Action Heroine Fans discussion
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Currently reading a book with an action heroine?
Hi Alex. Welcome. We have a section for writers where you can start a thread for your work.Please post your thread about your inquiry in this folder. I am going to delete your post in 24 hours because this is not the correct thread for it.
Thanks!
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Hi Alex. Welcome. We have a section for writers where you can start a thread for your work.Please post your thread about your inquiry in this folder. I am going to delete your post in 24 hours b..."
Hi Lady D,
Can you point me in the right direction on how to post a thread in the correct spot? I looked at the forums under A/A and didn't see it. I don't want to offend anyone by posting this in the wrong spot, especially since I'm asking for help. Thanks!
Alex, good question! That folder doesn't show up right away on the home page, because there isn't room for it. You have to click the "More discussions" link; then it shows up, as the last one on the list. (I think the program will show that folder on the homepage if somebody has posted in it recently, but I'm not sure.)Actually, though, you don't have to see the folder to put a new thread in it. Just click on the "new" link, and one thing the template will give you is a pull-down menu for which folder to put it in. Just choose "Group members who write."
Hang in there --Goodreads navigation takes getting used to, but it's actually pretty user-friendly, and the more you use it, the easier it gets. And good luck with your work in progress! (I'll look forward to seeing it myself.)
Thanks for the '411' Werner. I think I'm a '6' on the GR navigation curve, but I love this site so much, it's worth taking the time to figure it out. Thanks for the encouragement on my WIP, too!
I think it has been mentioned before, but I started listening to the audiobook version of The Rook by Daniel O'Malley which features a female Heroine. Though I think she may have a metamorphisis coming soon, right now, the begining, she's a very different, ordinary (on the outside) type. Interesting and, so far, very fun.
We added The Rook indeed. I really enjoyed it. I hope he writes another book about Myfawnwy (sp) and The Checquy (sp)! I think it would make a good movie.
There is another one. Somebody mentioned it on a comment on somebody's review. I know there's one out there. I just finished it. It was delightful. A fun read, good mystery (though I figured out what was up with the Belgin dude they were looking for), scary, ... getting eaten is never fun, and a good heroine... very realistic female... very unlikely hero, and very heroic heroine, in her own way.
Not that she was charging down the cannons or anything. Even the letter writer Rook Thomas was brave in her own right and, covers all of the bases.
Last night, I started reading
, by our own Seeley James, on my Kindle app for PC. (I'll be reading it intermittently, as I get time to use that app; it's a reading medium that doesn't fit into my schedule as easily as print books.) But this won't be a substitute for the print book; if I like it as well as I expect to, I'm going to buy a print copy, either for myself or for someone else!
Glad to hear you're liking The Geneva Decision. I was able to get a copy I'll read when I have a chance.
Right now, I'm reading Sword and Sorceress XII. Like all of the anthologies in this series, this one has several stories featuring female protagonists who are quite combat-capable (and get to display that ability). A couple of the ones in this volume happen to be professional assassins (but just because a lady's an assassin doesn't necessarily mean she can't find a way to be a heroine :-) ).
Jackie and I are currently doing a buddy read of Faith Hunter's first novel in the Jane Yellowrock series,
. So far, I'm finding it a very intriguing and well-written read!
Oh, I love Jane Yellowrock. Glad you liking Skinwalker, Werner.
I finished The Iron Wyrm Affair over the weekend, and Emma is definitely a fierce heroine to be reckoned with.
Danielle, I read your review of The Iron Wyrm Affair, good job! It sounds intriguing; but with over 300 books on my to-read shelf, I'm exercising heroic self-control --for the moment. :-)I'm not done with Skinwalker yet, but I already love Jane Yellowrock, too! That's a series I'm definitely going to continue with.
