It’s not the money. It’s the time.

Sure, a movie is an expensive experience, when you count the cost of the popcorn and soda. And there are those deluxe theaters where you buy time on a leather recliner and food is brought to you. (The latter is something more than just a movie.) But the real determination of whether you see that movie you’ve read about: Is it worth the time?

In a movie, you’re investing two or three hours in the dark and you want to be taken away to another place and, when the credits roll, in the best of all experiences, you don’t want it to end.

It’s true of a book as well, but the dimensions are different. You provide the snacks, and only the top authors charge over ten bucks for a Kindle version, twenty-five if you’ve got to have paper. But are you going to spend seven to eight hours with this thing? That’s the question.

There are many options out there from names like Dan Brown where you know what to expect, to folks like yours truly who are building a fan base. No matter who you choose, you want somebody who will make you glad you spent the time.