On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington) by David Weber Honor Harrington is a female soldier in outer space, strong and intelligent, she's like a female Horatio Hornblower. Good space opera. This is the first novel in this military-sf series. Other Honor Harrington novels: The Honor of the Queen,Second novel in the series. The Short Victorious War, Third in the series. Field of Dishonor , Fourth novel in the series. Flag in Exile, Fifth novel in the series. Honor Among Enemies, Sixth novel in the series. In Enemy Hands, Seventh novel in the series.

The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper Tepper has created a fascinating future world in which women hold most of the power after a nuclear disaster. Far from the happy, peaceful, wishful-thinking worlds dreamed up by some feminists, this separatist society is dynamic, not quite utopian, and not quite stable. But you'll still wish you lived there :-).