Okay. “Fifty Shades of Grey” is fun to talk about obsess over, but author E.L. James said herself that the books are not revolutionary, yet everyone wants to treat it as such — namely culture expert Ellis Cashmore, who says we should expect a baby boom next year thanks to the trilogy.

Given that women are no longer interested in sex, it’s astounding to hear that E.L. James’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the best-selling Kindle book of all time. I suppose we just prefer to imagine the act than actually do it ourselves. Living through fictional characters is just so much better.

I learned at age 3 that it’s simply not enough to enjoy a movie. Upon seeing “Beauty and the Beast,” which was the first film I was ever exposed to, I had to have Belle’s yellow flowing gown as my Halloween costume, own the Beast Barbie doll (which is still in my childhood home, you made a worthwhile investment, mom!), and have a Lumiere action figure.

There are plenty of reasons to pass on E.L. James’s highly praised “Fifty Shades” series: It’s not particularly well-written, it was inspired by the “Twilight” saga, and puts in a positive light a man so controlling that he purchases the company for which his new girlfriend works just to have complete power over her. You can find faults with a lot in the books, but you cannot argue that reading them is equivalent to infidelity.

The people of Brevard County, Florida will soon be able to check out “Fifty Shades” books from local libraries, as the novels are going to be restocked onto shelves following the nationwide backlash to the ban.

E.L. James’s insanely popular “Fifty Shades” trilogy has reportedly saved marriages and restored sex lives, but it’s apparently not enough to get ladykilling crooner John Mayer laid — at least with a woman he recently put the moves on.

‘m the kind of person who embarrasses easily in public. I am prone to tripping on sidewalks (thanks to my awful texting whilst walking habit), getting thrashed around on the subway, and having my meal end up all over my outfit. Though I’m constantly red in the face about some awful faux pas I’ve committed in the face of gawking passersby, I’ve never been too bashful to whip out one of the “Fifty Shades” books in public, and I seem to be among the few willing to read the erotic literature beside strangers.

At the New York City “Fifty Shades” signing last week, sexologist Dr. Logan Levkoff attested that E.L. James’s bestselling trilogy has changed the way women talk about sex — and also inspired pregnancies with its hot sexual content. I rolled my eyes at such assertions, but the joke is on me, as sales for sex toy balls have shot up 300 percent in the last month, and there’s little doubt that the increase is thanks to the British author’s books, which feature main character Anastasia Steele using Kegel balls at the command of wealthy CEO Christian Grey, who wants her to be his sex slave.

Given our nation’s timeless adoration for compelling novels, it’s easy to forget that well-loved heroes such as Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and fictional character spotlight newbie Christian Grey aren’t real people. But when you’re about to drain your wallet of  about six million dollars, it hits you like a leather whip that these folks exist solely in the pages of books.

New York Times besteller “Fifty Shades of Grey” makes its followers do odd things: Wait for several hours to receive an autograph from the writer, grieve over having to say goodbye to main character Christian Grey at the conclusion of the final book, and scream during book signings as 10-year-old girls do at Justin Bieber concerts. But does this kind of devotion last forever? Author Erica Jong, who penned the controversial novel, “Fear of Flying,” has her doubts, and rightfully so.