Hello, and welcome to Blogging A to Z 2017! Thanks for stopping by.
My theme this month is 26 of the Best Characters in Fiction. So let’s get to it, shall we?
I first met Anita Blake when I was a teenager, in the first Laurell K. Hamilton book in this series, Guilty Pleasures. Anita was my first encounter with a female character who was strong in this particular way. She was the best at what she did, and could keep up to the men in her life, yet she was still essentially female.
In so many books, if a woman is (excuse my language) kick ass, then she’s also basically a man in her attitude and her dress. Her femininity is stripped away. Anita Blake wasn’t like that. She was still insecure, looking for love, with nurturing tendencies. But she also wouldn’t hesitate to kill a vampire (or other monster). She didn’t back down if someone tried to intimidate her.
As the series progressed, Anita’s beliefs about vampires began to change, and it was interesting to see the evolution of her belief system in the face of new evidence. I loved that she wasn’t so stuck in what she believed to be right that she couldn’t change.
If you haven’t read it, the first 10 books in the series are wonderful. They’re books I own and re-read occasionally. There are currently 27 books, and I got less enthused about them as time went on. I think I’ve only read through about book 17. As with friends, sometimes as time goes on, you just grow apart. That’s what happened with this series.
It’s nothing personal; it’s just life, right?
I’ll always be grateful for the lessons she taught me, that it’s okay to both be tough and a girl. And to wear your scars with pride.
Any Anita Blake fans out there?
Doree Weller 
I’m with you – I started reading Anita Blake in high school, but stopped at Danse Macabre. I was done with it. I still do have my old, tattered copies of Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, and Circus of the Damned, though! She was kick ass while maintaining her identity and it was awesome.
I wrote about a literary character today too… of a very different sort. Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables.
Have fun with the challenge!
I’m thinking it’s time for a reread of those first few books. I re-read Anne of Green Gables not that long ago.
Just butting in…I LOVE Anne Shirley!!!
I have not heard of Anita Blake or the Guilty Pleasures series but it sounds interesting. Good luck on the A to Z!
Janet
A is for Adele
They’re great, if you like vampires and such.
I’ve heard of Anita Blake but never read the books. This may end up being another one to add to my list of books to try!
Cait @ Click’s Clan
Oh, I hope you do! Make sure you start at the beginning though.
Haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her, but it sounds like i might need to, at least so i can introduce her to my girls. It may be that you grew apart as the series progressed, or perhaps she’s being written in a different way that doesn’t touch you as much. Only you could tell.
There may be some topics that aren’t appropriate for kids, depending on how you feel about that kind of thing. If you give them a try, I hope you enjoy them!
No, I wasn’t familiar with Anita Blake.
I missed everyone’s A post on Saturday. Now I’m trying to read two posts today for each blog I follow that’s participating in the A-Z!
Well, I appreciate it, but that’s a lot of reading.
Haven’t read the books so I don’t know her. She sounds like my type of heroine. I am currently writing something about a kickass girl who battles monsters as well, so yeah, she and Anita might get along 🙂
My A post: How to Spell the Ancient Filipino Way