Let's Discuss: Book Obsessions

So as I was writing up a blog post, an idea for a discussion popped up! It's going to be a bit hard to talk about in some ways, because of the subject matter and naturally it will always depend on the book in question! The topic?

What Makes You LOVE a Book?

And when I say love, I mean borderline obsession! Lol. For me that is the Caraval trilogy, for most recent pick. I love a good vampire book, I love Maria V. Snyder's Study series, to name a few!

I'll use Caraval for my answer to use for an example. I became slightly obsessed with the series after reading the first book. The world totally captivated me! I feel like in some ways, it started because the concept felt like the teensiest bit like L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game, in that there's a very serious game to be played and that's about it, because L.J.'s series bordered more on horror than fantasy, though still fantasy but that's another story! The game here was a bit more simple, yet there were so many things to watch out for. The fact that you forget it's only a game was part of its allure.

I felt like the world-building to Caraval was just spot on! I know every book is not for everyone, so my obsession with this series won't apply to the casual liker and definitely not to the ones who found it lacking. World-building is definitely one thing that has to be executed precisely in order for me to enjoy and possibly continue a book. Caraval's world was mind-blowing! It was a darker kind of magic almost and that continues to be explored as the series moved one.

Another thing that will make me fall in love with a book are the characters. When the characters are ones you can relate to and admire it makes the reading so much easier! Scarlett was a fun character to get to know. She was the more cautious sister which I feel like I can partially relate to, but then Tella was the outgoing sister and fearless. She would say it like it is and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, and I feel like I was partially like this too. At least in terms of saying it like it is! Lol. Her spunky attitude was something I admired, her bravery was another because I felt like Tella's story was a bit more dangerous than Scarlett's, though things did start to get more dicey for her in Finale.

I'm not sure where I was going with this really, but it was something I thought I would try to put into words. And I might have. I think. Lol. I guess short answer is, world-building and characters are two attributes of a novel that when written extremely well are what captivate me. If written well and in ways where the words just flow right and the reading is smooth and easy...this is what keeps me coming back whether I'm reading the book or dreaming about it. It's one where the words never really leave me even if I can't recall them all precisely. When the book or series is always on your mind in some small way...then you know you're obsessed. That, and the 53...pending 55 copies you own of said series of course!

Are there any series/books/authors you find yourself obsessed with? Is there that one (or more) series/book/author that you just irrevocably LOVE?