We hear a lot about sexism against females, and some people think this extends to books, which it probably does. A lot of books have no females in them, or only have weak female characters, like damsels in distress which are just there to be saved by males. But recently, there has been a lot of strong, resourceful new female book characters. Here are my favourite strong heroines- and two of them are from books written by male authors, so well done men for realising that females can be string too.
1) Kestrel Hath, from The Wind on Fire series by William Nicholson.
Most of you probably haven't read this series, but you should. Not only is it an incredible story, but it has this incredible character who for me has to be the number 1 heroine. She has everything you could ask for: strong, brave, relateable and loving (although she doesn't realise it). She also is admirably stubborn, strong willed, impulsive, has a fiery temper and a strong sense of what's right. She feels a relateable anger at being oppressed by society and is brave enough to rebel against it.
2) Avry of Kazan, from the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder.
Another book you probably haven't read but should. Avry is a healer who has been on the run for several years, because she lives in a world which is against healers. She is strong willed and capable of looking after herself and making her own decisions. Her strong will is particularly shown when she refuses to heal the prince she's being asked to heal for a long time, despite what the men who want her to heal him do. Being a healer gives her a strong sense of what's right and a nurturing, "motherly" instinct- she cares deeply for people and can't stand to see them hurt. However, although it goes against her nature, she still learns to fight, and turns out to be quite skilled at it.
3) Katniss Everdeen, from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
A more well known book now (most of you have probably read it), but still with an amazing heroine. Katniss is the very definition of mature and resourceful (I mean, she survived in poverty for several years AND managed to take care of her family!). She also appears to have a strong sense of what's right little tolerance of anything else, but instead of breaking her down, this leads her to take action and try to make a change. She is a woman of action. Although she does have a fiery temper, which she usually tries to control- but still flares up sometimes. And of course, she loves very strongly and fiercely- for example, she loves her sister enough to take her place in the games.
4) Eowyn, from The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
After "The Hobbit" had no woman in it at all, I didn't have much hope that "The Lord of the Rings" would. And although there are other woman in it, most of the main characters are male (the entire fellowship is male)- but Eowyn basically saves everything. She is not a perfect character- she is depressed and yearns for glory! But the fact that she has flaws, that she isn't one dimensional, make her even better and shows how woman are people too. In fact, she seems to embody women's rights- I can't help admire her for the way she goes off with the army disguised as a man... and then she fights as well as any man. This seems to say: "Women are underestimated and oppressed by
men/society. They need to be given a chance,
because they are people too and no less good than men!"
5) Beatrice Prior (Tris), from Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Another very strong female heroine from an amazing book series. Tris shares a lot of the qualities that most of the other characters share: strong willed, strong sense of what's right, etc. Although she is blunt and stubborn and in some ways her view of the world is simplistic, at the same time she has a lot of insight and sees the flaws in her world when most people don't. She represents people who don't fit in and find it hard to conform, which a lot of people need- and reassures us that maybe this is a good thing. She is strongly opposed to her restrictive society and an advocate for equality, and she cares so much about her cause and about her friends and peers that in the end (spoiler alert) she sacrifices herself for them, which shows just how "Selfless and brave" she is.
Thank you for reading and I hope you read some of these books if you haven't already. I'm sure you agree- strong female heroines like these 5 are amazing!
1) Kestrel Hath, from The Wind on Fire series by William Nicholson.
Most of you probably haven't read this series, but you should. Not only is it an incredible story, but it has this incredible character who for me has to be the number 1 heroine. She has everything you could ask for: strong, brave, relateable and loving (although she doesn't realise it). She also is admirably stubborn, strong willed, impulsive, has a fiery temper and a strong sense of what's right. She feels a relateable anger at being oppressed by society and is brave enough to rebel against it.
2) Avry of Kazan, from the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder.
Another book you probably haven't read but should. Avry is a healer who has been on the run for several years, because she lives in a world which is against healers. She is strong willed and capable of looking after herself and making her own decisions. Her strong will is particularly shown when she refuses to heal the prince she's being asked to heal for a long time, despite what the men who want her to heal him do. Being a healer gives her a strong sense of what's right and a nurturing, "motherly" instinct- she cares deeply for people and can't stand to see them hurt. However, although it goes against her nature, she still learns to fight, and turns out to be quite skilled at it.
3) Katniss Everdeen, from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
A more well known book now (most of you have probably read it), but still with an amazing heroine. Katniss is the very definition of mature and resourceful (I mean, she survived in poverty for several years AND managed to take care of her family!). She also appears to have a strong sense of what's right little tolerance of anything else, but instead of breaking her down, this leads her to take action and try to make a change. She is a woman of action. Although she does have a fiery temper, which she usually tries to control- but still flares up sometimes. And of course, she loves very strongly and fiercely- for example, she loves her sister enough to take her place in the games.
