Top Ten Tuesday #93

Hi everyone! I hope you’ve been having a good week so far, since it’s only Tuesday, mine has been pretty quiet, but I got to spend the weekend with my mum as she was up visiting from home which was really nice, I always love to see her. I’ve been enjoying looking at all of the pictures from the Women’s March over the last few days, unfortunately I couldn’t make it to my local march, but I loved seeing all the pictures of women around the world banding together, it gives me such hope for the future that women are not just going to take Trump lying down and that we will continuing fighting for the rights that were so hard won for us by all the generations of females that came before us. I promise, this is not just me rambling, it is related to the topic at hand, as I’m back with another Top Ten Tuesday, courtesy of the lovely ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish, because the recent display of female power and solidarity has made me feel so proud to be a woman, and as today’s topic was a freebie, I’ve decided to share my Top Ten Girl Power Books, so I can do my little bit to keep spreading the wonderful wave of female empowerment that has been happening in the days since the March. As always, this list will be in no particular order:

1. Code Name Verity-Elizabeth Wein

I had to include this book, because it’s incredible and it’s all about girl power. The girls are most definitely the stars of this story, Maddie and Julie’s friendship is so inspiring, as are the girls themselves, working as a pilot and a spy respectively in a time when these careers would be frowned on for girls. And the best part is, there is no romance, it’s all about the girls and their story.

2. Harry Potter-JK Rowling

Hermione Granger was probably my first real female role model, the first book character I ever truly related to and aspired to be like, but it’s not just her, the Harry Potter series is teeming with wonderful women, Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Tonks, McGonagall, Luna, Lily etc, are all brave, strong, feisty, caring, smart women who are great role models for young girls.

3. The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen is another powerful young woman, who you can’t help but be inspired by, after all she enters a game where she knows she will most likely die, all in the name of saving her sister’s life. She’s smart and strong and brave and will sacrifice everything for her family, definitely a powerful young woman.

4. PJO Universe Books-Rick Riordan

All of the females in Rick Riordan’s books are amazing, Annabeth, Sam, Piper, Hazel, Meg, Clarisse, Alex (gender-fluid so pronouns change, Alex is not always she/her, sometimes he/him, but is far too awesome to be left off the list), Rachel, the Hunters of Artemis, Sally etc, they’re all smart, strong, brave, independent, feisty young women and it’s great to have such a sprawling universe of books with inspiring female characters, especially when it’s marketed towards younger readers as girls should have role models from a young age to show them that they can be whoever they want to be.

5. Throne of Glass series-Sarah J Maas

I know there is a lot of conversation around the problematic elements of this book, mostly the overwhelmingly white and straight cast, which is completely warranted, given that the cast is overwhelmingly white and straight! But the female empowerment is something that is good in this book, there are lots of amazing women, Aelin, Manon, The Thirteen, Elide, Lysandra, Elena, Nehemia etc, they’re all strong, brave, feisty, smart, independent women and I love the supportive female friendships in this series. Now if only Manon and Asterin would get together……..(I am not the only one with this headcanon right?).

6. The Raven Cycle-Maggie Stiefvater

Blue and the women of 300 Fox Way are such wonderfully weird, amazing women. I love the camaraderie between these women, they all love and support each other, they’re smart, kind, supportive women, who show that’s it’s okay to be a little quirky and are a wonderful example of what female friendship should be like, as well as obviously, that your family does not have to be your blood relations.

7. Rebel of The Sands-Alwyn Hamilton

Ah the women in this book! Shazad, Amani, Hala, Delila, they’re all wonderful young women, fiercely fighting against a society that doesn’t accept them as equals, and I love that the women of the rebellion in Hamilton’s book are supportive rather than catty, Shazad and Amani’s friendship, I particularly love.

8. The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants-Ann Brashares

Not my favourite book in the world, but the female friendship in this is second to none, the girls love each other and support each other, there’s not really any fighting over boys and the girls are strong, confident, capable young women, this is definitely a great book for teenage girls to see a positive teen girl friendship group.

9.  Asking For It-Louise O’Neill

I’m adding this book because it’s message is one of the main messages of the Women’s March, that our bodies are our own to do with as we wish and that men are not entitled to them. It’s definitely a great book for empowering young feminists and learning about consent and rape culture.

10. Cross My Heart-Carmen Reid

Nicole is a strong, brave, smart young woman who fights for what she believes is right and the injustices that Nazis acted on her country, by joining the resistance. She doesn’t just sit down and take it, she fights back and I think that’s definitely a great message for women everywhere during Trump’s presidency.

I’m going to stop there this week, although I could definitely go on about female empowerment all night long! Have you read any of these? Did you like them? Did anyone participate in a Women’s March on Saturday? What were the best signs you saw? Let me know in the comments!

I will be back next week with another Top Ten Tuesday, the topic is All About Visuals, I don’t read graphic novels or comic books really, so I’ve decided to interpret the topic as Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I’m Looking Forward To In 2017, since movies are visuals, so I’m going with my own very loose interpretation of the topic! In the meantime, I have another discussion post idea I’d like to write, so I will probably have that up at some point during the week, so stay tuned for that!