Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by the lovely people at The Broke and the Bookish. This week, it’s asking for the top ten things on our reading wish lists, or what we would like to see more of in the books we read. Here are mine. :)
1) More unconventional relationships in books where the relationship is not the number one focus of the text. Kind of like Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series, where the main characters are in a gay relationship. I want to explore the relationship spectrum: gay, straight, lesbian, poly, etc.
2) On that note, more LGBTQ characters/protagonists where their sexual orientation is not the main focus of the book. For once, I want to see how an asexual or transgender character saves the world. We need more LGBTQ heroes.
3) Fantasy worlds that are not based on medieval England. There are so many other cultures and so much history in our world that fantasy worlds could find their roots in.
4) Love triangles that do not have an obvious conclusion. Usually when there is a love triangle in a novel, you can see from a million miles away who the protagonist is going to end up with. Why not make both love interests equally as likely? Why not have your protagonist end up with someone completely different, or no one at all?
5) Unreliable narrators. I find them fascinating. Related to this, unlikeable narrators.
6) Protagonists that are parents, particularly in the fantasy genre.
7) Court/political intrigue, once again in the fantasy genre. I love tangled webs of lies and characters that are able to navigate all of this.
8) YA fiction that deals with mental health issues (anxiety, OCD, autism, schizophrenia, etc) or physical disability, though not necessarily as the thrust of the plot. Similar to the above point about LGBTQ characters. Everyone is capable of being the hero of their own story; why don’t we let them?
9) Sibling relationships. I want to see more books where the protagonist is really close to their brother or sister, or when their sibling is along for the ride to save the world.
10) Unconventional gender roles. Characters that are defined by who they are and not what’s between their legs.
So there’s my list. What would you guys like to see more of in fiction? :)
The Book Bean 
Great list. Better sibling relationships made mine as well.
Thank you! I’ll check your list out now. :)
I’m quite curious about getting my hands on Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. The reviews are mixed, but it’s set in a sci fi world where the language (and culture) has no concept of gender at all.
Oooo that sounds really interesting, even if the reviews are mixed. Thanks for putting it on my radar. :)
Awesome list. Although I’m tired of love triangles. Maybe because non have been written well.
Here’s our TTT
Doris @ OABR
If they were written well, they’d be much better. I’m tired of not being in any suspense, or of the love rival being a total bag of dicks that no one in their right mind would go out with, but yet the protagonist is still threatened by them.
Thanks for the comment, I’ll check yours out. :)
I agree with 4 so much. It’s getting annoying and pointless when you can easily guess the end pairing.
Definitely. It’s lazy characterisation, I think.
Thanks! :)
I want some complicated love triangles as well. ESPECIALLY in YA fiction.
Definitely! :)