Lola’s Ramblings: Ten things I love in books

Posted December 11, 2014 by Lola in Lola's Ramblings / 14 Comments

LolaRamblings

Lola’s Rambings is a feature on Lola’s Review where I talk about me. Usually these posts are everything that doesn’t fall under any standard header, like blog tours, book blitzes, cover reveals or reviews. Lola’s Ramblings posts are are personal discussions of a certain topic. Sometimes about book related topics and sometimes about non-book related topics. If an Lola’s Ramblings post is about a non-book topic it gets the non-book content posts tag. This feature was previously knows as About Me. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Design.

There are certain things that are always a hit for me in books, so today I wanted to talk about those elements that I love in a book. I thought it was fun to think about this and list them all in one post!

Ten things I love in books

  • World Building. I just love world building, if there’s one thing that make or break a book for me it’s world building. I love a well developed world, the more complex the better. I even don’t mind info dumps as much and often feel like a book would be even better with more world building, but I think that’s just me.
  • Face Time new

  • Realisme. Whether it’s events or characters, I love it when things are realistic. You know those scenes where someone says something and you think ‘nooooo, no one would say that or act that way in real life’. I can’t stand that and if it happens too often in a book it can really ruin a book for me. When things deviate too much for real life it jars me out of the book. I love it when characters act realistic or when things that happen are things that would happen in real life as well. One author who does a great job of this is SJ Pajonas in her book Face Time, that story is so realistic it feels like this really could be someone’s life.
  • Insider Knowledge. I have this weird fascination with books that are about topics or jobs you don’t get to know much about in real life. I’ve read some books recently about someone who was a baseball coach, a book about summer camp and another book were someone was part of a high class ballets school to name a few things. Those books are contemporary books, but they still transport me to an enitrely different world. I love it when books can do that!
  • A League of Her Own

  • Interpersonal Relationships. Relationships and interactions between characters are one of the things I like in books, I like seeing those relationships change and develop or banter between two characters. I like those kind of scenes’and they can really make a book and character come alive for me.
  • Well developed characters. When characters are well developed I can feel like they are real persons, they have their likes and dislikes, they have motives, a past and a future. I love it when characters are well developed and any authors get’s bonus points when they develop side characters as well as main characters.
  • Romance. I just love romance in books and a book has to be very good to compensate for not having romance. Now the romance doesn’t has to be the main plot, I also love romance as a side plot and there are even cases where it works better when it’s a side plot. I especially love Slow Building Romance. There’s just something about romance that get’s me more invested in the book and I am routing for the couple to get together.
  • Logic/ Things that make sense. I love it when the author has done their research and things make sense and fit. I once read a book were someone had memory loss of 8 months. Now I am no expert on the subject, but I did have a few subjects that dealth with memory during my study and this isn’t possible. Things like that can really jar me out of their book, while on the other hand when an author has done their research I just feel some sense of harmony of feeling like everything’s right in the world. I love that!
    Also this point also is valid in fantasy or sci-fi books, the memory loss example actually is from a paranormal book, then you might say it’s fantasy so it doens’t have to make sense, but I disagree. Even in fantasy books things have to make sense, the non-magic aspects still follow the normal rules and the magic aspects have to make sense in light of the world building.
  • Build-up. Whether it’s a relationship that builds-up or the build-up to a certain plot point or even plot twist, I love build-up. It also helps things make sense and when re-reading a book the build-up is even more fun to witness. I love those moments tthat when everything falls on it’s place that you realize which events or scenes were part of the build-up and that the author was workignt owards this point the entire time.
  • Kelley Armstrong

  • First person perspective. While I also read books with third person perspective, I prefer books with first person perspective, it feels more natural to me. As a child I actually detested first person perspective, but nowadays I love first person perspective. It always takes me some time to get used to third person perspective, although a good writer can compensate for this.
  • Writing Style. Not writing style in general, but more specific author’s writing styles that just resonate with me. Some author’s just have a writing style that hooks me into their books without them even having to do anything else. Two good examples of this are the writing style of Kelley Armstrong and SJ Pajonas. Starting one of their books just makes me feel at ease and like I am home, just because of the way they write. I know this might sound weird, but it just works for me.

So my question to you is:

What elements do you love in books?

