h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Woah... I was lucky enough to catch one of the Big Read shows when I was last in England. The show felt like it was 45 minutes or an hour, not 90 minutes long. Of course, I was really engaged in it.

Great reporting, Greydesk. I'm glad to read how passionate the UK is about reading. I'm moving to an ideal spot on the planet.

I'm also very pleased that the h2g2 voters (that was a clever idea, to do that!!!) didn't see Pride and Prejudice as very great. I hate that book. It's so boring. Jane Austen, like Virginia Woolf, and other renowned and dead English authors, in my opinion, needed an editor to cut out the unnecessary rambling on.

Douglas Adams. Now he's amazing. Stunning use of language. I used to habitually mark up books, emphasizing what I thought were strong parts, things I'd want to consider mimicking. But I believe that The Hitchhiker's Guide brought my pen to a standstill for the first time. Everything was strong, everything was worth striving to accomplish in my own work.

I believe that readers MUST be entertained. There are great books that make you read on because they are so emotional or serious. But what child's book is serious? We start our reading experiences on silly, fun, easy books, books that cater to their readers. Adults need the same.

No wonder there are some people that hate to read. Reading is active. Some things are just boring, sad but true. But not Adams. He overwhelms you with his quick, insightful wit. Anyone can be clever. But to maintain the pace and rhythm of The Hitchhiker series. That takes a genius.