To celebrate Women's History Month, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite female characters from books and why they love them. Here were some of the best responses:
1. Éowyn, The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein
2. Liesel Meminger, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
She overcame the loss of so many people she loved and, even though she could have given up, she continued to live her life. I remember staying up all night reading this book and when it was over, I cried. I admired Liesel for her resilience and her love of reading. When I was older and lost people who I loved, I thought of Liesel and drew strength from her story. —elaineelizabethclare
Get it from Amazon for $10.69, Barnes & Noble for $12.74, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
3. Starr Carter, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4. Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
She came from so little and fought her way out and to the top. She has this will to make people like her, and to be herself, that is hugely aspirational to me. — Facebook, Jennifer Anderson
Get it from Amazon for $8.39, Barnes & Noble for $5.95, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
5. Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
6. Scout Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
She is so strong, brave, and open-minded. Just like most kids, she doesn't even realize what a fighter for justice she can be. That's how we all are, before we let society and our own voices shout us down. — Marina Rupova, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $11.01, Barnes & Noble for $6.12, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
7. Ella of Frell, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
8. Dolores Price, She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Dolores Price is a beautiful bundle of anger, insecurity and, ultimately, strength and compassion, for herself and others. Reading that book at 15, again at 25, and now as a 35-year-old mother were all such widely different experiences. I have also come to appreciate her mother and grandmother as formidable female characters where, in my youth, I saw them more as obstacles for Dolores. — Katrina Comens, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $11.00, Barnes & Noble for $8.58, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
9. Claire Fraser, Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
10. Paige O’Toole, Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
It’s about a woman who starts doubting herself as a mother because of her past and the relationship she had with *her* mother, so she leaves her newborn and her husband to find her mom and find herself. I know, I know. You’re thinking “she left her newborn?!” Listen, it’s an amazing book with a badass character who risks it all (literally) to discover who she was, to fix who she is now. As a new mom myself, I found a new love for this book and this character. —ptyram7
Get it from Amazon for $12.45, Barnes & Noble for $15.30, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
11. Aibileen Clark, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
12. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
She is so strong, yet, also vulnerable sometimes. When she's first introduced, she's such a strong girl, and it seems like she's completely fearless. But as we get to know her more, we learn that she does have pretty substantial fears. She accepts them later on, and it helps her open up to others, letting her have more fulfilling relationships. —ispendtomuchtimehere
Get the first book from Amazon for $7.40, Barnes & Noble for $6.79, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
13. Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
14. Ramona Quimby, Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
In a lot of older children's books, little girls are supposed to be seen and not heard. Ramona threw that out the window. She is brash, while still being kind, and she doesn't give a shit about what other people think about her. She presents a character that little girls can easily identify with. —jabberbox1234
Get it from Amazon for $5.99, Barnes & Noble for $7.34, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
15. Hazel Grace, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
16. Delilah Bard, Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
She’s a knife-wielding, gender fluid, pickpocket magician who helps save all of the known worlds. She’s fierce, determined, clever, and wonderfully witty. Lila is written in such a way that’s realistic enough to be believable, but she never loses that magical spark of wonder and excitement. —corynm2
Get the series from Amazon for $31.30, Barnes & Noble for $42.47, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
17. Arya Stark, A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin
18. Jo March, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Usually female protagonists are written into a box — they either denounce all things considered "ladylike," or they absolutely adore it. Jo was the first character who liked both and was not ashamed of it. She was unapologetically herself and I loved that, unlike many books with females at the helm, her storyline didn't focus on finding a man to make everything better. Instead it was about sisterhood, learning how to accept her emotions, and channel them into her work. —meryska
Get it from Amazon for $9.93, Barnes & Noble for $8.95, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
19. Amy Dunne, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
20. Scarlet O'Hara, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
She was the first example I read of a woman unashamedly going after what she wanted. She was never afraid to speak her mind. There were pages when I loved her and others when I hated her, but that’s what makes her one of my all time favorite characters — she’s so real. —jaclynj43255b53b
Get it from Amazon for $16.30, Barnes & Noble for $9.99, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
21. Matilda, Matilda by Roald Dahl
22. Dana Franklin, Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Dana is the narrator's protagonist of the book and is extremely dynamic. She’s smart, bold, brave, and kind but also extremely vulnerable and compassionate — especially to those who who treat her poorly (i.e. the slave master who she encounters in her time travel). Butler also wrote a complex black female character in a sci-fi novel during the 1970s. How cool is that?! —cedricp3
Get it from Amazon for $10.87, Barnes & Noble for $11.20, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
23. Lisbeth Salander, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
24. Leslie Burke, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Leslie was definitely a feminist. She wanted to race with the boys? She raced with the boys and won. She wanted to wear jeans and cut her hair short? She did. She wanted to wear a dress and be feminine? She did that too. She stood up to bullies like Janice Avery, but was also willing to listen and understand when Janice was going through a hard time. Leslie didn’t feel the need to be anyone but herself and she didn’t care what anyone else thought. —cdehon
Get it from Amazon for $6.48, Barnes & Noble for $6.99, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
25. Sam from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
26. Janie Crawford, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Janie overcame poverty, physical abuse, the heart-breaking loss of a loved one and more, and never once lost her fierce sense of independence and pride. She's the woman I aspire to be. —peridot116
Get it from Amazon for $12.05, Barnes & Noble for $16.68, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
27. Offred, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
28. Keladry of Mindelan, Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce
She doesn’t denounce her femininity when she pursues her dream of becoming the first female knight in over a century. She’s level-headed, tough as shit, strong, smart, but gentle, too. Not to mention, she has the fiercest sense of justice. She’s my hero. —annas42a33461f
Get it from Amazon for $8.99, Barnes & Noble for $9.32, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
29. Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
30. Johanna Hoffman, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
I particularly adore Johanna because she is soft and strong, feminine and brilliant, emotional and logical. And when Felicity assumes she’s no longer smart because she enjoys parties and wants a husband, she refutes that. I loved her so much! —liv2read
Get it from Amazon for $13.29, Barnes & Noble for $16.49, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
31. Elizabeth Bennett, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Submissions have been edited for length or clarity.