Good Read v. Fun Read

Can a book be both? There are books that are good reads like Gone with the Wind and Pride and Prejudice. Then there are books that are fun reads like the Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Good books can be very fun to read, but can a fun read ever be considered a good book? Having fun is a good thing right? Can reading Gone with the Wind be fun? If someone enjoys a book does that make it good, or fun, or a little of both? What about the classics like Great Expecations or Catcher in the Rye? Who decides which book is a classic? If it is required reading in schools does that make it good? Are classics automatically good books? Most would agree that they are not usually fun. What about guilty pleasure books like anything Sidney Sheldon has written? Romance novels, trashy beach books? Some people can get very persnickety about what is or isn't a 'good book'. Some people even ban or burn ones they consider 'bad books'. Although, I think those people are mostly crazy.

I enjoy reading fun books like the above-mentioned Stephanie Plum books and I relish in the occasional good book like Pride and Prejudice. My favorite books, however, would probably fall somewhere between what most would define as good or fun. Something like Red Tent or The Pilot's Wife. The stories usually involve a female main character who experiences some sort of life-altering event. Heavy on relationships and the thoughts and feelings behind actions. In general, good books that I have a lot of fun reading.

Random Observation #1

Why do people who snore get so defensive when you tell them they snore? "No, I don't!" First of all, how would they know if they snored, they are asleep? Second, what is the big deal? It is not like snoring indicates some flaw in someone's personality. It is beyond anyone's control. They should be happy they are the snorer and not the snoree. The person who-always goes to sleep after the snorer-has to listen to the snorer. I don't usually snore, except when I have a cold or am sleeping very deeply on my back. When that is the case and I am made aware of it, I simply apologize and move on. However, I did grow up with a loud snorer, my dad, and lived with a loud snorer.
Since I was in a different room from my dad, it didn't bother me too much, except one night when I thought there was a dog in the house, but it turned out to be just my dad doing the snoring-hiccuping thing unusually loudly that night. Living with the snorer on the other hand was pretty much torture. I was basically sleep deprived during our entire relationship. Of course, he was a deep sleeper also so kicking and punching and forcing a rollover usually did not work. He would get very defensive if I complained about his snoring, come to think of it, he got pretty defensive about most of my complaints. Hence he is an ex-boyfriend. With his next girlfriend, whom he married, he got adenoid surgery to stop the snoring.
My husband does not snore. He does breathe loudly at times, but usually all it takes is a light touch and he closes his mouth and stops making any noise. In fact, he is such a quiet sleeper that I have found myself on more than one occasion wondering if he is breathing at all. So if you are a snorer, don't get defensive about it, be happy it is you and not your partner, and maybe think about surgery.

Bookworm

How does one become a reader? Is it something you are born with, a love of reading? Are there differet types of readers? Book readers, magazine readers, speed readers, avid readers, casual readers. What makes someone an avid reader? Do they reach some weekly quota? I love to read books, novels, but where did this love of reading come from?
I know my Mom did not read to me in the womb, but maybe she read to herself when she was pregnant with me. My Dad read to me when I was little. I remember crying when he read about Rudoph being teased and left out of all the reindeer games by the other reindeer. Was that an indication that the written word could touch me deeply and speak to something inside me? Or was I just an oversensitive little girl who tended to (and still does) irrationally project human emotions onto animals?
Growing up I saw my Mom and Dad read, but I wouldn't say avidly. My mom was pretty tired and busy and worked nights, thus she didn't have much time for reading. Although now she truly enjoys reading and is as avid a reader as someone who is 80 years old with sight in basically only one eye can be. My Dad tended toward newspapers. I read the standbys, Are You There God itsMe Margaret, some "Little House" books, a few "Nancy Drew". In 8th Grade I read the Outsiders and it is still one of my favorites. Of course, I read the obligatory sex parts in Flowers in the Attic when it was passed around the school, then read the whole book which really ruined the excitement of the sex parts once read in context.
High School actually put a damper on the whole reading for pleasure since there were so many books I had to read. Most of them not so fun. College - ditto. It was not until I broke up with my live-in boyfriend (who was a big reader, js) in my late 20s, had the summer off (I am a teacher) and a public pool pass. That summer I really got back into reading again. I decided to try out some of Oprah's picks even though I was a year or so behind. I believe I started with Deep End of the Ocean and I was hooked. I began devouring the books on her list and got a pretty nice tan to boot. I haven't looked back since; I even have a reading room in my house. It is possible I was single-handedly keeping Borders in business for a few years until I recently discovered the joys of the public library.
So am I an avid reader? Who knows? More time to read would be nice, but sometimes I think I use reading as an escape. But as far as modes of escape go, it is pretty harmless and sometimes I even learn things. My ideal job would be to have someone pay me to read books and then give my opinion on them. Until that job comes along though, I now have this blog.