Your literary tributes are below the cut. May the odds be ever in their favor.
First, we’re totally in a fight about Turtle. If, perchance, I win the lottery this year, I’m sending all of you copies of The Westing Game and not speaking to any of you until you read it. I shan’t believe for a moment that anyone who has actually read the book wouldn’t vote for Ms. Wexler, who was an unapologetic, pre-teen, brilliant, third-wave feminist in the 1970s. I shan’t. All of you go sit over there and think about what you did. Hrrmph.

Since I can’t throw my boundless enthusiasm and mediocre Photoshop skills at my first choice, I have no choice but to join my partner-in-shenanigans-and-ladyblogging, PoM.

I’m putting aside my desire for a bloodfeud to announce this year’s tributes for Middlemarch Madness III: March Harder. Last week’s poll put Ms. Luna Lovegood head and shoulders above all the other candidates. Will the Potter-lovers hold onto this lead, or will the Austenphiles, the Pratchettonians, or the dark horse L’Englites rally in time to defeat the wee lady wizard? Stay tuned. I predict it’s going to get ugly in here.
[fancy_header bgColor=”#870d44″ textColor=”#ffffff”]Young Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy/Dystopia[/fancy_header]
[fancy_numbers variation=”slategrey”]
- Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
- Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
- Meg Murray, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
- Lyra Belacqua, His Dark Materials trilogy, by Phillip Pullman
- Alice, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
- Ella, Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
- Violet Baudelaire, A Series of Unfotunate Events, by Lemony Snicket
- Katsa, Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
- Kealdry of Mindelan, The Protector of the Small quartet, by Tamora Pierce
- Cimorene, Enchanted Forest quartet by Patricia Wrede
- Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen, by Garth Nix
- Arietty, The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
- Tally Youngblood, The Uglies series, by Scott Westerfield
- September, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherine M Valtente
- Ann, Hexwood, by Diana Wynne Jones
- Gemma Doyle, Gemma Doyle series, by Libba Bray
[/fancy_numbers]
[fancy_header bgColor=”#870d44″ textColor=”#ffffff”]Young Adult Literary Fiction[/fancy_header]
[fancy_numbers variation=”slategrey”]
- Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Longstocking series, by Astrid Lindgren
- Harriet, Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
- Ramona Quimby, Ramona series, by Beverly Cleary
- Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew series, by Carolyn Keene
- Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
- Laura Ingalls, Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane
- Charlotte A. Cavatica, Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White
- Paperbag Princess, The Paperbag Princess, by Robert Munsch
- Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers
- Karana, Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell
- Claudia Kincaid, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg
- Hazel, The Fault in our Stars, by John Green
- Leslie, Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
- Liesel Meminger, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusack
- Anastasia Krupnik, Anastasia Krupnik series, by Lois Lowry
- Weetzie Bat, Weetzie Bat, by Francesca Lia Block
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[fancy_header bgColor=”#870d44″ textColor=”#ffffff”]Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy/Dystopia[/fancy_header]
[fancy_numbers variation=”slategrey”]
- Offred, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
- Daenerys Tagaryen, A Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R. R. Martin
- Death, Sandman, by Neil Gaiman
- Thursday Next, Thursday Next series, by Jasper Fforde
- Morgaine, The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Bradley Zimmer
- Nanny Ogg, Discword series, by Terry Pratchett
- Claudia, Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice
- Sunshine, Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
- Alexia Tarabotti, The Parasol Protectorate series, by Gail Carriger
- Kathy H., Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Yeine, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms series, by N.K. Jemison
- Phèdre nó Delaunay, Kushiel’s Legacy series, by Jacqueline Carey
- Reverend Mother Gaius Hele Mohiam, Dune series, by Frank Herbert
- Moreta, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey
- Surreal SaDiablo, Black Jewels Trilogy, by Anne Bishop
- Sorcha, Sevenwaters trilogy, by Juliette Marillier
[/fancy_numbers]
[fancy_header bgColor=”#870d44″ textColor=”#ffffff”]Adult Literary Fiction[/fancy_header]
[fancy_numbers variation=”slategrey”]
- Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
- Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
- Elinor Dashwood, Sense & Sensibility, by Jane Austen
- Penelope, The Odyssy, by Homer
- Miss Marple, assorted works, by Agatha Christie
- Scarlet O’Hara, Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
- Cassandra, I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
- Esther Greenwood, The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
- Grace Makutsi, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, by Alexander McCall Smith
- Cecily, The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
- Sethe, Beloved, by Toni Morrison
- Lily Owens, The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kid
- Catherine Earnshaw, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
- Mary Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson
- Ree Dolly, Winter’s Bone, by Daniel Woodrell
- Ada, Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
[/fancy_numbers]
33 replies on “Middlemarch Madness III: The Reaping”
I have so many books to add to my to-read list. I’ll never catch up! But this is an awesome collection of ladies, and I can’t wait for the voting (and wailing) to start. Bring it!
Oh man, I just saw that Meg and September are against each other in the first bracket! THE FIRST BRACKET.
I’m really torn, here. Meg is a childhood favorite and I want to see her lose only to Lyra. But September, ill-tempered and irascible, totally stole my heart. Why must I have to vote against her so early?!
This is going to be painful! But Lyra, Harriet, and Cassandra are on there! LYRA!
