the picoult factor

As I toil away every day in the HPB fiction section, few books are as welcome to my book-weary eyes as those of Jodi Picoult -- not (sweet Jesus) because they have substance or any other superlative quality, but because good lord they sell better than anything else there. So I read with actual interest this interview with the author, and a total lack of the spite I reserve for the Gutersons and the Frazers of the literary world. An interesting tidbit from the interview:

"She posts videos of herself, and of her family romping at their Vermont summer home on her website, www.jodipicoult.com, which also hosts a conversation group called the Pi-cult. On the surface, that sounds cringingly self-important, except for the fact that her readers, and there are millions, are remarkably cult-like."

Indeed! I did watch some of the videos, and I feel conflicted about having no hatred (albeit no respect either) for Ms. Picoult, since she clearly is running a very similar artistic agenda to Nicholas Sparks. And I seethe with hatred for that douchebag. Anyways, the seed has been planted.