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With so many books in the world, 129,864,880 books according to google. If a person were to read a book a day (come on, who can actually do that?) he/she would read just under 29,000 books, or less than .03% of all the books there are in the world. So, how is one supposed to prudently employ his/her time in reading good books? In fact, before we can even answer that question, we must first answer the question hidden within it.
What is a "good" book?
What a marvelous question. Well, what is a "good" meal? What is a "good" date? What is a "good" game? The answer to all of these questions, is simply a matter of opinion. To one, a good meal might consist of meeting certain specific criteria, while to another, it might be a matter of feelings. This is one of the great strengths of humanity: we are each different and unique.
So with that being said, here is a glimpse into my tastes and the criteria by which I will judge "good" books:
Plot- The storyline must be intriguing and well developed. I'm not one to be too judging about plot holes or mistakes as they are usually attributable to the character flaws that are so prevalent in humanity. However, there is certainly a limit to my patience and leniency.
Style- The words used to describe and move the story must be well employed. Nothing is more disappointing to me than reading a story that, in all other aspects, is wonderful except the verbiage used to describe the whole.
Pace- The tempo and speed of the story must be appropriate. I say appropriate because I love long stories, and I also love short stories. The length is not the issue, it is the pace. A good book should not be dragging on a scene over 70 pages when the information there could be appropriately expressed in 7 pages. Conversely, a scene that needs 70 pages should not be reduced to 7 pages.
Value- Finally, I believe that a really extraordinary book should bring with it some type of value, more than just an enjoyable read. It shows us something about ourselves or our world. Or perhaps a better way to put it, it shows us something that helps us to better ourselves or our world.
Now that you've got an idea of my personal tastes, if some or all of these points are also important to you when deciding on "good" books, then I invite you to join me for a few books. And please, give me your thoughts in the comments below.
