Top Ten Tuesday | My Summer TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is a freebie, so I'm going to share my summer TBR with you!

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson: I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley which I still haven't read because I've been saving it for the summer months - I think it sounds lovely.

Summer Days & Summer Nights ed. by Stephanie Perkins: I really enjoyed My True Love Gave to Me, so I'm looking forward to diving into this summery anthology!

Diving Belles by Lucy Wood: My family and I are off to Cornwall in the last week of July. and I'm planning to take Diving Belles with me; this is a short story collection in which all of the stories have been inspired by Cornish folklore, making it the perfect book to take on holiday with me!

The Muse by Jessie Burton: I loved The Miniaturist so, naturally, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Burton's second novel at the end of this month.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: I'm pretty sure Beauty Queens was on my summer TBR last year too, but I still haven't got around to reading it - it sounds like a great read for the summer, and I'm looking forward to some tongue-in-cheek, feminist fun!

The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger: I finally read Soulless this month and had so much fun with it that I'm planning to read the rest of the series, and I'd love to get all of the books under my belt over the summer.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: As it's Charlotte Brontë's bicentenary this year, it only seems right to re-read her most famous novel. I love Jane Eyre but it's been quite a while since I read it, so I'd love to read it again this summer.

Which books made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | When I Grow Up

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is '' - I'm so excited to share my list with you and to see other people's lists, because I think this is such a fun topic and one that's going to give a lot of insight into the kind of books other book bloggers were reading during their childhood.

Just as a side note, I haven't included any characters from Harry Potter in this list because they'd probably take up my entire list. Also, with the main trio at least, we do get a glimpse of them as adults in the epilogue, and I'm off to see them as adults in the new play in October!

Matilda Wormwood from Matilda by Roald Dahl: As much as I tend to think of Matilda as forever a child, forever living comfortably with Miss Honey in their lovely house, I'd love to see the kind of woman Matilda would grow into. Very intelligent, of course - I get the feeling that Matilda would be the kind of girl who goes to university and never leaves, and once she has her English Literature PhD under her belt I'm sure she'd take the academic world by storm.

Adèle Varens from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: Considering there's a possibility that Adèle is Rochester's daughter, and that she and Jane get along so well, I feel like she gets forgotten too often by Jane Eyre fans - I'm guilty of forgetting her myself! Before she passed away Angela Carter had plans to write a novel about Adèle in which she slept with Rochester, who did indeed turn out to be her father, and then ran away to France to find her mother and become a dancer. Or something like that. That would have been interesting, but the amount of daughters who sleep with their fathers in Angela Carter's stories kind of freaks me out...

Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden is one of my favourite classics, and Mary's one of my favourite heroines. I've always had a soft spot for her. I like to think she and Colin had a very happy childhood with Colin's father, and when she grew up I hope Mary became a botanist or something of that ilk. She has to do something with gardens, and Mary enjoys getting her hands dirty far too much to do nothing but arrange bouquets.

Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: I find it very hard to imagine Alice as anything but a perpetual child, but I imagine adult Alice would be a fascinating Victorian lady. I would hope she'd use her dreams - if they were dreams - to write bizarrely fun and fantastical stories for children, and indulge in a little nonsense.

Susan Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis: I hate the way C.S. Lewis treats Susan, so I'd love to see her as a fully grown adult just to make sure she's doing okay. She's 21 years old by the time of The Last Battle, which means the majority of her 20s would take place in the '50s and her 30s in the '60s. I'd love to see her at political rallies fighting for birth control and racial equality. At least that's what she's doing in my head.

Sophie from the Sophie series by Dick King-Smith: Dick King-Smith is one of my favourite childhood authors. I was obsessed with animals when I was little - I wanted to be a vet for the longest time - so I devoured animal books of every kind, including Dick King-Smith's Sophie series. Sophie is a little girl who wants to be a farmer when she grows up, and I'd love to see if she achieved that dream.

Ellie Allard from the Girls series by Jacqueline Wilson: Jacqueline Wilson is another childhood favourite. In fact as a child she was my favourite author for a very long time; I read and loved everything she wrote. Her Girls series in particular has always been very special to me, because these were the first books I read during my pre-teens where I really understood the main character, Ellie. Ellie struggles a lot with self-esteem, especially with her appearance and her weight, and those were issues I struggled with (and still do) a lot during my teens. I'd love to see where Ellie ended up. Hopefully she's a world famous artist by now.

