Red Széll

And they've become, you know, set texts for people.

Just because it makes you happy doesn't, you know, you don't need to suffer to

to appreciate literature.

We don't all need to be reading James Joyce.

And I think a lot of the criticism that BookTalk has got is basically just trolling and bigotry.

And people should just go figure that actually reading is good.

And, you know, you can just keep your thoughts to yourself if you're going to be negative about it.

Take Thumper's mother's advice in Bambi, you know, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

I kind of hope not because I don't think it's particularly well written.

But I certainly have come across romantic fiction that I've read for work where I've gone, that is actually a well-crafted novel.

very well-written, very well-researched book.

And I think, you know, just as you can have literary novels that are absolute stinkers, but nobody will call it out because it's The Emperor's New Clothes and it's been written by somebody who is a well-respected literary figure, you can also have a Mills and Boone book that is written...

Very well.

Okay, slightly formulaically, but very well and can be entertaining.

And he shouldn't just diss it because it's got Mills and Boone written on the spine.

What my friend calls a literary Vietnam, where you start thinking it's going to be easy and 10 years later you're still reading Infinite Jest.

I can't wait.

Have a wonderful Yuletide and I'll look forward to chatting to you in 2026.

Likewise.