Hooked

I love reading.  I was the kind of kid who was always be found with a book in my hand.  I would sneak books with me everywhere.  On a family trip to Niagra Falls, I read both A Tale of Two Cities and Sense and Sensibility. 

There are some books I’ve read because I feel like I need to, and it’s hard for me to stop reading, even if I’m not hooked.  More recently, I’ve been learning how to stop reading when I get bored or can’t stand the writing style.  It gives me a greater chance of finding a book that I actually enjoy, rather than wasting my time on something that I don’t.

So last week, I started The False Prince, a book my cousin had recommended and it was the first time in a very long time that I’d been this hooked.  I actually got frustrated with the need to eat or sleep because I just had to find out what happened next.  The story, though entertaining wasn’t what kept me reading. 

It was the main character.  He was the kind of person who jumped off the page and grabbed me.  I read for him.  I was rooting for him even when I seriously wondered if he was really thinking at all.  He had me hooked and I would love to be able to meet him in person.  I read the entire series in just four days. 

Books should hook us, they should make us care about the characters, the outcome, the stakes… everything.  To see it done so well was really a benefit because now I know what I want to do with my own stories.  I saw the kinds of characters I want to create. 

What about you?  Any books that have hooked you recently?  I’d love some recommendations.