What’s one series installment you’re excited f What’s one series installment you’re excited for this year? πŸ“š
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After the dramatic ending of The Ballad of Never After, I’m counting down til the release of A Curse for True Love! 🦊 I need to know what happens next because I’m going absolutely nuts right now πŸ˜…
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I’m also so excited for Foxglove, The Brothers Hawthorne, This Cursed Light, and Threads of Power - a few series continuations that I just know are gonna be phenomenal! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ
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Are any of these on your radar? πŸ‘€
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#cozyaesthetic #mybeigelife #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #bookflatlay #booksuggestions #bookrecommendations #onceuponabrokenheart #theballadofneverafter #thecursefortruelove #bookseries #fantasyseries #2023books #fantasybooks #yafantasy #fantasyreader
Do you plan to read romance books during Love Mont Do you plan to read romance books during Love Month? 🀎
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Pretty much my entire TBR this month is just cute romances and I can’t wait to dive in πŸ“– 
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Some of the titles I’m most excited about:
πŸŽ“ Begin Again by Emma Lord
πŸ“š Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
🌻 In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
πŸ’• Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
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Have you read any of these or are any of them on your TBR? πŸ“
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#cozyaesthetic #mybeigelife #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #wintervibes #winter #bookflatlay #booksuggestions #bookrecommendations #romancebooks #valentinesday #lovemonth #romancereader #cartooncoverromance #februarytbr #romcombooks
What are your favorite high seas adventure books? What are your favorite high seas adventure books? πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ

If I’m being totally truthful, I haven’t read that many of them BUT I just finished my reread of All the Stars and Teeth and was reminded how much I love it 😍 I need more books like this! 🌊

Give me recommendations for books with pirates, mermaids and sirens, island curses, and other high seas goodness βš“οΈ

Have you read All the Stars and Teeth? πŸ§œπŸΌβ€β™€οΈ

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#lightacademiaaesthetic #lightacademia #cozyaesthetic #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #cozybookstagram #bookaesthetic #booktography #bookphotography #vintagemood #bookseverywhere #hyggebookstyle #quietshadesofbrown #bookmoments #ofcosymoments #booksandcoffee #coffeeandbooks #fortheloveofreading #bookrecommendations #booksuggestions #booksonbooks #booknookstagram #allthestarsandteeth #piratebooks #mermaidbooks #highseasadventure #fantasybooks #duology
How would your favorite book character take their How would your favorite book character take their coffee? β˜•οΈ
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My favorite fictional character of all time is Genya Safin from the Grishaverse 🀍 This badass Tailor has a taste for the finer things and would absolutely drink a deliciously dark roast with notes of cherry, walnut, and rich chocolate 🀀 I think she would enjoy a café au lait -- drip coffee with steamed milk -- that David prepared for her in a drip coffee contraption of his own making 🫢🏼
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Did I go way too in-depth on this just because I love these characters and coffee a little too much? πŸ™ˆ Maybe I did, but it was fun πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ
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How do YOU take your coffee? 🀎
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#cozyaesthetic #mybeigelife #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #bookflatlay #booksuggestions #bookrecommendations #grishaverse #shadowandbone #thedarkling #genyasafin #leighbardugo #perfectespressopour #coffeepour #favoritefictionalcharacter #favoritecharacter #favoritebookcharacter
What was your last 5-star romance read? ⭐️ It What was your last 5-star romance read? ⭐️

It was absolutely wonderful to end 2022 with Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez 😍 I don’t like to pick favorites when it comes to my top authors, but this adorable fake dating romance may very well be my favorite book by her! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ

I’m a seriously picky romance reader, but Abby’s blend of sweetness and substance never ceases to amaze me and Yours Truly was no exception 🀎 Just like her previous novels, this one made me cry my eyes out as I saw bits and pieces of myself in each of the characters πŸ₯Ή It was just SO GOOD, y’all, and you can find the full review on my blog! 🫢🏼

Are you planning to pick up Yours Truly when it comes out in April? πŸ“– Have you read any of Abby’s other phenomenal romance novels? πŸ₯°

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What was the last book you read in one sitting? πŸ’

Honestly, it’s not very often that I finish a book in one day - either because I find myself too busy or I just can’t concentrate for such a long period of time πŸ˜…

BUT every once in a while, I have a weekend day where I can just fully sink into a story and enjoy it from start to finish without distractions πŸ“– That’s what I did with BEACH READ last Sunday and it was wonderful πŸ₯° I read it when it first came out, but this time, I really got to enjoy it in a new way - and I couldn’t put it down! πŸ™ˆ 

If only I could have more days like that πŸ˜‚ Have you read Beach Read or anything else by Emily Henry? β˜€οΈ

