Veronica Wolff is an award-winning, bestselling author who likes monsters, fight scenes, and first kisses. Sometimes all at the same time. She lived everywhere from Texas, to Hawaii, to India, before finally settling in Northern California, where she lives with her husband, two kids, and a small menagerie of rescued pets. She writes in several genres, including Scottish historical romance, time travel, contemporary romance, and young adult.
I wrote...
Isle of Night (The Watchers)
By
Veronica Wolff
What is my book about?
When Annelise left for college, it meant good riddance to her abusive father and stepmother—until a bureaucratic screw-up left her without a diploma, flat broke, and facing an uncertain future. Then she met Ronan—tall, dark, and way too seductive for her own good. He promised Annelise a new life, if she had the courage to chance the unknown.
Whisked away to a mysterious island in the North Sea, Annelise is pitted against other female recruits in tests of skill, smarts, and strength. To win is to become a member of the Watchers, an elite and unique partnership—with vampires. It’s not exactly what Annelise had in mind for a new beginning. Because on the Isle of Night, to lose the challenge doesn’t just mean dishonor. It means death.
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The Books I Picked & Why
Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I
By
Robin Lafevers
Why this book?
This whole series was a delight—a historical fantasy full of kick-ass young women. Ismae, the heroine of book one, is brave and fierce, the love story feels rich and
right, and even with such vivid and extensive world-building, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Assassin nuns—what more do you need to know?
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True Grit
By
Charles Portis
Why this book?
Though it was published back in 1952, True Grit features one of my all-time favorite fierce heroines, Mattie Ross. Though she’s only fourteen, Mattie sets off on a journey through the old west to avenge the death of her father. She’s smart, no-nonsense, incredibly courageous, and truly the embodiment of grit. Bonus tip: the audiobook is extraordinary, narrated by bestselling author Donna Tartt, and no exaggeration, I listened to it twice in a row.
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Code Name Verity
By
Elizabeth Wein
Why this book?
This is the harrowing story of two young women, a pilot, and a spy, in World War Two. “Fierce” isn’t a strong enough word to capture these characters and the story of their friendship, courage, and heroism amidst the horrors of the Nazi regime. It’s an intense and satisfying read that resonated with me long after I finished.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses
By
Sarah J. Maas
Why this book?
For fierce heroines, readers generally rave about Maas’ Throne of Glass, but I am all about her A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre is a hunter, a survivor, and the protector of her family who finds herself held captive in a magical kingdom that is, naturally, populated by some devastatingly handsome faeries. The second book in this series is on my shortlist of favorite books of all time.
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Vampire Academy
By
Richelle Mead
Why this book?
If you somehow missed the Vampire Academy series when it first came out in 2007, you’re in for a treat. There’s friendship, romance, intrigue, and a whole lot of female badassery. This book really lit the fire for me--and helped inspire my own vampire series--with its creation of a world where it's the young women who are the empowered ones.