Female Characters Week....Ciara Guest Post

The last guest post for this week is from the awesome Ciara. I love that so many awesome female characters were given some praise. I have found some great TV shows, and books to check out, and hope you have to.

Be sure to check out Ciara's blog and follow her on Twitter.

A big thank you to all the participants in this week!
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When Kathy asked me to do a post all about female heroines I was ecstatic. I love fierce heroines, and there are so many of them out there. I knew very quickly who I wanted to talk about, because she is one of my favourite protagonists of all time. And who is that girl? Well, it’s none other than Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Rose is the definition of a badass. She is a tough girl with an attitude and has some hilarious one-liners. She fights evil vampires for a living, and fiercely protects the ones she loves. But, besides being a fighter, she’s also an amazing friend and a passionate person. We get to see her go through an emotional rollercoaster throughout the series but she braves it all with her head held high. I love her sarcasm, her wit, and just her personality in general. I would love to have as a friend because she simply rocks my socks. For me, she is one of the best female heroines in YA because she ecompasses everything I admire: strength, determination, and heart. No one has more heart than Rose Hathaway, and I love her for it.

And while I think Rose is fantastic, I also think you can’t count out the less kick-butt heroines. So, I want to also talk about the heroine that gets a lot of, in my opinion, undeserved hate. That heroine is Juliette from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi.

We all expected Juliette to be a bad-ass. We expected her to jump off the page, guns a-blazing, fighting the good fight, and destroying the bad guy. We expected her to be an undeniable hero because that's what we've come to expect from YA female protagonists. And that's okay. I think it's pretty cool that we've progressed so far as a society that girls who are strong and fierce are just accepted. I really think it's fantastic. And I love to read about it, I truely do. But, in saying that, we can't dismiss those heroes that aren't as proactive. Juliette is petrified. Juliette is overwhelmed. Juliette is exactly what most people in her situation would be like. She has the ability to kill people with her touch, making it literally impossible for her to be close to anyone. All she's ever been told is that she's a monster. That kind of mental abuse, which is truly what she faced is, has left permanent and damaging scars. It has led to such fear and self-hatred she’s terrified of herself. She's not just going to be able to jump up and say "Yeah! I'm a bad-ass killing machine! Let's go!". That's not who she is. Hell yeah, she's angsty. She has every right to be. She's been through complete and utter hell and it's going to take her awhile to overcome it. That's just natural. But she tries. She wants to live up to her potential, but she is so scared of it. Wouldn’t you be, if you could kill someone with your touch? It’s a power that comes with extreme emotional consequences. Who are we to fault her for them? Personally, I think Juliette is a superb heroine. She is realistic, fierce, and determined. She is a beautiful young girl who doesn’t have to be a bad-ass to be strong.

As a final thought, you should not dismiss any heroine because they don’t fit the “kick-butt” role. There are so many ways to be a strong female heroine, not just by being a badass. You can kick-butt with your intelligence, with your fierce will, with your caring heart, and with your quiet resistance. You can kick-butt with confidence, with strength, with love. Being a fierce heroine isn’t defined by being a bad-ass (although, that’s cool too). It’s defined by trying your best, by being yourself, and by doing what is right. And I am so so happy that there are so many books out there showing us what it truly means to be a heroine.

Female Characters Week.....Zareen Guest Post

Today I have Zareen stopping by with a list of her favourite female characters. Be sure to comment with some of your favourites.

You can follow Zareen on Twitter and of course her blog.

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Hi there! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Zareen, and as part of Kathy's effort to bring attention to female characters, I'm going to take some time to share five of my favorite fictional girls.

1. Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza ~ Fire And Thorns series by Rae Carson

In the simplest of terms, Elisa is a fighter. Described as overweight in the first book, she finds herself in the shadow of her attractive older sister, also the future queen of Elisa's home. She may be a princess, but Elisa's life is no fairytale. She doesn't stay out of the spotlight forever, though; Elisa is destined for greatness, and she accepts the challenge head on. Her character grows so much throughout the series, battling both internal and external conflicts that serve to strengthen her already tenacious personality.

2. Juliette Ferrars ~ Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette is the epitome of characters with potential. Though initially extremely reserved after being alone for so long, once she comes to terms with who she is, there is no stopping her. In terms of character growth, Juliette moves slowly but steadily, and even though she can get on your last nerve, it's impossible to not feel sympathy after all she has been through.

