My Bookish Preferences

[@jsole2695]

The fact that Merphy’s instant reaction to getting a text at 12:03 was “SIR!” honestly made my day 😂

[@kathleenbrashier2579]

I laughed at that. :D

[@irine_elle]

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.

[@Wft-bu5zc]

And I love description but hate classics haha

[@killer92173]

And I love all of the above. Lol

[@Earth2Stephen]

Merphy is the type of reader that writers love to write for. Her enthusiasm is amazingly encouraging.

[@christinekaye6393]

100% correct! I would LOVE her feedback on my novel.

[@bellevoor]

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

[@michelledaly9089]

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.

[@Mecharnie_Dobbs]

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."

[@SlowBurnReader]

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

[@generalgoose8552]

Then there would be 2 problems: you don't like the character and it feels like it's a long slog

[@Nasser851000]

My Bookish preference is to read when there's no one in the house ;)

[@SrikarAditya]

^

[@Starrypaws64]

😯😯😯

[@izstrella]

Oof, felt that on a broke-student-still-living-at-home level.

[@hmms5256]

This is my cleaning preference too

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

I relate to this so much lol because my family bothers me the most when I'm reading

[@lostschedule51]

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.

[@Ibrahim-co3jc]

1. Paperback 2. Audiobooks 3. E-readers 4. Mass Market 5. Hardcover

[@rudicci]

Same, just switching 3 and 4

[@jjgavilano]

Mine would be: 1) Paperback 2) E-reader 3)Mass Market 4) Audiobook 5) Hardcover 6) THREE BOOKS IN ONE HARDCOVER GIANTS

[@lyndseymurray8065]

I agree! (That’s my preference order too)

[@pippaschroeder9660]

1. Paperback 2. Hardcover 3. Mass market 4. Audio books 5. E-readers

[@Wft-bu5zc]

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).

[@styriadevil4254]

"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😅😂

[@billyalarie929]

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.

[@gurjindersingh3843]

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.

[@victorial8071]

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.

[@curranfrank2854]

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.

[@wednesdaygreenleaf9578]

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 😂

[@elenichamou1791]

Well, I'm the in between😅 I don't write in them or break the spines, but my books definitely look read.

[@luuuuux_]

@@elenichamou1791 same

[@alexandravladmets8206]

You forgot the coffee and tea stains :)

[@curiousdoodler5509]

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 😬

[@knightonart8886]

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.

[@UdyKumra]

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.

[@darkwitnesslxx]

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.

[@skijumpnose]

My favorite format is also paperback and then audio book, Getting addicted to them lately.

[@SrikarAditya]

Can relate

[@maem7462]

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

[@thomasray]

Audiobooks are a coin flip for me. I HATE when the narrator is an old person

[@beanie0026]

Same. been doing the audio books since middle on 2020. I just sit or walk around at work and listen to a book.

[@anasemnicki6510]

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.

[@SrikarAditya]

Literally the same thing for me

[@cejaker]

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.

[@august1837]

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!

[@Super00Specs]

"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.

[@ScientistsReadingWorld]

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

[@Theodore45921]

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.

[@benjaminwatt2436]

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)

[@100lovenana]

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.

[@analyzationm]

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😁

[@Super00Specs]

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.

[@RedWizardFox]

I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH 3. 6. AND 8.

[@RedWizardFox]

@@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.

[@theoutsider8226]

my fav shows are ATLA and Sherlock too!!

[@ymcaowen3904]

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.

[@crelgen1588]

1. Floppy paperback 2. Hardcover 3. Ebook 4. Audiobook 5. Regular paperback Character over Plot

[@bellevoor]

"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

[@alam5055]

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.

[@darkwitnesslxx]

It was never praised for its prose, except for what it added to worldbuilding.

[@netherveilgames996]

Lord of the Rings is the least of this, though. Plenty of modern authors still do this, and much worse.

[@netherveilgames996]

@@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.

[@AlexAppleby]

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.

[@AntoineBandele]

* 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.

[@microdavid7098]

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

[@robertblume2951]

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.

[@microdavid7098]

@@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.

[@robertblume2951]

@@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.

[@microdavid7098]

@@robertblume2951 *hot take* Some Shakespeare. And dune.

[@mireilleoppenheimer6662]

1. paperback (super floppy ones!) 2. hardcover 3. mass market paperbacks 4. audiobook 5. e-book

[@arawalnut2715]

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

[@taylor_green_9]

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

[@mandymckk]

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!

[@DavidArcuri]

Format: 1. e-Reader. So convenient. 2. Trade Paperback. "Floppy" but still big and easy to read. 3. Hardcover. Still can prop it up in my lap and read but less maneuverable. 4. Mass market paperback. Try to avoid at all costs. Too small. 5. Audiobook. I can't listen to a book. I have to read it in my head voice, or it just won't stick.

[@bitsofpaper6100]

3:33 i like paperback too! but in some books, the hardcover edition's cover looks adorable ♥️

[@pedroalves7290]

I'm sure Merphy would love an audiobook with a Parshendi narrator considering they change their rhythms so much.

