"I Liked It" /= "It is good"

This is important. Sometimes I like books that aren't brilliant. Often, even. I'm not saying they are [i]bad[/i]. But this is what I know:

1. There is a whole huge space in between brilliant and bad.

2. That space is occupied by most of what a reader ends up reading.

3. This is a good thing, because

4. There are a lot of different things a book can do well.

The plot can be riveting, the language can be beautiful, or not beautiful, but truly expressive, the characters can be people you fall in love with, or they can be people you feel could be real. They can entertain you or they can show you ways of living and acting that you can draw on in your own life. A book can let you feel like you understand something about times and places and people and struggles that you did not know before, or invent ones you never imagined. And on and on.

5. Very few, if any, books can do all of these things.

6. Even if some can, you don't necessarily want all of these things from every story.

Sometimes I like books that are just..fine. Because they are right for me when I happen to pick them up, because the story was mostly forgettable, but it made me smile in the moment, or because as long as I didn't pay close attention, all the flaws could be ignored and I could get caught up in the story.

I am so glad all those fine and flawed books are out there. And not just because without them there would be no thrill in finding the ones you will treasure. Sometimes I won't read a great book even if you hand it to me. I'll put it aside, and look forward to it. But there are times when I want to burn through a silly series that is just light entertainment.

The world would be a sad place if there was only room for the very best. It's true of movies and tv, it's true of food and fashion. It's absolutely true of books. Sometimes I feel embarrassed about reading for frivolous, campy, predictable fun. A lot of readers do. But we shouldn't.