Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.
Question: What things make a good book for you?
Answer:
~ I don’t mind flawed characters but I like them to be working towards something. Acknowledge those flaws and try to do better.
~ Humor. I love books that make me laugh, especially in romance.
~ Books that stick to their initial point and premise. If the book starts as or is promoted as a mystery/rom com etc. – I want that to be the main element and deliver on it in the end.
~ Solid endings. I talked last week about hating open endings so, of course, solid endings – even a good epilogue makes me happy.
What are things that make a book good for you?
Ditto on the solid endings. No open endings for me. I want a good solid ending, with questions answered and plots wrapped up. And an epilogue is a total cherry on top. I LOVE a good epilogue.
ReplyDeleteMe toooooo! lol
DeleteI need a good ending too. an occasional open ending is okay if it makes sense, but generally I want a solid ending if I've made it all thy way through a story! And sticking to the premise is big too- I don't really like switcheroos lol.
ReplyDeleteIf it's a mystery it can have a dysfunctional family, a relationship element and things like that but - at it's core - it should still be a mystery. Those things should add to it - not detract and make it a different genre.
DeleteI can handle open endings if they sort of hint at where things are leading but not if it's waaaay wide open lol
I didn't even think of some of the specifics you pointed out when I read Roberta's post earlier. I am well known for kvetching about endings, so I am right there with you on solid endings. I don't blame the authors (usually) for the misleading marketing, but it frustrating to pick up a rom-com and find it to be lacking in rom and com. I think my most oft used adjective in reviews is "fun". I am all about laughing and smiling and having a good time as I read. But, overall, I expect to feel something from a good book.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely more the marketing people than the authors but boy is it frustrating. And happening more often.
DeleteI always say that a good book has the perfect balance between strong character development and an intriguing or driving plot. If it leans too far in favor of one over the other, it probably won't end up being one of my favorites. That being said, I've read and loved books that totally break that rule, so I might not have the best answer!
ReplyDeleteYes! there are always exceptions to every rule lol
Delete"I don’t mind flawed characters but I like them to be working towards something".
ReplyDeleteExactly! A character wouldn't even be realistic if they weren't flawed, and it probably wouldn't be any story in that case anyway. But a novel should be, to some extent, a coming-of-age story.
"Books that stick to their initial point and premise".
One of my latest (and most anticipated) reads was supposed to be a sci-fi novel, but it turned out being half a supernatural one...I do like supernatural, and indeed there are times when the two things can go together (there's a genre called sci-fantasy, after all), but this one wasn't even done well IMO. I hold a spectacular grudge (2.5 stars!!!).
"and THERE probably wouldn't be any story" - oops.
DeleteThere's no story without flaws or something to work towards so I don't expect perfect characters but if they just wallow for the whole book and don't achieve anything - it feels like a waste of time and like spending time with someone I hate lol
DeleteMost genres have more than one element but should stick to (or warn if they don't) to one primary thing.
It depends on the genre of course but I always like a story that gets on with it. I can't be bothered with 100 pages of zero happening. I must be able to like and root for the characters. I hate weird and confusing books and ones with dumb endings! I hate spoiler prologues!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with that first one. Get to the point!!
DeleteYour answers checked all my boxes! We're definitely on the same page, here! I absolutely need a book to have a solid ending, also!
ReplyDeleteI need to know what happens to people I've spent so many hours with lol
DeleteI love flawed characters but I'm not sure I need them to necessarily have redemption arcs. I realize that with The Poppy War. Rin has soo many issues, but I'm quite content with her being the stabby hot head that she is.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm too harsh on books that try to be funny.
I need redemption in romance. And I guess that's what I was thinking of when I answered lol Other genres are probably more intense and can have a different outcome.
DeleteI LOOOOVE funny books but I'm getting increasingly irritable with them for trying too hard.
Solids endings for the win! I remember reading this book, giving up, and then checking the end and was SO glad I have up
ReplyDeleteHa. I do that too lol
DeleteI prefer character driven stories, but I'm always saying I like good old-fashioned storytelling which to me puts equal emphasis on plot, characters, and setting. I love atmospheric stories
ReplyDeleteThat's the best case scenario and hard to achieve.
DeleteI have to love or be invested in the characters. I think that's the most important thing to me.
Great list Karen - I agree 100%. I didn't think about that third item - but that's a great point. I guess that is part of great storytelling. Thanks for participating!!
ReplyDeleteI seem to be running into that more. A book that is juggling so many elements that it doesn't stick to the main premise - thriller, rom-com etc.
DeleteGreat question, very thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost are great characters. I especially love a well written female protagonist who is strong and feisty.
Believability is also important - even if I know it doesn't exist I have to believe it does (if that makes sense).
It does. And it's weird how some things seem believable (that aren't real) and some things don't (that are real lol).
DeleteI like when a book keeps me engaged all the way through the story.
ReplyDeleteVery important!
DeleteAgreed, open endings make me stabby. You know, I have the worst time figuring out what makes me like a book. It seems like something I can't quite put into words, but a book either has it or it doesn't. Which makes me clearly a great reviewer "It was good I think... not sure why...."😂
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of the same right now. I have my list of things but I'm all over the place with reading these days.
DeleteExceptions to every rule lol
Oh god. Yes to all of these. A book with an open ending feels so unsatisfying to me, lol. And yes... I appreciate when a book stays in its lane and doesn’t try to be too many things at once.
ReplyDeleteThere's always a bit of genre crossover but a mystery should be a mystery etc...
DeleteYep, I agree with these! Stick to what you promised and give me a decent ending, especially!
ReplyDelete