What Makes a Book Worth Reading?






What are the criteria you use to determine if a book
is worth the read? 


Does a book have to be a 4 - 5 star read? Why or why not? 


I don't expect you to answer,  but it is something to ponder.


Personally, I choose to read a  wide range of books – from historical non-fiction to fantasy to autobiographies to nature novels to thrillers. I'm sure you get the picture.


It's difficult to put into words what I look for in a read. I would say my very favorite reads have more to do with the style of writing and how they fit into my life at that time. And it just so happens that lately, my reads are falling into place very well. Perhaps, because I am an open book or perhaps because it's needed.


We'll use some of my recent reads/reviews as an example.


I was telling my husband a few weeks ago about how I was tired of all the snow here. I  wanted it to be warmer so we could take our Mustang to the lake and I could sink my toes in the sand. And that very same day, I received a copy of the book  The Road to Vermilion Lake to review. Did I mention that Vermilion rests along the lake we like to go to?

The flu hit us hard this year. It was tough to get over and then somehow I ended up getting a secondary infection. I wondered for a while if I was ever going to get ahead of it and then I received a copy of The Road Ahead for review


My brother and I were discussing how we use to write short stories in high school and mine were always sci-fi because I'd read Huxley's Brave New World. And then, I received The Stolen Generationwhich mentions this book being smuggled and given to Freddie.


We spent a morning last week at a comic book store and I was telling my friend that I miss mutants and the characters like in the movie Total Recall and then I received a copy of the ARC for  AndroDigm Park 2067.


We're coming up on the birthday of a family member who we lost to brain cancer years ago. I was talking with Mom about this and I receive a copy of the book Superclara to review.


I read more now than I ever have so perhaps I relate my reading more than ever to my life events. But what I never do is limit myself to just a few authors because I might be missing out on a book that fits me perfectly at that time.


A little over 5 years ago a study was done where researchers determined that there was an increase in blood flow to the brain from the literary text as well as from pleasure reading.  I expect that is what makes a book worth reading.