Hi everyone! So, until about half an hour ago, I had no idea what Galentine’s Day was. All I knew was that it happens to be today, February 13th, and I saw it mentioned on Twitter a few times. But, as this article has so helpfully told me, Galentine’s Day is a day for celebrating women. Or, as the article says, ladies celebrating ladies. It was first mentioned on an episode of Parks and Recreation, and while I admittedly haven’t seen very much of the show (I’m so sorry please don’t hit me), I thought the idea sounded pretty cool. And then that made me want to write about some of the favorite lady characters I’ve read about. The only thing is that I have to head to bed soon so if this is slightly less coherent then usual, you have my sincerest apologies. Okay cool female characters go.

1. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowing

Hermione was the first character that popped into my head when I was thinking about this post, and there are many, many reasons why. Hermione is so purely awesome–she’s smart, she’s brave, she’s kind. But she’s also very human and flawed. She’s amazingly good at magic, and I wish I was half as hardworking as she is, because then I would be so much better at not procrastinating on, oh, everything. We all know Harry and Ron would be totally lost without her. Plus, she’s a total bookworm, so of course I relate to her on a deeply personal level.

2. Alanna of Trebond from the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce

If there is one book character that makes me want to bow down and gush about how cool I think she is, it’s probably Alanna of Trebond. Alanna is without a doubt one of the most awesome characters I’ve read about–she disguises herself as boy for years as she trains to be a knight of the realm in her home of Tortall. Of course, this isn’t easy, especially when she finds herself making a very, very powerful enemy. I think what I love most about Alanna is how fiery and tough she is. She is completely herself (despite the whole disguising herself as a boy thing), and she’s also feminist in a way that makes my heart do a tap dance of joy. If you have yet to read the Song of the Lioness series, for the love of God, please do. Alanna is fantastic. And I am endlessly jealous of the fact that she can both swordfight and do magic.

3. Lizzie Bright Griffin from Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

I read Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy a long time ago, and I really need to pick it up again, but Lizzie Bright Griffin had a lot to do with why I loved it so much. She’s smart and clever and not afraid to speak her mind, and she changes the life of Turner Buckminster in a myriad of ways. She’s brave, too, even in the face of the prejudice and racism she faces from the white people near where she lives. She truly is bright, in every sense of the word. Just please don’t make me talk me talk about the ending because tears. There will be tears everywhere. (Also, this book is both a Newbery and a Printz Honor, which I think is pretty cool.)

4. Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

Oh, Elizabeth Bennet. Jane Austen referred to her as “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print,” and I don’t blame her in the least. We’re reading Pride and Prejudice for my English class right now, and I love being able to rediscover how much I adore Lizzy’s character. She’s intelligent and witty and kind, while also being flawed. She’s very human, and so, so much fun to read about. I think she’s definitely my favorite character in the book, with Darcy coming in as a close second.

5. Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

>sobs violently into pillow<

Ahem. Anyway.

Hazel is one of my favorite things about The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel has cancer, yes, but that is by no means all there is to her character. I love her voice in the novel, the way she describes things and the things she says. I love that she says things like, “Suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not in any way affect the taste of chocolate.” She’s smart and nerdy and honest, and has a bit of a smart mouth, which means I’m pretty much guaranteed to like her. Also, she has such a love of books, and I am a sucker for characters who love books. (Also people who love books.) (Also she loves poetry, so extra points.)

6. Phillis Wheatley from Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi

Ann Rinaldi’s books are so ridiculously good, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons is one of her best. It covers years of Phillis Wheatley’s life, from childhood to adulthood, and I loved being able to read about her character. Phillis is tough and smart, not to mention kind and complex. She adores writing, and I loved reading about her discovery of it, of her writing the poems that people still read today. I couldn’t put this book down, and part of me (or all of me) wishes there was a sequel could I keep reading about Phillis forever.

7. Amelia McBride from the Amelia Rules! series

The Amelia McBride comics are some of my favorites in pretty much ever. I remember devouring these books when I was in elementary school, and they can still suck me in. Amelia is the glowing main character and narrator, and I loved reading about her adventures with her friends, superhero escapades and all. She’s spunky and clever, and doesn’t always know when to keep her mouth shut, which somehow makes her even more likable. The Amelia Rules! books are some of my favorite graphic novels of all time, and a lot of that is due to Amelia herself. Not to mention that her Aunt Tanner is absolutely awesome.

8. Alexandra Bergson from O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Alexandra is arguably one of the coolest characters in fiction ever. She grows up on the prairies of Nebraska, and almost single-handedly turns their family’s plot of land into a prosperous farm, with help from her brothers and friends. Alexandra is incredibly intelligent and smart, and I wish I had some of the persistence and energy that she does. Then again, thank god I don’t live on the prairie, because I wouldn’t survive a day.

9. Beth and Jo March from Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott

Believe it or not, I actually hadn’t read Little Women until just this past Christmas, >ducks to avoid thrown tomatoes<, but I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed reading about all the March sisters, but Beth and Jo are without a doubt my favorites. Jo is endlessly spirited and clever, and Beth is the kind of character I want to hug for ages and then make cookies for. I loved Jo’s spunkiness, as well as reading about her writing, and I wish I could be even half as sweet as Beth is. There’s a reason I was sitting up in bed weeping in the middle of the night when I got to you-know-what. They may just be my favorite characters in the entire book. (Also, it thrills me to no end that Katharine Hepburn plays Jo in the movie adaptation. It seems so fitting.)

10. Cimorene from The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

This was one of my favorite fantasy series as a kid, and it still is. Cimorene is a princess, sure, but she doesn’t exactly want to be, nor does she want to get married. So, of course, she runs away and lives with a dragon. And that’s just the beginning. Cimorene is adventurous and smart and wry in a way that I love, and her friendship with the dragon, Kazul, is actually one of my favorites in the whole series. I have half a mind to go back and read about Cimorene all over again. Plus, she makes an excellent cherry jubilee.

There are many, many other characters I could think of to add to this list, but I’m afraid that’s all for now. Also, I should really be getting to bed. So Happy Galentine’s Day to all, and to all a good night!

Bookish Quote of the Day: “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” —Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

P.S. Yes, I know that quote is magnificently out of season. Please don’t judge me. I miss our Christmas tree.

P.P.S. Also Flavia de Luce from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. A precocious 11 year old chemist who solves mysteries and has a specialty in poisons–what more could you want?