What Readers Want: The Eclectic Reader

What writer doesn't entertain an insane fantasy of making an actual living off their words? Because this is becoming infinitely harder to do, and because I've been watching lots of Shark Tank, I decided to conduct a market survey. I interviewed some of the readers in my life about what they've read this year in hopes of figuring it out just what it is readers want (and how we can give it to them.) Since I asked people to do this in the midst of all the holiday craziness, I'll be publishing these as they come in.

Our first interview comes from Gail, who describes herself as "a 40-something married IT Project Manager who has two cats and many roles in local community theater."

I feel compelled to add to this: Gail is an amazing actor, and I'd trade an appendage for like, an eighth of her comic timing. And, as it turns out, she has stunningly eclectic taste in literature! 

What are some of your all-time favorite reads?

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and his collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Tuesday Next series by Jasper Fford

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade by Patrick Dennis

What have you read this year?

The Deep Blue Goodbye by John MacDonald

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Brunt

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

What's the best thing you've read this year? 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.

What made it so good? 

 It was a complete surprise to me—it was an Audible deal that I picked up on a whim. The description—curmudgeonly bookstore owner who’s a recent widow opens his store and heart to a publishing representative and a baby abandoned in his store—felt like it could be too cloying, too close to the “romance” genre for me to enjoy, but the reviews were stellar and the sample I listened to was intriguing. I absolutely loved it. The tone was wry and engaging and it was as much a story about the future of publishing and brick-and-mortar bookstores as it was about one man learning how to open up to people. The characters were complex and interesting, and it really explored how what we read shapes our character.  

What's the least enjoyable thing you've read this year? 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I thought it was overwritten. It was very slow to start—I didn’t need a description of every painting in the gallery where The Goldfinch was being shown—and it could have ended about 100 pages sooner than it did. When I learned it had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, I thought they must have awarded it by weight.

What literary tropes/themes are you absolutely sick of?

Dystopian futures where teenagers save the world.

Where do you usually acquire books?

 A combination of places – Library, Amazon.com (both physical books and Kindle), used bookstores/used book sales.

Do you read book reviews? If so, is there a certain publication/reviewer that you particularly trust? 

Occasionally. My bookclub does use the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon when we are picking our next book. I will sometimes check the reviews if I’m picking from a selection of Amazon Kindle deals (e.g., here are 200 Kindle books for under $4.99) to see if it looks like any are worth getting. 

So you're a fan of audiobooks?

Yes. Since 2007, when I started working in New Hampshire, I have listed to audiobooks on CD to help with my commute. I don’t work in NH anymore, but I do take a commuter bus into Cambridge, which takes at least an hour each way. I started subscribing to Audible earlier this year because of that commute. I’ve been listening to the Game of Thrones series. The narrator is amazing—one guy for hundreds? of characters, but at this point I’m beginning to regret the undertaking. It’s just so damn long!

Complete the sentence: People need to stop reading __________ and pick up ____________ instead. 

 I’m just happy to see people reading. It’s not up to me to judge. Though I will say, whenever I see a girl reading anything in the Twilight series I want to shove anything else in her hand that has a strong female protagonist who isn’t defined by her relationships with boys and who thinks a stranger who breaks into her room to watch her sleep is a creepy stalker and not a potential life mate. So, yes, I guess I am judging.

What are your literary pet peeves? What can an author do to make you abandon a book? I very rarely abandon a book. However, when I do it usually has more to do with my mood than with the book itself—the subject matter is too depressing for me to want to read at that time or it’s too similar to something I just read. 

What subjects and themes will you always want to read about? 

I’m a sucker for stories set in WWII or set in England during any period.

Anything else you'd like to tell me about your reading habits? 

I tend to read in cycles—I’ll visit the library every other week for six months, then I won’t go for the next six months, or I’ll only listen to audiobooks for two months, or I’ll re-read three old favorites in a row, or I’ll read all the books in a series an nothing else until I’m done. I’m not sure why this is, but I’ve tended to always do this.