Talking With Readers

One thing I've loved about my new job is talking books with one of my co-workers. She's a big reader who ranges from literary to all things Harlequin. The perspective of someone who reads but doesn't write is fresh for me. Now another co-worker started reading a book and was telling me how mad she was at a male character over how he treated the heroine.

The depth of her immersion in the story was inspiring for me because last week she'd mentioned that the story was confusing at times due to an abundance of characters.

Yet that didn't stop her from rooting for the heroine.

How do I make a story like that? One that, despite its weaknesses, ensares a reader to the end?

There are lots of rules on how to do it, but sometimes I think it comes down to voice.

What was the last book you read that put you in tears or made you mad at a character? Any insight on how the writer did it? Do you talk books with nonwriters?