Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: Five Literary Heroines (Guest Post).

Five Literary Heroines (Guest Post).

With NaNoWriMo taking over my life, I don't have as much time to dedicate to my blog this month, which is why I'm excited that one of my November sponsors, Llinos from The Lilac Linnet, is sharing a little somethin' somethin' with y'all today. Like me, Llinos loves to read, and today she is sharing five of her literary heroines. 

Today Tiffany has asked me to share with you the heroines who have inspired with me during my lifetime as an avid reader.  Let's jump right in!  

Fanny Price, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
A surprising choice perhaps, as she is so timid and shy.  But, this was the first Jane Austen novel I ever read, and so Fanny opened the doors on Austen's world for me, and I later went on to read all of her novels.  I read Mansfield Park when I was 15, and I was incredibly shy myself; so Fanny's journey rang true for me.  She gave me confidence to believe that I could be a leading lady too.

Madeleine, Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Madeleine is so vivid that she jumps off the page.  She is feisty, she is fashionable, she is real.  She is also a devoted mother, her heart breaking while her daughter moves in with the father who abandoned her as a baby.  This trauma is so well written; Madeleine's grief is palpable, and this struggle is something that parents may face.  Madeleine is graceful and so very human, and so very strong.   She fights for what she believes in, and we all need a bit of Madeleine within us!

Gaia Moore, Fearless series by Francine Pascal 
When I was at school, I loved this series.  I would take book after book out of the town library, until the staff knew what books I was returning before I reached the counter!  I was fascinated by Gaia, a girl who could not feel fear.  A useful attribute when people are constantly out to kill her! Gaia doesn't care what any one thinks of her, and is oblivious to her own beauty.  She may not have great social skills, but she does have a deep strength; and that really inspired me as a shy teenager.

Princess Elizabeth of York, The White Princess by Philippa Gregory
As an amateur historian I could not fail to include a historical figure in this list!  I don't feel that Elizabeth gets enough credit from the history books, and this novel helps to correct that.  Elizabeth was, after all, the mother of the Tudor dynasty; wife to Henry VII and mother to Henry VIII.  She married the man who killed her uncle (rumoured to be her lover) in battle, what must that have been like?  Did she really grow to love the man who was originally her greatest enemy?  This book provides an interpretation of these events which would shape the woman who became a kind and loving queen.

Hermione Granger, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
How could I not include Hermione?  She influenced and inspired a generation of girls across the world.  Intelligent, courageous and loyal, Hermione is the greatest female in Harry Potter. I did try looking for someone else from the HP books to include in this list, but to be honest, no one comes close.  Hermione proves that brains and strength can take you a long way.  

Which literary heroines would be on your list?

30 comments :

  1. Yes to Hermione Granger. All time favorite. I also really admire Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice (classic, I know), and Janie Crawford from Their Eyes Were Watching God (one of my all time favorite books). Great picks!

    xo,
    Zoe | La Vie en Zoe

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  2. Love this!! I LOVED the Fearless series. When I was a teen, it was really hard to find them and so I had to scrounge random bookstores and libraries. I still haven't read all of them (there's like 20 something right?), but I loved the characters of it. It's crazy - not that many people know about it!!

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  3. Yes! I love this list! My literary heroine is absolutely Gemma Doyle from a Great and Terrible Beauty. She is fierce and strong and, ugh, I love her.

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  4. Love guest posts! I would love to write one for you sometime! Hermione Granger is the best!! Love Harry Potter!

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  5. I've only read HP from this list, but the others are all on my ever-growing list of books to read! I think the older I get, the more I appreciate Ginny Weasley, because I definitely didn't growing up. I also found myself really inspired by Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia when I was younger! Also, Nancy Drew. I was obsessed with all versions of those books growing up. They definitely made me want to be a teenage detective.

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  6. Nancy Drew was one of my favorite series growing up! That and The Baby-Sitters Club haha. I definitely like Ginny a lot more in the books than I did in the movies, not that she was bad in the movies. I just felt like her character was more important and present in the books.

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  7. I would love for you to guest post for me. Just email me: tiffanykwhite@gmail.com
    And Hermione Granger is definitely the best. I love her!

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  8. I loved the Fearless series too. I kind of want to pick it up and start reading them again. I only got to the 6th or 7th book.

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  9. Hermione will always be my favorite! She's just so fierce and independent and book smart. I love how sassy she is.

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  10. yeah I think I got to like the 17th one, but I bounced around to whichever one I could find so bits of the plot were always missing lol. have you ever read the Before Gaia novel? It talks about what happened before she was born with her parents. it was really good!

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  11. I haven't! I'll have to look into that!

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  12. Kinsey Milhone from the Alphabet series! Seriously she's so bad arse!

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  13. That's awesome! I've never read that.

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  14. Sue Grafton, Mary Higgins Clark, and Truman Capote are basically the reasons I read.

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  15. Agreed with Hermione Granger! I wanted her time turner so, so badly. ;_;

    I also loved Danica Shardae from Hawksong! She was super strong, selfless, and an all-around badass. <3

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  16. Love this post. I'd definitely choose Hermione Granger, she's so badass.

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  17. Hermione Granger would definitely make my list as well :)

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  18. I could seriously use a time turner! I've never read Hawksong!

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  19. I completely agree. Hermione is my favorite.

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  20. I'm ashamed to say I've never read anything by any of those authors.

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  21. Thanks for having me Tiffany! Glad to see the love for Hermione and Fearless. I loved Babysitters Club too!

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  22. Thanks so much for guest posting! Baby-Sitters Club was the best!

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  23. Dec. 1 pick up Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. It's the novella the book is based on. You'll probably be able to finish it in a couple of hours.

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  24. Okay! I'll definitely look into that!!

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  25. Love this post! There are so many strong female characters to choose from! I love that Hermione is on the list!!

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