My daughter is big on making lists.
We just got back from an amazing vacation to Disney World and Universal, and every night, she’d ask the same question: “What was your favorite (fill in the blank)?”
Maybe it was rides, shows, dinners, desserts, parks or even mode of transportation.
I’ve got to admit, there were a couple times when I said, “Enough with the lists! Let’s just enjoy the moment!”
But, inevitably, we’d get right back to ranking our days.
The funny thing is, none of our answers were the same. Her favorite roller coaster? Dragon Challenge at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Go Hungarian Horntail!). My son’s? Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom, Disney World. Mr. Vrabel? Space Mountain in Epcot. Mine? Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios, Disney World.
She couldn’t get enough of the high-speed rides. I loved the 3-D shows. My husband loved the service provided at the different parks. And my son? After a particularly rough New England winter, he was all about the sunshine and swimming pools.
Each of us had spectacular vacations, but for vastly different reasons.
I think that’s a lot of how we read books, too. Some of us love characters. Or maybe the author’s voice. For others, it’s all about that plot, ‘bout that plot, no … never mind. We each get something different out of the same piece of literature. But with a little imagination, everyone experiences something magical.
What hooks you as a reader?