Happy Tuesday, y’all! The end of July is here, seriously, where is the time going? Anyway, this week Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl is asking us to share books that we wished had more or less of something. I decided to twist this a bit, and share things I would love to see more of in books. Authors take notes!
What authors do I want to take notes? Any and all! To me, these are all independent of genre-romance, mystery, historical. It doesn’t matter!
So prepare your pencils, and start taking notes!
Set Books in Various Places
I can’t be the only person who is getting tired of seeing books set in the same major cities. Or are there only like four locations for novels to be set? Why do authors tend to choose Los Angeles or NYC if they’re book is in the United States? There are a total of 50 states, spread your love. Even in California and New York there are so many other places to set your story.
Oh, you set your books in Europe? Are London and Paris the only two cities in all of Europe? Are the United Kingdom and France the only two countries in Europe?
While I do understand there are many books not set in the four locations mentioned above, they are not always easy to find.
More Variety in Alcohol Choices
Seriously, am I the only person who doesn’t drink craft beer or wine? If those are the only two alcoholic beverages you know, they just look at any drinks menu when you are dining out!
More Variety in Drink Choices at Dinner or With Friends
Yes, I know this kind of cancels the one above out, but not everyone drinks alcohol. I may have a drink once a month, or less frequently. I’m sure there are more us out there than you realize! Oh, and not everyone drinks sparkling water.
More Tea Drinkers
To zero in more on the one above, not everyone drinks coffee! I haven’t touched it in over 20 years. But I do love tea. And not just green tea. Why do all hot beverages have to be coffee (espresso, latte, etc.) or a matcha green tea? What’s wrong with a regular orange pekoe? Or even a rooibos, a wonderful red tea?
More Characters Unsure of Themselves
I love reading about characters who are searching for themselves, and trying to figure stuff out. But do they all have to be 20somethings? Some of us in our 40s are still trying to figure things out!
Late Bloomers
This goes with the one above it. What’s better than someone searching for themselves, than someone who figures out their path? But this can also apply to romantic relationships where the couple isn’t in their 20s or early 30s.
Romance with Married Couples
This may be a bit of a flip from the one above. But what’s wrong with a couple that’s been married for a while, who may feel like they’ve hit a rut and they rediscover the romance?
More Mom & Dad Bods
Normalize body changes as we get older! Not everyone is a super athlete. Nor is everyone naturally thin, or thick. As we age, we all get a bit fluffier around the middle, even if we are active and have a healthy lifestyle. Try to normalize the changes.
Use More Love Languages
Why do so many men struggle with giving gifts? Because they are lead to believe woman only want flowers, perfume, makeup, jewelry, and chocolate. Personally, the only one of those I like is chocolate.
Why do woman struggle with giving gifts to their partners? Because they are led to believe men want items to do with sports, hunting, fishing, drinking, or cars. Guess what, my husband doesn’t like any of those!
For some people their love language has nothing to do with gifts (giving or receiving). My husband and I enjoy being near each other, spending time together even if we are pursuing our own hobbies. What does that look like? We’ll sit at the table together while I read, and he draws and have our feet touching. Or we’ll sit on the couch with my legs on his lap while I watch the ball game, and he’s reading.
Diverse Relationships
Yes, this has gotten better in recent years. But there is always room for improvement. What’s wrong with having relationships that don’t fit the “normal” mold? Why do best friends have to be the same age or same gender? Or even the same religion or race? The term relationship doesn’t have to just be used for romance.
I hope all of the authors took some good notes! Do you agree with these notes? What kind of things do you wish authors would take notes on?
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my other bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
Discover more from Read! Bake! Create!
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As a tea drinker, I’m with you! ☕
I want to add my support to something you said, Pam—I’d love to see more late bloomers, too. People don’t stop growing and learning automatically when they turn thirty!
