The kind of novel I want to write

It was Steve Berry that advised me, in a talk he gave to the GWA, that authors should write what they love. He said that because the author ends up living with the novel, sometimes for years.

So what kind of novel do I love? It doesn't fit a specific genre. Novels like "Hell at the Breech,""Bastard from Carolina,""The Shipping News,""The Secret Life of Bees" - those are the types of novels I want to write.

I am reminded of the old story that Bach learned to compose by copying out the music of the composers who came before him. Is that an anecdote, or is it true? A critical study of the novels I admire would certainly help me, I think. I lack an example, or knowledge of the techniques and tools, to do that. I suppose I could pick a novel and outline it, make a scene list, note the development of the characters. A little research on the internet might help, but I'm not sure what to search for.

Surely there are college textbooks about the critical study of a novel?