No, I didn't read "The Da Vinci Code." Yes, I admit it, my literary habits, if you can call them that, tend to run more toward comic books.

And if I'm in the mood to read a novel, it's usually something by Nick Hornby, John Irving or Michael Chabon. Or even one of Gregory Macdonald's "Fletch" books. But that's just my peculiar taste.

Also, unless I have a really compelling reason to read a book that's being turned into a movie, I like to go into the film fresh, with an open mind, with no preconceptions about how faithful it should be. After all, I am a movie critic, not a movie-adaptation critic.

However, that hasn't stopped a few readers from accusing me of being biased in favor of the book. That my two-star review of the film may have been based upon my feelings about Dan Brown's best seller. Since I haven't read it, that's hardly the case.

Nor has it stopped readers from telling me what the book had that the movie didn't. That's nice, though at this point it's hardly likely to influence my opinion.

So, in an attempt to mimic one of the longest-running gags from television's "The Late Show With David Letterman," here are my Top 10 reasons the "Da Vinci Code" book is better than the movie. No wagering, please.

10. The book is 100 percent mullet-free.

9. In print, you can imagine Tom Cruise instead of Tom Hanks.

8. The whole Fanatical Masochistic Albino Assassin concept is so much cooler in print.

7. In print, you can imagine Tom Selleck instead of Tom Hanks.

6. The book-on-tape version is read by tough guy Chuck Norris, complete with sound effects.

5. In print, you can imagine Tom Arnold instead of Tom Hanks.

4. Reading is way neater than watching. Duh!

3. In print, you can imagine Tom Green instead of Tom Hanks.

2. The book can be enjoyed in the privacy of your home, away from the distractions of annoying kids and cell phones.

And the No. 1 reason the "Da Vinci Code" book is better than the movie:

1. Reading the entire book takes less time than watching the 2 1/2-hour movie. (At least until it's on DVD, and fast-forward is an option.)

• FROM MOVIE TO BOOK TO MOVIE. A film I'm extremely interested in is the upcoming "The Fountain," filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's science-fiction epic due out this fall.

Aronofsky had to scrap an earlier attempt to make the film, so he turned his screenplay into a graphic novel, illustrated by painter Kent Williams. I've read that version, which is beautiful but very heady.

The graphic novel is reminiscent of "2001: A Space Odyssey," another favorite of mine.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com