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#cozyaesthetic #mybeigelife #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #wintervibes #winter #bookflatlay #booksuggestions #bookrecommendations #beachread #emilyhenry #romancebooks #romancereader #contemporaryromance #cartooncoverromance #perfectespressopour #rereading
Why did you join bookstagram? πŸ“– β €β €β €β €β € Why did you join bookstagram? πŸ“–
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Today is my third bookstaversary, friends! 🀎 I can't begin to express how thankful I am for this wonderful community and how it has impacted my life over the last three years πŸ₯Ή
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As many of you know, I was a full-time fashion blogger for over five years and somewhere along the line, I found that I just didn't love it anymore πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ I wanted to find somewhere I could truly be myself and spend more time talking about fantasy novels, crisp autumn mornings, a great cup of coffee, and how to achieve the ultimate cozy lifestyle β˜•οΈ
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I joined bookstagram in 2020, thinking it would just be a fun little hobby to have on the side while I continued my fashionista hustle... and a year later, I rebranded EVERYTHING to The Espresso Edition πŸ™ŒπŸΌ I've made talking about books and coziness my full-time gig and I couldn't be happier about it 😍
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Thank you all for welcoming me to this wild and wonderful corner of the internet πŸ™ˆ Cheers to tons more bookish goodness! πŸ“š
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How long have you been on bookstagram? πŸ“±
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#cozyaesthetic #bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #bookstaversary #readersofig #booksta #bookblogger #bookishblogger #cozylifestyle #bookshelves #shelfie #readergirl #girlwhoreads #meetthebookstagrammer #facebehindtheaccount #newprofilepic
Would you take the protagonist of your current rea Would you take the protagonist of your current read for a cup of coffee? β˜•οΈ
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There have been quite a few characters I've read about this month who I'd love to sit down and chat with over a hot bev πŸ₯°
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However, from my current reads, I would NOT take anyone from Jade Legacy (because you never know who might end up unaliving), I'd definitely take both Kell and Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic, I'm not entirely sure I'd enjoy coffee with Katniss from The Hunger Games (since she's not the most exciting conversationalist), but I'd absolutely love chatting it up with Alina from Shadow and Bone! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ
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Have you read any of the books I'm currently reading? πŸ“š
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What is a spin-off series that you prefer over the What is a spin-off series that you prefer over the originals? πŸ“š

This past year, I either began or finished a few spin-off series that I found myself enjoying even more than their predecessors πŸ™ˆ The Dreamer Trilogy (the first of which is featured here) BLEW ME AWAY even though I just *sorta-kinda* liked The Raven Cycle 😱 But there I was, sobbing my eyes out at the end of Greywaren 😭 So freaking good! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ

Typically I’m all about the OG series (like Shadow and Bone), but every once in a while, there’s a really great spin-off or continuation that I wind up just loving! 🀩 I’m excited to discover even more this year πŸ—“οΈ

Have you read The Dreamer Trilogy yet? πŸ’­

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#lightacademiaaesthetic #lightacademia #cozyaesthetic #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #cozybookstagram #bookaesthetic #booktography #bookphotography #vintagemood #bookseverywhere #hyggebookstyle #quietshadesofbrown #bookmoments #ofcosymoments #booksandcoffee #coffeeandbooks #fortheloveofreading #bookrecommendations #booksuggestions #booksonbooks #booknookstagram #thedreamertrilogy #calldownthehawk #theravencycle #theravenboys #fantasybooks #spinoffseries
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Books · September 12, 2022

The Best Stories That Include a Strong Female Lead

It’s time for you to read a book with a strong female lead!

I love reading. I love reading books with women in them. I especially love reading books with a super strong female lead! I’m not talking about the stereotypical “I’m not your average girl” characters. What I mean is either a protagonist that exudes confidence and courage, a leading lady that has searing emotions that end up becoming her strength, or a surprising spitfire that you grow to love.

As you read through some of my suggestions, you may come across stories that surprise you! Some of these badass babes begin as the villain or antihero, like in Into the Heartless Wood, but I still think they’re incredibly written and have merit. Other titles, such as Wicked Lovely or Three Dark Crowns include a full cast of bombshells and I’m totally here for it!


related posts
Romance Books to Read Based on Titles You Already Love // 28 Fluffy Romance Books to Read Immediately // How to Become a More Efficient Reader

30 Novels With Badass Female Characters

You can find a synopsis of each book below, along with links to buy a copy for yourself! Make sure to follow me on The StoryGraph to read my reviews and bookstagram to see my aesthetic photos of these titles and more.

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) - Leigh Bardugo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Grishaverse Collection – Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his lifeβ€”a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Buy the trilogy: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Wilderwood Duology – Hannah Whitten

The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf.

For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark, sweeping debut fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn’t the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.

When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfoldsβ€”revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden loveβ€”Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Read my review | Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

Read my review | Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Shades of Magic Trilogy – V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antariβ€”magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnesβ€”Red Londonβ€”and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

Buy the trilogy: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Falconer Trilogy – Elizabeth May

One girl’s nightmare is this girl’s faery tale

She’s a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a titleβ€”and drop-dead beauty.

She’s a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she’s leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sΓ¬thΓ­cheanβ€”the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humansβ€”and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She’s a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weaponsβ€”from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistolsβ€”ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She’s a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother’s murderβ€”but she’ll have to save the world first.

