What makes a book "good?"

I think "good" is a hard term to define when it comes to making a book good. For me, it's a matter of getting so pulled into the story that when it's over I wish it wasn't. But when I think about my favorite books, I think it's the characters that grab me and don't let go: Croup and Vandemar in "Neverwhere", Doc in "Sweet Thursday", and even Ginny in "13 Little Blue Envelopes". When a writer can make me really care about the characters, I think that's a good book.

Without seeming to be a wise guy . . . go to Amazon, pick a popular book of your genre, and read the five-star reviews. That will give an idea of what makes that kind of book "good."

I think if you pick 5-6 titles you'll see a consistent definition of "good."

I have to say that despite the fact that I love the mystery/detective novel, I very seldom remember much about the novels once I put them down. On the other hand, I remember years later scenes from Faulkner's novels or THE GREAT GATSBY or some other lit which, I think, transcends genre lit. I don't know, I know that sounds elitist and I don't mean it to be, but it is a great truth for me.

The Tough Guide to Fantasy by Diana Wynne Jones is my fav. It's more of a How To/What Not To DO guide, but I read it any time my creative juices need a jolt. Her other book Howl's Moving Castle is another one of my favs. I love it for its originality and spunk.

That is a good question, I like John's response. What makes a book good to me is the ability to engage the reader and bring them into the author's world. I'm a nonfiction/memoir person, my favorite? "Ava's Man," by Rick Bragg.

Here is a thought. A number of years ago a group of educators gathered together and examined hundreds of pieces of writing. They wanted to determine the traits of good writing. Six traits common traits from this analysis: ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions. They developed a rubric (leveling each trait from emerging to accomplished) and it is now one of the most widely used assessments of writing in schools. When I first learned these traits it gave me a fresh perspective in viewing my own writing. A book must have each of these traits in place. Each trait should be strong and accomplished writing. No matter what you talk about in writing you can always find it somewhere in one the traits. Strong leads and conclusions? Organization. Fresh and compelling ideas? Ideas. Personification? Word Choice. Teacher are now teaching children to analyze their own writing and score it based on the traits. They take a weak trait and work on making it strong. Writers might find this an interesting exercise in strengthening their own writing. I know I do.

Dragons.

It's characterization, hands-down, that makes a specific book memorable for me. After that, plot and then quality of writing are what I look for.

Memorable children's/YA books, for me would be Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series, and Pullman's Northern Lights trilogy. Jack London's White Fang and Call of the Wild are up there as well, but that might be childhood nostalgia talking... I loved those books when I was young.

LOTS of Money!

They're the books my kids say I want to find out what happens next.

For me, character, voice, and humor are important in what makes a good book. A strong plot's important as well, but I'll get to that in a bit.

Since I'm a somewhat serious person, it helps if the book I'm reading has at least a splash of humor. I like the witty, intellectual brand of humor as opposed to slapstick. Though if it's not overdone, I love that too. Having said that, there are times when I've equally enjoyed stories that weren't humorous in the least or it's more subtle and low-key.

But overall, I like to laugh. Even it's only one or two scenes in the whole book. It helps keep the suspense, tension, and in some cases tragedy in check.

Voice can be tricky to define, but for me, voice is the overall soul and tone of the book. This is one area where I believe you can't always determine it on page one. There have been books I loved where I didn't figure out the voice until at least the end of the first chapter.

On the other hand, there are some books where I figured it out right away. In this instance, the question isn't, "What's Better?" but rather, "What's engaging?" and that's different for everyone.

For me, a good plot means a couple things. It should move along at a nice pace, and keep the interest high. Though I mentioned this last, it's the number one thing that makes any fiction good: How much you enjoy spending time with the characters. Though not as elusive as voice, what make interesting characters can be hard to define, since one person's favorite character criteria can differ from another's.

For me, I like characters who speak their mind. Characters that can stand on their own two feet, and despite whatever flaws or failings they have, they do the best they can.

I also like characters who are the underdog of their life; where in spite of everyone they know being against them, or what their goal is, they persevere. I think it's important that

Now for my picks-

(Children's Fiction)
1. A Rat's Tale by Tor Seidler
This is a good example of the underdog story.

2. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
This was one book where the title really grabbed me, and from the first couple pages onward, didn't let go. This successfully combines the underdog story, with the dark wit of a fairy tale. The voice was strong and distinctive, and the characters eat, sleep, and breathe with empathy. Even the antagonists have empathetic qualities, which is always nice to see.

