What Makes a Truly Good Book?

What makes a book good? How can we tell the difference between the average book that's okay but nothing special and the really great book that you'll keep re-reading till the cows come home?

It's pretty tricky, huh? Well, defining a good book is downright impossible: everyone's tastes are different. You might love sci-fi, or you might hate it, but either way, you're never going to agree with someone who has opposite tastes to you. It's like Marmite =]
But everyone is the same in one way as regards a good book - for a book to be truly good, it must tick several proverbial boxes. For me, it's no good if the book is simply action-packed and pacey, even if I really enjoy it, because it's got to be written well too. And vice verse - books that are amazingly written but extremely dull just don't count as good for me. You might disagree with me on this, and that's fine. I'm just saying what I personally require. And of course, everyone has different requirements. I'm sure that for some people, just action-packed and pacey is great, exactly what they're looking for, and it doesn't matter how the author writes as long as they enjoy it. And other people require more out of their books.

So just ask yourself for a minute, what do you require in a book for it to be classed as 'good'? If it was enjoyable, would that be 'good'? Or does it need something else? Some extra spark, to lift it above 99.9% of what you read and into the realms of 'favourite'?

In my opinion - and of course you may or may not agree with me - most people enjoy most books. Most of what you read is okay, mediocre, pretty enjoyable but nothing particularly special, nothing you'd recommend to your friends, a kind of three out of five stars. So what does it need to get those extra two stars?

It's different for everyone. You can get an idea of what I require in a good book from looking at the way I rate books. I have five categories that I rate out of five stars - subject, storyline, characters, writing style, enjoyability - and then an overall rating in both stars and words.

The categories rather speak for themselves. In a subject, I don't ask for anything in particular, although I like a book that's historical or romantic or humorous or adventurous. I don't mind what the subject is as long as whatever it does, it does well.

Storylines are difficult. If they're intricate but easy to follow, that's a really great storyline. But some books are less about what happens, and more about how it happens and the way people react. So for me, having a complicated storyline isn't essential to a good book.

Characters need to be good. They need to be well presented, well rounded, unique, believable, human... Yes, I ask for a lot. But characterisation is my own personal strong-point (as a writer), and so I'm naturally most picky about it.

A good writing style is a must for me as well. Interesting use of sentence structures, or new ways of saying things, or, if it's in the first person, a characterful narrative voice and style - these all count as a good writing style. If the book isn't written well, then it's taken off my shelves. Although I do sometimes make exceptions, for a book that's particularly good in the other areas.

Enjoyability. What more can I say? The writing style, the characters, the subject, the storyline - can all be as great as they like, but if I didn't enjoy the book, then it's a non-starter. I enjoy plenty of average books, but the best ones, the ones that are truly good, are the ones that rate highly in all of the above categories.

But this is just me. You might think completely differently to me, and that's absolutely fine. Because the important thing to remember when deciding what you think of a book is that what other people think doesn't count. Sure, it's helpful to read a review before deciding whether to read a book or not, and don't let me stop you - it's a great way to hear about new books - but ultimately, it's what you think that matters. So what if everyone else is rating a book five out of five and you only give it one? So what if everyone is raving about a book you thought sucked? Just because someone else has decided a book is good or bad doesn't mean you have to agree with them. It's called living in a (relatively) free world.

I'm not here to tell you definitively what a good book is or isn't. That's your job. Your opinion is as good as mine. I'm here to tell you that you needn't be afraid to think just a little differently from everyone else. What makes a book better than 99.9% of the others? What makes a reader or reviewer better than 99.9% of the others?

Same thing. Same difference. And my point is still the same - your choice. Your job. Your opinion, even.

So go out there, and say what you really think! And read lots! And eat cookies! And leave a comment saying what you look for in a good book. And eat more cookies =]

Happy reading!

~West x

(originally guest posted on Me and Reading)

New Reviewing System!

Okay, yep, so I've only been around for about five minutes. But I like a change! And this seems like a good way to do things. So here's how things will work:

Instead of giving just one overall rating, I'll break down my thoughts and ratings into these categories:
Subject
Storyline
Characters
Writing Style
Enjoyability

I'll rate each of these different categories out of five stars. At the end, I'll also give an overall rating (in both stars and words) as usual. Comprendez?

Think it a good plan? I do! (Otherwise I wouldn't be changing it. Obviously.) So anyway, stick around a little longer and I might actually review something! That'd be good, eh?

Oh, and feel free to yell if you absolutely hate this idea with a passion. I don't want to ruin your life completely and utterly... !

Challenge: Dystopia

I love all genres. Or most of them, anyway. But recently I've got into a dystopia mood... For anyone who's confused:

dystopia (n) : an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. Opposite of utopia.

Dystopian, science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels are often one and the same. Although not always. Some famous ones are:

1984 by George Orwell
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (recently made into a film starring Keira Knightly and Carey Mulligan)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

To mention just a few!

Anyway, I decided I might as well make use of my dystopian mood, so I'm climbing on the band wagon started by BA Reading Challenges. Here's how the challenge works:


How To Participate

    1.    Decide which challenge level you'll be doing (see below).
    2.    Grab the code for the badge down below and post it on a side bar or in a signature.
    3.    Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level. Make sure to link back to this page with either one of the buttons or a text link.
    4.    Use the link form below to enter into the challenge by sharing your challenge post URL and your name (either your name, blog name, or both).Please don't use the comment form to participate, only to comment on the challenge or something else.
    5.    Submit your reviews (if you choose to review them, but that's optional) on the review page.
    6.    When you’ve completed you’re challenge let us know on the completion post. If you're using a tag or category I recommend sharing the link back to that so everyone can find them

Challenge Levels:
    1.    Asocial–  Choose 5 books to read
    2.    Contagion – Choose 15 books to read
    3.    Soldier – Choose 30 books to read
    4.    Drone – Choose 50 books to read
    5.    Conditioned – Choose 75 books to read

For Extra Hard Challenges:
    1.    Brainwashed – Choose 76-125 books to read
    2.    Totalitarian – Choose 126-200 books to read

I'll be doing Contagion, I think. Seeing as I'm not that amazing, and I don't think I can even list 30 dystopian novels!!