Buy the trilogy: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Into the Heartless Wood – Joanna Ruth Meyer

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.

When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.

Epic, heartbreaking, and darkly atmospheric, Into the Heartless Wood is the story of impossible love between a monstrous tree siren and a boy who lives at the edge of her wood.

Read my review | Read my author interview | Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Echo North (+ companion novel) – Joanna Ruth Meyer

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolfβ€”the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Sound of Stars – Alechia Dow

Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves forbidden pop music work together to save humanity?

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle β€œEllie” Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. Deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, humanity’s emotional transgressions are now grounds for execution. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They’re both breaking the rules for love of artβ€”and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie’sβ€”and humanity’sβ€”fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solutionβ€”thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while making a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin Duology – Roseanne A. Brown

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal dealβ€”kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

Read my audiobook narrator interview | Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Poet X – Elizabeth Acevedo

A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayersβ€”especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

With the Fire on High – Elizabeth Acevedo

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain β€” and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life β€” and all the rules everyone expects her to play by β€” once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

When You Get the Chance – Emma Lord

A bighearted novel about falling in love, making a mess, and learning to let go, When You Get the Chance is the next effervescent novel from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club pick You Have a Match.

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream of becoming a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super introverted dad, who raised Millie alone since she was a baby. Not her drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not her β€œMillie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm. Millie needs an ally. And when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to doβ€”find her mom.

But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Renegades Trilogy – Marissa Meyer

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies β€” humans with extraordinary abilities β€” who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone… except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice β€” and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Buy the trilogy: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Lunar Chronicles – Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.

She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

You Should See Me in a Crown – Leah Johnson

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Belladonna (series in progress) – Adalyn Grace

A girl confronts Deathβ€”and her own deathly powersβ€”in this Gothic-infused, romantic young adult fantasy.

Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-beingβ€”and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove’s patriarch, Elijah, mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. And when Lillian’s spirit confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe could be next to die.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian’s murder is an alliance with Death himselfβ€”the very man she hates most. And Death, that fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Bone Grace Duology – Kathryn Purdie

Bone ​Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.

Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwinedβ€”in life and in death.

Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditionsβ€”and their matriarchβ€”to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.

Buy the duology: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Wicked Lovely Series – Melissa Marr

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty – especially if they learn of her Sight – and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention.
But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost β€” regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr’s stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

All the Stars and Teeth Duology – Adalyn Grace

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer β€” the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder β€” and more peril β€” than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Buy the duology: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill – Abbi Waxman

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re allβ€”or mostly allβ€”excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

The Flatshare – Beth O’Leary

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird – Josie Silver

Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible.

But she was wrong. On her twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.

So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life–and perhaps even love–again.

But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened.

Lydia is pulled again and again across the doorway of her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. But there’s an emotional toll to returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there’s someone in her new life, her real life, who wants her to stay.

Written with Josie Silver’s trademark warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Kyoshi Novels – F.C. Yee

F. C. Yee’s The Rise of Kyoshi delves into the story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom–born Avatar. The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Buy the duology: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Caraval Trilogy – Stephanie Garber

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caravalβ€”the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the showβ€”are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.

Buy the trilogy: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Hunger Games Series – Suzanne Collins

Could you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead beforeβ€”and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra #1 | series in progress) – Emily Thiede

Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?

Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

The Friend Zone (+ companion novels) – Abby Jimenez

Kristen Petersen doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristenβ€”especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Three Dark Crowns Series – Kendare Blake

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is bornβ€”three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Buy the series: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Six Crimson Cranes Duology – Elizabeth Lim

A princess in exile, the boy she left at the altar, six enchanted cranes, and a dragon from the deepest sea… From the author of Spin the Dawn comes a breathtakingly original fantasy inspired by East Asian folklore and perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo or Tomi Adeyemi.

Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne–a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain–no matter what it costs her.

Buy the duology: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Do you have any favorite books with especially badass female characters?


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In: Books · Tagged: badass female characters, badass women, books, books for women, strong female lead, strong women, women's fiction

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Comments

  1. Lindsey says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:47 AM

    Oh my goodness, I’m ashamed that the only ones of these I’ve read is the Flatshare and Hunger Games, although a Song of Wraith and Ruin is nearing the top of my TBR pile right now. The covers and the fact that they have strong female characters means I definitely want to check out all of these now – thanks for the recommendations!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:17 PM

      Don’t be ashamed! Those are excellent picks to begin with. I’m so glad that you’re planning to read A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. I hope you love it as much as I do. It’s fantastic!!