I'm currently reading Cruelty To Innocents which has a female protaganist (I had thought it would be two, but, as the book works itself out, it's cleary one heroine here and lots of important supporting cast members. It's a good read, but because of the nature of the subject matter, I'm reserving the right to publically change my mind, depending on how it ends. It's a police procedural with a non-cop, woman, as the protagonist. It deals with a serial killer and sexual sadist (of children), but, like The Pawn (Steven James) and Jack Daniels stories (Konrath), It focuses on the human side (People left behind) and the catch the killer process. She's not a gun toting amazon, but she's surely the heroine.
It's a good read, but there is a couple of scenes in the middle that will make it tough on some readers. (and why I want to know how it ends before I commit to my seat on the "good read train.") A bad ending would change a justifuable exposure to evil scene to a gratuitous violence. (At least as I think of it)... I think it'll end okay, but, as good books do, it's got me wondering how it'll turn out.
And, this is another of the "Finding Round" heroine type that I like, very much woman, not so much amazon warrior, yet, very strong and gutsy. (Realistic? well in different ways than other heroines).
Not an action heroine in the typical sense, but I'm reading Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician by Michelle Williams & she's a heroine to me. It was typically a male job & she spends her days up to her elbows pulling out the 'pluck' (all internal organs) &/or assisting & cleaning up the splatter. Parts are not great lunch time reading, but it's interesting.She's in Britain, so things are a bit different, but her descriptions of a few autopsies have pretty much ruined the scenes in the crime shows of the sexy coroner & one investigator in the room. Apparently it's a bit more of a mad house, especially with 'toxic' patients, those who have communicable diseases (e.g. AIDS) or are extremely 'ripe'. Obese patients are something else I'd never thought of. There isn't a lot of closure, either.
I, Curmudgeon wrote: "I'm currently reading Cruelty To Innocents which has a female protaganist (I had thought it would be two, but, as the book works itself out, it's cleary one heroine here and lots of important suppo..."I have a hard time reading books that include violence against children. I have a scene in my upcoming book where the acts are off-camera, if you will, the way violence was handled in the old movies. I don't believe it's necessary and each reader can conjure up their own horrors easily enough.
Peace, Seeley
Seeley wrote: "I have a hard time reading books that include violence against children. I have a scene in my upcoming book where the acts are off-camera, if you will, the way violence was handled in the old movies. I don't believe it's necessary and each reader can conjure up their own horrors easily enough."To be fair to C.K. Webb, the author, "off camera" or "left to your own imagination" is how most of the violence is depicted or portrayed. There is only one scene where we get more than that, and, even then it's not much of the scene, and, though it's important to the nature of the villain, the focus was not on the violence with her but some heroism and courage.
She just described what had happened and, gave an accounting of something happening to another character (supporting cast) victim out of sight (off camera). It's still pretty tough to read, but, I wouldn't say it's much more than a fleeting description of anything actually happening in the scene we are reading. More the off camera strategy and a recap that made it clear what happened.
Like I said, i think the end of the book will keep the content as I'm viewing it now. I just don't want to close the door on re-thinking that once I find out how the villain is dealt with, or not dealt with. I would a little disappointed if this story ended and the villain gets away. I'm not a big Hanibal Lecter fan. I am a big Jack Daniels and Patric Bowers Fan (both books where the bad guy gets caught, but we get some dark glimpses of what the villain is up to along the way.)
The author uses first person-present tense to let us see through the villains eyes and get into his head. It's not a glorified peek into evil. The scenes that are tough to read are in third person past tense and through the victim's eyes. She's blindfolded so we don't get to see, only hear, and that's not much detail.
I'm not unaffected by tough to read scenes like that, but, I am able to accept them in a story if there is story telling art involved and not just blatant attempts to shock and call attention to the violent nature of a book.
If it goes as it's been going, I'll call it a recommended read, with a huge warning about content not being for everybody. Still we aren't talking about a book full of difficult scenes to read, just one scene, a short chapter in the middle that, leaves little doubt what the villain is up to using, what I think is a careful telling of the situation not a gratuitous one.
