Feminist Book Tag

I’m continuing my weeklong birthday celebration BOOK TAG WEEK with the Feminist Book Tag!! because it’s Women’s History Month.

I found the tag over on Spotlight on Stories. I tried to find out who created the tag, and it seems like it might be a French blogger over on La Voix Du Livre, but I’m not sure because the blogger mentions someone called “PKJ” as having created it. So, yeah, I managed to confuse myself and since I’m no book tag detective, let’s just get to the tag!

(Btw, check out the Women’s History Book Tag — another one that’s perfect for this month.)

Your favorite female author

Robin Hobb

It’s probably Robin Hobb. She was the first person to pop in my head. Robin Hobb is the pen name under which the author, Margaret Ogden, writes the epic fantasy series, the Realm of the Elderlings. The series is broken up into several trilogies and one quartet that alternately focus on a male protagonist, who’s the bastard son of a prince, and several characters living in another part of the world that thrives on trade and whose ships are called liveships because the figureheads are alive.

The stories are enthralling and fantastic and heartrending too. They all have a slow build, but it’s worth it being patient with the pace. I love these books for their worldbuilding and the variety of characters we encounter.

Your favorite heroine

Jane McKeene

Jane from Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation was the first character to pop in my head, and she is indeed one of my favorite female characters/protagonists/heroines. I just love how feisty and gutsy she is without coming off as a total asshole, which often happens when a character is as forthright and stubborn as she is.

Dread Nation is a YA alt-historical fiction novel set shortly after the U.S. Civil War. Those who died during the war became zombies, so Black and Native American kids are trained to protect rich White folks from the zombies. Jane was one of those kids. She’s both smart and a bad-ass, and I can’t help but like her.

A novel with a feminist message

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I guess one of the messages from this one is that a woman can be the hero who saves both herself and the damsel (and fellow) in distress. She can be the one in shining armor (or, rather, flamboyant party dresses) who rescues others from a dark, forbidding fortress.

Mexican Gothic was a very compelling read. It’s set in 1950s Mexico and is about a vibrant young woman who visits a secluded old mansion to find out what ails her cousin and what’s up with the mysterious man she married. The story also strongly reminded me of the “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” that autobiographical short story by Charlotte Perkins Gillman that ends with the protagonist’s husband stricken that his wife is able to thwart his control of her and literally crawls over him to escape the “prison” he’d placed her in. It’s also a good read.

A novel with a girl on the cover

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani (illus.)

It’s a YA fantasy graphic novel about a girl who yearns to learn more about her mom and her background when she discovers a pashmina hidden away in a suitcase that transports her to a very vibrant place whenever she puts it on. Her curiosity drives her to visit her homeland, India, to learn more about her family and herself.

It’s a sweet, heartwarming read that I hardly ever see people talk about, unfortunately. It was good.

A novel featuring a group of girls

Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

This is a YA fantasy novel with some western influences to its setting that centers on a group of girls who escaped from the brothel where they worked. It was an interesting read that was compelling in some spots, but I had some problems with it. However, I like that the story focuses on a diverse group of girls.

A novel with a LGBTQIAP+ female character

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

It’s a somewhat contemporary novel about a woman who leaves her daughter behind in Jamaica to travel to the U.S. to be with the woman she loves. It’s such a good read and so well written. The pace is pretty moderate, but I was hooked throughout.

A novel with several female points of view

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

This is such a sweet story. I consider it a fantasy. It’s set in a small town in North Carolina and is filled with eccentric characters. It’s about the Waverley women who are anxious about the blossoming of their apple tree, which is known for bearing fruit that foretells the future when eaten. It’s a heartwarming tale, the second in a duology, and one of my favorite novels. The story is told from the Waverley sisters’ POVs — Claire and Sydney — and also from Sydney’s daughter’s, Bay, perspective.

A book where a girl saves the world

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

It’s the first book in the Damar duology and one of my favorites as well. It’s YA fantasy that was first published back in 1984. It’s about a princess who’s often shunned by her cousins and fellow courtiers. She becomes a dragon fighter and later helps to save her kingdom (her world) from a demonic army led by her evil uncle. It’s a slow-paced but beautifully written story that I LOVED. I’m a huge fan of McKinley’s work.

A book where you prefer the female sidekick to the male MC

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I’m going with who first comes to mind, and that’s Hermione from the Harry Potter books. I often wished the books were about her instead, but I guess we wouldn’t have much mystery in the plot since she’d quickly solve everything.

A book written by a male author featuring a female character

I chose two comics for this:

Copperhead, Vol. 1 by Jay Faerber, illus. by Scott Godlewski

It’s a sci-fi, western comic book set in a small mining town on a backwater planet. Clara is a single mother who’s sent to this town to serve as its new sheriff. It’s a pretty interesting start to the series. Although it took a while for me to become interested (mostly because I wasn’t feeling the art at first), I ended up getting hooked on it.

Velvet, Vol. 1: Before the Living End by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting

Oh man! Velvet is one of my favorite comics and characters. There are about three volumes in the series, but I’ve only read the first two. It’s about a woman called Velvet who works at a spy organization who’s framed for a murder. I’m not a fan of the illustrations (not my style), but I was hooked on the story from the beginning.

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And that’s it for this tag.

If you’re reading this, I tag you. 🙂

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