      Reply
  2. Claudia says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:27 AM

    I just downloaded ACOTAR because there was a Kindle Deal yesterday! I’ve seen The Sound of Stars more than once, now, so I’m tempted!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:17 PM

      Haha! I hope you enjoy it. That first book is an absolute doozy and I hate it with a fiery passion, but it gets better after that πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. LoΓ―ne says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:30 AM

    I have read so many of these!! I feel super proud haha. Recently, I’ve read Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner with a strong female lead. It’s a highly feminist novel that I strongly recommend if you’re looking for some girl power and a bit of fantasy.
    Great article as always! Keep writing! xx

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:17 PM

      Oooh I haven’t heard of that one prior to your suggestion, so I’ll need to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation, friend!

      Reply
  4. Eleanor Jones says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:31 AM

    I need to try the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- and I’ve heard so much about it! Thank you for sharing these recommendations, I love a strong female lead x

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:21 PM

      You definitely need to check it out! It’s definitely one of my favorites and I wrote a whole review on it πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. A Cup of Wonderland says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:45 AM

    I’m so happy to see Evelyn Hugo appear on this list – she’s definitely such a strong lead and really vivid character that’s still with me even though I read the book over. year ago now! So happy to see Rise of Kyoshi and Sound of Stars on this list too as I really want to pick them up soon!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:26 PM

      YESS! I loved it (which is why it got a solo review a couple of weeks ago!) And I’m so glad you’ve even heard of Rise of Kyoshi and The Sound of Stars. Those are great books – The Sound of Stars was one of my favorites last summer!

      Reply
  6. Kayleigh Zara says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:50 AM

    I’ve read so many of the books on this list and I love them. The flat share was one of my favourite isolation reads during lockdown last year. Loved this post x

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:27 PM

      That makes me happy! I’m glad you enjoyed The Flatshare. It’s one of my favorite contemporary romance novels πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Taylor says

    February 15, 2021 at 11:03 AM

    SOO Many of these are on my TBR right now, and I’m hoping to get to them in 2021! One of my favorite female leads is Helen in Happiness for Beginners!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:27 PM

      Ooh I haven’t read that one but I’ll definitely need to add it to my list. Thanks for the recommendation!

      Reply
  8. Katrina says

    February 15, 2021 at 11:32 AM

    I’ll have to add some of these to my TBR! I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo yesterday and it was incredible. Such a thrilling read.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:27 PM

      It seems like right now is a super popular time to read it because I’ve had several friends finish it within the last couple of weeks! It’s such a good book!

      Reply
  9. Lizzie says

    February 15, 2021 at 12:04 PM

    What an amazing round up of books! The Hunger Games was always one of my faves! All of these sound incredible!

    Lizzie
    http://www.lizzieinlace.com

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:28 PM

      I mean, Katniss is such a classic “leading lady” that I just HAD to include that trilogy!

      Reply
  10. Sarah Styf says

    February 15, 2021 at 1:32 PM

    I love Elizabeth Acevedo. She is so fantastic.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:28 PM

      Agreed!!! I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her, but these two certainly stood out to me the most. I specifically adored The Poet X because I listened to the audiobook and it was narrated by Elizabeth. She did a phenomenal job performing!

      Reply
  11. Brooke Ressell says

    February 15, 2021 at 2:05 PM

    Wow! So many greats on this list. And the best part is I haven’t read all of them. Adding a bunch to my list. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:29 PM

      I’m glad that I can provide some new recommendations!

      Reply
  12. Katie says

    February 15, 2021 at 2:17 PM

    I love this. Definitely saving this to keep coming back to x

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:29 PM

      That makes me so happy to hear. I hope you can find some new favorites from the list πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Lucy says

    February 15, 2021 at 2:19 PM

    The Flat Share was my favourite read of last year and I like the sound of these other books too! x

    Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:29 PM

      The Flatshare is such a great book! I know a lot of people love it too – and for good reason. It’s a phenomenal contemporary romance and Tiffy is such a strong woman!

      Reply
  14. Katy says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:01 PM

    Love this list, I’m expanding my reading list, so will definitely add some of these!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:30 PM

      That’s great to hear! I hope you can find some inspiration from this list πŸ™‚

      Reply
  15. Jen Keefe says

    February 15, 2021 at 6:24 PM

    YES! Thank you so much for posting this list. I realized about five years ago how important it is for me to fill my mind, head and ears with the voices of strong women! Avatar is incredible! I’m not sure if there is a graphic novel for this one but have you watched the show Stephen Universe? It is uber progressive and made up of ALL FEMALE superheroes. Oh my gosh. I could cry just thinking about it! My favorite show ever!

    Again, thanks for the post!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:50 AM

      I’m so glad that you liked this post! It’s great that you’ve been incorporating that kind of entertainment into your life! I have watched Stephen Universe, but it’s not something I regularly watch – in fact, as a whole, I don’t watch a ton of tv (as I’m so busy reading books haha)

      Reply
  16. Vanessa says

    February 15, 2021 at 7:36 PM

    I haven’t read any of these yet but I definitely added some to my list! Thanks! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:50 AM

      Oh wow! None of them?! I hope you do get a chance to read some of them!

      Reply
  17. Tanvi Rastogi says

    February 15, 2021 at 8:08 PM

    I have read a few you have on here and adding others to my list. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was one of my favorite reads the year before.

