Booking Through Thursday -

This week's question:
What, in your opinion, is the definition of a “reader.” A person who indiscriminately reads everything in sight? A person who reads BOOKS? A person who reads, period, no matter what it is?... Or, more specific? Like the specific person who’s reading something you wrote?

This isn't something I spend a lot of time pondering, but I guess my definition isn't terribly specific. A reader to me is one who reads, irregardless of what they read or how often. The OED says "one who reads or peruses" (2.a.). That seems spot-on to me.


Last week's question:
Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books... what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?

I don't think there is one specific thing that makes me love one book over another. I like different books for different reasons. For example, I like Jasper Fforde (author of the Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes books) because I am in awe of his imagination, while I love The God of Small Things because of Roy's writing (among other things) and Zahrah the Windseeker because of its story and how the world the author created relates to and illuminates our own. Some books I like because of how atmospheric they are, others I like because of the story itself, still others because I relate so well to the protagonist. I like some books because they distract me from my everyday life and others because they seem authentic. I like some books because of their exotic settings and others because I feel at home in their stories. So, really, it depends.