3. Alexandria "Alex" Andros ~ Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Miss Andros here is, to put it bluntly, a badass. I love that she doesn't necessarily need a man to fight her battles because she's a skilled fighter herself. She's rash and reckless, makes stupid decisions, and can't keep her mouth shut, but who doesn't love a good troublemaker?

4. Mia Price ~ Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price faces all sorts of difficulties. She's got a crumbling family situation, is supposed to save the world someday, and to top it off, happens to be a lightning addict. Despite the fact that she doesn't always make the right choices, Mia never backs down, and I continue to admire the strength of her resolve to do what's best for the people she cares about.

5. Gabriella "Gabi" Betarrini ~ River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren 

Gabriella is the only girl out of my five who isn't endowed with some sort of "gift", supernatural or otherwise, but she has the exact same spirit as the rest. She's bold, courageous, and selfless in the face of danger. She also has a big heart, and I adore that she is so invested in the happiness of her family aside from her own.

And there you have it! If you're not familiar with some or any of these books, I highly recommend all of them!

Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to Kathy for letting me participate in this fabulous event. 

Female Characters in Entertainment Week....Kelly Guest Post

Today I have the awesome Kelly from KellyVision stopping by to talk about some of her favourite female characters.

This week has already opened me up to some amazing characters I didn't even know about, and I can't wait to dive into some of the books, TV shows, etc that I am learning about.

You can follow Kelly on Twitter, and of course visit her website.
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I've been a reader for pretty much my entire life.  According to family lore, I started reading when I was three, which means that (as of April), it's been my favorite hobby for 30 years.

My reading material of choice goes through cycles (including, but not limited to, a love of chick lit, a fondness for mystery/suspense and a near-obsession with YA novels) but the one thing that stays constant is that my favorite books have strong heroines.

Obviously I love Scout, Hermione, Katniss and Tris.  Everyone does, right?  So I'm not going to talk about them; they're the understood heroines.

Instead, I'm going to talk about the less celebrated ladies, the ones who can be overshadowed by those four I just mentioned.

Growing up, I read a lot of Roald Dahl and Judy Blume.  Matilda was probably the first character who gave me a shock of recognition, that moment of "Oh, wow, that's ME."  She's smart and a reader in a family of non-readers.  And honestly, I don't think "reader" even covers it.  Like me, she's happiest when she's in another world.  And then there's Margaret, who's probably my favorite Judy Blume character ever.  I think most women my age (or around my age) read this book multiple times.  While I think we all remember Margaret's dissatisfaction with her body, I also loved her relationships with her family and her desire to figure out where she fit in---both in the world in general and with religion in particular.

I think it's completely impossible to overestimate the effect that Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski had on me.  I credit her (both of them, actually, author and character) for helping inform my politics and for giving me incentive to keep fighting for what's right.  V.I. is always brave and willing to do what's right, even at the expense of her own safety.  And even when she's beaten down (sometimes...many times...literally), she never quits.  My love for V.I. led to the Kinsey Millhone and Tess Monaghan series (and I adore both of them, too!) but V.I. is my favorite.

I'm currently reading a lot of YA novels, and even though it's easy to dismiss the narrators as whiny or dumb, there are so many amazing girls if you look for them.
I mostly find them in contemporary fiction.  I can't imagine how much it helps teens who have lost a parent to read about Amy in Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (by Morgan Matson).  She's devastated but by the end of the book, she finds the strength to keep going.  Or Alex in The Mockingbirds (by Daisy Whitney), who, after being raped becomes a voice for girls who don't have one.  Or Jaycee from The Pull of Gravity (by Gae Polisner) who is a fierce and loyal friend (and also smart and awesome).

I don't have daughters, but if I did, I would want them to be like any of those girls.  Or, better, like all of them.

Female Characters In Entertainment..... Katie Guest Post

Stopping by the blog for Female Characters week is the AWESOME Katie from Bookishly Yours. Her post talks about some female characters who receive criticism for their actions, and her take on it.

You can follow Katie on Twitter, and be sure to stop by her blog as well.

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Today I want to give some love to some awesome female characters. These women get more unwarranted hate and not enough love they deserve either because they’re misunderstood or maybe because they’re simply overshadowed by the boys.