    β₯ tanvii.com

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:50 AM

      That will forever be one of my favorite books. It’s like Abbi wrote it about me haha.

      Reply
  18. Hannah says

    February 16, 2021 at 2:54 AM

    I have a few of these on my bookshelf waiting to be read! I’m excited to read them now.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:50 AM

      That’s so exciting to hear. I can’t wait to find out what you think once you’ve read them πŸ™‚

      Reply
  19. Alexia MyBookVision says

    February 16, 2021 at 3:13 AM

    Thank you soooo much for this list. My wishlist has grown enormously πŸ˜…
    I also love book with strong women, the last one I read was Heresy by Melissa Lenhardt : a group of women who decided to live by themself in the far west time πŸ™ŒπŸ»

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:51 AM

      That’s so awesome to hear! I hope you thoroughly enjoy lots of these titles in the future πŸ™‚ I haven’t heard of that book before. I’ll have to check it out. Sounds fascinating!

      Reply
  20. Rosie Ireland says

    February 16, 2021 at 3:29 AM

    Yess I am so happy that you have created this post, I need more famle heavy books to read!

    Rosie

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:51 AM

      That’s awesome to hear! I hope this inspires you to pick up some new titles!

      Reply
  21. Lauren says

    February 16, 2021 at 9:19 AM

    This is a great idea for a blog post. I am wanting to read more this year and always looking for book recommendations. Thank you for sharing this list.

    Lauren http://www.bournemouthgirl.com

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:57 PM

      Well, my blog is always gonna have new book ideas for you if you need suggestions πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  22. taffy says

    February 16, 2021 at 10:21 AM

    wow what a great compilation of books. i love them because, for a change they have great female leads. will definitely read a few of these over the weekends

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:57 PM

      There are definitely plenty of books with female leads, but I think some of them are stronger than others. These are just my favorites!

      Reply
  23. Lee says

    February 16, 2021 at 6:51 PM

    Oh you know I am all for anything with a strong female lead! yaaasssss! I’m pinning this so I can keep coming back to it when I need new book ideas! I have three on my list right now (just started the first) but am adding some of these after that!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:18 PM

      Heck yes!!! I can’t wait to hear what you think if you do read any of these. Which are the three on your list right now?

      Reply
  24. Charity says

    February 16, 2021 at 8:12 PM

    I always love a novel with a strong female lead. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome list!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:18 PM

      Me too, clearly! I know these are all over the place, genre-wise, but they’re just some of my favorites!

      Reply
  25. Merry Sari says

    February 16, 2021 at 10:11 PM

    Feel so guilty because I only have 5 of these books on my list! I’ve heard about The Rise Of Kyoshi before but I haven’t read the books yet. Thanks for the recommendations x

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:20 PM

      Oh gosh, there’s no need to feel guilty!! It’s an extensive list and several of them are series! There’s plenty of time for all the books you want to read πŸ™‚ Rise of Kyoshi is a great place to start – especially if you like AtLA!

      Reply
  26. Rach says

    February 17, 2021 at 7:46 AM

    What a great list!! I feel like lately I have been picking up books with amazing female leads. I don’t know if I naturally gravitate towards them or not but it is rare for me to find a book with a male lead haha.

    http://www.rdsobsessions.com

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:21 PM

      That’s so awesome! I don’t think I read many books with male leads in general, but sometimes the female leads aren’t as strong, if that makes sense. Like, sometimes they’re just described as “different from other girls” but the only difference is that they like to wear sneakers and no makeup. It’s important to me that they actually have good character arcs!

      Reply
  27. Deborah says

    February 17, 2021 at 11:19 AM

    What a great list! I’m still on the waitlist for Evelyn Hugo and I so want to read that! I also just got on the waitlist for Addie LaRue per your recommendation! Can’t wait to read them!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:21 PM

      Ooh that’s so awesome to hear! Definitely two of my favorites and I’m hopeful that you enjoy them as much as I did!

      Reply
  28. Raji says

    February 17, 2021 at 11:40 AM

    I’ve read most of these and I totally agree, these are all great examples of books with strong female leads. I should really get around to reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo one of these days. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:22 PM

      It’s so fun to know that you’ve read most of them! Great choices πŸ˜‰ I think you’ll love Evelyn Hugo. It’s a phenomenal story!

      Reply
  29. Cristina Rosano says

    February 18, 2021 at 10:23 AM

    Oh wow, I haven’t read even half of them but added to my never-ending TBR! Just finished The Flatshare and totally loved Tiffy, Gerty and Rachel! Have A song of wraiths and ruin on my shelves and can’t wait to start that. Thank you for sharing x

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:22 PM

      Oh my gosh, The Flatshare is one of my forever favorite contemporary romances. It was just so well done!! I’m glad you enjoyed it πŸ™‚ A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is FANTASTIC. Such a good story with so many emotional, thought-provoking moments.

