The Next Best Book Club discussion

Hello, I wanted to put this in the "general" folder, I but I can't seem to find it in the drop-down menu. Oh well. I'm wondering which female characters you've been moved by, which you've found most memorable, in your recent reading. I ask about female specifically because I sometimes feel there are more memorable, strong male characters. Sometimes women characters seem too bland or generic. Which authors have created strong, deep, believable, memorable three-dimensional women characters? And then maybe we can talk about the males. Eva

I liked Mrs. Mike in the book Mrs. Mike. A very young girl moves to the ferocious north and not only survives, but thrives. Amazing.

Debra wrote: "I liked Mrs. Mike in the book Mrs. Mike. A very young girl moves to the ferocious north and not only survives, but thrives. Amazing."

Debra wrote: "I liked Mrs. Mike in the book Mrs. Mike. A very young girl moves to the ferocious north and not only survives, but thrives. Amazing."

Well, this is another find for me. Never heard of the book, but I'll add it to my ever growing list. Thanks!

Good question. I'd vote for Kathleen Mallory in the mystery series by Carol O'Connell (starting with Mallory's Oracle. Mallory (don't call her Kathy) is a sociopath who grew up on the streets until she was adopted by an older, tough cop and his gentle wife. She's a fascinating protagonist that makes you want to read more in order to understand her better.

I have to say that one of my all time favorite female characters is Marianne Dashwood from "Sense and Sensibility". She is just so full of life, and so open and free and beautiful (everything that I'm really NOT) that I just love her.

Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series is another favorite girl. She's more along my lines - bookish, smart, loyal and not afraid to do what's right, even when it's unpopular. Love her too.

Susannah Dean from the Dark Tower series is yet another favorite. She is so many different people all wrapped up into one. It's amazing. She's fierce and ruthless, smart-mouthed and crass, and both utterly decisive as well as completely divided. But at the same time she's loyal, nurturing, soft, loving and lovable. She's a great character and I love her too.

Most definitely Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series.

If you haven't read Diana's romantic/historical fiction yet, I feel sorry for you.

Check out www.anechointhebone.com for updates.

But, David, Jamie is a man! You have to choose a woman. What about Claire?

David wrote: "Most definitely Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series."

I haven't read this yet, but I am fairly certain that Jamie is a guy. The original post was asking specifically about female favorite characters.

Kandice wrote: "But, David, Jamie is a man! You have to choose a woman. What about Claire?"

Dang, you beat me to it K!

Reading the book of Esther in the bible, well, Esther is such a strong woman - faces so much and has to find such inner courage.
Sharon

Cordelia from Cordelia's Honor was such a kickass character but not a fighter. She was a scientist who ended up in unusual circumstances and handled herself well.

I also like Paks from The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. I think she transitioned to knight very well without it being corny, superficial, or unbelievable.

I KNEW those were the charactrers you would list, Fiona. Well, maybe Mattie was a surprise, but the others...

DON'T!!!! I love knowing what to expect:) Makes me feel comfy.

Fiona wrote: "I must work on being less predictable. "

I called them INCLUDING Mattie :)

But that is because I agree with you, every single one! Except Anne Shirley would, of course, be at the top of my list.

Dorie wrote: "Good question. I'd vote for Kathleen Mallory in the mystery series by Carol O'Connell (starting with Mallory's Oracle. Mallory (don't call her Kathy) is a sociopath who grew up on t..."


This will be the first mystery to go on my shelf. I've read Kate Atkinson, but maybe she doesn't qualify as a mystery writer. I know people get addicted to the genre, so I must be missing something. Mallory sounds fascinating. Thanks!

Becky wrote: "I have to say that one of my all time favorite female characters is Marianne Dashwood from "Sense and Sensibility". She is just so full of life, and so open and free and beautiful (everything that ..."

It's time for me to read S and S again. At this point, I remember Marianne best from the movie. But Austen's women are so beautifully nuanced, so many edges. Sometimes it seems 19th fiction did better by women than 20th century.

David wrote: "Most definitely Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series.

If you haven't read Diana's romantic/historical fiction yet, I feel sorry for you.

Check out www.anechointhebone.com for updates."

I guess you thought Jaime (a guy) was a woman. I love transgender stuff, androgeny, esp. when men have feminine traits.

Please do feel sorry for me. It's work I'd rather not do myself!

Sharon wrote: "Reading the book of Esther in the bible, well, Esther is such a strong woman - faces so much and has to find such inner courage.
Sharon"

Yes... I wonder if there are any contemporary retellings of her story?

