Another Top Ten Tuesday brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.  How I love them so! I’ll admit though, that this week’s Top Ten is a bit of a challenge. For Readers Who Like….a certain Genre? A certain Character? A specific book/series? Yogurt? I dunno…the possibilities are endless (though I doubt I can recommend books based on Yogurt).

I’m going to bite the bullet and go the easy route, since this is only my second “Top Ten Tuesday” list.  Therefore let me present:

The Top Ten Books for Readers Who Like:

Let me clarify a bit before we get to the list.  These are Dystopian or female-action oriented reads. It’s all about the heroines kicking ass.   Honestly, we could leave the Dystopia out of it!  I chose this, because it’s been on my mind lately, and because, though I enjoy The Hunger Games trilogy, I get bogged down by the end (in other words, I HATE IT), and I think there are other books out there tackling the subject matter in better ways. So, enjoy. Tell me what you think! Any others you think should also be included? I’m certainly not an expert, and I know there are tons out there that I have yet to read.

1-3.   The Graceling Realm Trilogy by Kristin Cashore (Graceling, Fire, & Bitterblue).  I have to include the entire series, because they are just that good.  It isn’t a Dystopian series but the heroines are all strong, realistic characters (book two even features a female archer).  It is action oriented, in a broken world, with strong character development, and of course, romance.  Cashore’s heroines deal with relationships in a decidedly more adult and less trivial manner than many young adult books treat love (including Hunger Games).  She provides alternative ideas of what expectations a person should have in a relationship, and her characters are well rounded and ever evolving.  Of course, you also have the battle for freedom, rebellion, and some intense dark moments throughout the three stories. Really, I can’t recommend the series enough.

4.  Wool, by Hugh Howey.  I just reviewed this book, so of course it’s at the front of my mind.  Howey creates an amazing and mysterious Dystopian world in his Silo Saga.  I’ve only read book #1, so I can’t speak to the rest of the series, but it boast a strong female character who is logical, intelligent, determined, and strong.  It has rebellion, and truth seeking, and yes, a little romance.  One of the best Dystopian books I’ve ever read.

5.  The Glass Arrow, by Kristen Simmons.  

Okay, I can’t REALLY  recommend this one since I only just bought it and haven’t read it but come on…it looks like it will fit and I can’t WAIT to start. Seriously, the only reason I haven’t opened it up yet is because I have to finish this book club book first.  Just read this (and the rest of the description) and you’ll understand: “The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.”

6-9. The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. Really, you could count ANYTHING by Pierce. I also recommend Wild Magic from The Immortals quartet, which directly follows the events of the first series. They are for a slightly younger reader, but all of them have strong female heroines who we watch grow up throughout the series.  Alanna, our main heroine, must hide her gender and true talents, battle her way into becoming a respected knight, and help save her kingdom from upheaval.  All of this of course takes place while she is turning into a woman and trying to decide who and how to love.  Yes, we get a love triangle here, but it doesn’t bother me like the whole Peeta/Gale debacle.  Also, the relationships are realistic: troubled but not over-dramatized, physical as well as emotional. And her choices might just surprise you.

10.  Cinder and the entire Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer (though I can’t vouch yet for Fairest and Winter isn’t out until November).  Back to Dystopian fiction here, though really it’s just straight sci-fi and not a Dystopia. Meyer writes an entirely addicting series.  We have a futuristic world with yes, fairytales, and our Cinderella is, of course, a cyborg (part human/mechanical-tech parts…not to be confused with AI or full robot from other futuristic tales).  We have romance, action, and even a bit of a whining heroine. Really though, the little bit of whining, which is expected with Cinderella in my opinion, is my only complaint. I started to get annoyed with the romantic story, but Meyer fleshed it out so startling well and realistically in Scarlet and Cress (yes also fairy tales), that it has become one of my favorite examples of HOW you do romance in fiction (nearly up there with Cashore).