Though Robert Heinlein had many strong female characters in his books, my favorite heroine is Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise.
Yours is…?
Uhh I dunno really… I read lots and don’t think I have a specific favourite… among the ones I enjoy (and the books I read over and over again) are Anne of Green Gables, Lessa from Dragonriders of Pern and Lashana from The Elvenbane and Elvenblood
I don’t thibk I really have a favorite but I really liked Ehlana from Eddings’ Sparhawk series. She wasn’t exactly the main character but she was very strong and broke through a lot of stereotypes to prove herself.
Besides, she had Sparhawk on a leash, it was cute.
Kitty
Hrm, difficult.
Paks’ in Moon’s Deed of Pakasinarrian is way cool, her gods didn’t deserve someone as good as she was. 
Eowyn was cool in LotR.
Polgara was pretty cool in the first series.
I really like Susan Sto Helat and Esme Weatherwax from the diskworld.
And Susan (can’t recall last name) from I.Robot was a pretty cool as well.
Gotta love Kahlan in the Terry Goodkind books.
Narile, Polgara is good in every series she’s in, she’s a very strong character, she’s the greatest. besides, she and Durnik make such a cute couple, you just KNEW they would get together eventually.
Kitty
Ohh yah Polgara was wicked cool… um what was the name of the little girl Goddess? I can’t recall her name… she was really nice too.
Aphrael was the name of the little girl godess, 1 of her other names was “flute” in the elenium/tamuli books.
fwiw i am reading “Polgara the Sorceress” again
Responses seem to be mostly from fantasy series – why is that? The responders read fantasy? Or they’re the books with the best female characters?
I’ll go with the flow (had to stretch for that pun) and put in a good word for Daenerys, with the baby dragons, in GRRMartin’s Song of Ice and Fire Series. Those books are chock full of interesting females.
And Scout, from To Kill A Mockingbird. I would have liked to meet her again as an adult.
And how about any of Larry McMurtry’s women!?
The buffiest buffster in the whole world. BUFFY 
For me it would have to be Wonder Woman. I first discovered her when I was five, watching Lynda Carter during the ABC version when it was set in 1942. While it has gone in cycles, it has returned to an extent to its roots and espouses the ethics of its creator: Dr. William Moulton Marston. At this point in time, nearing my 30th birthday, I have helped the SciFi Channel, the BBC, and DC Comics research their projects about Wonder Woman. The 60th Anniversary book penned by Les Daniels has a credit to me for assistance in research, and McGraw Hill bought one of my articles about the genesis of Wonder Woman and its creator Dr. Marston for a high school text book. It’s nice being known and at times paid for that which you love.
Aerin from Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown.
Meg Murray from A Wrinkle in Time.
Jamethiel from P.C. Hodgell’s Dark of the Moon & God Stalk.
Ada & Ruby from Cold Mountain.
Bonanza Jellybean and Delores del Ruby from Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
I don’t know if these are my favorites of all time - I’ll have to do more thinking.
Cool thread!
Terry Southern’s *Candy.
A certain mighty warrior forged in the heat of battle. Back when the world cried out for a hero. Plus she looks good in black leather.
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) – Alien, Aliens, etc.
Mine is Judith, from the Biblical Apocrypha. She acted as a sexy spy and then cut the general’s head off! With his own sword! A gal you wouldn’t want to mess with. The only thing that keeps her story being made into a movie is that she never married after the death of her husband, and took no lovers. Adventure movies almost always have to have a love interest.
Dagney Taggart from “Atlas Shrugged”
Olan from The “Good Earth”
Evayne a’Nolan from Hunter’s Oath and Hunter’s Death. And perhaps Sylvia Ferro-Maine from The Ecolitan Enigma.
xizor,
‘A certain mighty warrior forged in the heat of battle. Back when the world cried out for a hero. Plus she looks good in black leather.’
9/10 for that choice. 
9.5 for the mighty warrior’s trusted companion - a talented Bard and jolly useful with a staff. She favours less clothing - and who are we mere mortals to argue…
10 for Salma Hayek.
(what do you mean, she’s not qualified? She’s supremely qualified! )