Love this list and I agree with many of your points! I’d love to see more older protagonists figuring themselves out (unsure of themselves and late bloomers) and I want to see more of them in romances too, whether it’s from the POV of a married couple or just older people who find romantic love again. 😍
I feel like I see more novels about older heroes or heroines. But maybe it’s still slimmer than 20-somethings. I don’t know. I think there was a Christmas novel from a year or two ago, and I’ve seen a couple Christian fiction novels recently about older protagonists, too. 🙂
Great list, and I agree with all of these! (My love language is food. If I like you, I will bake or cook for you. My husband’s is random touch. He’ll bump shoulders, give me an ultra-mini back-rub, whatever.) I have seen more of an age spread among protagonists lately, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
This is a great list and I agree with all of these! Especially the different love languages and late bloomers, but big yes also to the different drink choices and more tea instead of coffee.
I agree with everything! I haven’t had alcohol since about 2016. This is due to my not actually liking a lot of it and breastfeeding. Once my youngest stops breastfeeding I doubt that I will go back to my annual Christmas drink 😂
With regards to Tea. I have to have decaf otherwise I get a migraine (although again with Breastfeeding I need to limit it anyway).
I am 34 and am made to feel old by all these young characters. I like reading about the older character.
As someone who lives in the UK I completely agree with your thoughts on book places. I live in Kent known as The Garden of England. This is a bit far fetched in my opinion, but we do have some beautiful countryside (I live down the road from a vineyard) so why aren’t more books set here?
Anyway!
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
Excellent suggestions! And why always HOT drinks today? No iced [whatever] I live on unsweet ice tea.
I’m sure I have unsweetened tea running through my veins. It’s my preferred drink, no matter the weather.
Pam
Same here!
I’ve found a few older protagonists in fantasy but you’re right that it’s not as common!
OOoh nice choices! I find myself agreeing with some of these too! I’m not much of a drinker so all the drink names and whatnot get lost on me! Lol. But it seems like if you’re 21+ years old, the characters have to be drinkers!
Thanks for visiting my TTT!
As a late bloomer myself, I’d love to see more of these stories!
Yes, on locations. I am reading a book set in Ohio, and I was like, wait, what? Yay, I live in Ohio, LOL! I am not sure if the city it is set in is real or not, but still, I was happy. I also agree with married couples, mom and dad bods, LOL! Great list.
100% to your points! Especially the tea one (I’m a big and diverse black tea drinker) and also, setting books in different places. I’d also like characters that don’t really drink occasionally but without making them feel like they’re the fun police. I don’t drink so I don’t relate to all the “wine o’clock!” characters in fiction, but anyone who doesn’t drink tends to be looked at sideways, lol.
I’ve noticed that a lot in books, too. When friends are at a party or even hanging out together, the one who chooses not to drink gets looked down upon. Why? I prefer not to drink, and my husband can’t. At times, we are the oddballs at various functions.
Pam
The older I get, the more I want late bloomer stories, Pam. I would also love more locales. I love learning about other places through books, so bring it on. Great list.
Your list is great! I especially love more love languages. You are so spot on!
Fantastic list! I totally agree about needing more books with characters in their 50s and older who are trying to work out who they are!
I keep telling my kids they don’t have to know what they want to be when they grow up because I still don’t know, and I’m almost 50.
Pam
This is a fabulous list!! I agree with all of these. Yes, to the cities!! Why is it always the same ones!?
The requests for the drinks is hilarious! Everything else, I agree with mostly! I’m a huge romance reader, and every time I read about these 18-year-olds finding their soulmates… I wonder about my mid-20s self being super single. 😂 I would definitely like some love stories ft. late bloomers. 🙂
Justice for tea lovers! And I absolutely agree with the whole list. As a 27yo I’m tired of only 16/17 year olds going on epic quests and saving the galaxy. We can do this too, we’re not dead! 😂
These are all great! I really love so many of these, and can identify with you on the strange fixation with everyone drinking coffee, craft beer, and wine all. the. time. Lately, I’ve read a few books where the main characters in a romance are in their 40s and it’s wonderful – The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Kane is a great example!
Yes more older protag and more different kind of bodies.