I will be honest here and admit that I am a brain-candy junkie. While I make a sincere effort to read things edifying to mind and soul, I find myself returning to escapism almost every other book. I don't think reading Sci-Fi or Fantasy novels is inherently bad -- in fact you could make a strong argument that they stimulate the imagination. The problem is that an undisciplined escapist pours hours of precious time down the drain of self-indulgence. I will say, however, that if you had to choose between brain-candy books and television, brain-candy wins out as the lesser of two evils. Regardless, for what it's worth, I've stumbled upon a series that is holding me out at least until the next Robert Jordan or Orson Scott Card book comes out: Tad Williams' Otherland. The characters and plot are solid and Williams' has a real talent for description in general.