Sophie from The BFG by Roald Dahl: I'd love to know what Sophie grows up to be when she has The BFG for a guardian. Does she give children pleasant dreams with him, or does she set up her own giant-hunting agency for all those other horrible giants out there? Perhaps she even sets up a (very big) safe house for other giants like The BFG, and becomes the ambassador for human and giant relations. Whatever adulthood has in store for her, I'm sure it's not dull.

Nobody Owens from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book is probably my favourite of Neil Gaiman's novels, with American Gods coming in at a very close second, and I'd love to know what adulthood brings Bod. If you haven't read The Graveyard Book yet then I highly recommend you do - it's so good!

Neil and Emily Parker from the Puppy Patrol series by Jenny Dale: The Puppy Patrol series was another series I was obsessed with as a little girl; I used to own so many of these books, which centred around the adventures of the Parker family, particularly brother and sister Neil and Emily, who owned a kennels. Each book introduced a new dog and a new adventure, and I'd love to know if Neil and Emily stayed in the family business or did something entirely different.

Who made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Ten Books Every Lover of Jane Eyre Should Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

In nine days time, on the 21st April, it's Charlotte Brontë's 200th birthday. It seemed wrong not to celebrate the birthday of one of the world's most famous authors, so today I have ten recommendations for any fans of her most famous work, Jane Eyre!

If you haven't read Jane Eyre and/or are completely unfamiliar with the story, I'd recommend you stop reading now - I don't want to spoil anything for you if it's a novel you still want to read!

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: It's practically in the title! Fforde's Thursday Next series takes place in a world in which our literary characters are very real, and when Jane Eyre disappears it's up to Thursday Next to find her.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë: Anne Brontë's often forgotten in favour of her sisters, which is a real shame considering she may actually be the most feminist of the three. One of the reasons she may be lesser known is that Charlotte decided not to reprint The Tenant of Wildfell Hall after Anne's death, so I think it's only fair she gets a mention here! Like Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey is based on the sisters' time as governesses, though Agnes Grey may be a more realistic portrayal of the job...

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: If you enjoyed Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece I don't see why you wouldn't enjoy Daphne du Maurier's. Mrs. de Winter is not quite as fiery as Jane, but I've always found quite a few similarities between Jane Eyre and Rebecca, and often wondered if du Maurier was inspired by Jane Eyre at all when she was writing her most famous novel. It's also just a fantastic book, so you should read it whether you're a Jane Eyre fan or not!

How To Be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis: Samantha Ellis's memoir is all about her relationship with her favourite literary heroines, and the book actually sprang from a conversation between herself and her best friend in which they were discussing whether it was better to be like Jane Eyre or Cathy Earnshaw. If you're new to non-fiction this is a brilliant starting point - it's a great memoir.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: Yet another book you should read whether you're a fan of Jane Eyre or not because it's just that good, but this is another story that gave me some Jane Eyre vibes when I read it. The Miniaturist felt like a coming-of-age novel to me in much the same way that Jane Eyre does. Read it for yourself and see if you agree!

Lirael by Garth Nix: Plot-wise Lirael is nothing like Jane Eyre, but character-wise? There's something about Lirael that reminds me of a fantastical Jane Eyre; her sad childhood, her intelligence, her quiet strength. Jane, I believe, has influenced many a heroine.

Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale: Set in the late 19th century, Blue Stockings is a play that tells the story of four women who attend Girton College, Cambridge: the first college in Britain to admit women. There's no doubt in my mind that Jane would have attended university if she'd had the chance to.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys: This modern classic is a prequel to Jane Eyre which tells the story of Bertha Mason: the madwoman in the attic.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: I think Sarah Waters is a brilliant storyteller, and Fingersmith is one of the twistiest, turniest novels I've ever read. As shocking to read as Jane Eyre was upon its initial publication, it also includes a love story that crosses class boundaries and is a wonderful place to start if you've yet to read any Sarah Waters.

