Light novels

"But reading addictive light novels, habitually watching 'mindless' TV shows, or gossiping around the water fountain at the office would qualify as Quadrant IV time wasters. Quadrant IV is not survival; it's deterioration."

This is scary. What do you suppose the authors meant by 'light novels'?

It means novels that are lacking in depth. Basically, easy reads that aren't very thought provoking.