But seriously…we are in a fight about both Turtle AND Cassie from Roll of Thunder. How does Cassie not get chosen?!?! I think she and Lyra might kick everyone’s ass in real life.
Is there anywhere we can see the original list from which these 64 were chosen? I’m curious about who was not included, but since the poll is closed I can’t see the names!
…Cassie didn’t get chosen??
I didn’t even notice her on the voting list earlier!
NOOOOO
I love that the lists have some one for everyone!
The top 8 for YA Lit is so amazing that I am almost ok with Susie Derkins not making the cut. Almost.
I sure hope everyone has now read the Paperbag Princess so you know how amazing it is.
I actually have read it now! For class, amusingly enough. Pretty awesome, I agree.
I adore the paper bag princess. You would probably also enjoy the Knight Who Took All Day.
I love sooo many of these ladies! On the other hand, it also makes me realize I need to read more. I want to know all these badass characters.
Ahh so many good choices! I get the feeling many of my faves will be paired up together right at the beginning making it super difficult to vote.
Tuesday we’ll pair the 1s v. 16s and the 8s v. 9s, Wednesday is 5s v. 12s and 4s v. 13s, Thursday is 6s v. 11s and 3s v. 14s, Friday is 2s v. 15s and 7s v. 10s.
I forgot to include a link to the bracket itself, in my Turtle mourning. Middlemarch Madness III
Holy cow…aside from y’all’s ongoing delusion that Offred is any kind of badass, the adult sci-fi/fantasy/dystopia category is AMAZING. Actually, I’m excited about most everyone who has made it on to the bracket (at least most everyone of the characters I know.) This is awesome, but it’s going to get so difficult…
On another note, can someone please explain the appeal of Weetzie Bat to me? Because I had to read that for class recently, and I couldn’t STAND it. But I know it’s crazy popular and a lot of people really love it, I just don’t GET it.
Because I’m feeling sassy, I’d assert that the #2 seed is more badass than the #1 seed, in every single category.
Yes! Totally, yes! #2 in all of the categories are way more bad ass. Hands down.
This could be a year with some upsets, but it’s interesting to look at the correlation between popularity and badassery quotient. For science, let’s look at last year. Minerva McG clearly scores off the charts in both popularity and badassery. This years top seeds don’t match her thunder. Luna is a great sidekick, she pushes the action along for the main characters well, and she’s interesting. At the same time, one could argue that she strays into Manic Pixie Dream Wizard territory. If the last vote is an indicator, she’s very, very popular. 83% of voters picked her. Luna gets a solid six for badassery and a ten for popularity. Pippi has the highest badassery quotient of all the #1s, but got the fewest overall votes of #1s. We’ll give her an eight for badassery, and a five for popularity. Offred, pish. She got the second highest number of total votes, but her badassery is arguable. Lets give her 9pop/4BAQ. Finally, Jane Eyre. I’d say the unfortunate woman in the attic is more badass than Jane. I’d say my plastic ficus tree is more badass than Jane. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy reading about her adventures, I very much did, but if I were to list a million badass women, Jane Eyre would not be on it. Her total vote count was third of four. We’ll give her a 6pop/3BAQ.
It could be anyone’s game. I could see a crafty six or seven seed going all the way, in any category. Aside from the #1s, the top five ladies in each bracket are formidable, but not so wildly popular they couldn’t be knocked out.
/overthinking.
I would agree in all categories EXCEPT…Pippi Longstocking is pretty freaking badass. Also, I have not actually read Harriet the Spy (I know, how must my childhood have been!) so I can’t fully get on board with that one.
I would agree with every other category though! I like Luna well enough, but no way is she more badass than Katniss.
Thank you! I keep assuming I read a different Handmaid’s Tale. I’m also completely unsure how Luna took the number one spot for YA Fantasy.
Cause the Harry Potter series brings all the literary geeks to the yard?
Turtle Wexler could defeat Luna Lovegood in any potential battle that didn’t involve magic. And maybe even a few of those.
#TurtleW2014
Also, Selena, you are selling me on re-reading The Westing Game. I haven’t read it in 15+ years, so my memories are pretty hazy. But your devotion to Turtle is making me want to read it again to see where you’re coming from.
My work here is done.
I’m so glad I’m not alone! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not casting aspersions upon the importance or impact of The Handmaid’s Tale, but I think it’s told from the perspective of someone who is clearly not an actual badass. To me, that’s kind of the point.
And I second Silverwane. I love Harry Potter (and was FIRMLY Team Hermione the first year) but I think the Luna thing is about the series, not the character.
Yay Ann made it! DWJ ladies 4eva!
Pippi will send Mr. Nilsson to anyone that doesn’t vote for her. And don’t even get me started on Death or Sabriel.
This is going to be DIFFICULT.
What a fabulous bracket! I am so pleased that so many of my favorite ladies made it through.
Pippiiiiiiiii!!!!!!
Oh my god this is going to be a hard one! And No Turtle?! What the hell happened?!
The cutoff for the YA Lit category was 15 votes, and she got fourteen. I may or may not have literally wailed in despair.
There’s no shame in wailing aloud for that. One point, I can’t believe. Turtle Wexler was one of the first book characters I ever wanted to befriend and/or be. I’m sad now.
Come site by me. I’ll bring the cheesecake.
I’ll bring the wine.
*sit.
It’s like I type with balled-up fists.