Jane, the Fox & Me by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault: This graphic novel tells the story of Hélène who's being bullied at school because of her weight. The only thing that makes her feel better is reading Jane Eyre. This is a beautiful graphic novel, and one that, sadly, I imagine a lot of girls can relate to. It's not the best graphic novel I've ever read, but it's still pretty darn good.

What did you talk about this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To or Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch', so today I decided to do a bit of both - I've got six adaptations I'm looking forward to, and four existing adaptations I still need to watch!

Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: The final instalment in The Hunger Games franchise is coming out this month and I can't wait to see it, even though it's going to be heartbreaking; I think Francis Lawrence has done fantastic things with these adaptations.

The BFG by Roald Dahl: I grew up with the 1989 animated adaptation of this film, starring David Jason, and the evil giants scared the crap out of me. 2016 marks Roald Dahl's centenary, and Steven Spielberg is directing a live action adaptation of The BFG. I'm really looking forward to this one.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: One of my favourite books of this year is being adapted into a film - woohoo! Apparently Lucinda Coxon, who wrote The Danish Girl, has adapted the book into a screenplay, and Lenny Abrahamson, who is the director of the adaptation of Emma Donoghue's Room, will be directing it. Apparently Domhnall Gleeson will being in the film, but I'm hoping he's not playing the main character because personally I think he's far too young for the part. We'll see!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: I haven't read the book, and I don't really have any intention of reading the book, but I can't deny that I think the trailer looks pretty awesome. I just love the idea of historical ladies kicking zombie butt, so I'll be going to see this one!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: Bryan Fuller, the genius behind Hannibal, is adapting Neil Gaiman's masterpiece into a TV series. I am excite.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: So it was recently announced that this book is going to be getting a film adaptation, which I am very excited for. I'm hoping it'll have an Easy A film to it, because I love that movie and I'd hate to see this book get a bad adaptation.

Adaptations I Still Need to Watch

Tipping the Velvet (2002): The simple reason I haven't watched this yet is because I haven't read the book yet, but I'm planning to read it soon and then I'm really looking forward to watching this!

Carrie (1976): Last month I read Carrie for the first time, and then on Halloween my dad and I watched the 2013 adaptation. Given that the original adaptation is such a staple horror movie, though, I'd love to give it a watch some time. Plus, other than Alien, I don't think I've watched many movies from the '70s.

Macbeth (2015): I was so desperate to go and see this in October - Macbeth is my favourite Shakespeare play - but unfortunately it wasn't showing in my local cinema. Oh well, hopefully I'll get a chance to see it soon!

Jane Eyre (2006): I love the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, but I've never seen the BBC miniseries which I know is a very popular adaptation. I like Ruth Wilson a lot, though, so I'd like to check it out!

Which adaptations made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Characters Who Deserved Better

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books With Characters Who ___'. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for this at first, but a previous TTT topic got me thinking about the characters out there who deserved so much better than what they got.

Some of these characters were the victims of their circumstances, and others were just treated terribly by their authors. Only one of the people on this list is a man.

Frankenstein's Monster from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A lot of the stuff this guy does is very bad indeed, but when you read this classic it's difficult not to empathise with him, even just a little.

Susan Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis: I will forever be unhappy with how Lewis treated Susan, with how he criticised her for wanting to grow away from Narnia. She is described as "no longer a friend of Narnia" who is "interested in nothing now-a-days except nylons and lipstick and invitations". Lewis himself said: "The books don't tell us what happened to Susan. She is left alive in this world at the end, having by then turned into a rather silly, conceited young woman. But there's plenty of time for her to mend and perhaps she will get to Aslan's country in the end." When we're younger it's easy for us to dislike Susan - why would anyone want the real world when you could live in the world with centaurs and queens and talking lions? - but when we grow older and we see the religious aspects to Narnia, this view on Susan becomes rather sinister. How dare she like lipstick when she could have Jesus!

