Writing

There are a huge number of people out there who read only one or two books a year. I've noticed over the years that various hugely hyped books often appeal to that sort of person, and I've also noticed that very often -- at least for me -- those hugely hyped books simply aren't all that good. These are "gold standard", books which have been published by major publishing firms and have had the kind of editing and so forth that they deserve. Many of those, for me, just are very unsatisfactory.

I read anywhere from 50 to 100 books per year, fewer now than in my youth, partly because of time spent on the Internet these days. Still I read a lot, and so I notice a lot in the novels I read.

You're right about Twilight. It's the kind of series that totally doesn't interest me, and as far as I can tell it's been widely read by teenage girls and by women who otherwise read only a couple of books a year. Since I haven't read those books, I can't begin to comment on them. But it is a shame that more people don't go from something like the Twilight series to better, more worthwhile novels.

For me, there is nothing better than a new book by one of my many favorite writers. Or discovering a new-to-me writer. I love to read. I love a good book. I love talking about books with others.