50 Shades: what's with all the hype?

This book has been ranted and raved about over the past few days, (weeks?) been getting a lot of reviews and comments from different sites.

When I first heard the title:
"I wonder what it's about. The title offers me no insight as to what it's about. I am curious."

When I read the reviews:

"These opinions range from "terrible" to "addicting". I'm not sure what to trust. But a book about BSDM? My inner psychologist is interested. Hit me."

Naturally, I was curious. I'm going to come straight out and say it... I like reading romance/erotic fiction. All types of it. I don't discriminate. I mostly read it for the fiction and the backstory. Sometimes for the sex scenes. I don't think it's wrong. Sure, some of it is grossly sexist and unclassy, but who cares? It's just fiction. So bring it on.

I downloaded a preview of it on my phone. Yes, Christian Grey is a mysterious and attractive young and powerful man, and Ana is a college girl who acts like she's 15 and she's a total noob. That's as much as I got from the first 60 pages or so. Unfortunately that's all I got from the first 60 pages or so because I only got 60 pages or so to read in my preview.


Time to add opinions of my own:

• He sounds attractive. Young, rich, successful. Basic kind of guy that almost any girl would want. 
• The fact that the author doesn't give much about him in the beginning makes you want to read more, but still it's a technique that's so overdone... it's almost expected. 
• But... since I only read 60 pages or so, I am pretty sure E.L James shall provide him with a dark and twisted past to be revealed in latter pages. Please tell me this is true. 
• So many people have mentioned the phrase "like Twlilight" that they may or may not have ruined the book for me. They're not comparable. End of story.
• dubbed "Mommy porn" by the media. (hmm.. mom fans.. Twilight?) ...Not sure how to react to that. but I defend that with this:
• many women want to get away from their real world for a while. isn't that the main reason to read any fiction book in the first place?
• couples who read it together find it helped to re-spark their sex lives, improving their relationship. happy ending for them!
• I got really sick of seeing the word "flushed" repeatedly, "lip-biting", "dark", and whatnot. (limited vocabulary...=Twilight?)
• However, the awkwardness of Ana is something I can relate to. Relatable characters are a plus.
• and I'm a sucker for those cute flirty conversations they have.

In conclusion, read the book if you like erotic novels. Read it if you like fiction, and the sex doesn't bother you. Read it if you like fiction and the sex is just a plus for you. Don't read it if you're not even into erotic novels, and then complain that it's raunchy. You shouldn't have picked it up in the first place.

I'm definitely going to continue reading the rest of it once I get my hands on a copy. Christian Grey needs a character analysis from me. And my curious girl mind also wants to know what happens between the two of them. *squee! romance!

So there it is. My review and I didn't even have to read the entire thing.