[@trinity3272]

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

[@benjaminwatt2436]

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

[@zuzannaskaecka1582]

Great video idea, Merphy :))

[@cassecorrea]

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

[@RedWizardFox]

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..

[@heather9130]

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!

[@guilhermefigueiredo3936]

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

[@WhitneyOpfar]

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

[@laurenmarie8310]

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...

[@taylor_green_9]

I like a good amount of description, probably more than most readers. I like to be able to paint an accurate picture inside my head. Tastes, colours, sounds, smells, textures, I want all of it

[@Katelynwouldratherbereading]

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.

[@evanduckworth9681]

I agree with setting description being important. I want a unique experience each scene. I don’t want to picture each house, city, landscape, etc. the same. Example: I love the Wheel of Time but every inn I go to I picture exactly the same.

[@aliss1468]

- 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

[@Brendanstop]

This is a great tag! I think I may do it on my channel soon. And I agree- the floppier the better 😂

[@ana_goncalves]

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.

[@lisandraguiar]

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.

[@WhatRyansReading]

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.

[@michellesmirnova4471]

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.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

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!

[@N.Traveler]

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.

[@Siriwarbreakerskz]

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.

[@ivysudweeks1550]

These questions are so fun!! *My preference is third-person. First person does a lot of filtering and handholding. I'm told how things smell and how I should feel about it, and I'd rather just not. * Audiobook = paperback/mass market> hardcover > ebook. Both paperback and Audiobook have their functions. Most long books, I like to listen to, as I'm not able to dedicate much time to sitting, so I'd lose track of the flow of long books without listening. Shorter books, I'd rather read because Annotation is So. Fun. Now, if they could create an annotation feature in audiobooks, we'd be golden * Character > Plot, but if I don't care about the Character's plot (aka: their navel gazing/internal struggles/whatever is replacing the plot) the book will still fail. *I prefer intentional writing-- kind of like you said. Pick the words you use on purpose. Neil Gaiman is a perfect example of writing intentionally, and though no one would describe his writing as flowery, he's writing on purpose * Is it picky to say that I judge the content of Navel gazing? Kaladin can go on for days if he wants, because he's actually struggling with things. But I'd prefer not to read the internal struggles of a mind in the throes of a love triangle. * For me, platonic are preferred, but Romantic are more obsessed over heh. I think platonic relationships take much more effort and skill to write. Someone once said: It's easy to write sad, but it's hard to write happy, and I think that applies here. Romantic relationships come pre-packaged with more drama options, but a good and steady bromance can carry a whole novel. * In a fantasy/not this world: description is better, to help you enter the world. In everyday/contemporary, please don't describe the carpet. I count my speed reading as a flaw--I depend more on my imagination to fill the space and hardly read the description, so I miss a lot of ambiance. * COMPLETED. SERIES. * 1-3 POVs, but please keep it to main characters, rather than characters we don't care about. * Strong Ending. If I've made it that far, I'd like it to be worth it!

[@MissUnicornAngel]

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.

[@Simmi_]

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.

[@joycejarrard6958]

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!

[@justinepelletier2720]

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).

[@Joe-944]

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.

[@moosewinchester8552]

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

[@arienrhod1]

1. narration: strong preference for 3rd person (because while "I" don't think like that, I can totally believe "he/she/they" think like that) 2. format: ebook, audio, hardcover, paperbacks 3. focus: ideas, characters, plot ("plot" is what happens; I like "ideas" best: how it's written, what points are made, what's the story's angle, fun subversions, new things explored) 4. prose: elaborate yet minimalistic (uses the least possible number of words in the most interesting way possible to convey the meaning. Short stories excel at this - you have to be efficient when you have a strict word limit) 5. introspection - depends on the kind of introspection; I hate needless rumination about what happened (I wholeheartedly agree about it being tiring), while self-discovery is great 6. relationships, in order: weird platonic dynamics (especially family or found family), power couples (romantic or not), romantic, more "normal" platonic relationships 7. description: NO!!! (Disclaimer here: focusing on tone or conveying the information about how someone or something looks can be done without describing it directly. Don't spoonfeed me, immerse me in the world and the magic system, pretty pretty please. I find descriptions of clothes and interiors especially tedious. And please, for the love of God, no shopping trips!) 8. standalone, especially novellas, followed by series of novellas 9. POV: multiple POV in long books, single POV in shorter standalones or novellas 10. strong middle - I'm there for the ride

[@ransombaggins9301]

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. 😃

[@lectershunt]

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.

