My Bookish Preferences
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- 0:00-Intro
0:48-Which perspective is your favorite?
3:33-Which format is your favorite (hardback, paperback, audio, e-book, etc)?
7:28-Do you prefer a character or plot focused book?
9:22-Do you care about prose?
13:24-How introspective do you want your characters to be?
14:59-How do you like your relationships?
16:15-Do you like a lot of description?
18:28-Do you prefer standalones or a series?
19:38-Single POV or multiple POV?
20:16-Do you prefer a strong start, middle, or finish?
WHERE TO FIND ME:
► My Patreon: / merphynapier
► Reading Spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
► Instagram: / merphynapier
► E-mail: merphynapier@gmail.com - บันเทิง
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The fact that Merphy’s instant reaction to getting a text at 12:03 was “SIR!” honestly made my day 😂
I laughed at that. :D
The only flaw with a character driven story is when I don’t like the character, their story feels like a super long slog to get through. Pretty much exactly what you said about the first person story telling, it can be rough
Then there would be 2 problems: you don't like the character and it feels like it's a long slog
Merphy is the type of reader that writers love to write for. Her enthusiasm is amazingly encouraging.
100% correct! I would LOVE her feedback on my novel.
I think if it's written in 1st person, you need to have a REALLY entertaining main character. Like Percy Jackson. It's gotta be fun to see the world from their perspective
Agreed. I prefer 3rd person for the most part, but when you have a great character like Percy and the others in the later books it really tales the story to another level.
1:13 The standard advice is to avoid "filter words" like:"I saw" and "I thought." Your example:"I walked into the room and I saw a skeleton and I thought Hmmm." Advised example:"I walked into the room, and there was a skeleton in there. That's never a good thing."
Me and Merphy are total opposites:
Me: Hates description
Merphy: Loves description
Me: Hates classics
Merphy: Loves classics
Both of us: Hate Jane Eyre
Perfectly balanced as all things should be.
And I love description but hate classics haha
And I love all of the above. Lol
In my case I like descriptions if I care about the world. Otherwise, just make me invested in the characters, not the coffee shop that will never appear again.
I prefer physical books BUT don't have a preference between hard vs paper vs mass market, because to me it's whichever one has the BEST artwork and looks best on the shelf. I'm shallow, I guess. I hate books with awful artwork (looking at you, books with photos from the movies).
1. Paperback
2. Audiobooks
3. E-readers
4. Mass Market
5. Hardcover
Same, just switching 3 and 4
Mine would be:
1) Paperback
2) E-reader
3)Mass Market
4) Audiobook
5) Hardcover
6) THREE BOOKS IN ONE HARDCOVER GIANTS
I agree! (That’s my preference order too)
1. Paperback
2. Hardcover
3. Mass market
4. Audio books
5. E-readers
My Bookish preference is to read when there's no one in the house ;)
^
😯😯😯
Oof, felt that on a broke-student-still-living-at-home level.
This is my cleaning preference too
I relate to this so much lol because my family bothers me the most when I'm reading
1. I generally like both first and third person, however I find myself enjoying third person books more. Like, if I see a book is in first person, I'm not going to have lower expectations, because I really like first person and when it's done well, first person can elevate a story to greater heights (like with Murderbot or Skyward). But usually, I have found that first person isn't done that great, and is more of a gimmick than a tool used to maximum effect, and it makes the story feel flat. What I mean by this is that the strength of first person is often in crafting a unique character voice, like with Spensa or Murderbot, but a lot of writers just don't think that much about this (especially in YA, though I have found some that will stretch this). Third person can be really good even if you don't differentiate the third person perspectives on a prose level, because with third person we don't really need a uniquely crafted character-oriented prose experience like first person is very good at-and it's generally harder to do in third person anyway, although writers like Joe Abercrombie are a master at this. So I generally enjoy third person more because often when I read first person it feels like there's a lot of missing potential, but I won't be turned off by a story with first person because when it's done well it'll elevate the story above if the story was written in third person.
2. My preferences in general in order from favorite to least favorite are probably paperback, ebook, hardback, audiobook, mass market paperback-but this varies. For Stormlight, I only want hardcovers. For Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence, I don't like any version except for the mass market paperbacks. And for Dresden Files, I primarily use the audiobooks and only occasionally use the ebook.
3. I want a balance between character and plot, but yeah, it's character for me. A good plot and bad characters is gonna make me meh on the book, but amazing characters and bad plot will still have a good chance of me loving the story.
4. Prose doesn't bother me that much. I prefer if it's not overly repetitive, but very simple prose works great for me. I also know that if a book uses the word "undulating" at least 4 times (and preferably at least once every 50 pages) then it'll be a book that you like, and that I should recommend it to you VERY strongly. :)
5. I agree with you on introspective characters. I think the thing that works for me is when you have characters like Kaladin or Shallan who are RIDICULOUSLY introspective but are also constantly doing something. I think this works great in The Dresden Files, actually, where Harry Dresden is possibly the most introspective character I've read, but because he's always doing stuff and interacting with people-as is the nature of his job-we're never in there for too long to the point where it gets grating.
6. Platonic relationships will always be better than romantic relationships for me lol. Even in romance books I often enjoy the romance only because I love the platonic relationships.
7. Description really varies for me. I'm reading Eye of the World and for me, Robert Jordan writes descriptions in an incredibly immersive way. I'm sure he gets repetitive and annoying with it later, but at least in this first book, I got immersed so freaking fast it was incredible. But I think descriptions only need to be as long as needed to immerse the reader, and that depends on the author's style. Mark Lawrence describes tone and atmosphere well, and can immerse me in two sentences, while Jim Butcher describes a lot of different things very quickly, immersing me in a paragraph, while Robert Jordan in book 1 describes many things in great detail, immersing me in a long paragraph or even two. As long as it's long enough to immerse me and not so long that it's annoying, I'm happy. (YA fantasy tends to be too light on description, which frustrates me a little bit.)
8. I think I prefer series more than standalones. But I sometimes need to keep track of my series so I can switch between lots of worlds frequently without getting bogged down in just one, while also finishing series. My TBR document has a big series tracker for Open Series (including ones On Hold), Caught Up Series, Finished Series, and DNF'd Series for this reason.
9. Yeah I don't think I have a preference on number of POVs. First person I generally prefer single POV, but third person can be either. HOWEVER, in fantasy especially I REALLY appreciate when an author can limit their POVs to just one (or 2 is fine too) because I just find that really impressive, and the benefit of single POV is we can become very close and familiar with a single character. So I don't prefer single POV, but when it's done and done well, I'm often more impressed by the book. (The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a good example of this.)
10. I would say strong ending, then strong middle, then strong beginning. A lot of books I read don't have strong beginnings (most Brandon Sanderson books) but a great middle is really where my enjoyment comes from, and like you, if the ending is bad/weak, then the whole book is soured for me. But if the ending is good and the middle isn't good, then I won't really like the book that much either, because I didn't have much fun reading the book. This is Six of Crows for me, I think, where I liked the ending but gave the book 3 stars because the middle was, well, middling. I would also say that this is why a lot of people don't like The Well of Ascension, because some parts of the middle are a little weaker even though the ending is great.
Absolutely spot on in your assessment of problems with 1st person. And because the prose is lacking a voice, it ends up reflecting on the character badly. I'm convinced that Katniss Everdeen didnt in fact have PTSD, but it was the lack of any voice that made it appear that way.
My favorite format is also paperback and then audio book, Getting addicted to them lately.
Can relate
I do love the paperback books because it’s got a nice feel to them. It is more likely that they could break compared to hardback. The hardback is sometimes more difficult to hold. Audiobooks just don’t work for me. I would love if they did because then I would be able to read more
Audiobooks are a coin flip for me. I HATE when the narrator is an old person
Same. been doing the audio books since middle on 2020. I just sit or walk around at work and listen to a book.
"I could hear the audible sighs and frustrated grunts that came when I said that."
I think screams of pain and agony would be a more fitting description😅😂
as a guy with spina bifida, when she kept talking about breaking spines i cringed so hard i became a.... idk, what's an animal who crouches and/or hides low to the ground a lot?
that.
I think "screams of pain and agony" is overused. Using new phrases and metaphors to describe the same feeling is what a good writer does.
0:48 - Third person but only limited! I then prefer first person to third omniscient.
3:33 - Hardback, paperback, e-book, mass market paperback, audiobook.
7:28 - Character but my favourite books are the ones with really strong character development AND plot
9:22 - I don't really mind prose one way or the other.
13:24 - I love introspection as long as I like the character. If the character annoys me, I can't handle it.
14:59 - Romantic!!!
16:15 - I love description as long as it really is improving my ability to visualize. Otherwise it annoys me and I end up skimming over it.
