Tuesday 24 January 2017

Top Ten Tuesday (4) - Favourite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Follow the link to know more about the meme and join up! 
This week the topic is, well, a freebie. You can find their post here
After the women's marches that happened all over the world on Saturday, I decided to go for my favourite heroines. I'm sure that has been done in the past, but I haven't made such a post yet, and I do have a few favourite heroines, I'd like to talk about. Not sure if 10, but definitely more than one.
Look at this gallery showing women's marches around the world on the website of The Guardian. And here an article on the New York Times.
Let's start with my favourite heroines.
  1. Elizabeth Bennet: Definitely my favourite. A bit of a cliché, but oh well. I've loved Pride and Prejudice for a very long time and read it more than twenty-five times in the last twenty years. I also appreciate Emma Woodhouse (Emma) and mostly I adore Anne Elliot from Persuasion, but no other heroine quite has the wit Elizabeth has.
  2. Lisbeth Salander: I've not actually managed to finish the Millenium trilogy. The abuse Lisbeth suffers is almost too much in places. But she kicks ass. And she's a great female character, so I decided to put her onto this list.
  3. Kay Scarpetta: I've just recently started to read the Kay Scarpetta novels again. They're written by Patricia Cornwell and they're about a chief medical examiner in Virginia. Great novels. Great series. But be warned, the first one is from the mid 80's and computers and DNA are a fairly foreign thing to the cast at first. 
  4. Marquise de Merteuil: Cruel Intentions, Dangerous Liaisons, Les Liaisons Dangereuses... whether played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Glenn Close or Annette Bening, I love this character. Originally the book is by Choderlos de Laclos and it's an epistolary novel (a novel told in a series of letters).
  5. Natasha Rostova: War and Peace. I was first introduced to this character by Audrey Hepburn's performance. Wonderful film. And such a tragic character. The book is very long, but not very difficult to read.
  6. Jane Eyre: One of my favourite books when I was a teenager. I loved Jane Eyre and read the book several times.
  7. Luna Lovegood: I had to include at least one Harry Potter character and whilst I love Hermione I always had a soft spot for Luna.
  8. Claire Beauchamp: Claire. I love Claire. She's almost as witty as Elizabeth Bennet and has a lot of sarcasm on offer. She's the main character in the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon. Wonderful series.
I hope everyone is having a good week. Let me know about your posts in the comments and I'll make sure to drop by!

12 comments:

  1. Great topic! Love Elizabeth Bennet and Lisbeth Salander has me interested as I've wanted to read those books but never have.

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    1. Salander is a very tough and tragic character, I honestly didn't manage to read book 3 of the trilogy, because it was too much.

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  2. This is a fantastic post Olivia. I love your list.

    Elizabeth Bennet is an awesome pick for the list - she makes no apologies for who she is and is brave, witty and snarky - all things I adore in my heroines.

    I haven't managed to pick up the Millennium trilogy yet but I've heard such amazing things.

    I also love Luna and think she's a great pick too.

    Right now I'm in the middle of reading Outlander (it's an ongoing read of mine!) and I'm enjoying Claire and can see why she'd be a favourite pick.

    Again, really fantastic list!

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    1. Thank you :) I love Elizabeth! And the Millenium trilogy is amazing, BUT it's very hard to read, lots of rape and abuse. I couldn't read the third book.

      Oh, where are you at with Outlander? I think I read the first 6 books, then there was quite a wait for book 7 and I ended up having too much of a gap and think I should re-start. I really loved the first 6 books!

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    2. So far I'm only about 40% through the first book. It's not long after Jaime and Claire got married. :) I am really enjoying it but because it's not the sort of book I'd usually review for my blog (although I probably will) and it's not on any reading challenge list right now it's just been sitting in the background and I'll try to read a chapter here and there to keep me going. It's terrible really - I need to finish it so I can move on!

      I have got the first book in Millennium... I should try it! I just don't know WHEN I am going to be able to get to it!!!

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  3. I love Luna! Such a great character :)
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/top-ten-tuesday-93/

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  4. Great choice of topic, Olivia! And I *love* the incredible variety you have in your picks! From Marquise de Merteuil to Luna Lovegood. :) I so agree with Lisbeth Salander. Parts of that trilogy were difficult to read but she was such an amazing, unique, kick-ass character. And Claire has long been a favorite. She's definitely no shrinking violet! The woman is always determined to speak her mind - even when it gets her into trouble. :)

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

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    1. I still haven't read the third book. I just couldn't cope with the abuse, but I still loved her a lot!

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  5. I love Lizzy too. And Luna is pretty great!

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  6. Great Post! I love Luna Lovegood too! and Hermione! Most my heroines are from urban fantasies or Sci-fi like Penryn and the end of days, Cinder from Lunar Chronicles. My Favorite so far Lada from And I Darken! LOVE HER

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    1. Checking out all the ones you've mentioned and adding them to Goodreads! I know Cinder. Loved that series!

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