I truly do 'love it' when a book keeps me totally absorbed. I consider it a real winner if I can hardly wait to pick it up each day to read more. I give it the blue ribbon when I reach the end and hate to realize that a great read is over.
What makes that kind of book? If i could answer that with a few flippant words, I'd probably be the author of two dozen best-selling novels. I don't think there is any one simple answer. It seems to me that there are a number of things that would put a book in the list of Best Books I Ever Read.
My list and your list of those books would probably be completely different. I once visited a niece's home when she was in her twenties and I was in my fifties. It pleased me to see her bookshelves filled. I wandered over to take a look at the titles thinking I might find something to read. I was totally amazed to find that all the books were fantasy or science fiction. Dozens and dozens of them! I picked up a magazine to read that evening instead. My niece and I have different tastes in reading material, but why not? She and I are not alike in choices on many things because we are two distinct personalities. Had she come to my house and looked on the bookshelves, she'd probably have turned her nose up at books I have.
But I;m sure my niece would also agree that some of her books were more enjoyable than others. The genre itself makes no difference. What did those books dofor and mine for me that some others didn't"
For me, they'd need the following:
1. A great beginning to pull me in
2. A story with questions that beg answers so I want keep reading
3. A protagonist I can identify with and feel some empathy for
4. Enough action and good pacing to make the story move and flow well
5. Emotion that pulls me into the story and warms my heart
6.A satisfying ending
What other things do you consider necessary in a really 'good' book? I'd love to hear what they are.
in fact, I just had that experience. Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple) was speaking in the Grand Ave. DMACC a week or so ago so I went to hear him speak. I had ran out and bought his work entitled WOZ and took it with me. He was gracious and signed it for me. Once I opened his book and began reading I wanted to just sit and read. Steve Jobs got all the credit but in reality Wozniak actually put the first computer together. As an engineer his mind was spinning all of the time. He also invented the first computer with color, the mouse and the universal remote control. If I ever get the opportunity to speak personally with him again, I intend to tell him that last invention has made probably 3/4 of the world's women angry at some point in our lives...I have to bury Allen with the remote control and his 5-iron.
ReplyDeleteI love that this recent read that captivated you is a non-fiction book. We more often think of novels doing that for us. And being one who concentrates on non-fiction writing, I was interested and delighted to read your comment.
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