Bertha Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: If someone told me to choose between Mr. Rochester and Heathcliff I'd choose Mr. Rochester in a heartbeat, because Heathcliff is a whole other kind of messed up. But Rochester's hardly a catch himself. Yes he's educated and wealthy and, let's face it, quite sassy, but when he asks Jane to marry him he fails to mention he's already married, and his mentally ill first wife is locked up in the attic. Real husband material. I suppose we can argue that it's something of a mercy that poor Bertha wasn't sent away to an asylum, but locking her up in the attic was hardly a good idea either.

Elinor Mompellion from Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks: Despite including her on this list, I can't say a lot about Elinor without giving too much away. All I will say is that something is revealed near the end of the book which infuriated me, but kudos to Brooks because I didn't see it coming!

Margaret Prior from Affinity by Sarah Waters: Yet another character who I can't talk about too much without spoiling the ending of Affinity. Let's just say that Affinity is probably Waters' gloomiest novel, and those of you who've read it will know why poor Margaret made this list.

Agnes Magnúsdóttir from Burial Rites by Hannah Kent: Here I'm talking about Agnes the character, because for all I know the real Agnes - the last woman to be executed in Iceland - really was a violent murderer. The Agnes that Kent writes, however, just breaks your heart.

Nancy from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens: Nancy is one of the few decent people in Oliver Twist, and the person who gets dealt the worst hand. I had an illustrated version of this book when I was a little book and when I first read it, the scene where Nancy is murdered terrified me. Her death has haunted me ever since.

Sirius and Regulus Black from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: We could probably argue that pretty much every single one of the Marauders deserved better, but the Black brothers make my heart ache like no others. Poor Regulus's courage was practically forgotten, and Sirius, the most loyal friend anyone could ask for, had to spend thirteen years of his life imprisoned for something he didn't do, only to be confined in a house full of horrid childhood memories when he escaped until he was eventually killed. I just have a lot of feelings about these boys, and I'm never going to be over Sirius.

Tess Durbeyfield from Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: Alec d'Urberville and Angel Clare are both awful human beings and I hate them both in equal measure. That is all.

Katniss and Primrose Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: Don't mind me, I'll just be over in that corner. Weeping.

Who made your list?

ORIGINAL | The Brontë Tag!

Hi everyone! Today I'm here with something pretty exciting: my very own tag! I've always wanted to create a tag, but I'd never been able to think of one. Until now!

I feel like I've been posting a lot of tags lately, so I apologise to any of you who are sick of the sight of them - and to my blogging friends who I so regularly tag, hopefully you guys don't mind...

So without further ado, here's the Brontë tag!

Jane Eyre

A Book/Series with a Twist You Didn't See Coming

Which book took you completely by surprise and left you reeling?

Will I ever be over Feed? Who can say? Probably not. It's so hard to talk about how much I love this book because there's so much I can't say without spoiling the book for people who haven't read it yet and want to. You'll be sick of me saying this by now, but just read it.

Shirley

A Book/Series with More Than One Protagonist

This could be anything from a book with a dual narrative to a companion series!

I love The Lunar Chronicles for many reasons, and one of them is for the fantastic selection of heroines the series offers. There's a heroine for everyone, and none of them are pitted against one another. We need more books - especially in YA - with positive friendships between women.

Villette

A Book/Series Set at School

This can be boarding school, normal school or even college/university, and the main character doesn't have to be a student, either. Maybe there's a book about a teacher or professor you'd like to talk about.

I'm cheating a little here because I haven't actually read Gail Carriger's Finishing School series yet, but they're on my TBR. I just had to mention them because these covers are so gorgeous - not to mention they're set in the 19th century, so they felt rather fitting for the Brontë tag. I'm hoping to finally cross Etiquette & Espionage off my TBR soon!

The Professor

A Book/Series You Didn't Like by an Author You Love

We all have our favourite authors, but did any of yours ever release a book that ended up disappointing you?

I didn't dislike Stardust entirely, but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as I was hoping to. I think I'm in the minority, though, because I know a lot of people who love this one!

Agnes Grey

A Book/Series with a Positive Female Friendship

Spread the womance! What's your favourite all female friendship in a book/series?