LaTrica wrote: "Cordelia from Cordelia's Honor was such a kickass character but not a fighter. She was a scientist who ended up in unusual circumstances and handled herself well.

I also like Paks ..."

I've never read science fiction (aside from a couple of classics, long ago.) So you're sending me off in a new direction. That's fun!

Fiona wrote: "Cassandra from I Capture the Castle and Mattie from The Northern Light are two really strong female characters that come immediately to mind.

You have an interesting point that female characters a..."

I saw the movie of "I Capture the Castle," and I gave it five stars. But I haven't read the book. Nor have I read The Northern Light or North and South. Will put them all on my list. Jane Eyre, oh yes! As I mentioned somewhere here, I've wondered whether 19th century novelists (both men and women) created better (fuller, deeper, truer) female characters than 20th century novelists. Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Anna Karenina, Isabel Archer in Portrait of a Lady (might have been very early 20th, not sure.) Austen. Dickens's women were prototypes of the "angel in the house," not his strength, I'd say.

I recently read the 4th book in the Maisie Dobbs series, Messenger of Truth A Maisie Dobbs Novel and I think Jacqueline Winspear is really developing the character of Maisie, from the end of the Victorian era through a time as a nurse in WW I to an independent young woman private investigator.

Eva wrote: "Dorie wrote: "Good question. I'd vote for Kathleen Mallory in the mystery series by Carol O'Connell (starting with Mallory's Oracle. Mallory (don't call her Kathy) is a sociopath wh..."

Hope you like it, Eva. At the very least, Mallory is never boring.

Stargirl is my all-time favourite, she's so optimistic and true to herself and how everyone should be.
Liza Wright from Liza's England aka The Century's Daughter . She's an 84 year old woman and has/had a very rough life yet she remains hugely strong and optimistic
I love Flora Poste from Cold Comfort Farm her thoughts on everything make me laugh.
Lyra from His Dark Materials Trilogy
Another for Susan Delgado from The Dark Tower series.
The main characters of
Out they all seemed real to me.
And Bridget Jones simply because she is me.

Oh, and how could I forget, Bella from Dirty Weekend :D

WOW... you guys are smokin' this evening!
Fiona, I love you.. you can always cheer me up!!!

I was going to add 'Sookie' from the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series...but you all got very serious!

Fiona wrote: "I think I will agree that 19th C novels did have stronger women - which seems ironic. Maybe nowadays we've just grown so used to a more - equal society (not that I think we are more equal) - that w..."

I don't know whether my speculations are true or not. Maybe more of the enduring novels from the 19th c. had strong heroines, and there's just more that survived (and is still read) from the 20th. You're right; it should be the other way round. 20th c. women should be rocking. Of course, there's Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowen, Isak Dinesen -- all pre-WWII and writing such gutsy prose. Maybe post WWII fiction is more male. More "female eunuchs" as Germaine Greer put it. It would be interesting to do a survey of sorts.

Sharon wrote: "Reading the book of Esther in the bible, well, Esther is such a strong woman - faces so much and has to find such inner courage.
Sharon"

I'm not religious, but it makes me smile when people go back to moral/ethical source material. Seems like noone remembers to do it. Yay Sharon!

I think kids books have their share of strong females. I recently read Pictures of Hollis Woods, and Hollis (an orphan) seemed a realistically balanced mix of defiantly independent and desperate to belong. Oh, and Coraline, the namesake of Neil Gaimen's book.

Actually, being a guy, I didn't have that many strong female lead / contemporary stories that appeal to girls type of books with which to seed my class library, so if you guys can think of any more protagonists from kids' books, I'd appreciate it!

Oh one of my top favorites is Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and I loved Leisel Meminger from The Book Thief, she really got to me.

I don't know how young you mean by kids' books but Anne of the Anne of Green Gables series is a spunky girl who grows into a strong young woman by the end of the series.

Noelle wrote: "Oh one of my top favorites is Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and I loved Leisel Meminger from The Book Thief, she really got to me."

Both excellent choices Noelle.

Oh I love Anne from Anne of Green Gables...she is one of my favorite character's as well.

I love David Baldacci's character Michelle Maxwell. She's deeply flawed, but she's strong and regularly kicks butt and takes names. :-)

Noelle wrote: "Oh one of my top favorites is Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and I loved Leisel Meminger from The Book Thief, she really got to me."

