How I choose favourite books

A few weeks ago, I read this post by Jess from Essentially Jess about what makes a good book, a good book.  I have been thinking about it a lot recently, as I have been reading books that aren’t in my usual genre.  It’s also perfect timing for Kylie’s Reading Writes which is about favourite books.

I’ve been branching out and I have been really impressed with what I have found so far.  I’ve been reading books that are ‘popular’ which I have normally avoided like the plague.  I have long believed that if something is loved by the masses, and they can’t really tell you why..then the book is more about hype and less about substance.

While the books that I have been reading have been different from my usual genre, they all have things in common.  These are the things that make books my favourite.  You see I go through phases, I don’t know if I have any specific books that I call my all time favourite.  I can’t even pinpoint them to a genre anymore.

The thing that all of these books have in common is the way that the author creates the character profile.  Not all authors are able to do this well, not all of them are able to make you believe in the characters that they write about.  Even a shitty story line can be rescued by well executed character profiles.

All of the books that I have fallen in love with, they have left me wanting more of the characters.  This isn’t because I finished the book feeling like I didn’t know the characters, it’s the complete opposite.  A good book leaves me wanting to read stories about its characters forever.  I want to be sad that the book is over, I want to miss the characters within the pages.

I used to read a book to the end, even if it was bad.  There was something in me, a stubborn resolve that I wouldn’t let the book beat me, that if I just read to the end then maybe it would get better.  I no longer believe that.  I let a book have a few chapters to shape the story, to tell me about the characters, to drag me in and if none of that happens then I let it go.  I don’t have time for bad books anymore.

What does a good book mean for you?

Linking up with Jess for IBOT!

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