[@chiaral7226]

Uhh, this sounds fun, let's do this! 1) Don't really have a preference, I guess...never really thought about it 2) Paperback, E book, Hardback, Mass, Audio 3) Plot focused stories...but it also depends on the genre. If I'm reading e.g. contemporary, I'll focus more on the characters. 4) I don't care about prose unless it's really badly (e.g. too descriptive) or really well written... 5) I have the same preference as you. 6) Platonic relationships. I don't hate romance but often romantic relationships annoy me because there is unnecessary drama or it's an unhealthy relationship. 7) Not at all. I don't care about what a room or a person looks like... 8) Standalones. I'm not always ready to commit to series... 9) Don't have a preference for POV. 10) A strong finish. Ranking: finish, middle and start

[@katethegreat4918]

1. I honestly don’t care which perspective my books are written in. I find them all fun. :) 2. Paperback (they’re all the same to me)>Hardcover>e-book>audiobook (audiobooks can really only enjoyed when you have the right narrator) 3. BOTH, but if I have to choose, plot or with good dialogue. 4. Prose- I don’t want to have to notice it most of the time. If your prose lets me be drawn into the story, it’s good. I like a nice flowery sentence every once in a while. 5. Why would anyone want their character to be in their head? That’s where I belong! I do agree that we can get too into a character’s head, though. I want to get into their head so I can see the world through their eyes when they act in the world. I don’t want to just be in their head for no reason. 6. Platonic ALL THE WAY 7. A nice short description is fine. I’m currently reading The Hunchback of Notredame. Victor Hugo took SEVERAL chapters to describe 15th century Paris and compare it to 19th century Paris. I don’t even know what modern Paris looks like. No thank you. It’s okay, I’m pushing though. 8. Everything! 9. Everything! 10. End, middle, start (If the ending is bad, what’s even the point? It feels like you went through all of the book for nothing. If the start isn’t that great, it’s fine, I can push through and it will get better. If the middle is bad, I might ditch the book.)

[@Daphne1780]

Things i LOVE in books - original and complex carachters - interesting and detailed worldbuilding - when a boy and a girl are just friends - when not everyone is in a relationship, or feels the need to be in one - a gripping, well built plot - when there aren't any cliches and toxic or overused stereotypes in the book

[@allgem9615]

woa i agree!

[@mattjshea]

Merphy: “...books that describe clothing to the nth degree” _Robert Jordan has entered the chat_

[@humminghealers4126]

That thing about structures and prose is so true! It KILLS me!

[@SheMeetsPaper]

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.

[@lottevanderpaelt1684]

I think I like third person a little bit more, just because it gives more possibilities. I like books that are written from the perspectives of different characters. I am currently reading the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer and I really like his writting style and the way he gives the reader information through different characters. My format preferences from fave to least fave: paperback - hardcover - audio - e-reader. I prefer on paper, just because I find that it is harder to concentrate on audiobooks/e-books with my dyslexia , but I don't really mind them either. I prefer a good mix of both plot and character development if possible, but if I had to choose, I would pick character over plot. I always think the characters feel less important and just too flat if there isn't any good character development. I like beautiful written prose, but I don't want it to be too much. One of the most beautiful written books I've ever read is We Were Liars from Emily Lockhart. I loved the way she wrote that book. I also really liked some scenes from My Dark Vanessa, like the one where she tells us how she'd changed during that one class, while the other students stayed the same and how she's a red balloon caught in a tree. I don't really mind introspective characters, but there has to be some kind of plot too. I once DNFed a book because there was just no plot at all beside the characters' thoughts and feelings. I like romantic relationships, but I want to there to be something more about the plot than just the romance. I really enjoy a good, realistic friendship. Like, they would do anything for each other, but they still have arguments or even fights sometimes too (like Harry, Ron and Hermione). I love when descriptions make you feel like you know exactly what the setting looks like, so you can close your eyes and picture it in your head. Basically, I like enough description, but not too much. I don't really have a preference about series or standalones. Sometimes I feel like starting a series and sometimes I want a good standalone to just escape from the same setting. Like I said, I really like a story where you see multiple POV's, but I don't mind single POV either. I feel like a good ending can still save the book. Sometimes I don't really like the book, but the end is so great that it gets an extra star just because of that.

[@lambbees104]

1. 1st or 3rd, preferably 3rd 2. Paperback, hardcover, ebook or audiobook, mass market paperback 3. Plot! Though hopefully with strong characters too 4. Medium-high prose. I like flowery 5. Introspective characters to a degree 6. Both!!!! 7. World building and rules, atmosphere and feelings... I like description for these things... could care less about clothes 8. Stand alones 9. Multiple POV’s!!!! 10. Start and finish equally then middle

[@sineadjenks5325]

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. ❤️

[@JennaGetsCreative]

Perspective: Third person Format: trade paperback for the win! (the ones that are hardback size) 1. Trade Paperback 2. Hardback 3. ebook & audiobook 4. mass market paperback Plot: Plot-based, but I do still need to like the characters Prose: I like a little prosey-prose but you're going to lose me if it takes over and buries the plot. Introspective: I love a self-aware character! Relationships: Honest, sensibly paced. Romantic or not doesn't matter so much. Description: Give me what I need when I need it ad make it interesting to read, otherwise no thanks. Don't use description to bump the word count. Standalone vs. Series: Standalone to try a new author, series once I find one I like. POV: 1-3 is usually fine with me, 4+ approaches being too many depending on how well it's done, 6+ is too many no matter who wrote it. Strong Start, Middle or Finish: All? All. All is good. (But if I have to pick, a weak start will make me consider DNFing.)

