Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly series created by Rukky at Eternity Books and hosted by Aria at Book Nook Bits. The full list of March topics can be found here.
This week’s topic is Favorite Female Protagonists. What a perfect topic for International Women’s Day!
Who are some of your favorite female protagonists?
- Joanna Brady from the Joanna Brady series by J.A. Jance
- Robin Ellacott from the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith
- Jane Marple from the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie
- Ruth Galloway from the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths
- Harbinder Kaur from the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
- The Owens women (Franny, Jet, Gillian, Sally, Kylie, and Antonia) from the Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman
What makes a female protagonist feel genuine to you?
Compiling that list made me smile as I remembered all the fantastic stories I’ve read with each of these female protagonists.
As you can tell, I read mostly mysteries. A common theme in many mystery novels is that women are outnumbered in the criminal justice field, therefore it takes an especially strong, intelligent and unique character to shine through in those settings.
There are those whose heroic traits inspire me (Joanna Brady and Robin Ellacott) those whose wry humor keep stories moving (Harbinder Kaur), those who carry ages of wisdom (Miss Marple and the Owens women) and those who are, at the end of the day, relatable in every way (Ruth Galloway).
Luckily for me, each of these fantastic characters has their own series so I get to read many books featuring each of them.
Hannah's Library 
I love that you list Ruth Galloway. She is so genuinely herself and doesn’t fit the typical damsel in distress heroine. I was sad to read the last book in that series
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Yes! I’m still working my way through the series. I love how Elly Griffiths showcases Ruth at times of contentment but also jealousy and heavier emotions. Through it all she remains genuine which is admirable. Of all these characters she is the one that seems most like “a real person” to me.
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Yes, to the Owens women! I think you might also enjoy the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris too. I have so many favourites women characters it’s hard to choose, but a few standout characters are Nahri from City of Brass, Lila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic, Elizabeth and Joyce from the Thursday Murder Club.
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I’ll look into the Chocolat series and the rest of these, thanks for the recommendations! 🙂
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I like Lacey Flint in Sharon Bolton’s series. She’s damaged but strong and she’s not someone you’d mess with! Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie is a great female character too and comes over as very believable, and likeable. Mc Dermid’s plots are always great too.
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I’ve still yet to read Val McDermid but I hope to someday. Thanks for the recommendations! 🙂
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