"And the sad part about it is that if you let yourself think you are satisfied with husks, you'll have no appetite left for the real grain."

This is a quote from The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley, written in 1919. The story is about a bookseller who ruminates about how important is it to read the right books. This struck a chord with me, as I have been wondering, am I reading the right books? I haven't been reading all the books I want myself to read...the classics, history, travel, biographies...On the other hand, I don't see the harm in reading the fun stuff, the science fiction, the mysteries, the current hot novels. Is great literature really that much greater? I am sure some of it is. Do you think more, have more ideas, learn more about the world, about human nature? Perhaps. Even a light mystery can start you thinking, or give you an insight or two. Sometimes you just want a little entertainment or distraction. Is the quality of writing a factor? I would argue that if a book holds your attention, it doesn't matter how lyrical, or poetic, or even intellectual the writing is. You could say it is a bonus... but that argues for reading more "Great Literature", since reading time is limited, why not get more bang for your buck? I am definitely of at least two minds about this issue...Hence the selection of the quote from Michael Dirda, Prowling Through the Stacks"