What do fans look for in a book?

With so many topics to read, from non-fiction to original fiction to fan fiction, what drives you as a reader to read?

Charlotte Bronte was known to dislike Jane Austen’s work. Bronte was quoted several times with her comments on Miss Austen’s style and subject choices. Today we would say she was throwing shade. The latter Miss Austen wrote decades before Charlotte Bronte and her sisters, but both today remain authors revered for writing some of the most beloved stories since their publication. Both have been featured in adaptations time and time again. 

Howie and I went to the UK and spent two weeks in the Peak District. If you’ve never heard of it or haven’t been there, it’s prime country for a fan of everything BBC related to these two timeless authors. What surprised me the most was when I learned how much disdain Ms. Bronte had for Miss Austen. 

I personally love the lighthearted nature of Jane Austen’s writing, and if we were to categorize her in today’s terms, we would probably call most of her writings rom-com. What I found most perplexing to me about my feelings for these two authors was that while I do love the light nature of Emma or Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre is one of my favorite stories of all time. But how could Charlotte say those things about Jane? 

I felt like I had to pick sides! But while exploring the countrysides and villages that inspired both writers, I could imagine both of them writing under a tree or their characters living in one of the great houses we visited. 

So while my novel is a genre that is not remotely related to either of these ladies whom I admire, I wonder what about you? What do you love about stories? From stand-alone to series, tell me. What makes your page turn?

S.Behr