Among the hot releases in the market now, we loved the new serial killer story by c. Im really a sucker for romance type stories but its disheartening to see the female leads like the mc just because he is the mc or due to offscreen development thats describe in a few sentences. But i have been enjoying some wonderful books lately about older women having a great second act in life. Nov 16, 2017 margaret atwood, the handmaids tale well, duh. When i saw that this weeks topic for best book ever was strong female leads one book immediately came to mind.
I did notice that there were few strong lead female characters in a lot. I know its sometimes hard to find good graphic novels that are right for you, so i compiled a list of my 5 favorites. Top 6 sci fi books with strong female leads kay l moody. Strongchinned blokes with muscled forearms all too often bear the role of savior to the cliched damsel in distress. I would skip a school and go to the local bookshop and stuff my backpack full of them. Ten historical fiction books with strong female leads march, 2012 march, 2012 laura top ten tuesday is an original featureweekly meme created at. A variety of strong female characters from recent young adult fiction throne of glass by sarah j. Ive got 15 fantastic books and series you can pick up today to read all about powerful women warriors and. These stories contain some of my favorite strong female protagonists for a variety. Historically, women were viewed as weak, and hence you mainly had strong male leads in fiction. Dealing with dragons the enchanted forest chronicles series by patricia c. Some of my favorite female role models are fictional though im not discounting the real ones. Aug 17, 2018 if youre searching for scifi books with badass female protagonists, look no further.
Do not discount the power of a ya young adult novel to catch a. There are several other strong women featured in this fantastical series like. Sci fi books with strong female leads used to be hard to find. A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Alys is a widowed mother with an aptitude for magic in a. Shifting the focus of a traditionally maledominated genre, the strongest female leads in scifi books are both resilient and clever. Strong female characters in 19thcentury fiction dave astor. The best modern books with powerful female protagonists.
Mar 12, 2020 23 ya books featuring strong female characters 1. The best romance novels for smart women a cup of jo. Everyone, that is, save for a subset of dudes from one of the internets darkest corners, who lash out at anything that suggests that women can be just as awesome at, well, being awesome as men. Top 10 strong female sciencefiction film characters. Jemisins broken earth trilogy centers on essun, one of the marginalized people known as orogenes. Earlier this week, we asked you to share your favorite thrillers with strong female leads, whatever you take strong to mean, and however it manifests itself in the characters. The best female detectives in fiction written by women theres nothing like a good mystery novel when the need for a bit of pageturning escapism arises. Strong female characters in 19thcentury fiction dave. Jan 30, 2018 romance novels saved my life when i was a teenager. And books with strong female characters over 50 are less than plentiful. Longlisted for this years womens prize for fiction, this novel from pulitzer. Recommendations for novels with strong female lead and good romance.
Female protagonists in science fiction and fantasy. From psychological thrillers to more supernatural thrills, the list below represents some of the best thrillers out there, starring noholdsbarred heroines. As part of the fierce female reads february, i am excited to add my list of nonfiction books with strong female leads. Jul 06, 2018 the child finder, by rene denfeld a hauntingly beautiful, chilling novel by a reallife badass heroine rene denfeld is, among other things, a licensed investigator and fosteradoptive parent, the child finder turns around a woman named naomi, a private investigator with a gift for finding lost children, and her search for a girl who has been missing in the oregon woods for three years. Ten historical fiction books with strong female leads march, 2012 march, 2012 laura top ten tuesday is an original featureweekly meme created at the broke and the bookish.
Books with strong female characters common sense media. These are stories about women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s who are finding freedom, power, and joy as they age with grace and courage in a variety of circumstances. Top 10 female detectives in fiction books the guardian. A warriors tale book 1 of the imago chronicles by lorna suzuki. We also love to promote reading and literacy, so weve compiled a list of twentyfive books with strong female leads written by strong female writers. Joe hills female characters are impressively threedimensional, but the brat, victoria mcqueen, is.
The hunger games trilogy has been translated into 26 languages and sold over 50 million copies in both print and electronic formats. Chris pavone is an edgar awardwinning author most known for his novel the accident, though the expats reaffirms his place as one of the most talented. Aug 18, 2016 dana scully, the x files, by chris carter often being a strong women in sff is taken very literally. I have 12 femaledriven scifi and fantasy novels youll love to read, so be sure to add these new and newish adventures to your tbr, a. Mar 11, 2019 now take that same tenacity and boldness of female leaders and mirror it in literature for some inspiring pageturners. Both strongwilled and resolute, the two sisters find themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum on most matters, especially the war. The best female detectives in fiction written by women. Why is there a dearth of strong female leads in fiction. Strongest female leads in scifi books by matt cates 4 years ago in literature list science fiction shifting the focus of a traditionally maledominated genre, the strongest female leads in scifi books are both resilient and clever. We readers share that same hunger for awesome storytelling driven by complex female characters, who exhibit their strength in.
