#5 Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden- written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary starts off the story as spoiled, obnoxious, self-absorbed, lazy and prone to fits of temper. It is only when she sees these traits in others that she begins to realize how horrible she has been. Through her own volition, she changes. She seeks out remedies to her vast personality flaws: she begins to play outside, work on the secret garden and convince Colin Craven that he can overcome the obstacles others claim are ruling his life.
She's a beautiful example of being what we are meant to be; not what those around us expect us to be, and the fact that this character comes from a children's book makes that message all the more powerful.
#4 Cara the Mord Sith from the Sword of Truth series- written by Terry Goodkind
I know, I know. Kahlan is the female lead who gets all the attention in this series. But I like Cara. Cara is Richard's bodyguard (for all intents and purposes) but her sarcasm, her absolute dedication to her Lord Rahl and her sheer ability to kill a person with her bare hands make her my favorite female character in this series.
The Mord Sith are a legion of elite warriors. All female, they are without remorse, without pity and without love. They serve with an eye single to the Lord Rahl's safety. Mord Sith do not die in bed old and toothless; they die young and in the face of danger to ensure that the Lord Rahl gets a chance to die in bed old and toothless. Cara is the first Mord Sith to believe Richard at his word that he cares about them as people, and she becomes his greatest friend and- as a result of her friendship- his fiercest protector. Plus, I really, really love her very last scene :)
#3 Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series- written by JK Rowling
Hermione is smart and puts her brains to use. She doesn't sit back once teachers know she's intelligent, she works for what she deserves. She's dedicated not only to herself and her studies, but she balances that with her support of her friends and their pursuits. She is wholly involved in the fight against Voldemort and stands by Harry when it is the right thing to do, even when it might mean losing Ron.
Plus, from a literary standpoint she's a brilliant character to have written: any time they need to get out of a tight spot, you can count on Hermione to know some obscure, difficult and incredibly helpful spell to save them. Sounds a little incredible, but it completely fits with the character. In Rowling's world, it makes sense for Hermione to know everything.
#2 Clarissa "Clary" Fray-Morgenstern-Fairchild from the Mortal Instruments series- written by Cassandra Clare
Clary is a typical teenage girl. She's unsure of herself and she's a nervous wreck when it comes to boys. She's headstrong, stubborn and sometimes petulant. She throws herself into situations that she ought not to be involved in without thinking.
She's also smart. She figures things out with her head. She finds a way to solve problems, using her powers to the best of her ability and to save those she cares about. She's not content to be the damsel in distress, she wants to be an equal, a warrior, and she works to that end. In that sense, she's a breath of fresh air in the YA world.
#1 Lucy Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia- written by CS Lewis
She has the confidence to stand by her story, even though her older, much respected siblings doubt her. She has the strength to go looking for Narnia again, even though it frightens her and she's hurt by the way her siblings treat her. Once in Narnia, she convinces the others to stay, to save Edmund. She (along with Susan) escorts Aslan to his execution and is there for his resurrection. She uses her potion to save those around her, not saving it for herself or her family.
Later, she is the one who sees Aslan first, she is the only one with the faith strong enough to see him when all others have forgotten him. She is the hero of this story, and she is content to let Peter be High King and to be the face of Narnia again and again.
Lucy is the perfect example of having faith like a little child; she's pure and decent and she is what we all ought to aspire to being.
A blogging friend of mine posted a bookish meme, after reading it on another blogging friend's site. I can't not participate! This post was written in response to the 30 Days of Books.
The full list:
Day 01 – The best book you read last year
Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favorite series
Day 04 – Favorite book of your favorite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favorite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favorite writer
Day 14 – Favorite book of your favorite writer
Day 15 – Favorite male character
Day 16 – Favorite female character
Day 17 – Favorite quote from your Favorite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favorite romance book
Day 21 – Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favorite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favorite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your Favorite book of all time