I love this series so darn much. If you haven't read Rat Queens yet - regardless of your view on graphic novels - I can't recommend it enough, it's just brilliant. As I'm sure you know by now I love positive relationships between women in books, particularly friendships, because so often women are pitted against one another or the main character feels the need to distance herself from other women by claiming she's 'not like other girls'. Breaking News: all women are different, and this series illustrates that beautifully.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

A Book/Series with a Protagonist Who is a Parent

So often the books we read feature relatively young protagonists who still rely on their parents a lot, and it's a lot rarer for us to read books which feature a protagonist with a child of their own - particularly if you primarily read YA. You can use books such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games if you really can't think of any other books, but I'd love to see some books with main characters who are parents at the beginning of their story!

For this I decided to go with Saga, because the whole storyline so far has primarily revolved around this couple who are trying to keep their child safe from both sides of an intergalactic war. Plus these two are perfect examples that a person's life doesn't end when they have children; these two are still Alana and Marko, not just Mum and Dad.

Wuthering Heights

A Book/Series with a Problematic Love Interest

I hate to say it, but YA in particular is a genre brimming with love interests that make my insides squirm, whether they're being possessive, abusive or hiding behind their daddy issues to excuse their rubbish behaviour. Which love interest - YA or not! - do you hate most?

I feel like I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I don't like Peeta Mellark. The epilogue of Mockingjay left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and to be honest it's not entirely Peeta's fault. I don't hate Peeta entirely, but he is bordering on a "nice guy". He makes Katniss feel guilty about her lack of feelings for him just as much as Gale does in Catching Fire, and poor Katniss, who is struggling with PTSD, the fact that she accidentally started a rebellion and the knowledge that Snow will kill her family if she doesn't do something to stop it, is constantly getting told how much she doesn't deserve someone as nice as Peeta. It drives me up the bloody wall.

Tales of Angria

A Book/Series that Reminds You of Your Childhood

This can be a book from your childhood, or a book you've read since becoming an adult that's made you feel nostalgic.

I didn't get around to reading The Secret Garden until I was in university, but the 1993 film adaptation was a favourite of mine during my childhood. When I did finally read the book it filled me with nostalgia, especially as I grew up in the Yorkshire countryside myself.

I hope you like this tag, and whether you're tagged or not feel free to do it and tag other people! Though if you do I'd really appreciate it if you linked back to this original post. Happy tagging!

(I'm gonna tag quite a few people in the hopes of spreading this tag around a little - I hope you like it!)

I tag:

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight
Deanna @ Deanna Writes
Chrissi @ Chrissi Reads
Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Michelle @ In Libris Veritas
Leah @ Uncorked Thoughts
Cynthia @ Afterwritten
Allie @ Little Birdie Books

Top Ten Tuesday | Inspiring Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Inspiring Quotes From Books'. I had a lot of fun putting this list together, so without ado, here it is!

This is one of my favourite ever quotes from one of my favourite classics. If I ever got a tattoo, I'd get this quote tattooed somewhere on my body because I just love it.

There are plenty of quotes from Harry Potter to choose from, but I've always loved this one; it's such a good message for children, because when we're younger we'll often do a lot of things we don't want to to impress people. It took me a long time before I learned it was okay to tell my friends 'no', at which point I decided to go and make some better friends.

I'm not even the biggest fan of Wuthering Heights, but even I can't deny that this quote - and so many others - is just gorgeous. Cathy and Heathcliff's obsession with each other is so twisted, but it's fascinating.

I've always loved this quote. There's something so adventurous about it that makes me want to go and explore.

I don't think this is a quote from a book, but it's about books so that counts, right? I've always loved this one. That stunning piece of dragon art can be found here.

I'm going to be surprised if I don't see this on several lists today. Jane Eyre is just such a quotable classic, and this quote in particular is wonderful.

Macbeth is my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, and Lady Macbeth has some fantastic lines. This one has always been my favourite.

I've never actually read Uncle Tom's Cabin, but I love this quote.

I couldn't leave out Anne if I was going to mention Charlotte and Emily! Agnes Grey is full of lovely quotes. This one's one of my favourites.

I love this quote so much that I actually opened my MA reflective essay with it. I'm not the biggest fan of Woolf's fiction, sadly, but she's just so fantastically quotable.

What are some of your favourite quotes?

