What Books Do I Like To Read?

I have to admit that I prefer to write than read and also I find it hard to find books that suit my tastes. I suppose you could say that I hanker for the different.

I’m not a fan of the many detective type novels that take a character and have him/her solve crime after crime despite how well they may be written.

I like books that throw in a little something different like Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy – it is sad that he isn’t here to continue the great work.

When I was younger I read Stephen King and Dean Koontz as they excelled at the ‘throwing in something different’ scenario. Nowadays I’m always on the lookout for a new book so if you know of any I might like, please let me know!

One of my biggest bugbears is when I hear other writers say about a best selling author, “I could write better than that.” I have come across many writers’ forums where they ‘bash’ a bestselling author and label them as ‘non-literary’. My response is to say, “Well go ahead and do it.”

What people don’t realise is that it is no mean feat to complete a book of any quality, let alone a best seller.

Anyone who feels the urge to put pen to paper should be encouraged and I hope to help others with some useful hints that have helped me in future blog posts. Why do some people find it so easy to criticize others? I wish I knew.

So I like to read – and write – books with something different in them. This can be in the form of an amazing character like Lisbeth Salander, inspiringly invented by Mr. Larsson or it can be a simple deviation from the normal.

I like it when genres get mixed, like detective meets ghost story or science fiction meets love story. Basically I like to be taken outside of my comfort zone when I read, and the further the better.

Oh yes, and I like it when the bad guys really suffer. Does that make me bad? I hope not. What makes a book great for you? Please let me know.

Photo credit: shutterhacks.