18:28 - Series.
19:38 - Single POV. I get invested in the first character's storyline so switching to another POV feels like a commercial and I hate it.
20:16 - Strong start. Otherwise I won't get into it and will typically stop reading part way through. That being said, if it has a bad ending I will hate the whole book no matter how much I initially liked the rest.
See I always feel annoyed switching to multiple people when I start a book, but by the end I always appreciate the multiple perspectives, cuz I'm invested in all the characters. The final 100-200 pages of a book/series with multiple people I always tear through cuz I'm impatient to find out what happens to everyone. I also feel like more perspectives just gives the author more to work with. Especially in fantasy, where the plots or settings can be so sprawling or complex that it basically requires more than one pov.
I feel like people either keep their books in beautiful pristine condition or break the spines, write in the margins, and dog-ear them -- there's no in between. I'm definitely the latter 😂
Well, I'm the in between😅
I don't write in them or break the spines, but my books definitely look read.
@@elenichamou1791 same
You forgot the coffee and tea stains :)
I don't write in my books because I want to be able to lone them to people without worrying about them knowing my thoughts, but I do crack spines and spill coffee 😬
I don't write in my books and I read in mostly hardcover, though I do get paperbacks sometimes if I like the cover art better. I will also read from fancy editions, which a lot of people just "display" and almost never touch.
My preference is reading in bed before sleep (and because of this I stay up to late). I think it's basic.
I have no preference in povs.
1. hardback
2. paperback
3. audio
4.ebook
Character development over plot, even tho I want both.
Literally the same thing for me
1. I definitely prefer third person, especially when it's a Lemony Snicket style narrator. I love when the third-person narrator has a strong voice, it just gets me invested in the world so fast.
2. Paperback, hardback, e-book, mass market, audio. I know audiobooks resonate with a lot of people and are easier for them to read with but I either get far too invested and can't focus on doing other things (like driving, which often leads to me driving in circles) or I just can't get into them at all.
3. Character focused over plot focused, but I would prefer books to have both.
4. Not really, I prefer my books to be more direct otherwise I can find the story boring or hard to follow.
5. I definitely have a limit, but it's not something I really notice until it bothers me.
6. I love my romances but give me found family over a romance any day!
7. Only if its worldbuilding or character-focused, otherwise I don't care.
8. I want to read more series but at the moment I'm reading more standalones, so I guess I prefer standalones?
9. I love multiple POVs, give me all the characters!
10. Strong finish, strong beginning, strong middle. I find that if the beginning is strong enough and I know this book is going somewhere, then I can survive through a dragging middle. Like you, a weak ending will ruin a book for me.
1) I like both being 1st or 3rd I think it depends for me on the genre.
2) Paperback, hardback, Ebook, audiobook, mass
3) I tend to prefer the plot focus but now I am growing to enjoy more character focus
4) The prose I am not so picky but in thrillers, good prose improve so much the ride and in some books simple prose loses a bit of the message or feel kinda childish sometimes...
5) I like so deep in thrillers because of the trauma but overall must be also open to other perspectives.
6) I like a well-developed romance I can not handle so well an insta love romance but is feel so fake... if it is an instant attraction it makes sense to me but that deep and true love for me doesn't work. give me a start and how they learn they are falling in love with reason and how they are dealing with their feelings.
7) I like description when it makes sense and helps to build the world to me and see how amazing or dark that world would be, but exaggeration on a description make me lose some interesting because I found some details not so important but in a decent amount it makes the book amazing!
8) SERIES! in worlds like fantasy I love to spend a lot of time in that worlds but stand-alone can be so enjoyable but series is always a win for me
9) I love multiple POV it gives you a lot of insight and perspective especially in fantasy and contemporary
10) I prefer a strong book in a whole xD (a little cheating like always :P) but I think the end is very important while the begging can be weaker
Sorry for the long comment xD
and I love your channel which was the push to start mine :D
Here are my preferences:
1. I tend to get into first person books faster, but I don’t have a strong preference for one or the other.
2. I would love to rank the formats, but I’m blind, so audiobooks are pretty much the only one I use.
3. I prefer a book to have a balance of both character and plot, but while reading I will care more about the characters than the plot.
4. A book with flowery prose will loose me immediately, but I do appreciate intentional descriptions.
5. My preference for introspective characters is the same as yours. I have a limit for those characters.
6. I get really attached to well developed romances, but family dynamics and friendships are way more satisfying.
7. I don’t have a preferences for the kind of description, but I like description to be important for the plot and/or character, but don’t describe just for the sake of describing.
8. Series, but not long ones.
9. Multiple POV, because I get bored easily, even if I’m really enjoying something.
10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway.
So, here are my preferences. Great video!
"10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway." -> THIS. I want a book to tell me it's flaws upfront so I can decide if it's worth even finishing it. I DNF a lot of books.
This is the first personal commentary video i've seen that breaks up specific sections for the viewer to pause and comment. I think it works very well to build an interesting interactive experience.
1.Paperback (I like flexibility)
2. hardback
3. Audio (I never have a chance to listen to audio, but i like the hands free nature of it)
4. E-book (I love the aesthetics of a real book)
I love 1st person. I love reading what the lead character is thinking and how he/she sees situations. The best 1st person book is The Knife of Never Letting Go. It is so unique because the character Todd is illiterate, so things are spelled wrong. Their are also run on sentences because he is thinking a lot. I strongly recommend this book.
Allright! Here we go!
1. Third person(unless its a Dresden book): So here's the thing, for some reason, FOR ME first person sometimes feels...youthful? I honestly dk why there is no real explanation for this, thats just how I feel. But ofcourse that is not something that stops me from reading a book even its first person...just, yk, preference.
2. Honestly, paperback, generally hardbacks look more pretty(not always, I actually prefer LOLL in paperwork in terms of beauty) but whats more accessible? Definitely paperback, but more specifically the floppy ones not the mass market. I also like audiobooks because there are days where I don't feel like physically reading cause I'm tired so it comes in handy!
Ok so here's the ranking👇
1. Paperback(another thing, I annotate and pad my books, so I prefer physical for that too😅 PS you are the one who got me into annotating Merph, so thanks!)
2. Audiobooks(accessible when your traveling, tired, or have amazing narrators!)
3. Hardbacks(too expensive and the dust jackets are...fragile, but other than that it works)
4. E books( I don't like it when its on screen cause already there is too much of that in my life, but if I'd ever buy the one that's technically not screen I would definitely read from there too, but I personally just don't get that....feeling yk. But if you do that , that's amazing!)
5. Mass market
3. Character driven: Getting emotionally attached to a character, growing with them or seeing them grow or redeem or corrupt, that connection you build, whether it be cause you relate, look upto, laugh or sob. Some of my role models are FICTIONAL characters!(uncle iroh), the small victories or the relationship dynamics! Its just soooo good!
4. Its complicated. Like alot of people said that Sanderson's are pretty info dumpy...I honestly don't notice it. I guess the only book where I have cared for the prose is Beartown(based on your recommendation) which is the single book where all I have done is underline SO MUCH STUFF and barely written. Because its so thoughtful and beautiful and...you get it. But aside from that book....I don't think I care that much. As I said:Its complicated.
5. I honestly don't know, I think I quite like it, I've only read book 1 in the Stormlight archive and I like the way it was done, and I think if there was even more of it I would've been happy. But I'm going to have to read more books to answer that question. Well, only time will tell.
6. Platonic: Now ik that probably everyone reading atleast ATLEAST likes good romantic relationships...yeah, I'm going to be an exception in that. Heres how I'll answer this question: favorite book? LOLL, favorite series? Merlin, Avatar the Last Airbender, Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood and Sherlock. *nervous chuckle*
7. It doesn't bother me, I don't mind description. But I guess no, I don't necessarily want it. Well...I guess it depends, so there's a book in which pirates are a big focus and I LOVE pirates, and the book had alot of description about where the ropes would tie and stuff like that. And I WAS interested in it, but the way the author wrote was kind of...boring😬 but honestly if I had to answer, it will be a no, which is weird, because I like knowing the environment I just don't...like reading it I guess. Thats weird, ANYWAY MOVIN ON'
8. Series I love following the characters for a long period of time. Get to know them better, seeing different sides of them. I'm not saying standalones can't do it just...IMHO not the same way. However, it's a little unfair of me to say that, I've read VERY few standalones...need to read more🤫
9. Multiple POV You ask me why? I don't know *shrugs* go figure!
10. If I had to rank it:
Strong ending
Strong middle
Strong biggining
If you made it this far congrats! I had some spare time on my side so I used it😁
People are never as mature inside their own head as they portray to the world and I think that comes across a lot in 1st person POV.
