I used to balk at anything on the &quot;best-sellers&#x27; list,&quot; assuming the majority would be poorly-written beach read material, but I realized that there can be compelling reasons to read beyond the literary merit of a particular work.  Pop literature can help us understand and analyze the culture we&#x27;re living in, tap into the zeitgeist, participate proactively. It can lead to moments of cognitive dissonance, for sure, but that&#x27;s healthy.