Today, as I read my way through yet another book, I’m pondering, why do some books tug me into them and stick with me while others are fun? It is love at first sight? Or something that grows as the book progresses? Or do I sometimes decide to break up with a book? (Well, almost never… once I commit to reading a book, I’m driven to see how it comes out.)
Sometimes, and this is rare, I pick up a book, read the first page, and I’m totally immersed. I’m living with the character and sharing their hopes and dreams. For me, this is almost always an opening with introspection. The character is thinking about a problem or the difficulty of her life. I’m on board and I know (or think I know) this is a book written for me.
More often the book catches me with a situation in motion or a character on her way to do something. Or perhaps the books starts with a dramatic moment and I need to find out how the book got to that point and what happens next. I’m willing to wait and follow along.
Then there’s the question of whether the book is a familiar theme or story or something totally different. I can enjoy both. The familiar themes still offer something new, while with a fantasy based on a system I don’t know, discovering how the magic works and what the history behind it is can add an extra layer of fun. Like tasting an unfamiliar dish.
I think what I look for is a sympathetic character, a cool world, and a quest I can cheer for – something intended to fix the world, even if the world may break on the way.
Everyone has their own good books. I hope you find many more.