I love reading about characters who have a hobby or something they’re passionate about, especially when it makes a big appearance in the book. Usually these are things I don’t know much about, so they’re really interesting to me. And of course they add another layer to the character and help me understand them more.
That’s why I’ve compiled a list of ten books I’ve read about characters who have unique hobbies and passions! And as usual, all of these are sci-fi/fantasy because that’s what I read and what I blog about. Hopefully you’ll find something that interests you!
*If you’re considering buying any of these books from Amazon US, I’d appreciate it if you use my links! It will help support this blog at no additional cost to you!*
I Heart Robot by Suzanne van Rooyen (Violin)
Both of the main characters in this thought-provoking YA/NA standalone book, one of whom is an android, are passionate about violin, and music is a big theme in the story.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
The Hypnotic City by Andrea Berthot (Theatre)
The main character in this feminist, historical, steampunk-ish YA book, which is part of a series but works as a standalone, moves to America in order to try and get a career in theatre.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Creatures of Will & Temper by Molly Tanzer (Fencing)
The main character in this historical standalone, inspired by Dorian Gray, is passionate about fencing, and it plays a big part in the story.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
The Glamour Thieves by Don Allmon (Cars)
The main character in this M/M urban fantasy/cyberpunk series loves cars, to the point that it might even be considered a fetish, and the author uses the futuristic world to have some fun with that.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
The Girl in Between by Laekan Zea Kemp (Sculpting)
It’s not a major part of the story, but the main character in this dark YA urban fantasy series makes interesting sculptures out of scrap.
*Unavailable on Amazon last I checked* // Goodreads // My Review
Shatterproof by Xen Sanders (Painting)
The main character in this M/M paranormal romance standalone is a painter who creates artwork about Haitian life and faith.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg (Baking)
This standalone high fantasy wasn’t quite for my tastes, but it will certainly make you hungry reading about all the baking the main character does and how she infuses her treats with magic.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond (Wire Walking)
This YA retelling of Romeo and Juliet takes place at a circus, and there’s so much amazing description of the circus acts, including the main character’s wire walking.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Kelpie Blue by Mell Eight (Horse Racing)
The main characters in this sweet M/M paranormal book only competed in one horse race, but various different facets of horse-racing—from breeding the horses, to working the races, to actually competing in them—were threaded throughout the story and the plot.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes (Accounting)
Accounting may not sound interesting, but the main character in this urban fantasy series is so passionate about it, and it’s such a big part of all the books, that it actually is fun to read about.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
I like the sound of the tight wire one! I adore authors who can transport you to an exact moment in time and I think feeling like I’m actually doing it would be amazing. Good descriptions are my fave!
It’s a great book! Some authors write the most amazing descriptions, and I love that too.
This is a great idea for a post! It makes me want to go back and look at the books I’ve read to see if I can find some interesting hobbies😁 And I loved the fencing in Creatures of Will and Temper!
Thanks! I’m sure you must’ve read about some! I didn’t know anything about fencing, so that was really interesting.
Cool topic! I love the idea of theater playing a role in a story, since I think theater is awesome anyway. 🙂 I know it pops up in YA fairly often but I’d like to see it more in adult SF/F too!
And food! I’m always up for interesting food in books… 🙂
Thanks! I kind of did theatre in high school, so it’s definitely fun to read about. This is one of the only books I’ve read with it though.
Food in books is great but also just makes me hungry lol.
The Glamour Thieves and the car kink there really did make me curious about the author pulls that off lol but accounting — if anyone can make accounting exciting, that should be read!
It’s pretty cool, actually. Some people have technological modifications and can connect with certain cars, feel what it feels. The accounting is so much fun in that series lol.
Cool post idea. I just finished a book about kids who love dessert and were trying to start a doughnut business. It made me REALLY want to eat doughnuts.
Thanks! Oh man, that would make me want doughnuts too lol.
Such a cool post! I’m always drawn to characters who have interesting hobbies as well. I usually enjoy books that feature circuses as well so Girl on a Wire from your list really appeals to me.
Tbh I’m almost always disappointed when I read circus books because they never end up being about a performer, or they are, but there’s nothing about the performing. So I loved that this one really delved into that.