These are the novels I'll be doing (I think):
1) Lord of the Flies by William Golding
2) 1984 by George Orwell
3) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5) Animal Farm by George Orwell (this may or may not count as dystopian... I hope it does!)
6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
7) The Time Machine by H.G Wells
8) The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
9) Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks
10) The Running Man by Stephen King (under the pen-name of Richard Bachman)
11) The Iron Heel by Jack London
12) The Neuromancer by William Gibson
13) The Children of Men by PD James (perhaps, although I'm not sure about this one... )
14) ??
15) ??

Ug. I think I'll go get reading... !!

Top Five Romances

On today of all days, the wedding of Prince William (British royal family) and Kate Middleton, I'm thinking about looove. So what're the top five romances in novels?

Here's what I think:

1) Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It just has to be, really - they're one of the most famous couples ever. But it's not Colin Firth striding out of ponds that's made this story so hot, it's the masterful writer behind it. This is a classic example of 'the course of true love never did run smooth', and Pride and Prejudice set a whole new precedent and sparked numerous romantic novels, plays and films where the protagonists begin by disliking each other.

2) Dona and Jean-Benoit Aubéry in Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier. Although Rebecca is du Maurier's most famous novel, Frenchman's Creek will always be my favourite. The snatched romance between a Lady and a French pirate is one that is often overlooked in lists such as this one. It's a really beautiful novel, and I owe it thanks on a personal level for inspiring my latest story The House of Make Believe.


3) John Ridd and Lorna Doone in Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore. If this isn't a classic love story, I don't know what is. John and Lorna, first separated by their warring families, then by the rigid class system, get caught up in the wars, feuds and battles that give this book such a kick. I love it especially for its host of baddies, the violent outlaws the Doones, contrasted with the simple goodness of the Ridds, farming folk. The characters are vibrant, the action is quick. I love it to pieces.

4) Jane and Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. This is one of the first novels of its kind because it covers so many genres: romance, moral, mystery, gothic, supernatural... Jane Eyre also boasts a strong heroine and a less-than-perfect hero. In times when everyone's drooling over impeccably behaved vampires, it's more than a little refreshing.

5) Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I love this novel for many reasons - the gothic feel, the tragic story of Heathcliff and Catherine's love - but what I like best about it is the way it stretches over the generations. Brontë could easily have ended it with Catherine's death, or even before that, but she chose instead to show us all how consequences pile up and effect the next generation. Apart from all this, it's a lovely romance and gets extra points because it's not only one love story but two!

Don't agree with me? Think I missed something important? Give me a yell, or even better, have a go at this on your own blog to remember the day of the royal wedding!

Good luck William and Kate!
~West x

The Genre Problem

When I tell people that I write stories, the invariable question that follows is: oh yes, what genre? Now I don't know about you, but I find this a really tricky question to answer. Good books have so many threads and themes and instances in them it's often very difficult to classify them into one genre or another.

Let's take the Harry Potter books, for instance. Purely because most people have read the books, or at least watched the films. They're fantasy, of course. But it's a different type of fantasy from, say, 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', isn't it? Okay, so they fall into the 'magic' genre of fantasy, because it's not a whole new world like Narnia is. Following me so far?

Next, I always think things like: yes, but it's adventure too. And romance. And comedy.

And the next question is: how many genres can a book fit into? Because, thinking about it, you could keep defining what's in a book from now until the end of the world.

Get my problem? So when people ask me what kind of genres I like to write, it's doubly difficult. My first problem is: how do I define what I write into a genre? And my second is: but I write so many different things! Charlie Broker - she's comedy, as I'm sure you'll agree with me. But then there's 'The Lady Beatrix', which is fantasy and romance and adventure. And 'The House of Make Believe', which is historical and romance. And 'Letters to Davey', which is romance.

I suppose the only really common theme is romance. Which makes me sound rather wet and drippy...

Sigh. Ah, well. I suppose I'll just have to go and write paranormal romances like the entire rest of the writing world, it seems... Or maybe not. I'm not sure I can bring myself to do such a thing!!

~West x

Well hello there!

Sit down, make yourself at home! Have a cookie. Or would you prefer a muffin? Or even both - go on. But mind the piles of books as you go in! And oh yes, the papers lying all over the place are the draft of my latest novel. Don't get any chocolate on them. Thanks =]

Well. I suppose I should introduce myself? (That was rhetorical, by the way.) I'm Westrina, a fifteen year old novelist hoping to one day get one of my (numerous) stories published. Or at least finished, would be nice.

I've been writing since for ever, which is a pretty long time. Stories are my bread and butter, so to speak. Just don't ask me one on sport!

I am also bonkers, which I think is a good thing, don't you? For example, take this blog - why am I making it? When I'm currently up to my ears in exams and trying to write about six novels. Fun fun fun!

Well anyway, here I am! Pleased to meet you. I'm going to stick a few of my scribblings up here, every now and again, but I'm not the most dedicated of bloggers, so please excuse me if I disappear off the face of the earth for a bit. I'll be back. Promise!

Happy writing =]
~West x