What do your favorite books say about you?

[Midnight Writer]

1. I have lost my taste for, in my view, overwriting in books. To me, it dilutes the storytelling.

For example, a character pours himself a cup of coffee, To me, it should be as simple as that. I don't need a step by step of the character selecting his brand of coffee, his memories of coffees drunk in the past, a lengthy description of setting up the coffeemaker, inserting the filter, scooping the coffee into the maker, the history behind his favorite coffee cup, etc. I find that frustrating and a distraction from the story.

I think it was Elmore Leonard who advised writers (paraphrasing) "You know those parts of the novel you come across and find yourself skimming through? Leave those parts out."

So, I tend to like faster-paced stories like thrillers and mysteries with a style focused on telling the story.