I am a tastemaker

It is a not-so-infrequent occurrence for people to meet with me and say, "Oh, I read about so-and-so book on your blog and read it and really loved it."

Usually, in response, I will shuffle about and be like, "Oh, that's nice," and then change the subject, because what is there to say? Books speak for themselves. And, in my opinion, they often work best …