What I want - and don't want - to read

I just put another unfinished book on my "Give Away" pile. There have been a lot of them of late. What's worse, is I feel as though I wasted my money - something I can't afford to do these days. But I had this gift card...

I purchased two books by the same author. She's quite well known in paranormal romance and there's a lot of buzz about her, so I thought, why not? I had read the reviews on Amazon - mostly 5's, a few 1's - and, of course, a bunch in between. But still, heavily on the top. I should have paid more attention to the 1's.

So why didn't I like it? The author (first name Christine) switch POV (point of view) every other paragraph. I'd be reading in the male POV and suddenly I'm in the female, then back. I wasn't sure whose story I was reading. And yes, switching POV is common in romances, there is still an unwritten rule that it should be done only in major blocks like chapters or scenes. (And no, this isn't Nora Roberts - the queen of POV switching - at least she tells a good story). The only thing Christine had going for her was her world building. She was an expert there, but world building cannot carry an entire story. Her characters were unrealistic, their emotions not believable - at least for me (and the 1's on Amazon).

So, two more books on my pile. Many, many more to go.

So what do I look for in a good book?

Adventure - I want a little excitement, but not a bunch of graphic gore. Give me a fight scene or two, but let me imagine the worst, don't spell it out. Believe me, I've got a good imagination.

Romance - I want a man and a woman with lots of tension between them. But I'm tired of erotica. Once you start giving me the x-rated words, I'm out of there. I've read so much of it that it does nothing but turn me off. Give me tension, but not details.

World building - whether it's contemporary, historical, science fiction or fantasy, show me that you know how to create a good setting. And yes, I do read all of these so when and where don't matter to me, but it has to be real or at least realistic.

Craft - show me that you know how to write. Don't head hop. Understand the difference between "bring" and "take". Grammar, spelling, characterization are all important. Do your homework and let me know you understand them.

Tell me a good story and I'll shout your name to the world.