Again, Again!

By Tracy Astle

Picture (or 'pitcher' for those of you in Utah, right Susan?), if you will, a young, wobbly child pleading with her parent to swing her around one more time as she sways at their feet. "Again, again," she begs with upturned face.

That was me after I finished my most recent read.

I wanted to start reading it again right that minute. The most delightful thing about it is that normally I'm not like that. Once is usually enough for me with books. Oh, I have a short list, a very short list actually, of stories/characters I have to revisit every so often. They're like old friends I need to catch up with. But I put them away when I'm done. I don't start on them again as soon as I finish.

The things that drew me back in to this recent book so quickly are the brisk pacing of the story, very likable characters (I wasn't done with them when I was done with the book. And that's saying something!), a premise that is pure fun and a writing style that is smooth and easy to read. It's a YA contemporary that I feel really captures high school without all the dramatic, angsty stuff going on. I'm not opposed to dramatic and angsty when it comes to YA. Goodness knows there's plenty of that at that age, but it's not all that. I love a story that is clean and doesn't take life so seriously all the time.

I think what I love most about this book is that it's inspiring without being intimidating. It's well written, but not so perfect in the beauty of the prose, the depth and brilliance of the plot, the sheer majesty of its very existence, that I know I will never write anything that amazing. It's simply a totally enjoyable read that makes me want to write like that.

How about you? What qualities in a book inspire you and/or make you want to want to jump right back on that ride and start reading it again as soon as you finish?