Reading preferences are so personal, and to me it is fascinating to hear the types of books others enjoy. Here is a little info about my preferences.
My mom taught me to read when I was very young, around 1.5, and ever since I've always been engrossed in something, whether it's a novel, some nonfiction, or an interesting article. My eyes are just magnetically drawn to words on a page!
I remember being fascinated with horror and thrillers as a kid, reading Stephen King in middle school, but now that's my least favorite genre. I think as an adult, life has become scary enough that I don't like to be frightened or worried in my spare time.
So what DO I enjoy? I love fluffy romances but they have to be smartly written, like the British chick-lit of Sophie Kinsella and Jill Mansell. I enjoy reading and re-reading classics. I have recently begun enjoying young adult fiction, and I love well-written children's chapter and picture books that I can share with my family. Intelligent historical fiction with an element of fantasy makes my heart sing. I'm a character driven reader for sure, and being able to relate to one or more of the main characters is a MUST for me to become immersed in a story. Non-fiction such as biographies and motivational books are also high on my list.
As much as I love the aesthetics of traditional print books, ebooks have afforded me a convenience that I have come to enthusiastically embrace. If I can't get it on my Kindle, I'm very unlikely to read it at this point in my life.
My favorite reads of 2016:
To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John D. Mann
The Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison
My top five favorite reads of all time:
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Matilda by Roald Dahl
and...and...and...this list was hard to stop writing.
What about you?
Matilda is one of my all time favorite books too! I was obsessed with the movie growing up and reading the book was even better. I was even called "Matilda" as a child.
ReplyDeleteI love character driven books as well, although I may need to look into more of those fluffy romance novels you talk about. It is not a genre I usually associate with well developed characters, but I do now!
Matilda is the best!
DeleteI am a sucker for romance. Do try Jill Mansell. The books are long but I think you might enjoy them!
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite fluffy romances.
DeleteI do most of my reading on my Kindle as well, the convenience of being able to get a book anywhere I have WiFi is wonderful. I love actual books but I am running out of space and they are more expensive. I bring a book with me where ever I go and this is also much easier with my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Kindle books are so convenient. You don't have to worry about them getting destroyed or lost, and you can't forget to return them on the due date. Also I can adjust the font and lighting which helps me because I have a visual impairment. :)
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ReplyDeleteI just had to comment because we both put "Landline" as one of our favorite reads of 2016! I just about devoured that book; I could not put it down. If you haven't already, you should read her other books. I particularly liked "Fangirl" and "Eleanor and Park."
ReplyDeleteAhhhh yes! I loved Landline and I LOVED Eleanor and Park as well. My least favorite RR read so far has been Fangirl because I just wasn't crazy about the Simon Snow parts. I haven't read Carry On because of this. Have you read it? Also, "My True Love Gave to Me" is a collection of short stories that has a story by RR in there!
Delete"My True Love Gave to Me" is easily my favorite young adult short story collection EVER! It is wonderful, not a bad story in the bunch! Great profile by the way!
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ReplyDeleteDo you think if we did not have access to books in electronic format that you would find the time to read print books? I have found that I have a hard time staying focused when reading in electronic format. Not having the sound of the pages turning or the feeling of the paper causes me to lose the connection I feel when reading a book.
ReplyDeleteI definitely would not. I am discouraged from checking out paper books because my sons on the Autism spectrum are drawn to them. My 7 year old will hide books and gleefully tear out pages so we have paid for a lot of library books over the years. He just doesn't understand why that's not the best way to enjoy books. Also, I feel like book lights are clumsy and I love that I can read on my phone or Kindle in bed. Since I have a visual impairment, the ability to change the font and brightness when I need to is also helpful. I have moved pretty seamlessly to e-books but I understand why others prefer the aesthetic of traditional book formats.
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