I have a lot of friends who write fanfiction.  I was their beta most of the time, so it kinda grew on me.  Now I love reading it.  Why you ask?  I love it because it lets me see how someone else...translates it, for lack of better wording.  Mostly though, it just boils down to I'm an avid reader...and I don't have money to buy books, so fanfiction works for me!