What makes a book good?

My husband isn't a huge reader, but I read to him a little bit every night before bed. It can take some time to finish a book, reading at most one chapter a night, and we aren't usually super selective when picking our next read, so we've had some pretty mixed results with our choices. There have been some pretty solid highs, but we've also encountered some incredibly low lows. 

At some point, I acquired a copy of We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry (which I've never reviewed, but did mention long, long ago in this post), which I knew NOTHING about, but we picked it as our bedtime book, started reading, and at some point we were both like "man, what the fuck even is this book?" It took us a few months, but we finished it and both agreed that while at no point did we have any idea what to expect, we both really enjoyed it. Then we read it again last year. And now we're reading it together for a third time. The other night, he asked what my favorite thing about the book was, and it made me think...

What is it that makes a book GOOD?

For me, it definitely isn't any one thing. Some books are good because they're fast paced and grip you until you can't stop reading. Others are intriguing and full of subtle details that come together to create shocking reveals. Then there are books with characters so well-written and full of life that they feel like real people. Some of my favorites (like We Ride Upon Sticks!) are weird and unexpected while somehow feeling true to life and relatable. I just love stories, man. They're so GOOD. (Shhhhhh I know I don't love EVERY book, let's not talk about my negative reviews right now)

What do you think? What draws you to a book? What makes you fall in love with one?