I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH 3. 6. AND 8.
@@Super00Specs ain't that the truth. The first editor I had told me that my main character who was supposed to be 17 sounded like she was 12 and in middle school and I had to up her age maturity in my first person book so then I finally fixed it up and then sent it off to a second editor it's actually really hard to get into the mindset of a high school student age without making them sound too annoying or too mature it's like a weird balance.
my fav shows are ATLA and Sherlock too!!
* My preference is third-person as well! Though it's not super strong. I don't mind first-person. But I agree first-person is often too limited for me. Because of that, I like third-person limited the most. And I actually don't like third-person omniscient all that much.
* I prefer ebook > audiobook > hardback > paperback > mass market. And it's funny... because I love annotating too, but that's the reason I prefer ebooks over paperbacks. Logging and going back is easier on a digital format for me. And I also agree on liking audio for convenience but the missing things with new reads/listen are very real. If it's a work/world I'm not familiar with, audio is a pretty bad choice.
* Plot > Character. I personally need to know where the story is going first and foremost. But characters are important for me to care about the plot. But first, I need to know where the story is going, I can't just be sat in a room with dope characters with no direction (unless the characters are incredibly amazing or talking about intriguing things).
* I. Absolutely. Hate. Purple. Prose. Instant turn off for me. Funny what you said about Legend Born... most times first-limited is, well, limited in terms of prose because of character POV.
* I've never really thought about character introspection, honestly.
* I've no real preference for romance/platonic relationships. It's just that I have MORE issue with romantic relationships because they are more often done not-so-great. And ultimately, I think, platonic relationships have higher ceilings for me. Samwise, anyone!?
* Same with purple prose, I'm not a fan of long descriptions. Another instant turn off. The descriptions need to be woven into the greater scene/story for it to work for me.
* I actually have not been able to get into a series in a very long time (I mean, a very long time). I don't know why that is. I don't think I actually have a preference to standalone, per se. I just haven't really been vibing with any series in a while (I mean it, a really, really long while).
* I have a preference for multiple POV, but I have an upper limited of 2-3 mains. More than that and it's too much for me. Sometimes when it's just 1 POV I want to hop around.
* I totally agree, though I'd flip it to Strong Start > Strong Ending > Strong Middle.
I enjoy reading third person, but I enjoy writing first person. I can write third person, and I have quite well before, but I like the limitations that come with First Person.
Kind of like drawing or making music
I want to know what purple prose is. People talk about excessive and flowery but what exactly is excessive and what is flowery? Give some examples.
@@robertblume2951 Purple prose is when you describe things so much to the point that nothing is readable.
I'd recommend two good books for prose-- The Book Thief, and The Bible. Both books are beautiful and have great prose. That's what I personally use to range my description of things.
But if you want more, I can point to good ol' classics like Robinson Crusoe, Sherlock Holmes, a good Dr. Seuss book, or a good video game (because even video games have great stories nowadays).
I'm a game dev, so I might be cheating, but don't use too many difficult words. (I'm saying this because I personally dislike some classics because they use too many difficult words to seem intellectual to the point that they alienate their audience.)
I think the best thing to do is to look for inspiration for your work and just roll with it.
@@microdavid7098 I meant examples of purple prose. I know plenty of books with good prose, I don't know any with purple. I don't think classics use a lot of complicated words to seem intellectual, they just had a better vocabulary than we do now.
@@robertblume2951 *hot take* Some Shakespeare. And dune.
Great video idea, Merphy :))
I like having the book in my hand, I am not a fan of e-book or audiobook, and in my country the types of book are different, here we have " capa dura" that's look like hardback ( hardback is a hardcover without the jacket around the book) , and we have " capa comum" that's look like paperback but better
This is a great tag! I think I may do it on my channel soon. And I agree- the floppier the better 😂
I don't know that I care about prose, but I enjoy it immensely when an author injects poetry into their descriptions. Liliana Bodoc is the best at this; she puts poetry into the way she describes the world, the action, the characters and their feelings and thoughts. It's just so beautiful
Yes to what you said in the last question. An ending will make or break a reading experience for me.
This is really great so I might film it as a tag cause I love thinking about these things!
You go queen for making a tag I LOVE doing them so much so gonna film this one!
Love these videos. They're great as something to listen to when working.
3:33
i like paperback too! but in some books, the hardcover edition's cover looks adorable ♥️
Ooh, Merph, I love your shirt! 😊😍
I'm sure Merphy would love an audiobook with a Parshendi narrator considering they change their rhythms so much.
Just came across your channel somewhat by chance, having spent a week or so now binging LOTR theory and info videos, and I have to say, I am so smitten. You are a delight to listen to and to watch. I find myself appreciating your takes, valuing your opinions, and enjoying the way you share them all. I will probably never read more than a tiny fraction of the books you talk about, but that doesn't matter to me. I spend most of my reading time on non-fiction or fiction related to what I do and write, and when I do have time to read for leisure I invariably go back to "old faithfuls" that don't require much mental energy from me anymore. 🤣 Anyways, just wanted to make sure I let you know in case you ever see this.
I'll be scouring your past videos soon, but in case I don't find what I'm looking for, I'd *love* to see a video where you compare and contrast your favorite and least favorite prose. 😃
Hey love your youtube. I like audiobooks, after watching you I read Mistborn and now I'm almost finished Way of Kings. Keep up the good work.
- 3rd and sometimes 1st person!!
-floppy paperback -> hardback -> audiobook -> ebook= 0 concentration
-C H A R A C T E R S
-omg patterns will get under my skin too and over describing just feels indulgent most of the time
-7-8/10 introspective for me with breaks please!!
-platonic & romantic relationships with the romantic one being in the background
-l also need a big énfasis on the environment but get bored if other things are described more than “normal”
- serieeeees Corey and l feel the same
-múltiple POV
-middle to end bit
"If you take a whole page to describe something that could have been done in a couple of sentences......"
Looking at you, Lord of the Rings
Well, Lord of the rings was written almost 70 years ago. No wonder that common writing methods and styles were different than today's, as well as readers' preferences. The same happens in cinematography and music as well or any other aspect of culture - it evolves and changes and some things become outdated, even such classsics and masterpieces.
It was never praised for its prose, except for what it added to worldbuilding.
Lord of the Rings is the least of this, though. Plenty of modern authors still do this, and much worse.
@@darkwitnesslxx Lord of the Rings is widely lauded for its prose. Tolkien is an incredible author and poet, and his writing is incredibly beautiful, but at the time when it came out, and even for decades thereafter, fantasy fiction was looked down upon by the literary community. It honestly still is. THAT'S the reason the false narrative that Tolkien's prose was subpar is so widely circulated. He was actually considered for, but robbed of, a nobel prize because of this snobbishness. Who won it? Ivo Andric of course, an author that today no one has heard of, and whose own prose simply doesn't measure up.
I looove breaking the spines on mass marker paperbacks!! It’s so satisfying and it looks well-read and loved! I even enjoy getting used MMPs with cracked spines...
1. 3rd person
2.
A. Mass market paperback (for being cheap and generally flexible but hate it when text runs into spine or really cheap)
B. Paperback
C. Hardcover
D. ebook
F. Audiobook (enjoy them but have to follow along with actual book to get the most out of it.
3. Really enjoy characters, but plot has to be there to back them up.
4. Yes, so long as its well done. If its too much or poorly done its terrible.
5. Not sure if I have a preference
6. Really enjoy romantic relationships, but platonic can be just as amazing.
7. Enjoy description, the way Tolkien describes the scenery or in his prose, makes me feel there or know exactly what he is looking at.
8. I really enjoy series, but at a certain point I get tired of reading 3,10,15 long series. So I enjoy a good standalone.
9. Both, so long as the characters we're following are interesting.
10. Strong finish. the ending can make or break anything. Strong middle next, then strong start.
Q1. Third person. Limited or omniscient, either ways. Personally, I feel like with first person, authors sometimes go in wayyy too much unnecessary description and feelings. I have nothing against characters talking about feelings, BUT sometimes in first person, it tends to be too much. Especially in YA. Eg- the divergent series, mockingjay.
2. Paperback
Hardcover
Mass market paperback
Ebook
I've never listened to a complete audiobook but I tried it once and couldn't concentrate.
3. Plot focussed. Although I have enjoyed some books where it's literally just about people doing nothing, generally speaking, I'd choose a plot focussed book.
4. Same!!! I HATE unnecessary details. Beautiful prose is fine but unnecessarily metaphorical writing is just.. mleh
5. Like I said, hate it when there's too much introspection and thoughts and stuff.
6. Strongly agree. Especially about the part about romance in other genres. Which is again why I didn't like mockingjay, cuz it started focusing on the relationships a lot more. And in a dystopian or fantasy setting, I really wanna know more about the war going on outside.