[@jazz2048]

Okay so I’m really late but I still wanna do this because it sounds fun. 1. 3rd person if the reader has access to the thoughts of the characters, 1st person if it’s not. A book with multiple perspectives that does the former well is literally like *chefs kiss*. A good example of that I read recently is Unwind, it’s fucked up like any good dystopian should be as well. 2. Honestly it all depends on the cover art. Like I will pick a book by the cover if it’s a book I already know I want to read since I get a lot of books online. But if I had to rank I’d say 1) Hardcover. Most of the nice books or expensive books that I own are hardcover as well as the only first edition I own. 2) Paperback. Basically everything op said, on top of the fact that they’re easier to carry around with you if you’re going out of the house, they’re easy hold and flexible. 3) Ebooks. I mostly read poetry when it comes to ebooks but they’re a nice fit with the format. 4) Mass Market Paperback. I’m kinda neutral about them. 5) Audiobook. They’re in this spot by default because I’ve never listened to one. 3) CHARACTER CHARACTER CHARACTER. I’m very much a read for escapism type of person, and for me the best part of that is getting to sort of walk around in different lives for a while. That isn’t something you can do without strongly written character. This is also kinda helped because it’s easy for me to vividly imagine things such as physical settings. This probably sounds really silly though. 4) I like a little bit of prose in general, but when it’s done well in poetry I fall in love, Richard Silken is a great example of this imo. However, when prose is done badly or in a manner that is painfully cliché I will admittedly go into “reading for a laugh” mode. Like it is one of my biggest literary pet peeves! To touch on the repetitiveness thing mentioned in the video I also hate that but for the reason that I feel like it lessons the effect of the metaphor or phrase that’s being used. Seeing it over and over again, especially if the writing isn’t strong, lessens the impact. 5. One of the biggest books for me when I was a kid was The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and it had a HUGE impact on me, so introspection is definitely something I love. Like I love introspection when it’s done well because I love sort of feeling like i can be someone else for a bit. And introspective characters can occasionally help me process things that are going on in my own life when their written well. 6. Romance. I love watching people fall in love, those emotions are some of my favourite to see explored in writing, especially when it’s balanced with other elements of the main characters’ lives so you feel like you’re getting the full picture. And I’m a sucker for a well-written enemies-friends-lovers trope. 7. I need a balance. I don’t care for descriptions of clothes or appearance (I.e. I don’t feel a need to know about every inch of their body). Atmosphere is very important for me when reading, and it’s one of my favourite things to write though. 8. Stand-alones. They’re 90% of what I read and I like it because since there isn’t always time to have every little detail fine tuned and explained, there’s more room for imagination. And I feel like there’s something brilliant about how they pack the punch. 9. I like both equally and it honestly depends on the subject matter if you want an exact answer. 10. I need a good middle, my brain can play around with beginnings and endings because I’m not the type to solely concern myself with canon, but if a middle is flat I feel like the first two are pointless no matter how well written they were. I’d say good endings are a close second though.

[@kristinapetrovic1741]

My preferences: 1) Perspective. Honestly, I can grasp both. 1st person is a lot more "personal" which helps me empathize with character more. But that only works if the character is likeable. If they are not, 1st person ruins it for me even more. 3rd person works better with world-building and storytelling, because we don't see the world through character's eyes directly. The character doesn't have to be present in every scene. Also, being able to see the story more objectively and with our own eyes if the character doesn't filter it all for us, as you already said. I suppose I prefer 3rd person slightly more, but honestly - there are tropes that work only in 1st person for me, and I'm glad when they are, especially if highly psychological. 2) Formats. Ugh. I prefer audiobooks, mainly because they allow me to do something else with my hands while I read, and that helps me focus. It only works with stories I'm more or less familiar with or with not too many characters (in these cases I prefer paperback or ebook). I find hardbacks quite hard to hold, tho they look and feel fancy. PS You sound quite enthusiastic when you talk about breaking spines :P 3) Character vs plot-focused: Character. Character development and complexity often makes or breaks book for me. Plot needs to be REALLY good for me to enjoy it without it. Tho character development is often intertwined with plot, and that is what makes sense to me most, and what I enjoy most. 4) Prose. I prefer shorter sentences. And not over-explanation. Basically, yes, if something can be said in one short sentence, do that. And yes, shorter sentences can be done without repeating the same structure, it goes on my nerves too. 5) Introspection. I'm fine with it, especially if it fits the story. It can help get to know character better, but I don't like all the narrative being introspection either. Small bits of it are nice tho. 6) Relationships. I prefer platonic. Beautifully written friendships are amazing and can "get" me even if I don't enjoy the plot too much. I'm fine with some romance - but it often bores me, especially if it's TOO romantic, as I am quite disinterested in romance. I do enjoy good friends to lovers trope sometimes. 7) Description. I usually dislike it. But I guess it can depend on the way the description is done. If it's done in a non-monotonous tone, I can enjoy it - especially since the background is often important for knowing what is happening. Description can be done well, especially if the tone matched the feeling we are supposed to get from the scenery. Usually, I don't care much about what the characters are wearing. 8) Series vs standalone. Greatly depends on the book. Usually series, but series is far easier to mess up, especially with the middle books. Staying with the characters I know and love already does give me some comfort, and that is why series are dear to me. I do sometimes get bored and not finish them, and then I have to re-read them completely because I forgot what happened. That's irritating. 9) Single vs multiple POV. Usually single. Multiple POV can really make me overly confused, tho I do enjoy some aspects of multiple POV as well, mainly the fact that we can see the situation from many angles and can be at more places. 10) Strong beginning vs middle vs finish. Honestly, I don't have a preference on this. I do care least about the middle, and strong beginning is something I need to even get me INTO the story. Strong finish does make a great impact, and rushed ending can make me greatly disappointed.