I don’t quite understand the level of hate for Elena Gilbert (TV version) because, to me, she’s always been this strong force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to the people she cares about. She’s accepting and loving and goes to such lengths to protect people. She takes on much more than any seventeen-year-old ought to and I just can’t believe she holds up, I would have crumbled under that weight by now. Yet. YET! All fans seem to say about her is that she’s querulous and underserving of the Salvatore brothers (don’t even get me started on that) with no regard of all that she’s done for them and because of them. And what they've done to her in return. I mean, let’s not forget who killed Elena’s most precious family member: her brother.

Another character I've been seeing a lot of hate for is Juliet of the Shatter Me series. The week Unravel Me came out my Twitter timeline was chock full of unfair and unjust criticisms on Juliet. “Oh she’s so whiny!” “She puts herself down so much!” Her touch kills people. She cannot touch anyone. Or she will kill them. Her parents sent her away because they believed she was an abomination. I think I would be down on myself a tad, also. But I see a girl who tries, she’s trying to get over her insecurities – aren’t we all? – and all the things she’s been told she was since birth. She’s a fighter and she’s kind and I think she’s a really great, and yes: flawed, character.  But since when does a flawed female character equal a bad one?

Finally, Allison Argent from Teen Wolf. The girl is badass. She uses a bow and arrow! How awesome is that? She has one of the best lines of the series so far and that is when she tells her mother, “Can’t I be strong and go to prom?” because women can totally do, and be, both! Again, though, she’s constantly complained about for reasons I don’t understand.

Apparently every female character who talks about insecurities and is even the tiniest bit vulnerable is whiny and bratty and it’s a really sad thing to see fellow women giving endless understanding and excuses (many undeserving) to the male counterparts yet are so damn hard on our own sex – for qualities we ourselves most likely possess and situations we've probably all been in, at least in some way. I wish fans, especially of the female variety, could start to see female characters as portraits of ourselves and not tear them down for attributes that make them human. I know that won’t happen, at least anytime soon, so for now I will go on singing their praises.

Thanks so much for having me, Kathy!

Female Characters in Entertainment - Kathleen Guest Post

Today the awesome Kathleen Peacock, author of the amazing novel Hemlock is stopping by with her guest post on the princess from The Paper Bag Princess. I love this post and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

If you want to check out The Paper Bag Princess, you can do so by visiting Goodreads.

Be sure to visit Kathleen on her website, Facebook, and on Twitter. Also be sure to add Hemlock to your own Goodreads shelf.

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Princess, Save Thyself

“Elizabeth was a beautiful princess. She lived in a castle and had expensive princess clothes. She was going to marry a prince named Ronald.” – The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch (illustrated by Michael Martchenko)

If damsels are supposed to be in distress, no one sent Elizabeth the memo. After a dragon destroys her castle and kidnaps her fiancé, Elizabeth does the only sensible thing: she dons a paper bag—the one thing the dragon didn't burn to a crisp—and heads off to rescue her betrothed.

She doesn't call someone stronger or bigger. She doesn't cry at the enormity of the task in front of her or wait to see if her handsome prince can escape the dragon on his own. Elizabeth, to borrow a phrase from Nike, decides to “just do it” and fix things herself.

She follows the dragon’s trail, finds its lair, and in a stroke of genius, tricks the dragon into exhausting both its fire and strength.

She does it without help or praise.

She does it in spite of the fact that her castle has been destroyed and her princess clothes have been burned to ashes and the dragon normally finds princesses quite tasty.

Elizabeth is, to put it bluntly, the kind of princess every little girl deserves. She’s smart, courageous, and resourceful, and the thought that she might not be able to best dragons never occurs to her.

Munsch could have stopped there. He could have fixed himself a turkey sandwich and sat back, content in the knowledge that he had done a great job.

But he didn't.

No, he went on to give us a princess who knew her own worth.

When Elizabeth finally frees her beloved, he doesn't thank her. He doesn't show a speck of gratitude or affection. Instead, he tears her appearance to shreds and tells her to come back when she looks like a real princess.

Elizabeth doesn't cry or lose her temper or wonder if he’s right. For the first time, she sees Prince Ronald as he truly is and realizes that she doesn't like him very much. Ronald looks like a prince but acts like a bum and Elizabeth doesn't hesitate to tell him so.