You can also check the tags awesome female leads and female lead or you can go to my goodreads account and look at the shelf strong female characters. She does his bidding to earn her own freedom and must eventually decide what is more important. Here are nine incredible graphic novels about strong female leads, listed in no particular order. Elizabeth gilberts first novel in 12 years might not seem very appealing at first glance. The child finder, by rene denfeld a hauntingly beautiful, chilling novel by a reallife badass heroine rene denfeld is, among other things, a licensed investigator and fosteradoptive parent, the child finder turns around a woman named naomi, a private investigator with a gift for finding lost children, and her search for a girl who has been missing in the oregon woods for three years. There are many incredibly strong female characters in chain of gold but personally cordelia is my favorite. Sciencefiction including dystopian, apocalyptic, or postapocalyptic. Detective work is often mistakenly attributed to the old boys club. Box titled paradise valley investigator cassie dewell for three years, investigator cassie dewell has been on a hunt for a serial killer known as the lizard king whose hunting grounds are the. Sep 05, 2018 and books with strong female characters over 50 are less than plentiful.
In my opinion melinda is the epitome of a strong female lead. Luckily its becoming more and more common to see strong female leads in science fiction books. Maas series 2012present celaena is a fighter who must battle for a king she knows to be evil. Recommendations for novels with strong female lead and. Female leads often live in the shadows of their male counterparts. Romance novels saved my life when i was a teenager. Books with strong female characters over 50 book riot.
The hunger games trilogy has been translated into 26 languages and sold over 50 million copies in both print and electronic. Its an incredibly good novel, one of my alltime favorites. Feb 19, 2016 and theres nothing better than a good ol fashioned thriller, particularly when they feature strong female protagonists. Moll has a tougher exterior than evelina, but the latter protagonist also has lots of inner strength. The first book in a new fantasy series, jenna glass the womans war centers on two women with the power to shatter the glass ceiling. Dana scully, on the other hand, never once lifts a car over her head or unleashes a roundhouse kick on a dozen ninja assassins, yet shes one of the strongest and most intimidating female presences in any sff universebecause shes brilliant and confident, the sort who is routinely. If you love fantasy and want a few recommendations on great new books to read that feature powerhouse women, check out our book list below. While i love fiction books and admire fierce females like katniss everdeen or elizabeth bennett, i thought it would be fun to spotlight some inspiring nonfiction books by female authors. Feminists, leftists, and liberals have started crusades to prioritize female characters and female writers as if female protagonists and female authors are an endangered species. Top 7 bestselling mystery and thriller books featuring. Viewers are flocking in droves to see powerful women like gal gadots diana prince, aka wonder woman, battle it out at the movies. There are plenty of great books featuring strong female main characters in compelling stories that are sure to appeal to boys as well as girls. Top 10 lesbian science fiction novels november 30, 2016 january 30, 2020 brooklyn goodrich ballantine books, bedazzled ink, bella books, benny lawrence, bold strokes books, carina press, cathy pegau, d jordan redhawk, eden s french, fletcher delancey, gill mcknight, jean stewart, karin kallmaker, lise mactague, missouri vaun.
Now take that same tenacity and boldness of female leaders and mirror it in literature for some inspiring pageturners. If you think girl books are just about princesses, romance, gossipy schoolgirls, and vampires, think again. Gods and beasts and three other novels by denise mina this female detective is a bit different to the others on this list in several ways. In particular, we recommend 25 top female crime writers of the past 50 years, 20 mustread novels by female mystery authors, and top 7 bestselling mystery and thriller books featuring female protagonists. Or, a young ladys illustrated primer by neal stephenson. Everyones favorite book right now also imagines a future dystopia in which fertile women are rounded upin this case because birth rates have dropped so low that society has responded with a hyperreligious, authoritarian regime where women are property and all deviation from the prescribed conservative norm is severely punished. Weve selected a pile of books with universal appeal for kids of different ages and tastes, from bestselling picture books to young adult. Looking for a novel with a fierce female protagonist at the center of the story. In so many fantasy stories female characters are the ones needing rescuing and are usually strong because of some magical power. Whatever the reason, fantasy novels that feature strong women are something were wholeheartedly excited about at newinbooks. In these suggested reads, strongwilled, confident female characters. Sherlock holmes take up a fair chunk of popculture fiction real. Importantly, the hunger games has shown both the publishing industry and mainstream hollywood that stories with strong female leads can be a commercial success.
Jul 07, 2010 top 10 strong female sciencefiction film characters. This new york times bestseller tells the story of kate moore, a woman who moves across the pond to escape the secrets of her old life. But 1989s chopper chicks in zombie town, starring a young billy bob thornton, provides some pretty strong female leads. Unfortunately, her past follows her there, stirring up a whole lot of trouble in kates new luxembourg home.