7. Ehhh medium description
8. Standalones. Standalones always. I have commitment issues when it comes to series lol. I've only read 5 series in all so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
9. Either ways but probably one pov.
10. Strong finish. Just because the impact will stay with me longer
Extra: a random preference I have is that I realllllly like it when books have a table of contents/ an index. On a similar note, I also love CHAPTER NAMES. They can be so much fun and so creative! Like the Percy Jackson series has some of the best chapter names EVER
Yessss chapter names
Omg ANOTHER video , Merphy you're spoiling us . Not that i am complaining about it or anything ;)
0:48: I prefer 3rd person (like in the book thief) but I dont really mind
3:33: Paperback, Hardback, Audiobook,Ebook
7:28: Ahhhh thats such a hard choice but maybe character.
9:22: A bit i guess
13:24: A smallllll bit. I don't need to live in their mind.
14:59: Hmm, I like having a relationship in a book but I also like having a good few platonic relationships so I'm in between
16:15: I like short and sweet descriptions because I love getting lost in the world and having a clear image in my mind because i hate not knwoing what to imagine but I do want to move on with the plot.
18:28 maybe stand alones because it is a lot of commitment and a lot of time but then on the other hand I like being stuck with the same characters and worlds so I'm not sure hahahah.
19:38: SINGLE POV !! (well usually. i liked it in allegiant for example)
20:16: strong middle to keep me reading,strong ending because i love a satisfactory ending and a strong begininng because its just the intro to the book but I like it to catch my eye.
OmG, I laughed so hard during this video. Merphy, you’re a treat to watch. Reading nuts are my favourite people ever. 😂
1) Third person limited is 100% my fave, past tense in particular
2) Least favorite - hardback
Audio
Paperback (I’ve never had a “floppy one”)
Favorite - E book (I can’t afford many books and I always lose library books so this is really my only option and second hand)
3) Character but I can’t stand a boring slow paced book so I guess I want both
4) I like easy to read prose because I have a short attention span, but I like it if it’s beautiful but not slow, old fashioned or flowery prose
5) I’ve never noticed to be honest
6) Slow burn, ride or die platonic or romantic, I don’t mind
7) Just the amount you need to picture the setting unless the author has a really good style or unique way of describing it
8) Trilogies and duologies tend to be my favourite but I like all
9) Single pov because I tend to have one I don’t like in multiple and I get attached to characters easier when I spend a long time with them
10) All three obviously but I’d pick middle
The book I'm writing is in first person and switches povs.
Q: 1 -first person vs. third person
A: I actually love first person because you really get a feel for how they understand things. I feel more emersed in the story, but I also don't mind third person. Both first and third person have ups and downs.
I also like to make notes about books and what I'm thinking, or I will call a friend and talk to them about it.
Q: 2 -hardbavk, paperback, etc..
A: Paperbacks and hardbacks are my favorite. I can't do audiobooks because I get so distracted and I have never liked listening to radio talk shows and I feel like an audiobook are just like listening to a radio talkshow lol.
Q: 3 - character driven, plot driven
A: I'm 100% character driven. Plot is good but I pretty much won't read a book if it's not about strong based characters. My book I wrote is extremely character driven. I just loooove learning about characters and seeing their interactions with each other.
Q: 4- Do you care about prose
A: LOL I never knew what a prose was until I sent my book to my first professional editor a few months ago and I got an editoral letter back and she was like "omg your prose was absolutely amazing!!" So I guess I'm good at this haha. But yeah I guess I like a good prose.
Not gonna lie, I've look at you website Merphy and before I picked my second editor I was thinking about asking you but I think (if I remember correctly) you were busy haha.
Q: 5- introspection or not
A: I don't mind some introspection. It's good to see people's thoughts.
Q: 6- platonic love it romantic
A: I LOVE platonic relationships. I will pick that everyday. I've never been a super romantic person and honestly best friends or siblings are just as good to write about. My book is about a family and their dynamics and the two brothers are best friends and have a very strong platonic brotherly relationship.
Q: 7- descriptions or not
A: I like to have descriptions that paint a picture. When I was little (and still sometimes til the day) I physically could not picture a character unless it had a movie adeptation or a picture on the cover. So I like to know exactly what someone looks like. And it doesn't have to be everyyything but I do like more information.
Q: 8- series or stand alone book
A: I 100% like series more. My book that I finished is book one of 6. (Though I do understand where you are coming from with your answer and reasoning).
Q: 9- star middle end I almost forgot this question
A: this is hard I feel like you have to have a good book in the beginning and the begining is also where you introduce your characters so I like that probs the most but I also love the middle because you really start to get into the heart of the problem and you already know how your character acts. But the ending is just as great because you have your intense climax and falling resolution and you get some questions answered... So idk about this one honestly.
I think I answered all the questions. Text me here if I didn't lol.
My book is almost fully fixed for like the 100th time (sooo much editing!!) But one day my Kingdoms of Color book series will be out and I just hope people like it and emerse themselves as much as I do. Seriously I drew probably over 100 pictures of my characters, scenes, everything I could think of already.
This was fun Merphy, let's do it again sometime!!!!
MULTIPLE POVS 100% in my option I don't want to follow the same character all book. because if I do that and I don't like that character as much then I feel like I'm stuck and I'm just not going to like the book but if there's a character that I don't mind or maybe I don't like just like a little bit but there's other povs of characters I do really like then I feel like it's much better also I just love getting inside the heads of multiple different people and seeing what their insecurities are getting a look inside their head how they react with certain people etc..
First of all, you got me back into reading! I haven't read so much since before I went to college. I just settled onto my favorite books and stopped devouring new ones. But now I have a list of recommendations and a new reading chair, and it's been amazing!
1. Audiobooks - I'm an artist and it's wonderful to have a book read to me while I work.
2. Hardcover. There's something so nice about a polished hardcover book
3. Paperback
4. Ebook - Even though it's my least favorite, I mostly read ebooks from the online library. I prefer to only own my favorites, then I can splurge on fancy copies!
I'd love to see a video with recommendations based on different preferences like these!
My preference:
1. Third person definitely. Have read some series where I tolerated it because the story was good enough, but it always takes me out, because I often don’t agree with the person who’s head we are in.
2. Hard coverts and paperbacks - physical books are equally good and preferred (paperbacks are easier for travel). Audiobooks- I haven’t gone through an audiobook I liked. Don’t know whether it is the books or the medium. Some books I would definitely only read (e.g. Pratchett where reflecting on what one just read is precious). Have never read an e-book.
3. As long one of them is good and the other isn’t terrible. I would even venture to say, that the mood and the messages (or what it says about our world) in the books are even more important to me than the plot and characters.
4. Prose can give an interesting experience. Some needs getting used to, but it usually just gives a certain flavor to a story. Bad prose is a killer. Repetition can be annoying but also intentional- so if an author uses it for something, it is ok.
5. Introspection - depends. I hate having to wallowing in one persons own personhood, especially when that character isn’t able to remove themself at any time and think about how other people are.
6. Platonic relationships, preferably. One can do so much more with them that isn’t annoying than with a romance. Sometimes romances just seem shoehorned in and those a really annoying.
7. Descriptions - if you can do the same with less, then I respect your writing more. One can also go wrong with descriptions- if they e.g. are very repetitive or off (contradictory or feels cliche/flat)
8. I have no preference to whether it should be a series or stand alone. Both are good. Hangovers are real though.
9. Prefer multiple POV, but single POV are fine as well.
10. Ending-start-middle as you. I don’t quit, and a good ending can remediate a bad start and middle.
I like to read along with the audio book at 1.5x
Tip btw if you gradually go up from 1x to 1.1x going up what ever your preference is, it won’t sound too fast as you’ve gradually got used to the speed.
You only need a couple of minutes per speed before your brain adjusts.
Yesssss I cannot listen at regular speed now. Same with online lectures videos (thanks Covid) I have to watch them at like 1.5 lol
For description, the more detail the better. I love all the nitty gritty, appendices, maps...everything, LOtR, death gate cycle, anything by Isaac Asimov etc
Yes!! Big floppy paperbacks! I'm from the UK, and stormlight editions were beautiful, but I spent so long searching for the large floppy US editions and finally found a website that sells them. I was not dissapointed, they are so glossy and beautiful and sooo much better to read IMO. So yes fully agree. ❤️
I actually completely agree with your ranking! And, even though I’m not dyslexic, I also struggle reading things in e-book format so that’s the only way of reading I never use. I lose my place A LOT and I can’t really follow the text as well, I don’t know what it is about it but it makes it a lot harder.
This is a great video! Loved hearing your thoughts on these preferences!