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14 responses to “Lola’s Ramblings: Ten things I love in books

  1. Well, you’ve about summed it all lol ! I do love a good world building, that’s why I love the Psy-changeling series so much, the Netmind particularly fascinates me. I do need good characters, I can’t stand stupid reactions and need to read about people I can either relate to, or understand. Throw in a good story and a good writing style and I’m in heaven. A good writing style and good vocabulary is somehow hard to find among the type of books I read, unfortunately.

    • I take that as a compliment ;). I haven’t read the Psy-Changeling series, but good world building is always a plus so I might check it out. I like when I am able to relate to character, but as long as they are real I can deal. Like Tris from Divergent, I couldn’t relate to her at all, she’s so different from me, but I still liked her as a character as her action all made sense when you knew her motivations.
      Writing style is somethign so specific and it really differs from person to person whcih writing style works. Kelley Armstrong is known for sometimes writing slow paced book, but as soon as I start reading her books I just feel at ease and enjoy the book just because of the way she writes. Same with SJ Pajonas, not many more authors who’s writing style touches me like that, that I can think of now. It’s really hard to find writign style I connect with like that.

  2. I agree with SO many of these! I am a huge fan of first person (I get irrationally sad when I realize a book is in third!) and I NEED logic. Even in a fantasy book, things need to be logical and feel realistic, otherwise, I absolutely cannot get on board. Same with well developed characters. Because if I don’t care about the character, how am I going to care about the plot? Great list, I agree with basically all of these!
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight recently posted…Review: Landry Park by Bethany HagenMy Profile

    • When a book is in third it always takes me a while to adapt, I just prefer first person. And I totally agree even in fantasy things need to be logical, else it will be much harder for me to enjoy the book. Sometimes world building and story can compensate for less developed characters, but I certainly prefer my books with well developed characters.

  3. I agree with your whole list, Lola! I only have one thing to add, and that’s in romances, I prefer when none of the protagonists are completely inexperienced sexually. All the rest you said is important to me, too, even if I can be just as happy with third person POV as with first person POV.
    Great post, Lola 🙂 I hope you’re having a fantastic Friday!
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…Review: Magic Strikes – Ilona AndrewsMy Profile

    • Good point, Lexxie. I also prefer it when both have some experience or both don’t. There are already so many romances out there where one of them is experiences and the other isn’t. Some authors can really pull the third person POV off, I usually even mention that in my review, but in general it’s easier for me to read a first person POV book. Although I won’t say no to a third person POV book when the blurb sounds good.

  4. Great list! I almost always have to have romance in the book too. It doesn’t have to be the focus of the story, but it has to be there somewhere. Maybe it’s because I used to read a lot of romance novels. I tend to get annoyed when there’s a romance that isn’t done well, though, and sometimes in those cases I complain and wish it wasn’t there at all!
    Jenna @ Rather Be Reading YA recently posted…Review: For Real by Alison CherryMy Profile

    • Romance makes most books better in my opinion, I just love reading books with soem romance in it. I agree it doesn’t have to be the focus as long as it’s there. And indeed if it’s not well done, the book might be better if it doesn’t have any romances at all. It does have to be a good romance.

  5. Oh I LOVE this list! I’m totally agreed about the realism. I hate it when books are unrealistic, and it always just earns insta-points to me when things are so real I feel like I know the characters, or I’m in the book. x) Logic too! I LOVE LOGIC AND SENSE. Although, you konw, totally throw in vegetarian dragons too. I don’t mind the weird and wacky, just so long as it makes sense. Research is very very important too. *nods*
    Cait @ Paper Fury recently posted…The Heroine TagMy Profile

    • I love lists ;). I think realism is really important, it just feels better if the world is done right and everything makes sense. And I would totally read a book about vegetarian dragons as long as there’s an explanation why they are vegetarian :P. Weird and wacky is okay as logn as it make sense, that’s what’s important!

  6. Great list Lola! I totally agree especially with world building and characters. I need both to be pretty solid for a book go be good. And sometimes I feel silly saying I need realism because I read s lot of books set in fantasy worlds, but I still feel like there are expectations I’m allowed to have for realistic behavior!
    Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Sunday Post | 67th EditionMy Profile

    • Thanks, I enjoy making lists! I think many people would say realisme isn’t necessary in fantasy, but in that case it means mroe that it needs to make sense, like I mentioned under the logic/makes sense part. I once read a book were there was a main rule the big baddies couldn’t get into the real world and then in book 6 it suddenly changed and they could. Basically the author broke her own world building rule. Things like that need to make sense for me concerning the world it takes place in. And indeed behavior of the characters need to be realistic as well.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂

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