On Reading: What I Want, What I Don't

I've written recently about how all I want to do these days is read, very Escapism 101, and that holds true still. And I had an amen-sister moment when I read this in author Rachael Herron's email newsletter, part of a conversation with her sister:

I was recently looking at some book recommendations, and couldn't nope-out fast enough when one said, "I found this book exceptionally difficult to read—it's depressing and dark and triggers abound—yet I was eager to find out what would happen next to these doomed families..." No thank you, not me!

I did read a book recently, a fantasy, that was pretty good, an interesting premise and well written, but it ended on an absolute fucking cliffhanger, like "captured by the enemy, pause here and pick up the sequel, whoops it doesn't come out until next March," and I was pissed.  

I hadn't actually realized it was the first in a series, which is my bad, but that in itself isn't the problem. Look, I don't need every thread of the story to be completely resolved in that situation. But I need something!

Let's compare. I've been enjoying a lighter fantasy series, The Lost Arts, by Ellie Ash, which currently stands at two books (of a planned four), plus a prequel novella and a side-characters novella. 

Not everything has been resolved so far, and there are a bunch of questions I am waiting for answers on! I am very curious why one character reacted the way he did in that situation, why that other character is so mad at the main character, what exactly happened to cause the attack six years ago, how is it possible that someone who died in that attack is maybe not so dead after all...I have questions! So many questions.

But these stories are more happy than harrowing, and each story has stopped at a good place. At least something has resolved in each one. 

I don't want to name-and-shame the cliffhanger one*, because it was not a bad book. It just wasn't what I want these days. What about you?
*If you really want to know, I can email you.