My favorite character apart from Despereaux was Roscuro, short for Chiaroscuro, meaning the arrangement of light and darkness. I don't want spoil anything for those who haven't read it, but I can say that he, like Despereaux has a goal he wants to meet.

The way he goes about it may seem routine at first, but it's the combination of strong characterization, and a fun twist that give it a style all its own.

3. The Revenge of Randal Reese-Rat by Tor Seidler
This follow-up to A Rat's Tale is not only a riveting read, but also a great example of strong characterization. Though it received mixed reviews for not focusing on the MC of A Rat's Tale, I loved it just as much as the first for a different reason. It showed how the antagonist could take center stage, without loosing his edge, and yet show us his tender side.

(Adult Fiction)
1. Blonde Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday
This mystery/thriller hybrid is a perfect combination of a strong plot and characterization, and it's a witty und funny underdog story. How could I not love it?

2. The Tea House on Mulberry Street by Sharon Owens
This book changed my preconceived notions of adult fiction, and for the better. It's a touching story that's a slice of life look at the varying shades, ages and stages of romance, and relationships in general.

The heart of the story is about a couple who own and work in a tea shop in Belfast, Ireland. Their marriage is on the rocks, and it looks as though the only to get closer, is to grow apart. The novel has an eclectic and colorful cast of characters that are brilliantly drawn.

They're the kind of people you could meet on the street, or maybe even know in your own life. Once again, the voice was strong and while not particularly funny, it has splashes of humor around the edges.

Characterization is up there for me, but if an author can create vivid images in my mind without looong descriptions, I fall in love.

Strong character that the reader connects with.
A purpose for the story
A tight plot.
Good storytelling skills.

ClaudiaGray said:

Dragons.

Click to expand...

Guns.


Dragons WITH guns.

Awesome. Even better than T-Rexes in F-15 fighters.

It's a combination of things really.

I notice that unusualness leaves a footprint on the reader.
Fantastical elements are always at the top of this.
and if you leave a footprint on the reader, you get people to talk about it to other people.

I think that a good books make footprints on the mind of the reader.
Actually a good book stomps on the readers' minds every 5 pages.

Also, epicness seems to be popular in films.

For example Titanic, is a "Big" movie. You have a giant ship sinking.
Then you have Gone with the Wind which is a long film.
then you have the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which, if you count the extended versions, you have 11 hours of footage.
Then Jurassic Park
And Pirates of the Caribbean
And Harry Potter
These are all at the top of the list of the most lucrative films of all time.

All of these things have something in comon: they're big, and they have unusual things.
The more unusual and epic it is, more people wil want to know how it goes. they'll be curious about it.
With all due respect a story about a woman having cancer doesn't get as many readers as a Fantasy novel.....most of the time.
And do you want to bet that for a novel with a woman getting cancer to be as popular and "good" as fantasy novels, it would have to have something unusual about it?

Of course there's other stuff, like characterization and the originality of the narration.
but those two things I mentioned above DO influence a person's opinion and eagerness to read.

Zoombie said:

Guns. Dragons WITH guns.

Click to expand...

Ha! I read this to my two sons (ages 8 and 13) and they said, "Cool!"

Which I think has a lot to do with my answer:

I was the bookworm. I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. I HATED my library 'cause they only let you check out ten books at a time and my mom would only take me once every two weeks. I always ran out of books.

Now I teach first grade. The majority of my kids are struggling to learn how to read, and many of them are also struggling to learn how to speak English. And I have those two boys, both high-energy video-game and anime freaks who don't have the patience to read a "boring" book.

So what I consider a "good" book depends on who we're talking about. I LOVE Sarah, Plain and Tall. Talk about a simple, beautiful, heartfelt story.

And my boys would rather eat vegetables than read it.

This year I have a group of 5 first grade boys reading at or above grade level. Their favorites? Hi, Fly Guy! and anything scientific. Give them a book about animals, or something disgusting, and they're happy as clams. Go, Dog, Go is good for them, too--it has cars! But give them something beautiful, poetic, hauntingly well-written, and... Thanks, but no thanks.

My first books were stories I wanted to read, or similar to stories I'd loved as a child. Now I'm writing with that restless, reluctant boy reader in mind, and it completely changes the criteria for "goodness."

Like you said, dragons with guns.