It wasn't too much for a story that ends with the villain getting caught, killed etc, or even if he doesn't leads into a second book where the object is to catch and/or kill him. It was shocking enough for me to know (since I know myself) that, if this killer gets away, and this becomes sort of glorifying the villain as I've seen in other books (and movies) that this scene is then gratuitus (in my opinion) because it becomes part of building up the killer (In a Hanibal Lecter sort of way) not a scene establishing the validity of the characters fears (hero, not victim) the wickedness of the villain (and the need to end his reign of terror) and the nature of the situation/setting the environment for the story. If it's gratuitus (gloryfying the villain/abuser) then...
"...that is the sort of thing up with which I shall not put!" (W. Churchill)
Seeley wrote: "...each reader can conjure up their own horrors easily enough."Sometimes better.
I just finished Grave Mercy, in which the heroine is an assassin who serves her god, Death. Very good.
Just to clear up what I meant about Cruelty To Innocents or, to make it muddier but let me feel better, here's my review.http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The spoiler inside the spoiler is a spoiler, the writing inside the first spoiler tag does not spoil the book. I used a spoiler tag for a different purpose there.
I finished "Cruelty to Innocents" and now I'm reading Kill Zone by C.J. Lyons. Lucy Guiardino is a great Action Heroine. She can kick but, but she's also smart. She's exy cute but happily married with a teen age daughter. I keep seening a young Susan Lucci playing her (though, two problems with that. Susan Lucci is probably a vampire because she hasn't changed looks in 60 years, and Lucy is probably a bit stronger looking, though petite, she's not exactly frail.)
I just started listening to The Informationist, and Vanessa Michael Monroe is shaping up to be an action heroine. I haven't read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but she reminds me of Lisbeth from the American movie version. Sort of an outcast who has found her own identity in the world. She seems to struggle with controlling her emotions and rage, and knows how to handle herself. It's interesting so far.
I liked the Informationist, but for me, there are some slightly saggy parts in it considering it's supposed to be a thriller. It's an interesting read, though, partly due to the author's bio. I liked it overall. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it, and will BOL for your review on it, Lady D.
The Informationist is on my radar, too; it's on our group's to-read shelf, I think (but since you've read it, Alex, I'll move it to the "read" shelf). One review of Stevens' second novel in the series, The Innocent, by a reader who'd read both, suggested that her writing ability improved with practice in the second book. I'll be very interested in your forthcoming review too, Lady Danielle!I'm currently reading a collection of five short stories by pulp legend Robert E. Howard, Sword Woman. The title story and two others in the book (the last one completed by another writer after Howard's death) represent all that he ever wrote about one of his most fascinating characters, Agnes de Chastillon (sometimes called Agnes de la Ferre, after her home village), a true action heroine and a worthy contemporary of Howard's Red Sonya from "The Shadow of the Vulture," which I also recently read. If those two had ever joined forces, they'd have been quite a team! As it is, their individual adventures are well worth reading about; it's a real pity REH didn't live to write more about both ladies. :-( (Okay, they'd both deny that they're "ladies," given the class-conscious speech of their day; but you don't have to born into an aristocratic family to be a lady!)
Sword Woman is on my reading list. Sounds good.As far as The Informationist, It's one of those books that I think might work better as an audio book, but might be more tedious to read.
I have read a few books with action heroines. I finished Daughter of the Sword last week, which had a female police detective who learns swordswomanship with an elderly expert swordsman and tracks a killer, Death, Taxes, and Hot-Pink Leg Warmers has a female IRS Special Agent who is an expert marksman and who goes after criminal tax offenders, and Charred has a homocide detective tracking a murderer/arsonist. Currently reading Running from the Devil, which has a chemist who is also a long distance runner who is tracking a group of guerrilla warriors who hijacked her plane in Colombia.
I just finished Powder Burn by Mark Chisnell and Sam (Samantha) Blackett is definately an acthion heroine. Good read.
I, Curmudgeon wrote: "I just finished Powder Burn by Mark Chisnell and Sam (Samantha) Blackett is definately an acthion heroine.
