As a reader, I look for a story that grips me from the beginning. It maybe the opening line, a well defined character, or an inciting scene. To become quickly immersed into a narrative, means the author has done a good job. We also tend to have certain authors we read as we know their skill in storytelling and the genre they write.
Choosing a book to read is a personal preference and a gift card is a good way to delight the reader in your family. Unless of course you know them very well and their reading likes and dislikes.
There are many ways a book can be defined as a good book.
- A strong opening. A sentence or paragraph that compels you to continue reading.
- Well defined and relatable characters.
- A well written constructed plot.
- Believable dialogue.
- The writer’s style absorbs you into the story.
- Good use of description to let you ‘see’ the location/characters.
- Great tension in the story line.
- An original tale.
- A sense of expectation of what happens next.
- A satisfactory conclusion.
How do you determine your choice of a book?
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 