      Reply
  30. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    February 19, 2021 at 7:13 AM

    Definitely need to add a lot of these to my TBR! Strong female leads are my favorite!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      February 19, 2021 at 9:39 AM

      Me too! There are a lot of books with female leads that aren’t particularly fierce or admirable, but these books and series caught my attention!

      Reply
  31. Kristina says

    February 22, 2021 at 9:08 PM

    That’s awesome that you compiled a book list with strong leading ladies!

    Reply
  32. Erin says

    February 25, 2021 at 12:44 AM

    This review list is epic! I loved into the heartless wood!

    Reply
  33. Bailey says

    February 26, 2021 at 8:15 AM

    These look fantastic! I love finding books with strong female leads!

    Reply
  34. Nayomi says

    February 26, 2021 at 9:47 AM

    Some really awesome suggestion here. I’ve been meaning to read The Poet X for a while now and now I definitely read it next

    Reply
  35. Genesis says

    February 27, 2021 at 8:29 PM

    As a huge Avatar fan, the Kyoshi novels look amazing! I didn’t know they had published books related to the show! One I read recently with a great female lead was “Mexican Gothic”. Thanks for the great recommendations!

    Reply
  36. Margot says

    August 10, 2021 at 10:59 AM

    I really enjoyed the lost apothecary now I want to discover theses others books.
    I would love to read Shadow and bone since I enjoyed the tv show.
    xx
    Margot
    https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com

    Reply
  37. Jahid Hasan says

    October 4, 2021 at 1:10 PM

    Hy Stephanie, thanks for the wonderful collection list. I just ordered “into the heartless wood” for my girlfriend. Hope she would like it.
    Though she is not an active reader, can you suggest me a easy to read book from the list? I want to give her 2 books.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Whitman says

      October 5, 2021 at 2:39 PM

      I’m so glad to hear that. It’s my favorite book and I hope she really enjoys it! I would consider all of these to be pretty easy reads, but if you want something that’s lighthearted and quick, I’d suggest The Flatshare or You Should See Me in a Crown πŸ™‚

      Reply
  38. Lovely says

    March 7, 2022 at 1:47 AM

    I have only read few of these books. I will check out the rest.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    http://www.mynameislovely.com

    Reply
  39. Cristina Rosano says

    March 7, 2022 at 6:06 AM

    All for strong female leads and glad to already have read many of them and found plenty more to add to my list! I have The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my TBR this month and really need to read Into the heartless woods and Crimson Cranes! x

    Reply
  40. Charlotte Birchall says

    March 7, 2022 at 9:25 AM

    I am always looking for more books to read. I have only read one of these books, that being hunger games. I will be adding these books to my reading list. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  41. GWT says

    March 7, 2022 at 9:32 AM

    Currently, I have 2 of these books in my possession and reading. Six Crimson Cranes holding my attention at the moment.
    Away from these, The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo keeps calling out to me.

    Reply
  42. Giulia says

    March 7, 2022 at 9:54 AM

    Some popular titles here, and I thought many likely had strong female leads!

    I am so jealous you have that signed copy of Into the Heartless Wood!

    Reply
  43. I'm All Booked Up says

    March 7, 2022 at 10:19 AM

    Thanks for all the recommendations! We’ve read a few of these.

    Reply
  44. Sumedha says

    March 7, 2022 at 10:39 AM

    I see so many books that i’ve enjoyed in this list! one from this in my tbr already is For the Wolf. ive been getting curious about fantasy romance which i generally don’t read but sounds great now. glad to hear it has a good lead!

    Reply
  45. Maria Kossman says

    March 7, 2022 at 11:48 AM

    I find that as it gets closer to spring those are exactly the type of books I crave: romance with a strong woman character in it.
    Thank you for those suggestions! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  46. Lizzie says

    March 7, 2022 at 12:51 PM

    Such a great idea for a post! I’m all about strong female leads and when I saw the title, I immediately thought of the The Hunger Games lol! One of my all-time faves! All of these sound worthwhile though and I love that many of them are quite new to me!

    Reply
  47. readandreviewit says

    March 7, 2022 at 1:24 PM

    I’m so glad to see some of my favourite books on here – Shadow And Bone, The Invisible Life Of Addie and The Hunger Games are all firm favourites of mine! Quite a few of these are on my tbr too, I really want to Three Dark Crowns soon in particular. I read To Kill A Kingdom recently and I think that has a really strong female lead too! Thank you so much for sharing x

    Reply
  48. Lisa says

    March 7, 2022 at 1:25 PM

    Oh my goodness, I absolutely ADORED Lila Bard in the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. And I can see quite a few books on here that are in my shopping basket already. Have you read the Alice/Red Queen/Looking Glass trilogy by Christina Henry? I think you’d love them, Alice is FAB!

    Reply
  49. Neely Moldovan says

    March 7, 2022 at 3:25 PM

    Oh yes so many great female leads in these books! Some of my favorites too!