The very last line of The Paper Bag Princess is “They didn't get married after all” and it’s accompanied by a joyous illustration by Michael Martchenko of a jubilant Elizabeth skipping off into the sunset, happy and on her own. The image is so iconic that Canadian publisher Annick Press uses Elizabeth’s skipping silhouette as part of their logo.

That last line and its accompanying illustration is, to me, is what makes The Paper Bag Princess one of the most important books in children’s literature.

In Elizabeth, Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko gave us a princess who is smart enough to realize that sometimes happily ever after means being happy on your own—at least for awhile. It’s a lesson most people take years to learn, if they learn it at all, and it’s why, thirty-three years after she stepped into the limelight, Elizabeth is still my kind of princess.

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About Kathleen

Kathleen spent her childhood fighting imaginary dragons, commanding make-believe armies, and piloting invisible spaceships. She writes young adult urban fantasy, including the Hemlock Trilogy (available from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins). She once saw Robert Munsch but was too shy to talk to him.

Girls In Entertainment - Brodie Guest Post

Today I have the wonderfully delightful Brodie from Eleusinian Mysteries stopping by the blog to discuss some of her favourite female characters from entertainment.

Be sure to check follow Brodie on Twitter, she's awesome!

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Hello wonderful readers of A Glass of Wine! I must applaud Kathy for this brilliant idea of celebrating the amazing females in entertainment. We ladies are quite an awesome species :D It was hard to narrow my list down to a few, given how wide and varied the selection of captivating woman there is to choose from; woman who shine for their brravery, their humour, their heart or their brains. I've chosen just a few random favourites below, and I'd love to hear if your agree with me!

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter): I think most of us instantly think of Hermione as one of the best females in literature. This strikingly intelligent girl was an inspiration to so many of us who grew up reading Harry Potter. She wasn't the most popular or commercially beautiful, and she struggled to accept what she could not define by rules and logic and books, but never did she give up on what was important, and she proved to be one of the most loyal friends you could ask for. Her heart was impossibly huge and she never stopped fighting for her beliefs, no matter how fruitful they seemed (S.P.E.W, anyone?).

Nastasya (Immortal Beloved trilogy): Nastasya is an immortal who's lived a very long, very colourful life. She's done bad things, hit the lowest of lows and given up on herself so many times over the centuries. For someone so old, she can still be immature (aren't we all?), but she's so easy to relate to because of how realistic she is. She masks her emotions with wit and sarcasm, and she constantly runs away when things get tough, but slowly she begins to change. She's not what we classify a typical hero, she doesn't suddenly lead a revolution, kill the big bad villain or overthrow a corrupt government - she does something that is perhaps far more challenging: walking the road to redemption, struggling to learn how to be a better person. It certainly doesn't happen overnight, but that's a good thing because her entertaining and often inappropriate thoughts are so fun to read!

Nikita/Alex/Amanda (Nikita): For those who have yet to catch an episode of one of the best shows on tv, Nikita is a spy-fi, action-packed assassin series that airs Friday on the CW. I am a HUGE fan. The male characters have their moments to shine, but it's really the females who own this show. Nikita is the leading lady, Alex started out as her protegee, and both can kick ass with the best of the men. They each come from dark pasts, with a combined mix of childhood trauma, drug addiction, sex slavery and plenty of betrayals. There's a lot of emotional damage, but I love that they never play the role of the victim. They're still battling their own demons, but never give up fighting the good fight, risking their own lives to take down the enemy and save innocent people. 

Amanda on the other hand, is a master at manipulation and messing with people psychologically. She's really an evil genius and I have to mention her because (especially in season 3) while you're screaming at her for all the awful things she does to your favourite characters, you can't help but admire how magnificent she is at pulling it off. She's complex and scary, with motives that are twisted yet understandable for her and hidden vulnerabilities that give balance to her downright psychotic nature. 

Mara Dyer (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer):   

She's one of the more fascinating characters in fiction because you never know what to believe with her. It's not that she deceives the reader on purpose - she knows as much as we do about her incredibly intriguing and frustratingly mysterious situation. There's both a frightening strength and fragile vulnerability to Mara that sucks you right into her story as both you and her try to decipher the cryptic and strange clues to uncovering her identity. We LOVE Noah Shaw, and he has his own mysterious persona, but it's Mara who is the most captivating enigma of the story.

