Readers have many reasons for enjoying their favorite books. There’s storyline, characters, themes, tone, pace, and writing style. Librarians often call them appeal factors. There are almost as many appeal combination preferences as there are readers. Some like storylines that move back and forth between time periods, while others prefer a more linear tale. Many like a tone that’s warm and comforting, while a few love to be scared out of their wits. I personally am drawn to stories that have likeable characters that I would hang out with in real life. (Note: I read Gone Girl, and found it compelling, but those aren’t my characters of choice—or friend material.) I also like a writing style that takes me to new and different places. I’ve read a lot of books set in the Southwestern U.S. It’s different in so many ways from the Pacific Northwest that the setting really draws me in. Here are some books set in the Southwest that I’ve read or are on my to-be-read list.
Featured in the Book Beat column in November's issue of The Messenger.