The best books featuring badass women–in history and fiction

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for archaeologists, but Amelia Peabody is one of a kind. Armed with her tool belt (she calls it her “chatelaine”), her pistol and parasol, and her courage, she is a force to be reckoned with on the late 19th-century Egyptian archaeology scene. A firm believer in equality, Peabody (as her husband calls her) doesn't hesitate when action is required, facing down everyone from site looters to bureaucrats. Written by noted Egyptologist Barbara Mertz (as Elizabeth Peters), the books get the history and archaeology right, and the mysteries have more than a dash of humor and a nod to the thrillers of H. Rider Haggard—without the same imperialist overtones.

In an alternate 1930s America, Lizabeth Rose is known to be the best gunslinger around. Canny and a crack shot, Gunnie Rose is tough, and her life has been rough, but she's young enough to adapt to changing situations. She has strong feelings about her family (born and made), and not all of them are good, so she has to navigate politics, magic, and an often lawless countryside—all while keeping a dangerous secret. Harris switches the tone of her series effortlessly, and this world has its own unique voice: a brutal frontier life that never was, but drawing on history that makes it familiar all the same.

Cass Raines was once a cop, and now is a private investigator. She understands all too well that life is harsh and circumstances can change in an instant, especially in the criminal realms of modern-day Chicago. Smart, savvy, and tenacious, Cass is slow to trust but when she trusts you, you are her people. Dealing with dirty cops, kidnappers, and murderers, Cass walks the fine line between knowing her limits and pushing them to their utmost. Writer Tracy Clark hits every beat and then some, with a unique voice that never plays coy or saccharine, taking a realistic look at the subject of missing children and foster care.

Katniss Everdeen is a survivor: she can hunt, trade, and fight, doing whatever it takes to keep her family alive in the dystopian world of Panem. She takes the place of her younger sister in the fight to the death of the wildly popular "Hunger Games," which pits children against children. Although this series is considered to be for young adults, Suzanne Collins explores ideas from this world, including class imbalances, child soldiers, and the distraction of politically-inspired  “bread and circuses” entertainment. The brutality of this world explains Katniss's capabilities and her adaptability, and her imagination is only matched by her iron-cold will to live and keep her family safe.

This next one is a bit of a curve ball, but it also reflects my interest in strong women in history and fiction—as well as my love of history and archaeology. Cleopatra: A Life, takes a historical figure who was nearly mythological, and roots her firmly within a cultural and historical context. Gone is the wily temptress of fiction and antiquity; Stacy Schiff's subject is a queen, a military strategist, an ingenious diplomat, and a polymath. She waged (and survived) civil war and foreign invasions, and reshaped the ancient world. The book reads like a novel, but never skimps on the historical and archaeological data--even the footnotes are compelling. Who wouldn't want this woman as backup?