[@Mantis1515]

1- Third person (limited) 2- Paperback, Hardback (I don't really do ebooks or audiobooks) 3- Character focused stories 4- No, I don't care about prose 5- Basically what you said about introspective characters 6- I'm a sucker for a good romantic relationship 7- I like good description, but there is such a thing as too much description. Robert Jordan's way of doing it really worked for me. 8- Series, like every time. 9- Multiple POV 10- A strong finish, a bad ending can really ruin a book for me (Last Argument Of Kings for example)

[@erin_the_extra2329]

1- 3rd person omniscient with a focus on one character (Mistborn, The Book Thief, The Diviners, etc) 2- paperback ALL the way, they help me forget I’m reading a book because they kinda “melt” into my hands if that makes sense- also they’re cheaper so I can buy more of them 3- character, character, character. I’m an actor so character work is the most important to me. I find it so hard to write anything without knowing the characters well 4- I love prose it makes me feel so fancy. Just as long as it works with the story/genre/format, make it as purple as you want I don’t care, let us write like we’re from the Romantic Era please 5- I can’t stand when characters aren’t introspective (you’re the main character start acting like it buddy) but I agree at a certain point it’s too much 6- platonic omg. I’m like the most romantically inexperienced/uninterested person I know and I get so annoyed when my friends make their ENTIRE lives revolve around their romance, so why would I want to consume that more? (That being said, I do quite enjoy a healthy romance where they really are each other’s best friend.) I find romantically focused books tend to focus on that one relationship and not the MC’s relationships to any other characters, and I want to know how they interact with more than one person! 7- give me descriptions or give me death. I want the a e s t h e t i c. And when following a character, the things described can show us what the character focuses on and notices and how they see the world 8- series, but only if the story “deserves” it 9- like I said in the first one, I like having a main character to focus on but love multiple POVs because they can make it easier to read (I have adhd and the jumping around and variety helps me stay engaged) 10- strong middle, I think. I can trudge through a boring beginning, I can stomach a bad end, but the middle is the meat of the story and I wont be able to make it through if it’s not engaging

[@judie8620]

Here's mine. - Third person. (Though I am fine with first person.) - I LOVE FLOPPY PAPERBACKS. I also like hardcovers. Normal paperbacks come after the creases in the spine bug me just a tad bit. Mass market paperbacks come after. Audiobooks. Ebooks. - I like when both are considered. I can't choose between them. Ughhhh. I guess characters. I love crying. - I need a small amount of prose. If the description is too long I will just skim over it, not actually read it. - I agree with Merphy. - I love certain romances, but I hate when violence is romanticized. I appreciate a good friendship. - I like when there is enough explanation to the point where I understand it, but I still like it when there is an amount of intrigue. I don't want to know everything, I want to go along with the character, rather than always knowing something the main character doesn't. - I enjoy series more, but, too many books is tiring. The plot could be AMAZING, but sometimes I just need a change. - I don't really care, but sometimes it is refreshing when there is another person telling the story. - A good, finish, start, then middle. But, I still want a good middle because I notice that I really need a strong middle to get through the book. I might DNF it if it doesn't grab onto me the whole ride through.

[@booklanerecommendations]