    Reply
  50. Jaya Avendel says

    March 7, 2022 at 3:59 PM

    Loving this list of amazing books all starring dynamic and interesting female leads! To see Kyoshi from Avatar: The Last Airbender make an appearance here too makes me so happy. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  51. Caroline says

    March 7, 2022 at 4:15 PM

    I love the sound of The Friend Zone, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill & The Two Lives of Lydia Bird! Adding all three to my list now, a book with a strong female lead is always good x

    Reply
  52. Sarah says

    March 7, 2022 at 5:31 PM

    I’ve only read three on this list (Cinder, The Hunger Games, and The Flatshare) but I have to admit those ones do have some pretty badass female characters in them. So many of these sound fantastic that I think I have to do the smartest thing and add them all to my TBR. Can’t wait to check them out!

    Reply
  53. Charity says

    March 7, 2022 at 7:28 PM

    What a great list of strong female lead characters! I will have to check some of these books out. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  54. Jenny in Neverland says

    March 8, 2022 at 6:19 AM

    Great post! I do love a book with a strong female lead and this is perfect for International Women’s Day. I just finished SLAY which has an amazing female lead!

    Reply
  55. Raji says

    March 8, 2022 at 11:45 AM

    What a great selection! I’ve read many of these and quite a few of them are among my favorites. One series from this list I really want to finish is The Falconer trilogy, I never really got around to reading the second and third books. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  56. Lauren says

    March 8, 2022 at 3:18 PM

    A great post for IWD too! This is a huge list of fantastic women leads! There are a lot of books I haven’t heard of before. Thank you for sharing such an awesome list.

    Lauren – bournemouthgirl

    Reply
  57. Corinne says

    March 8, 2022 at 6:54 PM

    I love a strong female lead! I read the Hunger Game books years ago so was so glad to see it included πŸ™‚

    Corinne x

    Reply
  58. Anika says

    March 10, 2022 at 8:18 AM

    Thanks for sharing your recommendations! I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and Elizabeth Acevedo’s characters, they’re both always so entertaining but still human. Definitely favourites.

    Reply
  59. Caroline says

    September 14, 2022 at 12:29 PM

    A book with a strong female is always a good book! I really like the sound of With the Fire on High, and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill x

    Reply
  60. Sandie says

    September 20, 2022 at 4:09 AM

    I just finished The Flatshare this month. LOVE it so much and thanks for your recommendation!!

    Reply

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What’s one series installment you’re excited f What’s one series installment you’re excited for this year? πŸ“š
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After the dramatic ending of The Ballad of Never After, I’m counting down til the release of A Curse for True Love! 🦊 I need to know what happens next because I’m going absolutely nuts right now πŸ˜…
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I’m also so excited for Foxglove, The Brothers Hawthorne, This Cursed Light, and Threads of Power - a few series continuations that I just know are gonna be phenomenal! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ
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Are any of these on your radar? πŸ‘€
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Do you plan to read romance books during Love Mont Do you plan to read romance books during Love Month? 🀎
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Pretty much my entire TBR this month is just cute romances and I can’t wait to dive in πŸ“– 
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Some of the titles I’m most excited about:
πŸŽ“ Begin Again by Emma Lord
πŸ“š Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
🌻 In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
πŸ’• Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
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Have you read any of these or are any of them on your TBR? πŸ“
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What are your favorite high seas adventure books? What are your favorite high seas adventure books? πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ

If I’m being totally truthful, I haven’t read that many of them BUT I just finished my reread of All the Stars and Teeth and was reminded how much I love it 😍 I need more books like this! 🌊

Give me recommendations for books with pirates, mermaids and sirens, island curses, and other high seas goodness βš“οΈ

Have you read All the Stars and Teeth? πŸ§œπŸΌβ€β™€οΈ

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How would your favorite book character take their How would your favorite book character take their coffee? β˜•οΈ
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My favorite fictional character of all time is Genya Safin from the Grishaverse 🀍 This badass Tailor has a taste for the finer things and would absolutely drink a deliciously dark roast with notes of cherry, walnut, and rich chocolate 🀀 I think she would enjoy a café au lait -- drip coffee with steamed milk -- that David prepared for her in a drip coffee contraption of his own making 🫢🏼
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Did I go way too in-depth on this just because I love these characters and coffee a little too much? πŸ™ˆ Maybe I did, but it was fun πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ
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How do YOU take your coffee? 🀎
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What was your last 5-star romance read? ⭐️ It What was your last 5-star romance read? ⭐️

It was absolutely wonderful to end 2022 with Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez 😍 I don’t like to pick favorites when it comes to my top authors, but this adorable fake dating romance may very well be my favorite book by her! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ

I’m a seriously picky romance reader, but Abby’s blend of sweetness and substance never ceases to amaze me and Yours Truly was no exception 🀎 Just like her previous novels, this one made me cry my eyes out as I saw bits and pieces of myself in each of the characters πŸ₯Ή It was just SO GOOD, y’all, and you can find the full review on my blog! 🫢🏼

