For a writer, I don't read as much as I should. I'm very picky; to me, most books focus too much either on being page-turners or on being high brow and literary. The best books are the ones that ride the (very, very narrow) line between. The best examples I've found are The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (and her heartbreaking graphic novel, The Night Bookmobile), A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and pretty much anything by Aimee Bender or Steve Almond.
Essentially, I like my books like my own life: messy, complicated, tonally all over the map. If it's drama without laughs or comedy without something real to say, chances are I won't be interested. And if it doesn't let on at least some hope for the world and human beings, I definitely won't be interested.