1. I have a slight preference for third person, but other perspectives don’t usually bother me. 2. Formats I like: most paperbacks (mass market or otherwise, especially floppy ones), smooth or glossy hardbacks. Formats I don’t like much: hardbacks with dust jackets, stiff paperbacks, inconveniently heavy books, reading on a phone or laptop screen. Formats I have never tried yet: e-books, audiobooks. 3. I love character-focused books, especially in fantasy. But I feel like many people think character-focused equals introspective, and I’m not big on introspective books unless it’s multiple POV. It can get really tiring to be in one character’s head the whole time with nothing happening, especially if said character doesn’t interact with other characters. Part of my love for characters is how they interact with each other, which often implies some sort of plot. And I do also love suspense. So I guess I lean towards character-focused books, but not all the way. 4. I do care about writing style, and I think a lot more people do than you may think. Some people need beautiful language; others need it to be simple; still others have specific pet peeves that can ruin the reading experience for them (purple prose, repetitive language, difficult vocabulary, childish vocabulary, long-winded sentences). My favorite is when the writing style is able to be pretty/unusual, easy to read, AND enhances the atmosphere of the story and/or the POV character’s voice. Some examples of writing styles I like: Rebecca, The Night Circus, The Shining, The Thirteenth Tale, The Raven Boys. There are also writing styles that aren’t as “pretty” but just work for me, like The Lies of Locke Lamora. What I really don’t like are long-winded sentences that are deliberately hard to read. Like in The Turn of the Screw. I have VERY mixed feelings about Abercrombie’s writing in The Blade Itself, because the way he uses character voice is AMAZING, but I found his writing tough to read, hard to visualize, and I hate how he uses way too many alternatives for “said” and how he gives us detailed descriptions of lots of unimportant characters, all in a row. 5. I have a limit on introspection as well, and this limit is lower if there’s only one POV character. Like you said, I need a break from a very introspective character, so that means either taking a break from introspective writing with plot- or interaction-focused parts, OR switching to a different POV with a character who sees the world very differently so we’re not stuck in one person’s head. 6. I LOVE close friendships, group dynamics and families. I tend to prefer friendships over romance. I am very picky about romance, but I enjoy it if it’s written well. 7. This ties into point 4. The amount of description I can handle depends a LOT on how much I like the prose, and also how much it contributes to the story. If it’s written in a captivating way that really sets the mood of the story and I don’t have to do a lot of effort to visualize it, I will enjoy descriptive writing. If the writing feels choppy or the setting is kind of boring, I’d prefer the descriptions as short as possible. I generally like small bites of description in between the plot so I can remember and visualize things, rather than one page-long dump. Some more specific things: - I love when descriptions use scent rather than just visual description. This makes me more immersed in the setting. - If I’m reading what a character looks like, I need to know their hair color. - I find it annoying when books constantly describe what everyone is wearing. - I also find it annoying when books wait until the second half of the book to describe what an important character looks like. By this time, I’ll have made up my own picture in my head, so this will only be distracting. I’d rather a book not describe the character at all than do it so late. 8. In general, I prefer standalones to series. I like feeling emotionally satisfied at the end of the book, and it helps to have things wrapped up, which happens more in standalones. Also, series make me compare the books to each other, which is terrible, because the next book(s) will never feel the same as the first and this can hinder my enjoyment. However, as a character-focused reader (especially in fantasy), I do appreciate series for being able to spend more time with the characters, getting to know even side characters on a deeper level, and watching characters change. So I can enjoy series (especially if Sanderson wrote them), but I often prefer standalones. 9. I like both, but I do think I have a preference for multiple POV. I like seeing different characters’ mindsets, experiences and ways of looking at the world. Also, this way, if one of the points of view gets tiring to read, I won’t be stuck in it constantly. 10. This is a tough one, but I think it depends on how you phrase your question. If I have to pick one aspect of the book to be absolutely amazing and the rest of the book is just fine, I think I’d pick the ending. I love strong endings and I can be picky about them. (Though I might also pick the middle, since if the middle is so amazing, that means most of the book is amazing, and then I can forgive an ‘okay’ ending.) However, if I have to pick one aspect to be amazing while the rest of the book is weak (not ‘fine’), I would pick the middle. If I dislike the beginning and middle, this can put me off of the whole book, and then I’ll DNF before I even get to the amazing ending. I’m still not sure about this one though.

[@chantalgoupil5281]

I think you would love to read Battle Mage (Peter Flannery). The friendship relations are so touching, and very engaging. It's a stand alone fantasy. It made me cry a lot, often because it was so beautifull!

[@aliciasorenson3807]

1. 3rd Person 2. Hardback(I love the feeling of holding a massive book) or e-book(for the ease). 3. Plot driven, but love a good character one too. 4. Yes, I like beautiful prose, but not too flowery. But because I'm pretty plot driven I'm totally fine with simple prose. 5. I am fine with all the introspection as long as it's done well and the character isn't annoying. That's when I love a character driven book. 6. Platonic 7. Like you I really LOVE description that gives me a specific tone of the world. Sixth of the Dusk by Sanderson did this SO well. 8. I love both! I love figuring out things as I go through series. But a good standalone is 👌. Ten Thousand Doors of January and Kingdom of Back are great fantasy stand-alones that have beautiful, but not flowery, prose, great character development, and an interesting plot. 9. All POV options! 10. Strong ending for sure. The whole book could be interesting but not great, and I will come out LOVING the book if the ending is amazing.

[@Antosza]

1. Perspective. I trust the author on that one. If he choose 1 person for his story, I'll go with it. Though I am not particularly fond of 2 person. 2. Hardback above all. I abuse my books a lot, but I still want them to stay with me for a lifetime. Then e-books, I read a lot of books simotenously and like to have a choice, when I commute or go for a walk. But I annotate too and love the feeling of the real paper, so sometimes I just carry an unbelievable heavy bag with me.) Paperback is my choice for books I have no intention to reread. Audio is an exception, I rarely like how they are done, though sometimes they are great. 3. Characters! Who needs a plot? I am that person who don't care about spoilers at all. 4. Prose... I am in the middle too, but more on the flowery side. Just throw me a juicy metaphor from time to time, and I'll be happy. 5. I love to be in the character head, so I can eat as much of this as author choose to give me. 6. I like relationships which are both love and friendship. Does it mean that I prefer all relationship be kind of platonic? Maybe. 7. I like descriptions only from a character perspective, if a character don't care about his surrounding at the moment, I don't want to experience it too. Though I really appreciate a lot of details in historic books. 8. Standalones. Or if it's a series it have to be one arch. I seriously think that there is only one story you can tell about one character, after that it gets repetitive. 9. POV. On this one I also trust the author. It is for him to decide how many POV the story needs. 10. I prefer a strong middle, because it is the longest part of the book. ;) But seriously I need all of them to be strong. Maybe I can tolerate a long overextended beginning if it shows a potencial of the story.

