, I’m not entirely sure I’d want to read a whole book about Finnick — but I do want more of Finnick and Annie’s story than we got in the Hunger Games books.

7) Kate and Elliot (50 Shades): Yes, I read the books! (hiding under rock…) While I thought the books were mostly ridiculous, I did actually like the characters of Kate and Elliot and wouldn’t have minded seeing more of them. As people. Not more of them as in without clothes. Oh, you know what I mean.

8) Aragorn (LOTR): I have a hard time separating book Aragorn from movie Aragorn… but all Aragorn is good Aragorn, right? I’d happily read nothing but Aragorn stories for a week or two. He’s my king!

9) Reagan (Fangirl): I love Cath’s prickly roommate and would love to hear more about her life.

10) Gallowglass, Ysabeau, Philippe, Hamish… and more (All Soul’s Trilogy): One of the things that makes this trilogy so phenomenal is how deeply developed all of the supporting cast is. I’d feel like there’s so much more to know about the rest of the characters, and really hope that Deborah Harkness decides to revisit this world in future novels.

What characters would you like to see taking the lead in their own books?

Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

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21Jul2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Characters I’d Want With Me On A Deserted Island

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Characters I’d Want With Me On A Deserted Island… which is going to end up being remarkably similar to a list I did back in April on the Top Ten Characters With Essential Survival Skills. Most of my original picks hold true, but I’ll make a few substitutions just for the sake of switching things up.

Who would I want by my side on a deserted island? Read on.

Kicking things off are my beloved folks from the world of Outlander:

1) Claire Fraser (Outlander series): You’ve got to hand it to Claire. She manages the transition from 20th century to 18th century without missing a beat, and adapts her modern-day physician skills to become a healer woman in her new home. Medicinal herbs, home-brewed penicillin, hand-made ether for surgical anesthesia — Claire can do it all!

2) Brianna Randall MacKenzie (Outlander series): Just as inventive as her mother Claire, although with a different focus. Bree is an excellent shot, can hunt for dinner any day of the week, and in her spare time figures out how to create a kiln and make water pipes from clay.

3) Jamie Fraser (Outlander series): Okay, mostly for the eye-candy value (I mean, really, what IS there to look at on a deserted island?), but also for all-around protection (the man is a warrior), as well as other types of stimulation. (Intellectual! Get your minds out of the gutter! The man is an expert chess player, knows a bazillion languages, and can declaim poetry. We’ll need entertainment on our deserted island!)

But since there’s more to life than Outlander (wait, what??), I’d also want:

4) Darla Edmunds (Ashfall series): Darla, a super-talented teen, is the key to survival for her entire community. She invents Bikezilla (a hybrid bicycle/snowmobile that can be used to haul just about anything), bike-powered corn mills, wind-powered turbines, and central heating. When there’s no electricity and everyone is on the verge of starvation, Darla figures out how to feed, house, and warm hundreds of people at a time.

5) Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire): Boredom will not be a problem, so long as I can chat with Tyrion.

6) Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games): In case we need to go a-hunting with bows and arrows.

7) Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files): Not only is Harry the only professional wizard in Chicago, he’s a man with the ability to face down any foe, human or otherwise, cast enchantments and spells, and even come back from the dead. So just in case there are some evil spirits flitting around the island, I’ll need Harry to set up some wards, or figure out how to do a reverse locator spell, or some such essential magical working.

8) Emilio Sandoz (The Sparrow): Emilio is smart, honorable, funny, and dedicated. He’s a masterful linguist who seems to learn new languages in the blink of an eye — so just in case the island is not as deserted as it seems, Emilio can converse with the locals.

9) Pi Patel (Life of Pi): In case we do manage to build a boat, Pi’s the guy for staying alive while drifting at sea… especially if a tiger decides to hitch a ride.

10) Henry DeTamble (The Time Traveler’s Wife): First of all, I think Henry’s just a fascinating guy, so it would be great to have him for company just for the sake of hearing stories about his life. Plus, he’s a time traveler! So I’d hope that on one of his time-hops, he’d managed to get word to someone reliable to come rescue me in 2014!

Which characters will be sharing your deserted islands? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

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