Here are mine:
Third person, i always feel more connected to characters in third person.
Paperbacks of any kind, ebooks, harcovers, audiobooks (i can't stay focused on audiobooks, always end up thinking of other things)
Character focus, but the plot is still really important to me.
Don't really care about the prose, but not a fan of really pretentious overly written books.
Introspection is fine as long as the character don't go around and around with the same thoughts again and again.
Love descriptions, but use them with moderation.
I don't mind a well made romance, but they're in no way necessery.
Standalones or short series.
Multiple povs is always fun! but I don'r really have a preference.
Strong start or middle. when I read a book where only the ending is good I feel like i've wasted my time. Whereas if the whole book is good but the ending is disapointing I still feel like the book was worth it.
1. paperback (super floppy ones!)
2. hardcover
3. mass market paperbacks
4. audiobook
5. e-book
Part 1 of my answers:
1. I choose Third person for the fact that an omniscient narrator can suddenly become a First Person narrator for ANY of the characters in the story. It may be in 3rd person grammatically, but these narrators can explain what's happening in a scene by suddenly "becoming" the main character's thoughts (or any other character's). It's something that happens A LOT in stories and most people don't realize it. A 3rd person omniscient narrator can change from a 3rd person "knows-everything" point of view, to suddenly be the protagonist's (restricted) view by showing what the situation makes them think and realize. It happens a lot in Harry Potter, sometimes the narrator is omniscient when describing a scene or background, but then it switches to Harry's POV without actually changing to 1st Person grammatically. The 3rd person narrator leaves much more freedom and possibilities for narrating a story, it can change from omniscient to restricted very naturally so as to keep things consistent and not revealing too much to the reader. If you choose 1st person, then there's immediately absolute restriction to the story's POV, and the chances of the POV changing to another character's (without the protagonist being there) are very slim.
2. I can't "hear" a book with audio, I just can't. When I read a book, I imagine the narrator's and characters' voices in the way I would like them to sound. Suddenly hearing what's supposed to be a little girl character with the voice of a 50 year old man completely breaks the immersion for me. Voice narrators also put their own tones during narration when it comes to giving an atmosphere for a scene, whether is suspenseful or dramatic, but voice-acting and narrating is kinda like art: It's subjective. What the narrator thinks sounds "suspenseful" to them, may actually come out as goofy or exaggerated to me. It ruins the mood. Now in the case of Hardback or Paperback I don't really care. Of course if a had both options I would most likely choose Paperback for being cheaper, but when Hardback is the only option available in the store then I would buy it either way. Both paper and hard covers are on the same pedestal for me. About e-books... I enjoy them just fine, they really are like reading a regular book, but the fact that they are basically a bunch of codes, it means that when the technology dies, so does the book, and it can never return. If I really like a book or series, I want to have them in physical form, a form that will last a very long time. And even if it deteriorates, the text would still be legible. That's impossible with e-books: If the electronic device dies, so do its e-books.
3. I can't get into any sort of story unless the characters are interesting. It's my personal preference, I need to care for the characters (especially the protagonist) if you want to get me invested in a story. If a story has an interesting plot, but the characters are annoying and/or bland, then there's no way I'll get into it.
4. I don't get what's the problem with prose. Prose is the most used form of literature nowadays, and it gives a more natural feel to a story. I can't read a story when it's written like a poem with a metrical structure, that's distracting and VERY HARD to understand what it's trying to say. So many classics from centuries ago are written in metrical structures, and I can't stand them, it feels unnatural. Stories written like poems feel like they're trying too hard to look sophisticated, instead of actually telling a good story. There's nothing wrong with prose, what's important is to know how to write it well. If you think prose is the reason some authors write very badly then you have to stop blaming their decisions on one single medium. There's good prose and there's bad prose, that's it.
5. Same as Merphy here. It depends. A character can be too introspective, and others can be not introspective enough. The author has to use what's necessary for what they're trying to achieve.
The cadence thing gets me too!!!! I can’t focus on anything else but that. Everyone I have voiced my grievances to thinks I am just being judgmental so I’m glad I’m not the only one
Oh my word, you've perfectly described my problems with prose and audiobooks!
I am currently writing a book with multiple first person POV and I love it! It's so different and complicated, and I get to choose how the prose is different from one another by what the character would think or would be interested in. Some are more introspective, some are more artistic so they look at their environment more, some are pragmatic so don't have a lot of internal dialogue, etc. I've only read one book that had that and I loved it, so I wanted to try.
One of the things I've found that I love is when an author releases multiple stories set in the same universe MCU-style. It makes the world seem so massive and it's so satisfying when the penny drops.
I’m surprised you like ebooks the least, because they’re my absolute favorite! I love being able to keep everything in one place, change the size of the font, look up words real time, search for certain words or names in the text, having my highlights saved to a document, and seeing how much reading time is left in a chapter! Plus it’s so easy to hold, no pages trying to close the whole time, no holding it open, you can just prop it up on something and read handsfree. I’ll buy copies of my favorite books to have on display, but I’m a kindle paper white girl forever!
1. 3rd person
2. e-reader, paperback, mass-market paperbacks, hardback, audio
3.character focused (I need good character dynamics and dialogue)
4. I don't really care about pros as long as it doesn't sound like a twelve-year-old wrote it (because yes I have read published books like that)
5. I deal the same way about introspective characters
6. I love both so much and I want both
7. I don't love lots of descriptions, I can't deal with descriptions that go on for several paragraphs, for me, the best description are subtle ones through character actions and dialogue.
8. Series obviously, but I like stand-alones too
9. Strong start but I'm not actually sure about this one
I got an ad for a novel in Murphy's video 😂
First time seeing amazon on youtube's ads 😂
This was such a fun video to watch and participate with the questions as well! Since we know more about your preferences, we can recommend books that fit your style more! Hehe! -^~^-
Q1) Third is my favorite! It's much easier to read in my opinion.
Q2) So far, my favorite is ebook, hardback, paperback and then audio! Since I read mostly before bed and don't want to turn on any lights to wake anyone up, I read on a screen instead.
Q3) I used to be a plot person but now I switched since I met some characters I have really enjoyed!
Q4) I don't care about prose-- hehe but I do really enjoy "flowery/fluffy" style of writing
Q5) The characters could be introspective but I just hope they don't keep thinking the same things over and over throughout the whole book. Character development is important~
Q6) Platonic relationships all the way!!!!!!
Q7) I do love lots of description because I can visualize the book in my head and it'll help me continue the story..
Q8) Series! If I love the plot and the characters! But standalones are good for those in-between series books.
Q9) Multiple POV all the waY!! Show me different perspectives and morals!
Q10) Strong finish! Then, strong middle, and strong start.
Always lovely to listen to your opinions! I Here are my answers, I think we have pretty similar preferences lol
1. I, too, like 3rd person limited better than other perspectives, but I think I enjoy 1st person a lot more than most people. Everyone I know hates it, I don't mind it at all. I'm not a fan of books written in 1st person where the perspective keeps shifting between characters, thought.
2. Agree that paperbacks are the absolute best, they're SO comfortable to handle. Then mass market paperbacks, yes. Since I got an e-reader I've been discovering how nice ebooks are so that's my number 3, number 4 is hardcover and I'm really not into audiobooks.
3. Character-focused all the way! I love a good plot but it's not absolutely necessary like good characters and character arcs are for me.
4. Prose is SO IMPORTANT. I can endure a book with a boring or mediocre prose but it'll never become a favourite. Every once in a while you find an author with a prose so beautiful, with metaphors that are so genuinely well-thought out, sentences that have been worked to exhaustion, and it's just. Delicious. Not a fan of flowery prose either, but when it's both economical and smart, I think it's best. I think Onetti and Cortázar are great examples, I could just read and reread their words and find new ways in which they are wonderful and a delight in and of themselves, disregarding story or characters.
5. I like them really introspective, to be honest. I know a lot of people find that annoying, yeah hahah but I like it when there's a loooot of internal dialogue.
6. I like platonic relationships best, too! I think I like it better if I can imagine the romance between two characters that are written as platonic, also. But I like reading about friendships and about families better than romances. Some romantic relationships are beautiful, though!
7. I'm not really a big fan of description. I don't mind it, necessarily, but I get tired if a book is too descriptive. I do need /some/ description and ambience, and if it's well done I enjoy that, but it's not a must for me.
8. I share your exact opinion on this one lmao
9. Whoops i sorta accidentally answered this back in the first question. I don't really like multiple pov, I find it distracting and I have very rarely seen it well done.
10. Mmmm I think a strong ending is the most important, yes, I agree. But a strong middle is more important to me than a strong start, because I usually push through everything, I don't mind it so much if the start is slow lol.
