My Top 5 Literary Character Girl Crushes

Last year I wrote about my Top 5 Celebrity Crushes and I know for a few of you some of my choices were a little, shall we say, unique?! But this time, for my next Top 5 list I thought I would tackle something that wouldn't produce such interesting responses. Sorry!

As most of you know I am a massive bookworm. I completed the 13/13 reading challenge last year, ending up with a grand total of 17 books read and about 3 half read. Many wondered how it is that I find the time to read and the answer is simple. I make the time. Every night before I go to bed, I make sure that I allow myself enough time to read at least 1 chapter of my current book. And to be honest with you, if that means that I am going to be a little more tired in the morning, just so I can get my reading fix, then so be it. I have a reckless disregard for bedtime when it's come to reading and I am not ashamed to admit it!

Why? Because I realised after I had Punky, and I stopped reading for quite a while, that when I don't read I'm not as happy as I should be. Reading is my biggest passion behind my girls and my man and I just can't live without it. Once Punky reached about 8 or 9 months, I made the decision to make reading a little each day a priority, for nothing other than my own sanity. The small amount of reading I do just before bed is my "me time". My chance to have the world all to myself, no interruptions, no disturbances. I can let my mind roam an imaginary land of amazing characters and far-off locations. Without reading I would go a little insane, especially now that I have two monsters munchkins making me feel so alive!

So for this month's top 5 list I thought I would share with you my Top 5 Literary Character Girl Crushes. And I am using the term "literary" quite liberally here...

5. Stephanie Plum - from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

Coming in at number 5 is a woman who I have loved for a while now. I read the first novel in this series, One for the Money, when I first started working in the city over 10 years ago. I found them in my local A&R and at the time I think there were about 5 in the series. As soon as I started reading I was hooked, and devoured all 5 books in a matter of weeks.

Stephanie Plum was hilarious! She was not like the other chicks in the crappy chick-lit I had been reading up until that point, she was different. She wasn't afraid to give things a go, and she wasn't afraid of losing her dignity in pursuit of "justice"! She also wasn't afraid to get it on with two of the hottest blokes to ever appear in fiction, Morrelli and Ranger (FTR I'm Team Morrelli all the way!). I loved her sass, and I loved the fact that despite the fact that she was really quite shit at her shitty job, she never gave up, and in the end, she always got her man!

I'm a little over the series now to be honest. While I used to wait with bated breath every birthday for the next one to come out (it was like serendipity that each new book used to be released on or within a couple days of my birthday) I usually wait till the small format paperback comes out now before I buy it as they have become a little same, same. I still love Stephanie, and always will (I named my first car after her!) but I am at the point where I need her story to develop a little more beyond what it is. Until that starts to happen this won't be on the top of my Must Read list anymore.

And no I have not seen that shiteous movie with the horrendous Katherine Heigl. In all fairness to KH, I'm sure she's a lovely girl and all, but I just have not been able to stand her in anything I've seen with her in it. And if I'm really honest, I don't think it would have mattered who played Stephanie in that movie, I still would not have seen it and tainted my reading experience with that blasphemy!

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4. Arya Stark - from the A Song of Ice and Fire series (otherwise known as the Game of Thrones series) by George R. R. Martin

I am currently about two thirds of the way through the second book of this series and I am well and truly hooked! Arya is a fiesty little girl who isn't content to be a lady and do the things that proper ladies do, like sew and cook and tend to the man. Arya wants to be the man. She's fiery, and she prefers sword-fighting to sewing. She's also a survivor, trying to make her way back to her home after her father is murdered and her sister taken hostage and I just love her spirit. She isn't afraid to fight for herself and for her family and she's just wonderful. I find myself looking forward to each of her chapters to see what she's going to do next.

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3. Ellie from the Tomorrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden

I love Ellie. She was probably my first literary girl crush, all the way back in year 9, when I found the first book in the school library. She's strong, she's tough, she's brave as all get-out, and she's smart. She's also a survivor. In fact, every girl on this list share a lot of the same qualities. Ellie becomes the leader of a group of teenage resistance fighters, for want of a better term, when Australia is invaded by an un-named country.

Not only is she tough she is also just a teenage girl, dealing with the usual teenage angst and uncertainty, albeit in a much crazier circumstances than most teen girls. Ellie isn't perfect, she has flaws and she makes mistakes, but most of the time she owns those mistakes and she doesn't sit around wallowing in self-pity. She's a deep-thinker and in the heat of the moment she does what she has to to survive. But it's not without guilt, and she asks herself some pretty tough questions and faces some shocking truths that a lot of girls wouldn't have the heart to confront.

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2. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I've gushed about these books a number of times in previous posts so I won't go on about them here, except to say, that if you still have not read the books yet then you really need to get on that. Stat! Katniss is the ultimate hero, flawed, brave, vulnerable yet oh so strong. Another survivor, her sense of justice leads her to do what she can for those who are weaker, to protect them, even if it would mean her own life. And she kicks major arse. You won't find this girl sitting around feeling sorry for herself, you'll find her shooting arrows like a madwoman and doing her best to stick it to the Capitol. I'm in love. Almost as much as I am with the chick in the number one spot...

1. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

Regular readers will know of my undying love for this series of books, and without a doubt my favourite character from them is Hermione. If I could be any character from a book it would be her. She's smart, loyal, and best of all, amazing at magic! She wields a wand as well as she wields her knowledge, and she's smart enough to know that knowledge is the strongest power she possesses. I love the way Hermione is not afraid to show how smart she is, her passion for books and reading, and her fierce loyalty to Harry.

Hermione is everything I wish I could be and everything you could want in a female hero for my mind. She is the anti-Bella, you won't find her acting a fool for some pretty boy, or sitting around moping for months because Ron has been a dick and taken off. Nope, she gets on with the job at hand and plays a pivotal role in helping Harry to defeat old fucknuts Voldermort. I really wish I could be Hermione, I really do. She is everything I want to be and more and if my daughters have half the courage and smarts that Hermione has, I'll be one happy Mumma!

So you have any literary girl crushes? Please share.

Linking up with Essentially Jess because it's Tuesday. And IBOT.

Missed a Top 5 post? You can catch them here - 

December - Travelling with Toddlers: My Top 5 Fave Apps
November - My Top 5 Fave TV Shows... Right Now
October - My Top 5 Celebrity Crushes