Every girl in Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: 

Regardless of first impressions, you find yourself rooting for each of the cliched and eclectic personalities from these stranded teen beauty queens. They are full of stereotypes (on purpose) and are at first seemingly defined by their labels of sexuality, disability, intelligence or race. I chose this entire cast of girls because a) they're exasperatingly hilarious and b) they show that underneath the labels we so often give to woman, every girl has their own hidden insecurities, dreams and passions. Girls who struggle with their identity, crave acceptance or battle with religion or sexuality. They each began to find their own potential on a downright CRAZY journey that is laugh-out-loud funny to read and they'll all have you cheering "GIRL POWER" by the end.

There are so many more incredible females in fiction who I love: impulsive, sarcastic and confident Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy), dreamy and free-spirited Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Aria (Under the Never Sky), Kira (Partials), Tris (Divergent), Karou and Zuzanna (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) or both Stephanie Perkins' leading ladies - Anna and Lola.... the list is endless. We tend to be more vocal about the swoony males, but it's high time we shone love on our own gender. Whether it's the girls who empower us, girls make a stand in the world and lead an army, or girls who are just deliciously exciting to watch/read about with their humour, twisted morals or vibrant personalities.

Female Characters In Entertainment Week

As announced awhile back I decided to dedicate a week to those female characters that we love. I had become quite disenchanted with all the hate being tossed towards these characters. I have a week full of guest posts from authors, and fellow bloggers talking about their favourite female characters and why they are important.

My post will kick off this week, and I decided to talk about some female characters that caused me to think, be proud, and are in general something I want to see more of media.

1. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

This character, and show in general opened my eyes to the fact that a female character could kick ass, be a cheerleader, fall in love, fall apart, and still be a force to be reckoned with. She's a perfect example of being feminine not meaning being weak. Buffy embraced the strength that she inherited because she was a women. She showed that you can be sexy, vulnerable, strong, and capable. It's not an either or situation. Joss Whedon once said in an interview that he wrote Buffy in response to the "defenseless female stereotype" that was so prevalent in the horror genre, and wanted to turn it on it's head. I say he fully accomplished that and provided not just a heroine but a true hero, because that is what Buffy symbolizes. 

2. Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola's ability to express herself, and just BE herself make her an excellent role model. Her unique fashion sense encapsulate who she is so wonderfully. She never compromises who she is for anyone, and is willing show herself to the world. Not a bad message to put out there. I love how comfortable with herself she is. To me that is something to strive for and look up to.

3. The Girls from Sex and the City

With 'slut shaming' be so rampant in media, it was refreshing to see characters embracing their sexuality. Women who enjoyed sex, and didn't apologize for it, or feel the need to hide it. It put forth a much more positive view point of female sexuality, and while we still have a LONG way to go, it's refreshing that people are willing to put characters like this out there. 

4. Hermoine Granger from the Harry Potter series

A character who isn't always saved by the male lead (Harry) and who even manages to save the day herself in some circumstances. Her quick intelligence, and loyalty made her admirable. She presented a studious, but brave and reliable friend to Harry and Ron. She shows that you don't have to downplay your assets and capabilities to be accepted. 

5. Emma Swan from Once Upon A Time

A character whose whole life gets sent in a tailspin after finding out the life she thought she had is much different than the reality. She takes the news of being the saviour for many people in a realistic and admirable way. She may stumble, but she doesn't give up. She's a reflection of being heroic doesn't mean that you have to be perfect. Flaws exist and things are complicated. I love that Emma shows someone who tries their best, and goes in with the best of intentions, even if they might fail.

6 Anne Boleyn from Tarnish

Ok, so she's a historical figure but she's been given the fictional treatment plenty so I am including her. She's normally portrayed as vindictive, and driven. I fell in love with Katherine Longshore's portrayal of her in Tarnish. An intelligent woman who spoke her mind, and wanted to be taken seriously. She had ideas, and felt they were just as worthy as any man's opinions. She felt her voice matted and wanted it to be heard. I  don't know about you but I can't think of a better message to instill upon young women today. Be heard, and don't be afraid of your voice. Thanks to Katherine Longshore, some may find that message in Anne's voice.

There are many more incredible female characters out there. Whether flawed, heroic, or simply amazing for being themselves each brings something to the discussion. I want this leave this post with another amazing Joss Whedon quote. Upon being asked why he writes strong female characters he replied "because you're still asking me that question". Here's hoping that there will come a time when we don't have to ask.