Ramblings from the Stacks - When a Book Just Clicks + a Giveaway

I love that feeling when I pick up a book and am instantly swept away and pulled into the story.  It doesn't happen all that often but when it does it's amazing.  These are the books I sneak off to read or pick up to read "just one page" and look up half an hour later.  It's hard to predict what book will do it and it's not always about the quality of the book.  There have been several where I've been completely wrapped up in the story and then half an hour after finishing I'll realize there's a major plot hole or one aspect of the mystery just wasn't wrapped up very well.  So what is it exactly that makes a book just click?  For me it's these things - 

1.    The Author's Voice - There are a few authors who something about the way they write just clicks with me.  Elizabeth Enright, Ruth Ware, Nora Roberts, Julia Quinn, Sabrina Jeffries and Sheila Connolly all qualify for this one.  Even if I don't like the characters there's just something about the book itself that just pulls me in.

2.  The Atmosphere - Atmosphere can really add to my enjoyment of the book and when the feel of the book is permeating every corner of the story I'm in.  Barbara Michaels is amazing at this and Donna Alward's House on Blackberry Hill did this to perfection.

3.  The Book that is Just Exactly What I Need - Sometimes a book comes along at the perfect time.  It can be the book that busts you out of your slump, the book that wakes you up, the book that inspires you, or just the book that entertains you just at the time when you desperately need it.  Some of the books for me have been - Better Ghosts and Gardens by Molly Harper (I needed something funny and light and this was perfect), The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (I was getting so tired of the daily dinner grind and this was the perfect inspiration), and Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Rebecca Barry (I was in a massive reading slump and this diary style memoir was funny and human and completely what I needed).

4.  The Relationship Between Characters - I love it when a character feels like someone you'd want to be friends with but what really hooks me is when the relationship between characters is a focal point and that relationship is developing as the book goes on.  I love ensemble casts or trilogy type series with a continuing story and each book focuses on a different character.  A recent book that really excelled in that category was Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart (read my thoughts on that book here)

Giveaway:

This brings me to the giveaway!  If you want a chance to win a copy of Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart which just happens to be one of my favorite books of the year all you have to do is leave a comment with your email address and your favorite book of the year so far!  A copy is being provided by the amazing people over at Simon & Schuster/ Gallery Books

Can't wait to see everyone's favorite books so far!  What makes a book click with you?