I can tell when I like what I'm reading when it inspires me to write. I'm reading, then I throw the book aside and pick up a notebook and pen. The words are going past my eyes, unfamiliar and strung together with just enough expertise, and then I think, "Wow. This is good. I bet I could be this good if I tried," or "Whoa. That phrase hit me right in the gut. I want to hit someone in the gut with a sentence like that."

Or, on the other side of the spectrum, I'll be reading a gushy romance novel laced with adverbs and a "throbbing member" chaser, and I'll say, "This book blows. Why aren't I published? I could be published in two seconds if this is published."

And then I pick up a notebook and a pen.