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I don't think the reader owes the author anything more than the price of the book, though it would be a nice gesture to tell someone if you like what they've written. Just clicking the "Like" button on Amazon is enough and it gives them an idea that someone out there is enjoying their story. Authors are renowned for having fragile egos, which is why I totally dig the kudos system on AO3. Getting a kudos message in my inbox makes me just as happy as a comment without the obligation of figuring out a response.
I really do wish that people would think of other readers though. If a book is badly written, giving people a heads up is really nice. Or (I'm still going on about this book!) when I read "The King" by David Feintuch over ten years ago now, I was so squicked that I flung the book across the room and I've given his writings the side-eye ever since then. It would have been nice if someone had left a review or comment somewhere about the horror that happened to my favorite character. A trigger warning is always a plus.
"What do readers owe other readers?" :P
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