Good read."
Holy crap! You just started that!
Good read."
Holy crap! You just started that!
I had a long drive thismorning. So, I was basically listening from 0330 (or O'Dark Thirty as I called it in my Navy Days) to 0730, as it rolled through my Kindle Text to Speech, then for the return trip (another 1 hour and a half). I just finished the last 5%. It's not that long, as books go. Which I didn't like (because the book was such a damned good read. I hate the short "GOOD" ones. They always make me reach want more.)
Hugh, I just added Powder Burn to our group's "read" shelf.
Still don't have an Ereader. Maybe some day.
Werner wrote: "Hugh, I just added Powder Burn to our group's "read" shelf."That's great. I liked it!
Based on a review of it by another of my Goodreads friends that I recenly read, I think I'd like it, too! Unfortunately, it seems to be published exclusively in e-book format, and I still prefer my book-length reads in paper format. (I'll sometimes try a novel on my Kindle app with the proviso that I'll buy a hard copy if I like it; but I don't make a habit of that, and it's not possible in this case.)
I'm currently listening to Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris, the next to the last Sookie book. When I started listening to it, I realized that I'd read it before but failed to review it. Fluff, but fun fluff, & while Sookie isn't the typical tough girl, her list of kills is pretty impressive.
I just finished Naked in Death by JD Robb. And while Eve Dallas isn't a guns blazing kick ass heroine, she's my kinda heroine ... she does kick ass in that book and it's got lots of good action too.
Pam (E.P. Scott) wrote: "I just finished Naked in Death by JD Robb. And while Eve Dallas isn't a guns blazing kick ass heroine, she's my kinda heroine ... she does kick ass in that book and it's got lots of good action too."I agree Pam. Eve is one of my favorite kiss ass heroines.I have the whole collection and am about half way through the series...they are all different and each one just gets better enjoy! :)
I couldn't get into the first JD Robb book and keep thinking I should try it/them again. I know a lot of people like them.
Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* wrote: "I agree Pam. Eve is one of my favorite kiss ass heroine.I have the whole collection and am about half way through the series...they are all different and each one just gets better enjoy! :) Heh... that's a new take on things. (just teasing... it means your a welcome addition to the group... and like I'm one to talk... my mother wants to change my name to "Typo.")
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I couldn't get into the first JD Robb book and keep thinking I should try it/them again. I know a lot of people like them."They didn't blow a lot of wind up my skirt either, Mike.
We can't all like all popular series I guess.
I'm starting the 3d book of E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series Tale of the Thunderbolt in audio format. I read the series as it came out in paperback & have all the books, but it's been a decade since I started it. After reading a book a year or so, it was great to get back to it in audio format.This is a post apocalyptic series with a very strong military thread set in a blend of SF & fantasy. Our world with 'vampires' & other monsters, but not of the usual UF or PNR sort. Very realistic in most ways, putting aside the basic world change. Starting with the 2d book, Knight introduces one of the best kick ass heroines that I've ever read. She continues to play a role throughout the series, although the primary hero is male.
I've gotten a bit behind on reviewing the series since Mom came to visit, but here are my 5 star reviews of the first 2 books.
Way of the Wolf:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Choice of the Cat:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Pam (E.P. Scott) wrote: "I just finished Naked in Death by JD Robb. And while Eve Dallas isn't a guns blazing kick ass heroine, she's my kinda heroine ... she does kick ass in that book and it's got lots of good action too."Eve Dallas is a good heroine!
Jim wrote: "I'm starting the 3d book of E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series Tale of the Thunderbolt in audio format. I read the series as it came out in paperback & have all the books, but it's been a decade s..."I actually started that series. Still have a few in the pile...
I haven't gotten a chance to post about this book, but I loved The Hit. Jessica is definitely an action heroine. Loved her. Perfect foil for Will Robie.
Action Heroine Fans
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There are a handful of strong supporting Ladies too. The Side-kick is fun.