I find it most important to record the things that distinguish a small subset of books from the larger collection. A great example is tense. The overwhelming majority of fiction is told in past tense. This makes sense as the reader is inevitably reading a book that was published in the past, written in the past and conceived in the past. The beginning writer that doesn't know this convention can often be identified as such even if their tense usage is consistent and their prose otherwise adequate.
However, there are some great examples of the present tense used well, and I make it a habit to tag these books as such whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is my list, and I'd love to find more examples.
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
- The Mirrored Heavens by David J. Williams
- The Burning Skies by David J. Williams
- Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood
As the title implies, I'm sure someone out there has gotten a book published in something other than present or past. I'd suspect that a work translated into English might be the place to look for such a beast. Surprise me!