To the MTB goddesses! Bike advice please!

[Kallisti]

With mountain biking, the weight of the bike is far more important, because you have to throw the bike around and manipulate the weight so much more. For this reason, Specialized bikes can be dudes, because their HTs usually weigh around 30 lbs. That's about 25-30% of the weight of most women, meaning it's a very heavy bike, relatively. Knowing what I know now, if I was to buy a new HT, I'd figure out about 15-20% of my weight, and aim for a bike that weighs around there. From there, it's just a matter of finding the best components and frame I can afford for that weight.
BTW, the best place to take weight off of a bike is in the wheels, tires, and drivetrain (rotational weight).
Brakes are terrain dependent. I live in an area of high sand and mud, so disc brakes help a lot. But I've ridden in areas (hardpack soil) where disc brakes would just be extra weight.