This was fun!
1. I don’t have a preference for either POV
2. I don’t have a preference either so long as it’s physical (so hardback and paperback - floppy ones are the best), then mass market, then ebook, then audiobook (the hardest for me to get through for multiple reasons)
3. I’d like both character and plot, but if I had to choose I’d say character because if good characters/development is missing I just can’t connect with or be interested in the book
4. I think I care about prose? I’m not well versed in the identifier but I can definitely tell when somethings weirdly or poorly written for my taste and I can’t get through those books
5. I like my characters to be focused on their world instead of wallowing in their own thoughts (and often self pity). I like it when there’s character depth and internal struggles and all that, but if they’re not keeping their eyes on the road then they tend to annoy me haha.
6. I highly prefer platonic relationships when they’re very developed and done well! Like when there’s a friendly or sibling or familial bond that’s so deep and nearly unbreakable, that gets me. However, a lot of books I read don’t delve into these relationships as much as they could be, so I tend to prefer the romantic relationships (the ones developed well). But if I had the choice between two characters forming a deep friendship over a romantic relationship, I’d choose the friendship (even though I do enjoy a good side romance plot).
7. I like good, unique description and knowing where I am in the world or room and how it looks and how we and the characters are feeling, but it can go over the top at times and there’s just some things that DON’T need paragraphs of descriptions, like clothes lol
8. I prefer series for fantasy/sci-fi/adventure, but standalone for contemporary (which I don’t read much). There are some worlds that could definitely remain as standalones but overall I enjoy series, thought not always ones that drag over like 6 books though haha
9. I prefer single POV for some stories though others require multiple, so I guess I like both! I’d just say they both have cons: single POV: we can’t know everything that’s going with other possibly vital characters or parts of the world that we may need or want; multiple POV: sometimes authors write in too many POVs that I can’t keep track, and more often than not there’s always one or two of the POVs that I can’t stand or just don’t care to read, which really sour those characters and events for me
10. Oof this question. I guess if there’s a strong start but weak middle and end I’d feel as if I wasted my time (a weak start could make me not pick up a book at all, though the beginnings of books I have more “mercy” with ig and don’t mind if they’re not the best); a weak middle would make the story drag, and a weak ending would again feel like a waste of time. I guess I’d prefer a strong ending, because then maybe I’ll have an overall good opinion of the book and may continue on with the next one if it’s a series. Though I have to stay a strong middle is right behind it lol
This is a really enjoyable video, thank you. Hope you're ready for lots of words (sorry!)
If i have a choice, I prefer first person limited, as, personally, I prefer the way it creates unique forms of world building. Instead of just an overarching narrator telling you about the world or its lore/universe, you get to experience the character discovering it themselves. I especially love multi-POV first person limited, as it can explore how person experience/station/culture can effect ones worldview in really intriguing ways. This obviously means I prefer character over plot, though "both" is good.
As for format preference:
1. Paperback - Floppiness is the best
2. Ebook - These hard times have made me appreciate how easy ebooks make the acquisition of books. No waiting for it to get delivered, no heading into the fray, just pop in to your online bookstore of choice and/or digital library, pick a book, wait for it to download, then start reading
3. Hardcover - They just feel so big. Also, they never look right with the rest of my collection (I realize this is self-fulfilling prophecy, as if I keep getting paperbacks, of course the hardcovers are going to look weird with them)
4. Mass Market - i got the big hands, so reading a tiny book can become cumbersome. This is especially problematic with the thicc bois, as the dimensions just make it so annoying.
5. Audiobook - With my anxiety, my mind is always thinking about a million things at once, so unless I'm physically taking part in the act of staring at the words, it can be difficult to focus on the narrative question.
My answers: 1. I do not care as long as it is well narrated, 2. Paperback, 3. It depends on the story there are some that I care more for the characters and others for the plot, 4. No, 5. I do not know, 6. I like strong friendships and cute romances, 7. No, I get bored sometimes, 8. Series, 9. Single Pov, 10. Strong start so I can be more interested in the book
Describe rooms and settings well and I am hooked. Wardrobes are so often overshadowed by a character's personality that I never remember what someone wears unless there was a movie adaptation.
0:48 third person limited.
3:33 I prefer floppy paperbacks also. Sleeves and sturdy books that I have to keep open with full bicep strength are my pet peeve.
7:28 Character focused all the way, but I do need some kind of 'direction' for the story.
9:22 Not too poetic and flowery, but I do appreciate a well-written metaphor or analogy.
13:24 Minimal introspection.
14:59 Platonic, but I can appreciate a romance that is written as part of the plot and not a distraction from it.
16:15 I really like description that does multiple things: "Her red blouse caught on one of the branches of the dense forest. She yanked herself free and sprinted through a bush, leaving one of her black loafers -- passed on from her grandma -- to be swallowed by quicksand."
That may have been a really bad example, but it basically combines setting description with clothes description and sentiment in a few short sentences without halting the action. I don't like it when an author stops to describe every single element separately, especially if most of the details described aren't even relevant to the scene.
18:28 Series for fantasy and sci-fi, otherwise stand-alones.
19:38 Multiple POV
20:16 I think a strong middle is most important for me because this is usually where most stories fall flat I think. I remember reading a book (Looking for Alaska) where I got hooked by the middle and the beginning only clicked once I read the end. Seeing is done that way completely changed my preference. I call it the Re-Hook. John Green is very good at it.
You’re the first person I’ve heard talk about patterns in prose and I want to THANK YOU cause it’s so damn annoying especially when it’s very specific over the top words that they keep repeating. Not many people notice it though and I envy them
You always mention Backman when you talk about your favorite prose, which I find interesting because most of his works are translated works. I've always wondered, do you think that perhaps you are more of a fan of the translators' prose, or do you think it's still Backman's prose that shines through all of the translators he's worked with? I'm a professional interpreter/translator, so I know firsthand how things could get lost in translation and wanted to know your opinion on this. With that said, I do know that English and Swedish are more similar to each other than my languages are (English and Korean), so it's likely that more of Backman's prose is preserved in translation compared to English-Korean translations.
I totally love paperback books, I guess it's the way they feel adds to the story
With character vs plot, I love the character based novels. I am writing a fantasy series where it is a mix of both, but leaning more towards character driven story.
I love reading a good series, but it's the stand alone books; the really good ones that do it for me.
Multiple POV's are cool if it's not over done.
Strong finishes are cool after a gradual build up.
Love your vids so much
That thing about structures and prose is so true! It KILLS me!
You've been such a character focused reader the last couple years that I had started to think I'd imagined you saying you were plot driven reader in earlier videos! For me, the plot falls flat if I don't care for the characters so I'd rather have good characters than a very well done plot that's happening to characters I don't care for.
I agree so hard with your thoughts about a narrator's cadence distracting from the story itself, it's the main reason I don't listen to audiobooks unless that's the only available format. I tend to drift off a lot and miss out on important information or the scenes lose their impact.
My preference is probably:
Paperback (thats also the reason why i dont have Rythm of War yet, i am waiting for the american trade paperback, the floppy one :D)
Hardcover
ebook
audiobook
mass market paperback
i HATE mass market paperbacks (except the Stephen King Books from Hodder which apperatly classify as mass market, but i could be wrong)
Merphy: “...books that describe clothing to the nth degree”
_Robert Jordan has entered the chat_
As a french reader I find english reader so lucky!! You have so many choices when it comes to which format you like the most. In french (and probably in other languages ) audiobook are only made when the book is VERY popular (for example I can’t even listen to The night circus or the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo in french). Also we rarely have hardcover, most of the books are paperbacks and it costs the same as a hardcover in english (sometimes more).
I totally get your feelings on stand-alones. It feels so good to finish a stand-alone(and there’s less post-book depression). I also think there’s a definite skill required to contain a thorough story with intricate themes in one book rather than a giant epic.
I agree with you about a lot of these preferences. I attend a book club, so I read some books I would never have picked. We read a VERY descriptive nature memoir, called "Fox & I" by Catherine Raven. She writes very beautifully and intelligently, but I thought the descriptions would never end!
This was a really cool discussion 😃 I like the first person a lot and audiobooks are a terrible reading experience! You're right about the right amount of floppy in a paperback
Definitely third person! I can handle first if it's past tense.
Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook, e-book (but only out of necessity, I prefer tangible books).
I prefer both too! But if I have to choose, both.
I like prose if it is well done. I have noted those books that you like their prose, and I plan to check them out.
Not too introspective.
Platonic relationships are my favorite.
I think it depends on the book. For faster-paced stories, no. But if it's something like world-building for a book that isn't out to read like a movie, I enjoy the descriptions.
