Yesterday I started reading a book I’d really been looking forward to because I loved the author’s other two books. By the end of page one, I knew what was going to happen immediately and by the end of page fifty, not only had it happened, but it was ALL that had happened and I was bored stiff. I did something I rarely do. I got online and looked at some reviews. One person said it was hard to get into in the beginning but well-written. One didn’t like it. The other eighteen loved it. I carried on…for about four more pages. And then I set it aside. If I didn’t care by then, would I ever? Maybe, but I don’t have that kind of time when I’ve got such great books in my stack to read.

So…then I started a new book. I’m going to write more about this one later, because I expect when I’m done, I’m going to want to tell you all how much I love it and why you should read it, but I just wanted to say right now that I know what happens. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but pretty much from the beginning, I knew. I’m half way through and I’m even more certain that I’m right now. So why do I love this book so much I can’t put it down? I mean, didn’t I just say that I knew what was going to happen in the first book and it bored me because of it? This is what I think…I think that it’s okay to know what’s going to happen if you don’t know how. In fact, I think it adds tension to the book. You want to find out that you’re right, don’t you? And if the characters are well-drawn, funny, entertaining…or mysterious, exciting, and dark…or whatever…if it’s well written and not a bunch of cliches then the how becomes the mystery and that will keep driving the reader to turn the page.