[@THX0785]

Perspective: third person omniscient Format: Mass market paperback for the feel and nostalgia (they don't make them as often as they used to), ebook for the readability, audiobook for the ability to read while I'm working, Hardback for the poshness, pdf on a computer screen for the cheapness (since it's usually because I could find a pdf of a book online), paperback because the proportions just feel wrong most of the time. Character/plot: Plot, give me a long reaching Arthur C Clarke scifi that takes place over multiple generations anyday. prose: yes, important. I would love romantic/poetic prose to come back instead of either long descriptions or "less is more" descriptions Introspection: characters should be extremely introspective, I love when someone knows why they're doing things instead of someone that just reacts all the time and then gets frustrated about their decisions. relationships: platonic description: medium, agree with you, mood and environment should be described, but standalones/series: standalones, I think, because the thought is complete whereas a series sometimes feels like a cash grab, but I guess I like non-sequential series, books that exist in the same universe but don't require the others in the series to make sense. POV: multiple, I'm already stuck in one POV, I want to see the larger picture strong: middle, ending, start

[@morrigandanae]

Here's my preferences: Which perspective is your favourite?: Mine is probably first person (tho I like third as well). I love being inside a characters head and hearing their thoughts and everything they don't say out loud especially if they're a sassy, sarcastic person (cough Percy Jackson cough cough). Which format is your favourite?: Paperback. I find that the removable covers of hardcovers drive me mad and I think they're too heavy and solid. I love having a physical copy of a book instead of a digital one so no e-readers for me. The only thing I dislike about paperbacks is how easily they can be damaged but it gives a little bit of character to the book. If I had to rank them: Paperback, hardcover, e-reader, audio (I can't stand these because I'm a visual learner and I can't grasp the story via audiobook). Character or plot focused book?: Honestly I'm not quite sure about my answer to this one. But I gotta go with plot focused. I guess I just prefer the story instead of the characters but I still love having strongly developed and well written characters. Do you care about prose?: I don't know how I can elaborate on this but, yes I like it. How introspective do you want your characters to be?: I like introspective characters. Like I said above, I love first person because I get to be inside of a characters head. I get to see all of their thoughts and such and I really like that. Tho I do like changing perspectives as well. How do you like your relationships?: I gotta say platonic for this one. I'm not really a person for very romantic stories. It seems like everyone's gotta be in a romantic relationship these days...NO, people can be just friends! I also don't mind it when a character doesn't necessarily have a relationship, platonic or not, with anyone. People can be alone too. Do you like a lot of description?: Yes. I absolutely love the descriptions in Tolkien's books. I like being told everything there is to know about things such as appearance, personality etc because I am not very good at filling in the gaps. But I also like being shown little things about appearance, personality etc throughout the course of a story. But when it comes to worldbuilding you gotta tell me EVERYTHING there is to know. I love love love big and super developed worlds. Standalones or series?: Series. I like being able to follow a really big story over several books instead of just one. After reading standalones I just feel that I need more of the story and the characters and their development. And I gotta agree with your husband on this one also. I love just sticking with one long story/world. Single or multiple POV's?: I prefer both. I just finished reading the Heroes of Olympus series and I loved seeing the adventure through the eyes of all 9 characters we get POV's from. But if it's a character I really like I'll prefer staying just with them and their perspective. Edit: Wait I forgot strong start finish or middle lol. Okay, I think I prefer it when the whole book or series is strong. I need an interesting start to get me into the story, an interesting middle to keep me in the story and a strong finish so that I'm satisfied with the ending of a story. Welp, that was an extremely long comment. XD

[@pandabear0]

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.

[@haileypint2891]

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.

[@TheMcMonster]

1) Third. 2) Any paper, then audiobooks, then ebooks. 3) Always plot. I don't care much about characters. 4) It has to be simple and with purpose. It may be dry as a desert as long as it does the job. 5) I don't usually mind staying inside character's head if the inner monologue serves a purpose of driving the plot and ideas. 6) Absolutely no kind of romance is allowed for me to fully enjoy a book. If I wanted a romance, I would buy a romance. 7) If it serves a purpose of properly explaining the need-to-know of a world then yes, I'm ok with pages and pages of descriptions. 8) Standalones. I want to read about different things, stories and ideas. 9) Whatever as long as it isn't switching too often that it's confusing and hard to keep track of. 10) A bad ending can make me mad. If I made it to that point it has to be good.

[@ameebe21]

I agree about being in a character's head too much. Sometimes, if they go off on a tangent in the middle of dialogue or some sort of action, I'll have to go back and figure out what they were doing or saying beforehand because I completely lose track amidst their rambling thoughts.

