This week’s top ten list: literary heroines who kick-ass – though I think it is important to note that one need not literally kick ass to qualify (as hosted by The Broke and The Bookish). This list will include (fictional) women I admire for their brilliance, humor, resilience, kindness, dignity, class, wit, perseverance, strength, endurance, love, etc. Possessing any or all of the qualities can qualify a character for this list (and it goes without saying that being included on this list makes you a kick-ass woman and all around awesome).
In no particular order:
- Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series)
- Anne Elliot (Persuasion)
- Diana Bishop (All Souls Trilogy)
- Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
- Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre)
- Thursday Next (The Jane Eyre Affair)
- Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
- Daenerys Targaryen (A Song of Ice and Fire)
- Lucy Honeychurch (A Room with a View)
- Eowyn (Lord of the Rings)
I would love to possess the brilliance of Lisbeth, the love of Anne, the drive of Diana, the wit of Elizabeth, the resilience of Jane, the occupation of Thursday, the intellect of Hermione, the strength of Daenerys, the innocence of Lucy, and the bravery of Eowyn.
*Characters I would’ve included if there were more than 10 spots: Arya Stark, Matilda, Harriet the Spy, Elinor Dashwood, Hester Prynne, Jo March, Lucy Pensive, Frankie Landau-Banks, just to name a few*
flannel and folklore 
It killed me to leave 2, 4, 5 and 9 from your list off my own list!
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Jane Eyre might be my all time hero. However, Olivia is quite popular with the little people who inhabit my house so she was definitely a plausible entry onto my list (though not necessarily considered) :).
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Jane Eyre, Hermione & Eowyn are great picks :)!
TTT @thedailyprophecy.
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Lisbeth is brilliant, isn’t she? I haven’t read the books, but the movie/series was fantastic. She’s a kick-ass character for sure. 😉
J’adore Happy Endings
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She really is! She might be socially inept, but she can ruin your life in 200 different ways in the span of a minute (or save it for that matter).
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Hester Prynne didn’t quite make my list, either. She certainly qualifies, though! Great list!
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Oh, we have two in common! I don’t know most of these characters though, but they seem lovely.
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Ooh Diana Bishop is a good one. And Lisbeth seems like a natural fit for the top spot. I really must read the Song of Fire and Ice series sometime!
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You should, just make sure to block out a large chunk of time to do so! And I love that Diana makes having a PhD awesome.
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what a fantastic list! so many great women! i definitely could have added arya, daenerys, jo, lisbeth & thursday.
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What a great list. I included Hermione and Eowyn myself and toyed with Jo March and Lucy Pensive. I have heard great things about Thursday Next. I need to move that up my list.
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It’s definitely a fun series, but one that I feel has run its course a few books ago. However, The Jane Eyre Affair is fantastic!
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1. Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)
2. Georgia Nicolson (Angus, Thongs)
3. May-May (Taipan)
4. Christy (Christy)
5. Elizabeth Bennet (P and P)
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