I'm just going to dive right in and answer this without any preamble and hurrah.
Well maybe just one.
If you are reading because your instructor has assigned you some tedious pages, or if you are trying to figure out the instructions for assembling an Ikea wall unit, or if you are reading your Visa contract (oh wait, nobody actually reads those things). Then this post probably doesn't apply to you.
However if you are reading for sheer enjoyment, and are now immersed in your book, and plan to follow through, it's probably for a few reasons.
#1 You are enjoying it. It's what people call a good read.
Now honestly number one is the only important motive. If you are enjoying it, it's a good read, for you.
There is a caveat here. We have to realize that a fan of war stories is not going to be enthralled by a Hallmark Romance. Likewise someone who loves historical drama is likely to close a book on a deep space adventure, very quickly.
But for those who love what they read, there are a few things that make it, and I repeat it for emphasis, A Good Read.
Characters. If you have interesting characters who you genuinely care about, even if you aren't that fond of them, then you will likely get involved in the story even if it is not that original. A good cast can make a story sparkle.
The language is easy to read. If you have to go back and try to figure out what was just said, your pages spent with that book are numbered at best. One of the reasons I couldn't make it through the Hobbit, or Lord of the Rings. Yes there I said it, you may stone me later, it's just too laborious. Too many names and places. Reading can be challenging but it shouldn't be hard.
Whether it be a tale about alternate universes and string theory, or whether it is about a boy and his dog, it needs to flow softly and smoothly and wrap you up in it's own particular form of magic. After all, reading is an escape. If what you are reading stresses you out, the point is defeated.
Interesting language, turns of phrase, description, colourful words will also keep you reading long after bedtime.
Just to add, they is no shame in reading ten pages of a book, staring at it and saying "I can't do this." If you haven't been hooked in the first chapter or so, it likely isn't going to happen no matter what lofty expectations you had.
Now for all you writer's out there, please take heed. If you can put all of this into what you write, there's a pretty good chance you'll have something worthwhile out there, or even something remarkable.