Science fiction including dystopian, apocalyptic, or postapocalyptic. In todays culture of thirdwave feminism and gender equality, there are countless women taking the lead and pushing boundaries. Nicola griffiths hild is a sweeping, historical novel that takes place in britain during the. Aug 20, 2019 35 brilliant books with strong female protagonists updated 2019 by iris last updated august 20, 2019 as we celebrate national womens history month, here are 35 great books featuring some of the most awesome and inspiring female characters ever created.
It seems like every day the left is getting up in arms about something, and even books arent safe. Independent, strong, and feminist, jane eyre is an unforgettable character in a classic novel. Dystopian and postapocalyptic books with female leads. Linnea sinclair writes strong female leads if you dont mind the romance element in the stories. Jun 20, 2018 female leads often live in the shadows of their male counterparts. A list of bestselling books with strong woman leading characters. If youre searching for scifi books with badass female protagonists, look no further.
Very strong female leads both military leaders, both multibook series, little to no romance. Oh, and her most dangerous opponents tend to be her fellow bel dames, women enhanced with strange, bugbased tech that gives them powers akin to magic. Set during world war ii, the nightingale tells a story of two sisters, vianne and isabelle, trying to survive in a germanoccupied, wartorn france. The pov is shared between miri and val con, but she is one tough character indeed. What i really like about nayla treeborn, the female protagonist in a warriors tale, is how the author builds her character. Historically, women as primary protagonists in fantasy novelsripe with action, danger, heroism, and intensitywere a rarity. Heres a collection of your suggestions from facebook, twitter, and the comments section. Even though that historic view has largely been overturned, when writing new fiction people draw inspiration from the media they hav. Historical fiction with strong female characters by gail4245 a communitycreated list. A reading list of thrillers with strong female leads. Especially when they have strong, diverse and interesting characters. Best strong female fantasy novels, best kickass female characters from ya and childrens fantasy and science fiction, wise women, witches. The best new fantasy fiction retells ancient stories with complex female characters.
Female protagonists in science fiction and fantasy the. Books with strong female characters if you think girl books are just about princesses, romance, gossipy schoolgirls, and vampires, think again. Historical fiction with strong female characters princeton. Mystery girl by paul tobin mystery girl is a dark horse. I also like the telzey and trigger books, and the early honor harrington, the valor books. Random list of dystopian and postapocalyptic books featuring female leads or main characters. Each turn of the page leads to new information that helps piece together the story of amelia, a young serf whose life is turned upside down when a ship crash lands in her potato fields. I scoured the internet for the best books i could find and this list is the result.
Female athletes in romance novels, warrior girls, historical y. Books centered around strong female leads are generally trending when it comes to thriller and mystery plots. She is not only trying to find a way to save her family but she is also an incredible shadowhunter. What comes below is a compilation of some of the most notable and sought after mystery, crime fiction and thriller books released in the last 3 months featuring female lead characters. So sit down with a good book and support your fellow woman. That said, this list focuses on fiction and every story on this list is worthy of. I had an undiagnosed mental illness and read one book a day, sometimes 2. Fury road opened, pretty much everyone agreed it was one of the best films of the year, and a new classic of the postapocalyptic genre. Im not sure if this counts because its non fiction. What are some good science fiction or adventure novels.
The net week i would bring them all back, unpack them and take others. Which means it does not include the host, or any of the hunger games books. Mar 22, 2016 a variety of strong female characters from recent young adult fiction throne of glass by sarah j. Dont forget to check out our other coverage of female authors or books featuring female leads. This historical fiction novel taps into a lesserknown history of the civil. I have 12 female driven scifi and fantasy novels youll love to read, so be sure to add these new and newish adventures to your tbr, a. Best thriller books in the market now featuring female leads. There are plenty of great books featuring strong female main characters in. Top 10 uncompromising women in fiction books the guardian.
I read more fantasy, so for the purposes of this list, ya fantasy has been subdivided. Of course, there were also strong women in pre1800s novels, with just two examples being the very different stars of daniel defoes moll flanders 1722 and frances burneys evelina 1778. Elizabeth gilberts first novel in 12 years might not seem very appealing at. If you like stephensons writing, his earlier novel, snow crash also features a very sm. However, there has been a gradual cultural shift that has resulted in more and more women taking on starring roles in all kinds of comic books. In chimamanda ngozi adichies americanah, ifemelu is a nigerian woman who has spent the last 15. Keep a box of tissues handy when reading this book. Strong women are taking over the thriller crimereads. May 15, 2015 she is perhaps the fiercest female character in all of genre fiction, unapologetically vicious, shaped into a monster by a remorseless society and a heartless world.