#16: Favourite female character

As with yesterday, one honourable mention for favourite female character is from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, Lyra. She is brave and insightful and full of passion to do what's right.

But then there's Lirael, the title character in Garth Nix's novel in the Old Kingdom series, which I've mentioned before. She is also brave and insightful, plus a clever magician.

However, once again I will save the honour of favourite female character for someone a bit out of left field: Harriet from Harriet the Spy. I haven't read the novel for maybe two decades (I don't own it) but when I was thinking about today's meme she came through very clearly.

I was eight or nine when I read Louise Fitzhugh's book. I also wanted to be a writer and I had also developed a sense of stealth akin to spying (this is much easier when you're a middle child, I discovered, the eldest and youngest get a lot of attention and one can just slip under the radar). My spy training included studying a book fit for a junior cryptologist and lamenting the fact none of my friends were dedicated enough to learn the codes too.

So in addition to the consequences of having one's spy book stolen nicely laid out for me in Harriet the Spy as a warning, I must have also retained my admiration for the way Harriet got through the flak to find her true friends.

Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you've wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

I'd like to thank Sarah Jansen for her tweet about this, as well as The Literary Gothamite and Confessions of a Book Lush for the good idea.