What influences your choice of books, the author or genre, or both?
I read adult and children's literature, traditional literature and poetry.
I do not read horror, celebrity, modern biographies or detective stories,
I prefer historical fiction and contemporary fiction human interest novels.
However, I am mostly author-driven. The authors I have chosen keep me well supplied with books.
I get exasperated by well meaning people who wish to give me books, or tell me what I should read. I believe thay are trying to reinforce their belief that the books they have read are good. That may or may not be so, but I already have a pile of over a hundred books to read.
My mother is always trying to get me to read misery memoirs. I can't see the appeal (which is realise is lessened by calling them misery memoirs.)
When I read I want to escape into a world specially crafted for me by someone who took the time to get to know their characters and moves them around the staging in my mind effortlessly and with perfect timing. I don't want to be bored by the wait for the inevitable. I'd like some sort of surprise, even if it's a very small one. I'd like to see something daring from the author. And I love endings that go on a bit. I want to know where every character ends up to be fully satified and am always really disappointed with a short sharp exit.
The trouble with those sort of stipulations is that although it rather wonderfully doesn't restrict you to any particular genre, you're usually at the end of the book by the time you realise you are going to be let down.
I have several fiction authors whose books I like to read and often like something light hearted especially when I was working as my work was quite stressful. However, they are predominently female authors for some reason. I also like to read the occasional true life story book but these can be a bit depressing sometimes so I tend to only read one and then have a couple of fiction before reading another. I prefer modern day fiction writers.
I used to swap books with friends and work colleagues but can't do that now I have a Kindle!