Brain Candy

We all know that junk food isn't good for us. We know that we should eat our fruit and veggies and stay away from the processed foods and sugar, but that's no fun at all. We would be much healthier if we could all stick with eating what is good for us; is the same true for what we read? Would we be healthier in our minds and our spirits if we only read "healthy" books? Of course, the question then becomes, what is a healthy book? Is it good enough to simply be reading? Or should we choose the books we read with care?

At my last book club meeting, we somehow got onto the topic of Harlequin romance novels. It turns out we all went through a phase where we were reading those. Although we all enjoyed reading them, looking back, we were all struck by the messages in them. There are a number of plots where a woman is raped, and then ends up married to her rapist. What does that tell young women who are reading those books? Does it teach them to be strong and stand up for themselves? No. It tells them that they are incomplete without a man, and that since they have been raped, they are damaged goods. What a terrible message. Am I a better person for having read those books when I was a teenager? I don't think that they damaged me, but I don't think I've been improved by reading them.

I've also spent a lot of time in the past little while reading YA literature, and today I'll wade into the Twilight vs. Harry Potter debate. I come down firmly on the side of good old Harry. Bella, the heroine of the Twilight series is desperate to spend the rest of her life with her man. She is not concerned with furthering her education, or spreading her wings and developing as an independent woman. All she can think of is being with Edward. She gets married at 18 and immediately has a child. I'm not saying that this is automatically wrong, but the message that is given in Twilight is that a woman is not complete without a creepy, stalkerish man. Harry Potter is much more independent. He is not perfect, but he works with his friends to improve the world. I think that's a great message. He solves problems, is constantly learning, and he depends on his friends. I would much rather any children I may have read Rowling's books than Meyer's books.

I've just finished reading the last two Sookie Stackhouse novels, and I have to wonder if they are just Twilight for grown-ups. Is there something life-affirming and uplifting about them?

SPOILER ALERT!!!

In the second to last book, Sookie ends up married to Eric, but she didn't want to marry him. He tricked her. What kind of message is that? The man should get what he wants and what the woman wants doesn't matter. Eric claims that he's only doing what is in her best interest, but again, what kind of message is that? Women can't take responsibility for their own destinies? We need men to decide what is good for us? Grrrrrrr.

So, if these are the messages in the books, why am I still reading them? What does it say that I will continue to read the Sookie novels and enjoy them? Am I just letting down my hair and enjoying myself? Who knows. I guess it will require a little more thinking.