Happy International Women’s Day! Normally on this day you’ll find people sharing their favorite non-fiction recommendations of amazing, superb, real life women who have changed the world (you can find those wherever books are recommended). In my case, I thought I would share some kick ass fictional women instead.

The Brown Sisters From The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert

In this series Talia Hibbert wrote an amazing cast of women. We have plus sized rep, disability rep, queer rep, autistic rep, and mental health rep. She crammed all of that into those three rom-coms. These are strong women and I loved getting to peek into their world. In fact, I recently did a re-read. So good.

Alice in This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

I’m not a big Lit-Fic girl, but this one was great. Alice is just your average 39 year old when she wakes up on the morning of her 40th birthday in her 16 year old body. The books asks the question, if you could alter the past to change your future, would you? And Alice actually does! It’s interesting to see things she does to change the world she lives in and her ultimate choice in the end. It was a really touching book. This book does deal with an ailing parent, so be cautious.

Reyna and Kianthe from Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

Can we talk about the women in this cozy fantasy for a minute? They both want to escape the life that has been chosen for them, so they do, and they open a bookshop/tea shop! Talk about taking ownership of your own destiny. They deal with politicians, brigands, a crazy queen, dragons, and a magical destiny, but they still hold true to what they are trying to accomplish and each other. Also the sequel just came out and I am loving it!

Zinnia from the Fractured Fables Series by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia Gray is going to die before her 21 birthday. Its a guarantee. So when a mysterious spinning wheel whisks her off to the land of a sleeping beauty (her favorite fairy tale) she jumps at the chance to change someone else’s destiny, even if she can’t change her own. I love Zinnia. She’s shouting to anyone who will listen that she will not go gentle and it’s a great short read.

Amalia and Zaria from The Swords and Fire series by Melissa Caruso

These women are complex. Both have destinies, one is trying desperately to escape hers, and the other is quietly resigned to hers. Both of their lives are changed in an instant that has the potential to alter the kingdom they live in forever. Their journey together is wonderful to read.

Addie from The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue

Imagine being so desperate to escape an arranged marriage that you make a deal with an old god and it backfires on you so that no one remembers you. Addie learned to move and adapt in a world that always forgot her until one day someone didn’t and it shook her. She adapted again. It was an interesting story and Addie was so intriguing to read about. This book was so good. And that ending! Ugh! So good.

The Vignes Women from The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett

The women in this book are stunningly written. Each is very different. It starts with a set of twins who can pass for white in the segregated deep south then it moves on to their daughters who is each raised very differently. These women are so interesting that I could not put this book down. I loved it!

So go and celebrate the strong women in your life, or read about some! Happy International Women’s Day!