Are you planning to pick up Yours Truly when it comes out in April? πŸ“– Have you read any of Abby’s other phenomenal romance novels? πŸ₯°

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What was the last book you read in one sitting? πŸ’

Honestly, it’s not very often that I finish a book in one day - either because I find myself too busy or I just can’t concentrate for such a long period of time πŸ˜…

BUT every once in a while, I have a weekend day where I can just fully sink into a story and enjoy it from start to finish without distractions πŸ“– That’s what I did with BEACH READ last Sunday and it was wonderful πŸ₯° I read it when it first came out, but this time, I really got to enjoy it in a new way - and I couldn’t put it down! πŸ™ˆ 

If only I could have more days like that πŸ˜‚ Have you read Beach Read or anything else by Emily Henry? β˜€οΈ

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Why did you join bookstagram? πŸ“– β €β €β €β €β € Why did you join bookstagram? πŸ“–
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Today is my third bookstaversary, friends! 🀎 I can't begin to express how thankful I am for this wonderful community and how it has impacted my life over the last three years πŸ₯Ή
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As many of you know, I was a full-time fashion blogger for over five years and somewhere along the line, I found that I just didn't love it anymore πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ I wanted to find somewhere I could truly be myself and spend more time talking about fantasy novels, crisp autumn mornings, a great cup of coffee, and how to achieve the ultimate cozy lifestyle β˜•οΈ
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I joined bookstagram in 2020, thinking it would just be a fun little hobby to have on the side while I continued my fashionista hustle... and a year later, I rebranded EVERYTHING to The Espresso Edition πŸ™ŒπŸΌ I've made talking about books and coziness my full-time gig and I couldn't be happier about it 😍
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Thank you all for welcoming me to this wild and wonderful corner of the internet πŸ™ˆ Cheers to tons more bookish goodness! πŸ“š
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How long have you been on bookstagram? πŸ“±
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Would you take the protagonist of your current rea Would you take the protagonist of your current read for a cup of coffee? β˜•οΈ
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There have been quite a few characters I've read about this month who I'd love to sit down and chat with over a hot bev πŸ₯°
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However, from my current reads, I would NOT take anyone from Jade Legacy (because you never know who might end up unaliving), I'd definitely take both Kell and Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic, I'm not entirely sure I'd enjoy coffee with Katniss from The Hunger Games (since she's not the most exciting conversationalist), but I'd absolutely love chatting it up with Alina from Shadow and Bone! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ
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Have you read any of the books I'm currently reading? πŸ“š
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What is a spin-off series that you prefer over the What is a spin-off series that you prefer over the originals? πŸ“š

This past year, I either began or finished a few spin-off series that I found myself enjoying even more than their predecessors πŸ™ˆ The Dreamer Trilogy (the first of which is featured here) BLEW ME AWAY even though I just *sorta-kinda* liked The Raven Cycle 😱 But there I was, sobbing my eyes out at the end of Greywaren 😭 So freaking good! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ

Typically I’m all about the OG series (like Shadow and Bone), but every once in a while, there’s a really great spin-off or continuation that I wind up just loving! 🀩 I’m excited to discover even more this year πŸ—“οΈ

Have you read The Dreamer Trilogy yet? πŸ’­

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#lightacademiaaesthetic #lightacademia #cozyaesthetic #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #cozybookstagram #bookaesthetic #booktography #bookphotography #vintagemood #bookseverywhere #hyggebookstyle #quietshadesofbrown #bookmoments #ofcosymoments #booksandcoffee #coffeeandbooks #fortheloveofreading #bookrecommendations #booksuggestions #booksonbooks #booknookstagram #thedreamertrilogy #calldownthehawk #theravencycle #theravenboys #fantasybooks #spinoffseries
What are some of your favorite stand-alone fantasy What are some of your favorite stand-alone fantasy books? βš”οΈ
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Crazy enough, my very favorite book of all time is a stand-alone fantasy 😱 If you don't listen to a single other book recommendation I have this year, that's fine, but *please* read Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer 🌲 It is absolute perfection! 🀌🏼
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Some of my other favorite stand-alone fantasy books:
🌿 THE NATURE OF WITCHES
✨ THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE
πŸ— THE STARLESS SEA (on audiobook)
πŸ’€ THE BONE HOUSES
πŸŒ™ WINTERWOOD
πŸ’” HEARTLESS
πŸ¦‰ WILD IS THE WITCH
πŸ•―οΈ GALLANT
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Have you read any of these books? πŸ“– 
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#cozyaesthetic #mybeigelife #bookcommunity #thepursuitofcosiness #cozytime #fortheloveofreading #bookaesthetic #booksandcoffee #cozybookstagram #cozyvibes #cozycore #cozylife #hyggebookstyle #coffeecoffeecoffee #coffeeandbooks #wintervibes #winter #bookflatlay #booksuggestions #bookrecommendations #fantasybooks #standalonebooks #standalonefantasy #sffbooks #yafantasybooks #adultfantasybooks

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