I read and write for simple joys of doing them. I don't grind axes when I write, nor do I seek that in my fiction reading. I enjoy books more than short stories, because I like to see the main characters develop during a story. I enjoy origin stories that explore why something, or someone, comes into being. This, to me, sets the stage for all of the that is to come.
I also tend to enjoy characters that will break before they will bend. This to me leads to more dynamic and interesting characters as they tend to be more fully formed, albeit sometimes such characters are two-dimensional. But when the balance is good between the character's principles and their conflicts, the character's continued synthesis of development makes the story flows fast and clear.