I know, I know. But I can't help it. Present tense drives me crazy. I'm constantly editing it back to past tense while I read.
That said, I did suffer through it just so I could read
Suspicion. Which was worth it.
I'm in the same boat here, I just can't read present tense (unless it's a short story). For me the pacing or rhythm just isn't there. Then again, I actually enjoy 3rd-omni so maybe I'm just more of an observer than a have-to-see-it-through-their-eyes-in-the-moment reader.
I have to have an engaging story - it has to keep moving, be something I'm interested in, and be somewhat realistic. I'll toss the book or skip chapters if it misses on any one of those.
But I must really like the writing style to continue. I think I've lost patience over the years and will give up in a hurry (normally first chapter) if it's purple prose or amateurish (telling not showing, etc). I often wonder how some of these got through an agent, editor, and publisher. Because I don't finish the books, I never know (even if I did finish, I probably wouldn't get it either). My tastes just don't match the best seller's list sometimes.
I find that for many of these posts on AW about reading, that I am in the minority when it comes to liking certain things or books. I used to read what was popular in order to learn learn from them, but I found I disliked many of them (for various reasons) and gave up that route.
Seems like I've found:
Good Story (Idea) + Bad Writing + Good or Bad Plotting > Average Story + Good Writing + Good Plotting
As someone on here said, "just write what others want to read." Sounds easy enough.