Hello everyone! I’m back after my unexpected hiatus, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get back into posting regularly soon!
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created and hosted by Rukky at Eternity Books! Every Friday there’s a different discussion topic, and this week’s topic is, what, in your opinion, makes a great book?
When I first started to think about this topic, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to put into words what makes a book great to me. I didn’t want to be super vague and say things like “the characters” or “the plot” because I don’t think that would answer the question. After thinking about it a bit, I think I managed to narrow it down to three, slightly more specific things. These things are characters that I want to succeed, a plot that moves, and humour.
When I read a book, I tend to focus a lot on the characters, and it’s often the characters that will make me decide to DNF or take a break from a book. When I’m reading a great book, I tend to get attached to one or more of the characters, and I become emotionally invested in their story. I spend the book rooting for them to succeed, and I’m happy when they achieve their goals, and I get upset when things don’t work out for them. These are characters that I end up finding memorable, and I end up gushing about them to whoever will listen, and they make me love the book.
Another thing that makes a book great for me is a plot that moves. I tend to not be a fan of books where nothing seems to happen. The plot doesn’t necessarily have to be fast-paced, go-go-go, and full of action, but stuff does need to happen. When it seems like everything is standing still, I tend to lose interest, and the book ends up falling flat for me.
Finally, for me, a great book has some sort of humour in it. It doesn’t have to be full of jokes and laugh-out-loud funny, but I like the occasional snarky comment or witty remark. This kind of ties in with my first point about the characters, because I like characters who are witty, sarcastic, snarky, clever, etc. These are qualities that usually lead to smirking or giggling while reading, which makes the book much more enjoyable for me.