Top Ten Tuesday | My Favourite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

Today's theme is 'Top Ten Favourite Heroines From Books', a theme which got me really excited. I love my heroines, and I can't wait to share my favourites!

Before I start my list I should probably mention that the heroines that wind up holding a very special place in my heart are funny, angry, get-shit-done kind of women who are brazen because it hides the fact that they're actually very vulnerable. Not all of my favourite heroines are like that, but there certainly seems to be a trend. I just thought that was worth mentioning now...

Georgia Mason from the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant: Oh Georgia, light of my life and heart of my immortal soul. If someone held a gun to my head right now and said I had to choose just one ultimate favourite off this list it'd probably be this lady. Georgia made me want to trust the news again, she made me want to believe that there are still journalists out there dedicated to telling the truth, not just telling the best story. She's witty and intelligent and no nonsense and I love her with every fibre of my being.

Linh Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: The Lunar Chronicles has so much respect from me right now. It's a YA series that has managed to include so much diversity; we have heroines who are amputees, heroines from broken homes, heroines who are optimistic, heroines who aren't, and Meyer writes them all so well - there's a heroine for everyone! Her male characters aren't much different; our Prince Charming's Chinese, our Big Bad Wolf's the product of human experimentation, and then there's Thorne, who's basically the love child of Jack Sparrow and Captain Kirk. For me it's Cinder who stole my heart, as much as I love all the characters; she's a good person who's been through a lot of shit and she hasn't let it turn her bitter. When I read Glitches I genuinely teared up because I couldn't bear that Ari was being so horrid to such an adorable little girl who, more than anything, is desperate for acceptance and love. Cinder, like Georgia, just gives me all the feels guys.

Vicki Nelson from The Blood Books by Tanya Huff: If you've never read anything by Tanya Huff then that's something you need change right now. She's a fantastic writer of SFF who is constantly turning themes of gender and sexuality on their head, and her female leads are always amazing. My favourite has to be Vicki, the heroine from Huff's take on vampires. Essentially The Blood Books are urban fantasy crime novels set in Toronto and they're brilliant. Vicki is such a funny, sassy leading lady. I love her.

Violet from Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch: Violet is a fairly new addition to my list of favourite heroines who crept into my heart after I read the first volume of Rat Queens in January. This series is a female-led fantasy series full of innuendos, swearing, violence, and girl power. Naturally, it's right up my street. I liked all the ladies, but Violet in particular grew on me. The second volume isn't being released until later in the year so we know very little about the ladies' backstories as of now, but what I saw of Violet made me very happy; in particular an exchange between Violet and her brother when he asks her if she left because of him, and her simple reply is: "No. I left for me." Boom! Girl power.

Saba from Blood Red Road by Moira Young: (I still haven't read Rebel Heart or Raging Star, so no spoilers please!) I adored Blood Red Road when I read it, and while I enjoyed the plot it was Saba who convinced me to give the book 5 stars. She's so raw and angry and real and I love her lots.

Angel Crawford from My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland: Angel is another recent addition to my list and another heroine who convinced me to give her book five stars. In fact I love Angel so much that I ordered the next three books in the White Trash Zombie series before I'd even finished reading the first book, and I can't wait to continue with the series!

Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: "I am no bird; and no net ensares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." Jane's probably one of the most iconic heroines in classic literature, and there's a reason she's still popular today. While I'd take Mr. Rochester over Heathcliff any day he's still not the most pleasant of romantic heroes, but when Jane realises he's an arse she gets the hell out of there! For that, and for many other things, she has my eternal respect.

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: I'm not on Team Gale or Team Peeta. I'm on Team Katniss.

Tonks from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: I love Hermione, Ginny and Luna, too, but I've loved Tonks since we were first introduced to her in The Order of the Phoenix (which is my favourite book in the series). I don't know why I love her as much as I do, I think when I was younger I was just desperate to be her, but she's always remained a favourite of mine.

Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: Mary isn't particularly likeable when we first meet her, although there's something about her spoiled, guarded nature that does make you want to give her a cuddle, but she goes through one of the most astonishing character growths ever seen, from a child who is neglected and unloved to a child who uses that yearning for affection to nurture a garden back to life. This is a charming story, but it would be nothing without Mary.

Who made your list?