I think we've done something like this before, but its been awhile. What are some of your pet peeves that you encounter in stories you're reading?
Here are a couple of mine:
1.) A disregard of biology when it comes to the age at which a woman is likely to give birth to a healthy child. I'm tired of reading books in which a healthy young adult in his/her late 20s has an elderly mother who is in her 70s. This would mean Mom was 45 or so when she gave birth. This is *possible* but it's not nearly as common as you'd think from perusing current American fiction.
2.) The myth that "childless housewives" are still common in 21st century America. It's been years since I encountered an American woman under the age of 60 who didn't have either children OR a career (and lots of women have both). Yet many novels have characters who are childless, married women in their 30s or 40s who don't work outside the home.
Here are a couple of mine:
1.) A disregard of biology when it comes to the age at which a woman is likely to give birth to a healthy child. I'm tired of reading books in which a healthy young adult in his/her late 20s has an elderly mother who is in her 70s. This would mean Mom was 45 or so when she gave birth. This is *possible* but it's not nearly as common as you'd think from perusing current American fiction.
2.) The myth that "childless housewives" are still common in 21st century America. It's been years since I encountered an American woman under the age of 60 who didn't have either children OR a career (and lots of women have both). Yet many novels have characters who are childless, married women in their 30s or 40s who don't work outside the home.
rather than one who was, apparently, 45 at the time of the character's birth?
In my case, I usually get a line like, "Just one more thing and then I'll shut up because I know you're trying to read." Really? Am I that obvious? Good thing my mother taught me to keep MY mouth closed if I had nothing nice to say. 
