I just recently posted a….negative review of a book on amazon. I titled it “Not For Me.” And that got me thinking, what exactly, is a book supposed to do?
Obviously, this is a subjective question. I’m sure I read books for reasons that might be different from yours. That said, I do think authors should shoot for a couple of things like:
Escapism
A five star book for me, is one that makes me forget where I am and what I’m supposed to be doing. I should be so involved in the story, the characters are so real I want to pray for them.
Plausibility
Readers read because they like escapism…but we’re not…stupid. The plot should make some sense-even if it’s a fantasy novel.
And of course,
Entertainment
Reading should be an enjoyable process. I’ll never forget reading a secular mystery series and I was so hesitant to read the next book because I was tired of people dying. It took a minute for me to realize that I was no longer being entertained. I was being punished. I had to take a break from that series. Reading should be fun! Not depressing. Not punishing. Not boring.
For me personally, that means there should always be some romance:
and bonus points if there’s humor:
What are some things you think a book is supposed to do?
remaininhislove 