Defending the Mystery/Thriller

John Meacham, until very recently, Editor of Newsweek, has a pleasant, non-preachy manner about him which goes down very well in TV interviews (usually on the Charlie Rose PBS hour). He is also erudite, un-snobbish, brilliant and self deprecating in an entirely believable sort of way. He loves history, writing, reading and ideas and he actually takes the time to explain things in ways that make sense. He is also - are you ready for this? - not into name-calling and snide remarks.

Unfortunately, since Newsweek has been sold, Meacham is moving on to other endeavors. I wish him well. I'll follow his witty, insightful writing wherever he goes.

But my thanks go out to Roberta over at Books to the Ceiling for calling my attention to Newsweeks's Book Issue (published Aug. 2nd), which Meacham still oversaw and which somehow I missed this year.

This time out, Meacham writes his rationale for reading mysteries and thrillers and why on earth shouldn't he? Read them, that is. Some of the best (and most readable and approachable) books out there are so-called genre and thank goodness for them.

The fact that Meacham reads some of the same books I do, of course, endears him to me even more.