Top Ten Tuesday: My picks for 'Books That Would Be On The Syllabus If I Taught Hardcore Heroines 101'.

Today's topic is a fun one, and I got the choice of class that I would teach! I chose to break away from Genres this week, and go for something a bit more character driven. If there's one thing I like in books, it's a great heroine. Here are the top ten books that I think have them!

1) Isabella Trent from the 'Memoir By Lady Trent' Series.

The moment I started 'A Natural History Of Dragons', I completely fell in love with this heroine. Yes, her youthful self was a little impulsive (which would normally get on my nerves) but not unnecessarily so and I found that it revealed things about her that I did like: she was quick-witted, curious, intelligent and very feisty. As the book is set from the POV of Isabella in her old age, I also love that she's not afraid to laugh or mock her own flaws.

2) Hermione from the 'Harry Potter' Series.

Duh! Okay so she's not the main character, but she also may as well be because for me, she and Ron have just as much reading time as Harry does. I love Hermione too much. She is the epitome of what girls should aspire to be: clever, brave and able to think for themselves without wanting to follow a crowd. I would adore a book on Hermione's muggle life too (please?)!


3) Hazel Grace from 'The Fault In Our Stars'.

I think the thing that really stood out about Hazel was her bravery and ability to see things how they really were without dressing them up. Despite a debilitating illness, to all extents and purposes she was just a normal girl. I loved her love of books, her practical and serious nature and her sense of humour too. A wonderful heroine!




4) Katniss from 'The Hunger Games' Series.

Ahh Katniss. Apart from her tendency to whine in Book 3, this girl is badass and I would sure like her on my side if something bad happened. She was certainly smart, a little bull-headed but only when it came to family/friend loyalty, and she was skilled with a bow too (I've always been drawn to stealthy female archer stereotypes for some reason). I think all the people who have read this series will agree that Katniss goes down in history as a great heroine.

5) Hitomi from 'The Sunbolt Chronicles' Series.

I read this book quite recently, and though it was short I loved Hitomi as a character. She was loyal, remarkable in thinking on her feet and sharp too. Her most likeable trait (for me) was her cautious and slightly suspicious nature too. I've already mention that I don't like a heroine, or hero, that is too impulsive and doesn't take a second to think before they act or react. Hitomi avoided that nicely!



6) Tris from the 'Divergent' Series.

I've just finished reading 'Insurgent' and still really like Tris! She does such a great job of having a multi-faceted personality (which I suppose is the point of the book...). She is a little reckless at times, but she is certainly clever, able to handle herself in a tough situation and caring too. She's quite similar to Katniss in a lot of ways which is probably what I liked about her. 


7) Yelena from the 'Study' Series.

Ahhh Yelena. She is seriously one of my favourites and writing her name reminded me why I loved the first book, 'Poison Study' so much! She has quite a complicated personality with a horrifying back-story and when you first meet her, it's at her lowest point. That was my favourite thing about her and the way she was written. There's an intriguing dark side along with a cynical sense of humour and the ability to be compassionate too. Oh and she is so smart too!

8) Cinder from the 'Lunar Chronicles' Series.

Of course I would love to include Scarlet and Cress here too as they all have a ton of loveable qualities about them. In terms of heroine material however, I really think Cinder has it all. And she appears in all three books as well so I've seen her character develop the most. She's very loving and kind, yet not afraid to get tough if the situation requires it and I love her intelligence and skill. She is good at prioritising too, a valuable asset for heroines!


9) Serafina from the 'Waterfire Saga' Series.

Despite a few issues with the series that I have had in terms of info-dumping and story-line, I love the main heroine: Serafina. I have never stopped singing her praises, mostly because from what I could see she never whined about her responsibilities. A lot of pressure resided on the young Princess' shoulders and I thought she would be the stereotypical girl running from what others expect of her. Instead she was more worried about doing it wrong. Much more interesting reading!

10) Penryn from the 'Penryn & The End Of Days' Series.

I read this book pretty recently and really enjoyed it. In particular, I really enjoyed Penryn as a heroine. She was well-versed in how the world now works, so a quick learner and able to adapt to situations nicely. Her desperate loyalty to her sister (and even her frustrating Mother) was touching and I can't wait to see what else she brings to the table in future books!