Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines

I have a confession to make- I had a lot of trouble with this one at first.  I kept thinking of so many characters that have no problem saving the world, and want to take out the bad guy.  A tough, ready to fight, weapon-wielding bad-ass can be fun to read, but I also love the strong, quiet characters who struggle with things and are in the background helping out.  Being kick-ass can come in so many different forms, so I’m hoping my list reflects that.  Here are my picks!

1. Evie from Paranormalcy.  She tracks vampires, werewolves, and other creatures, has a pink taser named Tasey, and loves pink, shopping, and clothes.  She’s a girly bad-ass, which is an awesome (yet seemingly rare) combination.
2. Luna from Harry Potter.  She’s quirky, sometimes wears strange hats or jewelry, and is open to any possibility, no matter how insane and crazy it seems.  She really is at peace with herself, which is something I love about her.  She knows who she is, and she’s okay with that.
3. Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter.  Molly does kick-ass because of dueling with Bellatrix.  I love that Mrs. Weasley raised such a good group of wizards, and that her family (whether her own family or the people she kind of adopts) is so important to her.  Never mess with Mama Weasley…ever!
4. Tally from Uglies.  I love how Tally keeps fighting every surgery she has, and I liked seeing Tally come to terms with her memories of David and Zane as she goes from Ugly to Pretty to Special, and much the surgery can change her perspective on things…if she lets it.  She really struggled with loyalty and making the right decision, and that the right decision can change depending on the circumstances.
5. Lily from The Secret Life Of Bees.  I love Lily because she just wants a place to call home, and I loved that she found that home with the Boatwright sisters.  She has to deal with a lot of things, but she finds her place in the world.  She really just kicks ass because she takes this amazing journey and learns a lot about herself.
6. Melinda from Speak.  She’s one of the first characters I thought of.   I loved seeing Melinda grow throughout the book, and how she used art to express herself.  Speaking up can take a lot of strength, and that we have a voice, no matter how much we try to ignore it.
7. Hermione.  I know Hermione is an obvious choice, but I just have to include her.  Hermione’s really smart, and Ron and Harry are so lucky to have her around!  Plus, she cares about what happens to the house-elves, and fought for their rights, even when everyone thought she was crazy for doing that.
8. Zara from Need.  Zara kicks ass in a lot of ways.  Like going to Valhalla to save Nick, or teaching her classmates how to fight the evil pixies.  She just wants to help people, and make sure they’re okay.  Plus, she leads a student chapter of Amnesty International at her school.  Fighting for the rights of people everywhere?  Totally cool.
9. Tohru from Fruits Basket.  She might come across as a complete ditz, but she’s just so optimistic for someone who has lost her parents.  Plus, she wants to break the Zodiac curse, because she’s become good friends with Kyo and Yuki.  She’s such a good person, and never loses hope, no matter what’s going on in her life.
10. Katniss from The Hunger Games.  I know Katniss is another obvious choice, and while hunting is a strength of hers, the biggest reason she kicks ass is that she volunteered as a tribute so Prim wouldn’t have to be a tribute.  She’d do anything to make sure her family is taken care of.