I'm with you, Noelle, Elizabeth Bennet is one of my all time faves. I also really love Dolores Claiborne

I like Daniel in Shadow of the Wind.

Oh No! From the folder topic heading, I guess I've asked too many questions. (How did that folder heading happen? Where did it come from?) I feel really bad now. I'll stop. I've never had so many fellow book lovers to "talk with," and I guess I got carried away. I'm sorry if I've been obnoxiously inquisitive or taking up too much room. I apologize. Eva

Eva... I sent you a message.. have you seen it yet?
I started created a folder, and then I deleted it and put the topics back.. I was afriad you wouldnt take it as a joke.... Sorry!!!

I was trying to be funny... you have been such a super active member, I have never seen so many new threads started all at once before :)

Just to clarify, a folder heading appeared in the list that was titled "Eva's Many Questions." That was what I was referring to in the apology I posted. The folder heading doesn't seem to be there any more, but it definitely was. Maybe it's Lori's gentle way of telling someone to cease and desist. Taking the hint, Eva

Uhm, Eva.... I just said it was me. See, the post above yours.....

Oh, thanks for telling me what happened, Lori. When the folder "Eva's Many Questions" appeared and then disappeared I wondered if I was finally starting to crack. Thanks for explaining. Eva

Nope, your not losing it. I'm just a mean moderator who thought she was being funny when she inadvertantly upset one of her members.

Sorry again.

The only thing I will ask is that you just check the older threads before posting new ones. We have 100's of topics and I really would rather not repeat one that already existed. It's so much cleaner and neater to just open that old one up and start it going again, than to have two or three topics on the same thing....

thanks!

It's okay about the folder joke. It was just briefly kind of mind blowing.

Yes, what you say about the threads makes a lot of sense. As I just said, moderating a group this large must be like herding cats.

Sarah Howard from The Angel of Darkness ( I really wish he would write a book from her perspective)

Cathy from Wuthering Heights. She can be self-centered but she is a very strong character

Adah from The Poisonwood Bible. I loved her sections the most. Until Ms. Kingsolver decided to make her sound exactly like Leah to make her point.

Vianne from Chocolat ( but not so much in The Girl with No Shadow)

Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice

Elinor from Sense and Sensibility. I liked reading about Marianne but she was a bit too emotional for me ( Sorry Becky!)

Must add- Marian from The Woman in White. A woman well ahead of her time (written in 1860)

Harry Bosch in the most of Michael Connelly's books is my favorite literary character. I guess I just like the grumpy, older man character lol

Amy wrote: "Harry Bosch in the most of Michael Connelly's books is my favorite literary character. I guess I just like the grumpy, older man character lol"

Hi Amy - I like Harry Bosch too, but the posting wanted favorite women :)

I love Sonya from Crime and Punishment. Not exactly the typical picture of your headstrong, independent women, but I just love how she is such a beautiful, forgiving, and kind woman, despite being in the most disparaging of situations.

Also, I just want to throw it out there that I love Hermione Granger from the HP series. Intelligent, mature beyond her years, and all around fabulous. LOVE her character.

Noelle wrote: "Oh one of my top favorites is Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and I loved Leisel Meminger from The Book Thief, she really got to me."

I loved Elizabeth... but I read The Book Thief more recently and I LOVED LEISEL. She's the kind of character that you wish exists in real life.

I also just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyand the main character, Juliet, is amazing, as well as Amelia, Isola, and if a 4-year-old counts, Kit.

Wow, Diane, sorry. I completely missed that in the initial post! My apologies :)

Yup, I agree about Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice.

Hermione and Ron from HP.

Jace from the Mortal Instruments.

Percy from Percy and the Olympians series.

I know someone already mentioned Cordelia Vorkosigan from the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold, but I really have to second her as well as add Ekaterin Vorsoisson, who I'm very fond of.

While I'm on the subject of Lois McMaster Bujold, Ista from Paladin of Souls is another of my favorite female characters. You don't see a lot of middle-aged women having adventures and kicking ass.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned (at least that I've seen!) Vicky Austin and Meg Murray from Madeleine L'Engle's books. Vicky was practically my best friend growing up.

Patricia Briggs has two of my current favorite women characters: Mercy Thompson from the Mercy Thompson series, and Anna Cornick from her Alpha and Omega series. These are currently my two favorite paranormal romance/urban fantasy series.

I also very much loved Melinda from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson when I read it recently, as well as Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop also has some wonderful female characters, notably Jaenelle and Marian.

I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them at the moment. I'll have to come back when I do. :)