You Know What? (Thoughts on books)

I have a couple of ... let's call them observations from the past week or so.  So, for instance...

When did it become a rule that books had to be meaningful to be worthwhile or a good read?  I mean, isn't it enough to tell a good story with believable characters any more?  Does there have to be an underlying message of great social awareness for it to be considered recommendable?  I don't believe so, but sometimes I think I'm in the minority.  I hate being preached to when I'm reading for relaxation and enjoyment.

There are genres for books.  Mystery, fantasay, science-fiction, romance, thriller, historical... well, you get my drift.  There are so many similarities in any given genre.  I mean, one buddy action adventure is going to be similar to another buddy action adventure.  One May-December romance is going to be similar to another May-December romance.  There are only so many basic plots in existence.  And you know, James Bond, Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan are all somewhat similar characters in similar types of situations.  They're not rip-offs of one another.

I find myself wondering if more authors would try expanding themselves by writing different types of characters if they didn't see so many you aren't doing it right, and how dare you write what you aren't complaints all over the internet, in blogs, reviews, discussion forums etc...  It could be quite intimidating, don't you think?

Sometimes, a sex scene in a book is just a sex scene because the characters feel a physical pull towards each other and want to indulge in it.  It doesn't always have to be filled with underlying meaning and great import.  It can just show that these two characters like to touch each other and sometimes the urge is stronger than the urge not to.

I love Nora Roberts.  I love her series books and her stand-alones.  I think she has one of the best perspectives on how to write a male character in the whole of Romacelandia.  Her guys, heroes and supporting characters have such fun, unique, guy type voices.  Man, I would LOVE for Nora to write a m/m romance, but she's been asked if she ever would and she's said that she doesn't think she could do it justice.  I think she could.  I wish she would.  I think it'd be great!

My To Be Read pile is HUGE.  *LOL*  And ever-growing.