Greta topic for a post! That’s one of the things I really like about cozie mysteries they usually strongly focus on a hobby, job or passion of the main character. I enjoy learning more about topics I don’t know as much about. And other genres have books like that as well ofcourse, but cozies are one of the genres I thought of first when you mentioned this. I always like seeing hobbies/ passions in a book that really get to be part of the story and you can get a feel for what’s involved by reading it.
I recently read a paranormal romance book where one of the main characters was a dancer/ choreographer and the other had a ranch he really cared about. I also remember some books with hobbies or sports the character cared about. I also read a book where a main character was passionate about horses and it was obvious the author knew what she was talking about, it was quite fun and interesting to read about. And one of my current reads has a character who loves planning.
I enjoyed reading about the books you listed here and which hobby/ passion played a role in it. I’ll have to look up your review for Kelpie Blue, it sounds interesting.
I thought of you when I posted this cuz I know you like this too! You do mention it a lot in reviews for cozies.
It’s always the best when it’s something the author has experience with. It feels more authentic because they’re able to include little details you can’t learn from research.
Kelpie Blue was a really sweet, chill kinda book!
Love this post idea! Giving a character a passionate interest in something can be a great way to bring them ‘to life’ I think. I’ve read a few books where the characters were artists and the author has managed to portray them brilliantly. Aya Dane by Mhani Alaoui is one and I liked The Way To Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa too.
Definitely! Reading about artist characters can be cool. I’m glad you’ve found some good ones!
You have me wanting to read Girl on a Wire. I know it’s in my wall of books. And can I saw, I love this post. One of the things that appeals to me is when the MCs have a passion for something interesting and different.
It’s a great book! I really do adore the circus descriptions in it. Thank you!
lol, accounting. If the author made that interesting, I may need to read that book. I work with #’s all day and they do no thrill me in any way. That car fetish book looks interesting too 🙂
It really is a fun series! Maybe numbers would be more thrilling if they involved all the situations Fred gets into lol. The car fetish one is great! Also quite raunchy lol.
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant might be the best book title I have ever heard of 😂😂
I love that title too!
I love characters with hobbies as well. But I’m rubbish at trying to remember one that I’ve read LOL.
Lol it’s always impossible to think of books when put on the spot.
I love it when the characters I read about have a passion for something – and music is something I love as well 🙂 This is a great list, Kristen 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
It can make a book so much more interesting! Thanks!
I just realized I had not given much of a thought about this at all, until now. Let me try and figure out if there were anything I missed. Great post.
It’s funny how there’s a lot of things in books we don’t really think about but that it turns out we enjoy!
I love when characters have unique hobbies/occupations. I also love Xen Sanders so I’ll have to check that book out.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
It can be really fun to read about!
What a fun idea for a post. I do think reading about different hobbies in books is great, because they aren’t usually things I know about.
Thanks! It’s fun to learn about new things.
I have had the Girl in Between eBook since forever. Every time I see it on your blog I want to run and read it LOL. Now I want to read I Heart Robot too! I’m a sucker for anything music, especially piano and violin 🙂
Lol Girl in Between is a very mysterious, dark series, though it does get confusing at the end. I Heart Robot is thought-provoking, and it does have a lot of music stuff!
I thought it was funny that you included Accounting as an interesting hobby, but I suppose if the character is passionate about it, it can make anything sound interesting! 🙂
The author really does work it into the story in interesting ways!
Oh my goodness I absolutely LOVE the idea of this post! I did a video with something similar but I might do a blog post with this kind of theme sometime as well. I really really love when my main characters or side characters have a hobby they are passionate about and it isn’t the main thing about the book but just something they… do? If that makes sense. I love that a lot. I haven’t read any of these but I have bookmarked this post because some of the hobbies sound so good ^.^
Thanks! Ooh you should def do a blog post too! It gives a character so much life and realism when they have something in their lives that isn’t just the plot of the book.
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These are some interesting hobbies and passions. I’ve read a few books with characters enjoy baking (usually contemporary reads though) but I admit I really like the ones with characters who have a passion for music and play particular instruments. I think the book that sticks in my head most for someone with a passion is Wintersong as the MC plays violin and writes music and it was just awesome.
I’m listening to a series right now in which the MC runs a cupcake bakery, so it seems baking is a popular one! Ooh I’m looking forward to reading Wintersong! I will get to it eventually!