All the books you've never read

I had an argument in the pub about Harry Potter the other day that reminded me of this thread. If you can get a kid, or an adult for that matter, reading for pleasure, then they are further ahead than the posers who, when asked which books they like, list off the same fashionable, 'literary', sub-undergraduate authors with cool covers as all their mates that they never actually read but which they think that having on their shelves will make art-school girls want to do them.

At least the people reading harry potter books are enjoying them.

What are sub-undergraduate authors? Or 'literary' novels? And the high or lowbrow content of a book (if we are attaching value judgements) has little to do with its cover.

I think everyone should be reading more, I can't disagree there. And if you want something amazing and bizarre to read, try some Kobo Abe - The Box Man is particularly ace.