Day 2 of sansets' challenge - recommend women-centric works
Okay, this is a whole lot more difficult. Not only am I mostly an adventure fan (you'd never have guessed that from the fiction on my other list, huh?), but I'm not sure what qualifies something as women-centric. Is it enough that the main character be a woman or must it deal with women's issues, too? Of course,
sansets leaves that definition up to those of us participating, but I'm terrible at this sort of thing, in large part because usually something that's women oriented will be something I can't relate to. (So, I'm odd.) The best I can do is recommend books I've liked that have female main characters. (And most of them were on the other list.)
Shards of Honor and Barrayar (also published in one volume as Cordelia's Honor) by Lois McMaster Bujold - space adventure
Some people might object to her changing roles, but Cordelia's not a woman you can easily dismiss and she does a whole lot more than just fight for what she wants. Now if only the universe weren't full of lunatics...
By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey - fantasy
Kerowyn is an impressive and interesting woman who does deal a bit with balancing expectations of women (or the traps women can end up in) with making her life on her terms. The end's a bit pat, but it's still a really good book.
The Moon-Spinners, My Brother Michael, and Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart - romantic suspense
They may be romantic suspense, but Stewart's heroines are pretty damn good at taking care of themselves, the stories are fun, and when you consider when they were written, they've got to be considered ahead of their time.
Fire and Hemlock and Hexwood by Diane Wynne Jones (I love Fire and Hemlock so much I ordered it from Britain when it was still out of print here in the States.) - fantasy
Neither of these books are easy to describe, but they are well worth the read. Heck, most of Diane Wynne Jones' books are all kinds of awesome.
Borrower of the Night and Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters (but the series goes down hill from there) - mystery
The Vicky Bliss books started out so promising. *sigh* But the first two are good fun and the main character can take care of herself.
I am clearly not the woman to go to for women-centric. ^_^;
sansets leaves that definition up to those of us participating, but I'm terrible at this sort of thing, in large part because usually something that's women oriented will be something I can't relate to. (So, I'm odd.) The best I can do is recommend books I've liked that have female main characters. (And most of them were on the other list.)
Shards of Honor and Barrayar (also published in one volume as Cordelia's Honor) by Lois McMaster Bujold - space adventure
Some people might object to her changing roles, but Cordelia's not a woman you can easily dismiss and she does a whole lot more than just fight for what she wants. Now if only the universe weren't full of lunatics...
By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey - fantasy
Kerowyn is an impressive and interesting woman who does deal a bit with balancing expectations of women (or the traps women can end up in) with making her life on her terms. The end's a bit pat, but it's still a really good book.
The Moon-Spinners, My Brother Michael, and Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart - romantic suspense
They may be romantic suspense, but Stewart's heroines are pretty damn good at taking care of themselves, the stories are fun, and when you consider when they were written, they've got to be considered ahead of their time.
Fire and Hemlock and Hexwood by Diane Wynne Jones (I love Fire and Hemlock so much I ordered it from Britain when it was still out of print here in the States.) - fantasy
Neither of these books are easy to describe, but they are well worth the read. Heck, most of Diane Wynne Jones' books are all kinds of awesome.
Borrower of the Night and Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters (but the series goes down hill from there) - mystery
The Vicky Bliss books started out so promising. *sigh* But the first two are good fun and the main character can take care of herself.
I am clearly not the woman to go to for women-centric. ^_^;