4) Eowyn, from The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
After "The Hobbit" had no woman in it at all, I didn't have much hope that "The Lord of the Rings" would. And although there are other woman in it, most of the main characters are male (the entire fellowship is male)- but Eowyn basically saves everything. She is not a perfect character- she is depressed and yearns for glory! But the fact that she has flaws, that she isn't one dimensional, make her even better and shows how woman are people too. In fact, she seems to embody women's rights- I can't help admire her for the way she goes off with the army disguised as a man... and then she fights as well as any man. This seems to say: "Women are underestimated and oppressed by
men/society. They need to be given a chance,
because they are people too and no less good than men!"
5) Beatrice Prior (Tris), from Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Another very strong female heroine from an amazing book series. Tris shares a lot of the qualities that most of the other characters share: strong willed, strong sense of what's right, etc. Although she is blunt and stubborn and in some ways her view of the world is simplistic, at the same time she has a lot of insight and sees the flaws in her world when most people don't. She represents people who don't fit in and find it hard to conform, which a lot of people need- and reassures us that maybe this is a good thing. She is strongly opposed to her restrictive society and an advocate for equality, and she cares so much about her cause and about her friends and peers that in the end (spoiler alert) she sacrifices herself for them, which shows just how "Selfless and brave" she is.
Thank you for reading and I hope you read some of these books if you haven't already. I'm sure you agree- strong female heroines like these 5 are amazing!
by Marla Majewski
Editor: Leah Furman
Macam Publishing
September 1, 2010
Hardcover
In a rut?
Feel like you have too many things to do, but none of it includes anything for you?
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Marla Majewski, founder of Inspire Empire Company, will provide practical tools to get you back to feeling like the girl you used to know before kids, marriage, and life took over.
Even if you have to change job and even your acquaintances, friends or lovers!!
Those past months cleansing my life did my physical, mental and spiritual health a power of good! THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ!
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The simple but irresistible premise of Alan Weisman's The World Without Us - what would happen to the planet if human beings simply disappeared - lit up imaginations even as it ignited controversy around the world.
Weisman's "thought experiment" examines what would happen in both the immediate and distant future to the land, the animals, the oceans, our cities, our art, and all manner of things we take for granted if we were no longer here. Would the seas again teem with fish? Would our concrete jungles crumble to make way for natural ones? How long, if ever, would it take for our collective footprint to fade away?
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12 year old Percy Jackson is just another normal kid...or so he thought. When he realizes he is the son of the Greek god Poseidon, the god of water, the battle really begins for his life, his friends, and the gods....
This is an AWESOME series. If you are a read-aholic (like me).....no further questions, this is the series for you. It's funny, thrilling, and so AMAZINGLY AWESOME I want to scream.
If you don't already know, they also just made the first book of this series (Percy Jackson & the Olypians: The Lightning Thief) into a movie. So check that out as well.
This is an AWESOME series. If you are a read-aholic (like me).....no further questions, this is the series for you. It's funny, thrilling, and so AMAZINGLY AWESOME I want to scream.
If you don't already know, they also just made the first book of this series (Percy Jackson & the Olypians: The Lightning Thief) into a movie. So check that out as well.
I am an upcoming Manga lover and these r the three books out of the 5 series i read that were the most interesting:::
1) Pet Shop Of Horrors ~ A mysterious pet shop owner named Count D owns a shop in Chinatown that sells "dreams" but if u don't fallow the rules, it might kill u...or worse.
2) The Dreaming ~ Two twin sisters go to a privite school with a past of girls going missing in the bushes around the school. So they decide to solve it.
3) Princess Ai ~ A princess ends up in Tokyo and becomes a star, and meets the love of her life. But will that stop her enemies from coming back to kill her?
These r three great series of Manga, I hope u read and enjoy.
1) Pet Shop Of Horrors ~ A mysterious pet shop owner named Count D owns a shop in Chinatown that sells "dreams" but if u don't fallow the rules, it might kill u...or worse.
2) The Dreaming ~ Two twin sisters go to a privite school with a past of girls going missing in the bushes around the school. So they decide to solve it.
3) Princess Ai ~ A princess ends up in Tokyo and becomes a star, and meets the love of her life. But will that stop her enemies from coming back to kill her?
These r three great series of Manga, I hope u read and enjoy.
Tantalize (Cynthia Leitich Smith) was an awsome book. I really enjoyed it. It had me guessing what was going to happen until the very end!
Here is a piece about the book:
Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her hybrid werewolf first love threatens to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. And just as she and her uncle are about to unveil Austin's red-hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform the new hire, Henry Johnson, into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Will he be able to to wow the crowd in fake fangs, a cheap cape, and red contact lenses? Or is there more to his earnest fresh face than meets the eye?
As human and preternatural forces clash a deadly love triangle forms and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?
Here is a piece about the book:
Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her hybrid werewolf first love threatens to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. And just as she and her uncle are about to unveil Austin's red-hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform the new hire, Henry Johnson, into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Will he be able to to wow the crowd in fake fangs, a cheap cape, and red contact lenses? Or is there more to his earnest fresh face than meets the eye?
As human and preternatural forces clash a deadly love triangle forms and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?