Again, depends on the book. I can do either. I know that I tend to lean toward shorter series because the better books tend to be the first few.
I can do either POV, but some writers tend to sound the same for multiple characters, so I lean more toward a single.
A strong start, strong finish, strong middle.
This was so fun! I loved answering the questions as I went along :)
1) Third person I think. I honestly can't remember the last time I read a book in first person... I also do not mind third person omniscient if it is done well
2) Paperback, Ebook and Audio are all on one level for me. I don't prefer one over the other, I appreciate them for the purposes they serve equally and have no difficulty with any. MMP and then Hardcover at the bottom for me. Hardback is so less cozy and intimate. And I love reading in bed and it is sooooo difficult to read a hardback lying down haha.
3) I used to think that I needed them both to be developed equally, but I've recently learned that I have less issues with a book that has more character than plot over a book that has more plot and less character. I get so annoyed reading books that have more plot over characters now. Like ok yes this is happening but how do the characters FEEEEEEEL about it??
4) I need some subtlety in my prose. If you are telling me exactly what to think and feel I will get angry. I also really appreciate thought out prose that makes me think, but not necessarily flowery.
5) I looooove characters that are super introspective. I love nothing more than diving so so so deep into a character that I feel like I know them better than they know themselves.
6) I am always a shipper of romance, even if it is platonic in the text... But also I enjoy a really well written friendship. I am not a fan of a lot of the surface level fellowship style friendships that have been popular lately.
7) I hate descriptions of clothes and food, but I love descriptions of scenery and layout and atmosphere. If you put a lot of description in on clothes and food I literally skim over it, not even intentionally.
8) Trilogies are my preference. They are not too long that I get overwhelmed, but no so short that I am begging for more.
9) If it is first person, it has to be single POV. If it is third person, I don't have a preference, although if I spend a lot of time with a character I do not like then I get really annoyed quickly
10) I think my preference is a strong finish as well, but I am very picky about my endings and don't think I get strong finishes often.
OMG PATTERNS BOTHER ME SOOO MUCH! Like on Savior's Champion, I have never read the verb "fiddle" so many times in all my life. And she aaaaalwaaaayyyssss asks for confirmation by repeating the last thing the person said. "I suppose " / "You suppose?" every time.
Now this video is a couple of months old but I am gonna answer it anyway, because I LOVED this interactive format of a video and reading all the comments.
1. 100% agree with Merphy. I definitely prefer 3rd person for the exact same reasons that she mentioned (incl introspection).
2. Hardcover > Audiobook > Paperback > Mass market > Ebook
3. Character focused all the way! If I don’t connect to the character, I won’t be invested in the story. If I really love the character, I just wanna hang out with them regardless of the plot.
4. The prose most oftenly won’t make or break a book for me. It can certainly elevate a story, but it rarely bothers me so much that I might dnf. If that makes sense.
5. I like a bit of introspection because I feel that it helps me connect to the person more and understand them better. But I also can’t stand it when half the book takes place in someones head. It also depends heavily on how it’s done so there are of course exceptions to this.
6. Plutonic relationships, for sure! And I am very picky about how new relationships start and how they develop. If it doesn’t feel natural, I struggle with it. Like two people meet and immediately develop a I-will-die-for-you type of relationship, I don’t buy it.
7. I NEED descriptions. I need to be able to visualize the story in my head. It doesn’t have to be super detailed but I want to be able to picture it.
8. I almost exclusively read series. If I find a world and characters that I like, I want to stay with them for more than one book. It’s the same reason why I prefer tv-series over movies. I am a dedicated, loyal person. Just let me love you for more than once book!
9. I don’t mind either way but I have a small inclination towards multiple POVs.
10. Finish > Start > Middle as well. If a great book had a sloppy ending, it will ruin the book. If a “meh” book has a strong ending, it will make the book.
My preferences -
I tend to swing to the 3rd person point point of view, but occasionally 1st person has its place.
Hard cover, Audio Book, Paperback, E-Book, then Mass Market Paperback. I personally can't stand the idea of breaking the spine on books, but I also hate the stiffness of the Mass Market Paperbacks.
I am a sucker for character development, but having said that, I really would like for it to include a strong plot as well.
I agree on your stance concerning prose in the manner that over indulgent prose is unnecessary and even detracts from the book. A nice mix between simplicity and complexity is preferred.
In terms of introspection, characters need to be self aware of their actions and feelings, but staying too long in their own minds can become too much.
Platonic relationships can be so much greater than romantic relationships in my opinion. I have seen certain friendships that have made me feel more emotions than any romantic subplot I've read and I love that.
I personally prefer a lot of description. I don't mind info dumps in this sense, simply because I love being able to picture what the author was going for perfectly.
I can agree with liking standalone books, but I love the idea of staying within a world and learning everything about it.
Singular and Multiple POV's hold equal preference for me. I do slightly lean to multiple POV's as seeing the world through the lens of different characters can be really insightful for trying to understand it better.
Strong Finish, Strong Start, Strong Middle.
I loved this video idea and your discussion! This is the only time I've ever actually participated and put my answers in the comments.
1. I prefer third person (although I used to prefer first person).
2. Hardcover; Paperback; Audiobook; Ebook; mass market paperback
3. Character-focused
4. Prose is extremely important to me. I used to hardly notice it, but now prose is almost as important as character work for my reading experience. My preferences are fairly similar to yours.
5. It tends to depend on genre. For literary fiction, I love me some introspection. For fantasy and romance, it's not as important to me/I prefer a bit less.
6. Typically, I connect more to romantic relationships, although there are some notable exceptions (parent/child and mentor relationships, especially).
7. For fantasy, I love world-building. But I tend to dislike descriptions of scenery, architecture, and atmosphere. I get bored and have to reread multiple times for it to come to life in my head, whereas if it's not described, I'll just fill it in myself.
8. Standalones, for sure.
9. I don't really have a preference.
10. Strong middle, strong finish, strong start. If a book drags in the middle, it sours my entire reading experience.
It's the weirdest thing, listening to these videos makes me want to pause the video and go read... Don't misunderstand, I love these videos! But the way Merphy talks makes me remember what I used to love about reading in the first place back when I always had a book in my hand (and mind). I really miss that.
I agree with your husband on reading series...and i do get pretty sad when one i really like finally ends. Its fun following good characters through their development and adventures.
1. So my first thought was to say first person and this is because of PJO and Hoo, where I enjoyed Percy's first person perspective more than the third person in Hoo. But as I read more books became more comfortable with third person which seems to be more widely used. Basically I'm not sure if I like being in the main character's head or just Percy's head😅.
2. Favourite format. Hardback, audiobooks, paperback, ebooks, mass market paperback
3.Character focused vs plot. Depends on my mood but most often character based. I enjoy a good plot with twists and turns every once in awhile though. Once the characters are good (for me) then the plot can be meh and I won't mind. I'd also remember a book more based on the characters and not the plot.
4. I don't have a specific preference for prose. I'll notice if it's repetitive or overly descriptive put it doesn't always take me out of a story
5. I like introspection. But when it gets to the point where the character just gets down right depressing for like the rest of the series, I just can't. This is mostly in YA.(red Queen specifically 🙃)
6. I'm a sucker for romance😅. I do enjoy really good platonic relationships though where we know the characters care deeply for each other but you don't feel like it needs to get physical of that makes sense.
7. When there are paragraphs of descriptions of a location that's not fantasy based (familiar to me), I'd sometimes skip over it, but in terms of worldbuilding I'm okay with it
8. Seriesss all the way, once it doesn't feel unnecessarily dragged on. Especially when I love the characters I don't want it to end.
9. No preference
10. Strong finish first, cause that's what will stick with me, strong middle next cause that's what would keep me reading, and strong start, I'm willing to give books time to get going.
Here are my answers:
- I can enjoy either 1st or 3rd person, depending on the story.
- Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
- Character-focused; I enjoy both, but plot-focused books can sometimes feel too formulaic for my taste.
- I preferred balanced prose too.
- I prefer introspective characters, but not so much that the introspection slows down the plot for too long.
- I prefer romantic relationships over platonic relationships.
- I like description, but I want it to be incorporated well into the book, not just given to us in an info dump.
- While I love both stand alones and series, I think I’m like you in that I constantly want to read the next book, and series can slow me down on experiencing new stories and book worlds.
- I think I prefer multiple POVs.
- A strong start and then a strong middle, to draw me into the book and make me want to keep reading
I'm still learning what a lot of my preferences are for these things. I just got back into reading as an adult about a year ago, so it's a trial and error process. So far ive found that my taste in genres has changed alot. Hardly any contemporary, a lot of fantasy now. I enjoy series over standalones, and I need a lot of description because I dont see pictures in my head. There is a wprd for that but I cant remember it. Anyway, because of that the more description the easier it is for a book to come to life for me.
