This weekend is the 5th annual AJC Decatur Book Festival. I had a lot of fun at last year’s festival. Jonathan Franzen will be there. I’m hoping to be able to see Diana Gabaldon, who I missed last year because the crowd was way too big—her latest book had just been released. I think it should be a good time, and I hope the weather will be nice. Last year was crowded, but it was good because there were still plenty of places to sit, and it was heartwarming for this English teacher to see books bring so many folks out.

I don’t know if I’m being prickly or sensitive, but it bugs me that folks who commented on my review of Charity Girl, even if they agreed with the assessment, felt the need to point out they can understand Georgette Heyer’s Regency slang, ergo, I must have reading comprehension problems. Those exact words weren’t said, but they were sure implied a few times. Listen, I can read Robert Burns’s Scots dialect. I can understand Joseph in Wuthering Heights. I don’t think I have reading comprehension problems if I can’t figure out a few words in what I’m sure is probably historically accurate and meticulously researched but nonetheless dated and unfamiliar—apparently just to me—Regency cant. I didn’t like the book, and I stand by my review, but I don’t think I will participate in something like that again. I think the real problem some of the commenters had with my review is that I didn’t enjoy a book by an author they liked. Honestly, many of them were polite about it. In fact, I felt those who completely disagreed and yet didn’t feel the need to denigrate my intelligence probably made some good points. They know the author better than I do, after all. But I don’t understand the point in trying to belittle someone you disagree with. It isn’t likely to make them decide you’re right.