The Overbooked Society discussion

I think a good book is one that captivates me and makes me want to stay up all night to read, things that help with that are imagery, relatable characters and witty banter. And a world that is not to complicated.

To me imagery is everything in a book. If I am in the slums of London I want to be able to imagine the dark alleys with menacing shadows, in Algiers I want to feel the harsh sun reflecting off my forehead while I look for relief in the cool sea. I also enjoy symbolism (the lady of justice appearing more like an active hunter than anything, implying that justice is more of a witch hunt than a pursuit of truth.) although most of the time symbolization goes right over my head… lol.

I think a good book is one that makes us feel. A book that awakens things in us, a book that inadvertently changes our way of thinking or conceiving life, human relationships, objects. I've always believed that I don't read to be educated, but sometimes, without looking for it, a book teaches me and and I can no longer be the person I was before reading it.

In my humble opinion, I believe description and imagery make or break a book. When the author manages to build ambiance through descriptions, I find it immensely satisfying to read. When it’s well-written enough for escapism I really get drawn into a book.

But another factor is how much it influences us. If reading it will help you pick up lessons in life or change your perception in small ways, I truly believe the author has done a wonderful job with their book.

according to me, a book can be classified as good or great if they create a whole world and get the imagination of the reader running with just one paragraph or something rather than writing a bunch in one go to describe whatever the author is describing.

I would also agree with @Ella that the book should help the readers pick up life lessons or influence us positively in small ways and then we can say that the book is truly worth reading.

To me a good book is one where I can connect or emphasize with the characters, it isn't too slow, it isn't problematic, it captures my interest, and I learn something from the book.

i prefer books that are equally character and plot driven. if a book leans toward either end of the spectrum, whatever is driving it has to be done really well which can be harder to achieve

characters. it could be a problematic world, lasy imagery. but if I relate to the characters i'm hooked. if i don't smile when a character pops up or if a character doesn't make me laugh, I won't want to continue.
I do like when a world is well built and when I can almost feel myself being in that world. but it's not the leading factor.
also good dialogue. I love writing dialogue so when a book has great conversations\jokes\well remembered sentences, i fangirl.

I am in the minority here and I like plot more, just give me an engaging plot and the characters you can do the bare minimum. Make time feel real, give them flaws and more often than not I will like them and relate to them

the dedication is always what makes or breaks if for me. I’ve adopted this habit, that when I’m thinking about buying a book I always look at the dedication first. Not the back, not the inside pocket, but the dedication. Chances are if it’s strong I’ll like the book :)

its about the storyline for one, it makes you feel like you're in the
story yourself, being in another place, that's how it works for me.

For me, it's the characters having their own happy endings. It might not what we expected or hoped for but at least the author gave justice to their characters.

Personally, what makes a book for me is always making me curious about the next page. As someone with ADD it's always a struggle focusing in class as well in some books. I always want something to keep me on my toes, with curiosity. I want a question to keep me going, especially in a series. I also need it to be very dramatic, I need betrayals, blood on walls, dagger to the throat, " touch her, you die " vibes, I need it all.

For me, I stress on the need to have character growth overall, great writing (idk how to explain this, but when you read something written so well you just can't stop at all ?? it's that feeling) and the characters need to have synergy... like the tension or relationship or friendship or whatever has to be believable and genuine

as for plot and world-building, i definitely do appreciate a unique context and storyline but it's not as important as the characters xD

i n e s ♡ wrote: "Personally, what makes a book for me is always making me curious about the next page. As someone with ADD it's always a struggle focusing in class as well in some books. I always want something to ..."

omg the "touch her, you die" JWUVJUW relatable xD

I've recently found that as long as I like the main character I'll probably like the book. If I'm reading a book though, and the main character is either annoying, or rude, or just unlikeable, I just can't get behind it. It infuriates me for some reason lol

crane wrote: "For me, I stress on the need to have character growth overall, great writing (idk how to explain this, but when you read something written so well you just can't stop at all ?? it's that feeling) a..."

yes I completely get you! I can't stand it when characters are supposed to be so into each other or have a relationship of any kind and it just feels???? fake? I guess?? Like it just doesn't make sense.

@Ny & @ Hannah yESSS characters all the way

Likeable characters

Any book which doesn’t feel like a chore or an obligation to read it is a good book to me. There are so many books I feel forced to read because everybody else says it’s an excellent book or I feel like should complete it. But what’s the point if I don’t want to read it ?
If the author makes you WANT to complete a book, then the author has already done a good job.

The characters, and it has to make sense why they act the way they do, not just because the author needs some archetypes to fill.
Also, sad backstory ≠ like-able: regardless of the character's moral standpoint, i need to be able to understand WHY they do something or act a certain way and I shouldn't feel obligated to like them just because they had a rough upbringing.

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A strong plot and relatable characters