What do you look for in a novel?
 

What excites you? Whenever I see someone walking out of the library with a stack of novels, I think, "BORING"!

And why would anyone keep reading novel after novel? What are they looking for? Is their own life so empty that they have to read about someone else's life?

:)

I feel my life isn't exciting enough to read about, but if the author does his/her job the life of whoever your reading about can be very exciting. Personally, I like stories in the first person POV as I feel it brings you closer to the character. I love Nelsen DeMille's John Corey character.
On another subject I tend to read short stories more often. (Jeffery Deaver's two collections are my favorites) It sucks when you pay $15 for a novel and you can't get past the third chapter. With a short story collection, if one story doesn't work, turn to the next one and maybe there will be better luck.

VillagePL, what do you find interesting to read? My life is interesting to me, but not others so I appreciate it when an author can make characters very interesting and fun to read about. I also like biographies about whole leaders, ike history too.

Excuse me, I meant world leaders.

I am listening to a book about the end of the 1st Century in Rome. So far, the author and narrator have taken me to the Great Fire of Rome of 80 A.D. just following the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79.

Very good writing by Lindsey Davis that takes you back into Rome of that period. http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/master&god.htm

I like historical novels and well as history non-fiction books.

I cannot see heavy readers though as leading boring lives. It beats reality programs on the TV. A very good writer can almost take you to that foreign city in that far away time period like with the Rome of Emperor Titus.

If you make a typo you can go to your post and click edit. You can reword or do whatever you want and then click save. No need to post a followup to correct your mistake.

i can read a book in a night sooooooooo yep i guess my boring life from 11p to 4a needs a stack of books

What do i look for in a novel Lots and lots of pictures:1rotfl:

Agree 100% with you Tal! Thanks for the author recommendation! I'm always looking for the next great novel. Like Asian3, I do most of my reading from 11pm -4am.

Novels are for the road. I drive many miles a year and love to listen to recorded books. Authors like Stephen King, Michael Connelly, Jonathan Kellerman John Sanford, Scott Turow, Ken Follett, Harlan Coben, Jeffrey Archer, Lisa Scottoline, Sue Grafton, and even John Grisham put me INSIDE their characters heads. Stirring up a little mystery or suspense really increases the attraction. And I'm a real sucker for characters who reappear.

It doesn't work for everyone, but I can drive farther and stay more alert while listening to a good book.

No doubt you are playing "Devil's Advocate" here, but exactly how can you tell that a library patron has a "stack of novels".......even if you could read the title of the topmost book????
Perhaps under the top novel, they have a stack of research books.....?? Just saying.

Unless you have X-Ray vision???

My guess is that these are very speedy readers....or perhaps they are getting books for a housebound spouse or other family member.

This is what's great about KINDLE.......if you begin a certain book and do not care for it, you simply return it for a refund. Often, we both are reading several books at one time.......some on our older Kindle and some on our newer Kindle Fire......in different levels of our home.

I guess having 4 Kindles in the house would constitute the "modern" stack of library novels. When our adult kids come home, there are even more of these wonderful devices around............

I guess I feel sorry for the OP. Reading books is so much more rewarding then watching the TV (now that is boring) or going to the movies. Reading for me is relaxing and I enjoy it much more then other solo activities.

I guess I am at the other end of the spectrum from the OP. Books have been an important part of my life since I first began to read. I love all genres, but if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be history. By the way, my life is filled with family, friends, and activities. Saying that people that read have empty lives is like saying that people who golf must not enjoy life. I probably spend more hours per week golfing than I do reading. Reading enhances my enjoyment of life by teaching me new things, allowing me some escapism, and opening my mind to different viewpoints.

and i must be old cause i want to hold a good book that i am reading not my ipad.....just saying

I agree with you. Either one loves to read or not. My love of books was instilled in me by a mom who loved going to the library from her own childhood when she had to read by gaslight.....

No book is boring if one learns something new from it....or finds it relaxing to just "escape"....

I continued the weekly library trips with my own children as they now do with theirs...........

T.V. is indeed pretty darn boring lately.....