[@ericviera5120]

1. I prefer third person perspective. 2. In order of preference reading/listening: paperback, Kindle, hardback, audiobook. 3. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven stories. 4. I don't think I care about prose, with the exception that things can be described way too much. 5. If I connect with the character, then the amount of introspection doesn't matter. If I don't like or can't relate to the character, I can't tolerate much introspection. 6. I prefer plutonic over romantic relationships. 7. I really enjoy a world that is well described so you get the atmosphere and environment, but still get to use your imagination. If a book describes every little detail of a scene then I don't get into it as much. 8. I prefer stand alone books to a series, but I do like a small series. 9. I prefer books with limited, but multiple POVs. 10. A strong middle portion of the book will really grab my attention, but a strong finish to the book is more satisfying. If a book ends too abruptly it will diminish the reading experience for me.

[@Augustus087]

That is why some stories which combine first and third person (first person in some scenes, third in others) offer the best of both worlds.

[@jgunner280]

From a writing perspective (though I really do need to read more), my most predominant choice for choosing between first and third person is from the perspective of telling a character who's experiences and emotions are bigger than the need for the world itself. Essentially I break it between whether I want to go into intensive feelings and monologues, or sever the characters just a bit to tell more about the world. It doesn't 'have to be' done like that, but it's weird for a first-person character to stop and go all encyclopedia on exotic worlds, and there's only so much tricks of "My parents once told me" you can insert before forming a pattern. Whereas in third person, its easy pass on details of whatever you need, only restrained by the need to make sure your pace is good - which is important regardless of perspective. Likewise, if you're still setting up elements, you may want to perspective flip and go from one faction to another. Again, possible but not 'traditional' for a first-person. So its about really getting "in there" for a first-person job, and I usually determine it based on grounding myself or if a person is really complicated, and usually everything else gets third-person.

[@KMort]

You go queen for making a tag I LOVE doing them so much so gonna film this one!

[@afeld3]

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.

[@codystork3008]

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.

[@PittsburghSportsFan43]

I prefer hardcovers because they're more durable. But paperbacks are ok too. Mostly these days I'm using my tablet to read Ebooks. I just like having an entire library's worth of books but not losing any space. I've got literally hundreds of books that I want to read and if I had them all in physical form, they would probably take up my entire home.

[@damiadwalker8464]

1: I like all perspectives but third person omniscient is probably my fave. 2: Hard back, audio, soft back, mass market, digital. In that order 3: character driven but only slightly more than story 4: prose I like like to be brief and concise and convey what it needs to. 5: I like characters that spend an even time in and out of their own head but the better the character the more I enjoy Introspection. 6: I enjoy plutonic and romance but only like them if I like the characters 7: descriptions are great but.only what's necessary to convey a scene or world building 8: series, by far. I love my epics. 9: I like single pov but only if the main character outshines the others in my enjoyment of them. Otherwise I like multiple povs. 10: I like the middle and end of the stories more, but. i enjoy a good beginning almost as much from time to time. Very story dependant.

[@katiemcnabb583]

I answered them all at once... I prefer third person. It makes me feel more connected to the story! 1.) Paperback 2.) Mass-market paperback 3.) e-book 4.) Hardback 5.) Audiobook Character focused!! I will not care about a book if I don’t care about the characters. I don’t care very much about prose unless I feel like it pulls me out of the story like in Dune. I do really agree with what you said about patterns though! I noticed some in the book I just finished and it drove me crazy. I like quite a bit of introspection but I agree that it can be too much. I’ve never really thought about that before! I care a lot about the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic, but romantic ones tend to bother me more often because I feel like they’re rarely done well. I generally care more about friendships, and found family relationships are my favorite! I love atmospheric books but if there’s too much description, I will probably zone out. Definitely agree that it’s more about the feeling of the world for me than just physical description. Probably series because I get to spend more time in stories that I love! I think multiple POV because when it’s single I always find myself wishing I knew what the other characters are thinking/feeling. Strong finish! Bad endings are so frustrating to me.

[@tornapart]

I m EXACTLY the same when it comes to taking pleasure from dipping toes in new universes. To this day I ve started Eye of the World, The Dark Tower, Lightbringer, A Series of Unfortunate Events, GoT and haven t finished any of them xD because I enjoy way too much discovering new things!!

[@IceRiver1020]

1. Third person. I start having too many meta questions with first person. 2. Paperback, Hardcover, Audiobook, Ebook. Paperbacks are easier to get comfortable with than a hardcover if I want to lay in bed to read. Audiobooks are convenient, and faster to get through than reading myself. I get frustrated with the inability to physically see my progress, or flip through the book when reading ebooks. 3. Character first! Both in reading, and writing. I'm not invested in the plot if I don't care about the characters driving it. 4. Books like Robin McKinley's are fun to read every once in a while, but on general I'm not very particular about prose. 5. I'm not sure I have a preference for level of introspection. 6. It depends on how a particular relationship is written. I love a good romance, but I don't seek it out when I decide what books to read. I really love family relationships too. 7. I guess I like a moderate level of description? I get bored if there's too much, but there does need to be enough. 8. No preference really, If I like the story, I don't mind the number of books it takes to tell it. 9. I think I like multiple POV a little more, but only if all of the POVs are interesting, if I hate being in a certain POV then those chapters become suffering. 10. A strong ending! I once read a book series that started strong but ended horribly, and it made me hate the entire series, even though I'd been so invested up until the last book.