My answers are very similar to yours. Re description peppering the odd detail is enough for me (Brandon does this really well), but what is really important to me is to be able to map in my head the surroundings -e.g. if the characters are in a room, i need to know where the doors , windows, furniture is, and if the author doesn't tell me i will make it up. also location on map. If something is inconsistent or only mentioned later and doesn't match what i've visualised for myself it drives me nuts! When I was a kid if we went away anywhere i always wanted to know where we were on a map, that's a similar thing.
You didn't mention tense - I prefer past tense to present tense.
1) I prefer third person, specially books with multiple POVs.
2) Here in Brazil paperbacks and hardbacks aren't really that common, our books are usually in between, with the paper quality of hardbacks but soft covers (90% of the time with those tabs that fold inward, I don't remember what they are called in English). That being said my preference goes like this: ebooks, normal brazilian books, hardcovers, audio books
3) Both are essential, but I guess good characters are the best thing in books
4) I love beautiful prose. Not over the top or too flowery, just beautiful prose. What "beautiful" means is very personal of course, but I tent to dislike "simple" prose. For example I remember being annoyed at how basic the prose in Mistborn was. On the other hand I absolutely love Robin Hobb's writing style.
5) I have never thought about this... I guess I do like introspection.
6) I enjoy both as long as romance starts out as platonic. I really enjoy seeing a couple start out as best friends and slowly fall in love rather than love or even attraction at first sight.
7) I do like descriptions, specially in fantasy books where the environment, objects and clothing can look so different from what we have in the real world.
8) I love when series are 3 to 5 books long.
9) Multiple POVs
10) Definitely a strong finish!
I’m early glad I subed
I'd love an entire video about prose!
1- Third person
2- Paperback all the way!!! (Then audiobooks, ebooks, mass market and hardcovers)
3- Character over plot any day !
4- No idea, but I’m not a fan of a lot of description and flowery style
5- Love introspection, the deeper the better (but with a balance within the story)
6- I run from romantic relationships in general but in fantasy it’s usually a hard no for me. Great amazing friendships and sibling relationships >>> Found family trope is my favorite trope so...
7- Not a fan of a ton a description but at the same time I love a deep and intricate magic system and atmospheric story
8- Fantasy = series
9- I don’t have a preference either, but I really appreciate a well done multiple POV fantasy book
10- Idk... I need to connect with the main character since the start to enjoy a book so I need a strong start but if the middle and ending are bad the experience ends up feeling flat.
1. Probably 3rd person omniscient. I like knowing things from one character that another doesn’t know as they are trying to figure it out.
2. Ebook to read...can’t remember the last physical book I read. The e-ink on my paperwhite is perfect and I just love how I can take it anywhere with me and have tons of books with me. I definitely like the feature of being able to switch between my kindle, phone and iPad if I buy the book from Amazon because I some times forget the kindle. Close 2nd is Audio book. I have a long commute twice a day plus driving kids to activities. Audio books keep me awake behind the wheel and make the driving not so bad.
3. I’m leaning towards Characters because I just love when I finish a book and miss the characters, like when I feel like I knew them. The Dragons of Pern - Harper halls books were like this for me. I loved Masterharper Robinton and Menolly so much and was so sad when they were no longer in the books.
4. Don’t care about Prose...and super flowery Prose bugs me too. Strange the Dreamer was so interesting and mysterious to me that I didn’t mind and didn’t really notice it being Flowery, but Shatter Me....O.M.G.!! It was awful!
5. Introspective Characters...hmm...not too much please. I recently read Midnight Sun and I came away with “Edward thinks too much”. Feeling that way about Kaladin a bit in ROW....
6. Platonic, but a little romance or flirting isn’t bad. I just really don’t need sex scenes every other page...
7. A lot of descriptions...no. Give me the general idea and move on. I struggled with LOTR because of this...I prefer dialogue and ended up skimming much of the descriptions in my first read through to the point where when I saw the movies I thought they made a bunch of it up...then I read more carefully after seeing the movies and, I missed a lot but ugh...so much descriptions! Give me dialogue and action please! To the point when I had choices of books in H.S. AP English I chose a lot of plays.
8. Series vs. stand-alone - both...if it is a good series, please continue it! Dragons of Pern is many books and they are great! I read a series called The Gender Games that went on about 3 books too far. BUT I love a great Michael Crichton stand-alone!
9. Multiple POV please! I like getting in everyone’s heads!
10. This is tough because I need a strong start to keep me reading and hook me in, BUT I do not enjoy a disappointing ending either. Divergent! AWESOME, Insurgent...Great! Allegiant? Are you kidding me??? 3rd book of the Maze Runner series was disappointing too.
Try the “Open Dyslexia” font on your kindle! I am dyslexic and it’s now my favourite way to read anything!!
Side note: I'm new to this channel and already LOVE your videos!
For me, I tend to prefer either first person with multiple POVs or any form of third person. For my own personal writing though, I prefer to have third person omniscient, more specifically set up similarly to first-person multiple pov. I'm weird and have always had issues with losing bookmarks (ADHD my dudes) so because of that I highly enjoy hardbacks because they come with their own built-in bookmarks haha. I'd say my least favorite is probably audiobooks but I don't avoid them. I definitely seem to enjoy character-driven books (when both aren't available) because I like being able to connect deeply with a character, rather than just viewing a 2D or even 3D character that I have no connection to. I enjoy good prose, but not over the top, and that's something I'm trying to achieve personally in my own writing. I haven't really thought about introspective characters, so I don't think I have much of a preference. I have a problem with loving romantic relationships from fantasy novels, but I actually really enjoy complex family relationships more. I love loads of description, both in my own writing and reading! SERIES all the way. SERIES. I tend to enjoy multiple POV books more than a single pov! I absolutely NEED a strong finish, or else I tend to be annoyed.
Legacy Episode 1 The Search for Love by Robert Maxxim
Omg the meme at the end!!!!! I'M DYING!!!
1. Generally, I don’t really mind either first or third perspective (haven’t read any books in second to have an opinion on) the one thing that I *cannot* stand is when a book is in first person but is multiple POV. It requires such a skilled author to be able to pull this off because you need those voices to be incredibly distinct. The weirdest thing is I often see it in debut novels and I think it’s such a mistake. Other than that I may lean a little more towards third but not by a lot.
2. Generally I don’t like reading e-books because I get easily distracted. The most optimal way I read books is reading the book and listening to the audiobook at the same time. Being able to hear it while also reading along just helps me understand everything that’s going in the book, I absorb the most information that way. I do prefer audiobooks to just reading the book because I’m more of an auditory learner. I don’t really have a preference for hardcover over soft cover.
3. Character. Character. Character. You could have the most interesting plot in the world but if your characters don’t have interesting interactions then you’ve lost me. If you give me a functioning plot but interesting characters, then I’m down for whatever.
4. It’s hard to describe my relationship with prose. I feel like there are authors who focus on their prose but not much substance to their books. However, I think I’m not a very good person to judge prose. Like I feel like George R R Martin and Brandon Sanderson have similar prose. People seem to disagree but I couldn’t tell you why I feel that way or give specific examples.
5. Hmmmm…I’m not really sure. I find that a lot of characters don’t think enough about their actions. While this an example of a movie, I think it illustrates my point really well: In Wonder Woman 1984, her World War I boyfriend Steve Trevor is transported into the body of another man. The characters never for one second to stop and think about where this guy’s consciousness is. Did Steve kill him? Is this guy aware of what’s going on? And don’t even think about the moral implications of kissing Steve Trevor in a body that is not his own, sleeping/possibly having sex, putting this man’s life in danger by going on a mission to stop the antagonist, and also committing crimes with this man’s body (in the movie everyone (including Wonder Woman?? Maybe???) see Steve as the random guy.) And I find that many times the characters don’t think about the consequences of their actions and the authors don’t really care to bring them up.
6. I think usually I’m more of a romantic relationship person. Though, I’m currently on a quest of finding the best Beauty and the Beast adaptation so that may be why. But…it’s not realistic but I like it when all the characters are the end are paired off. As long as the relationships work…I give it a pass. It melts my heart.
7. See my answer for prose, really.
8. Hmmmm, I prefer fantasy more and I usually find stand alone fantasies to be less satisfying. Plus I love a good end of book cliffhanger.
9. Whatever fits the book, to be honest.
10. This is a hard one because if a book doesn’t have a strong beginning then I probably won’t read it. If a book doesn’t have a strong middle then I’ll probably DNF it. If a book doesn’t have a strong ending then I’ll be endlessly bitter. I guess I’ll go with has a strong ending because I really cannot stand terrible endings.