Let’s talk about anything bookish!
I have been sitting on this topic for a few months now. And every time I think about it, it just drives me up the wall! What am I talking about? I am talking about SNOOTY people who think THEIR book choices are BETTER than YOURS and they talk down to you.
Sound familiar?
Pretty much every romance (and even YA) reader get this ALL THE FREAKING TIME and it really pisses me off thinking about it.
I mean, this has happened to me more times than I can count!
In fact, I USED to hide the books that I read because I’d get weird looks ALL THE FREAKING TIME. Granted, I used to read bodice rippers and the titles were: Devil’s Prize, Prisoner of My Desire and so on. Still! I don’t look down at people who read books that I don’t read! Yes, I have talked to people who have read Fifty Shades and have talked about it, even though I HATE that book!
It’s all about respect, people!
I understand that we don’t have the same tastes, but please, DO NOT think that just because you read intellectual (whatever THAT means) books, the books that I read are DIRT!
These people look at me in THAT face romance readers are all too familiar with.
I used to be ASHAMED of the books I read. But in the last 10 years, I just don’t give a f*ck what anyone thinks. Yes, I read romance. Historical Romance. And I don’t CARE that it is NOT historically accurate. I don’t CARE that you think it is formulaic (because really, aren’t all books following a formula/outline of some sort?). I don’t care if it ends in a HAPPY ENDING because I LOVE IT.
What I don’t understand is that why some people are SNOOTY when it comes to reading.
I know we can’t control the haters. It’s just frustrating because I get excited when I meet other readers regardless of what genre they read. I WANT to talk about books. I CAN have a conversation with someone who doesn’t read the same books I do. I actually have had fun conversations with people who don’t read the same books I do, so it boggles my mind when there are just those that are snooty.
Enough with the snicker, already!
It might look that I am “okay” about it, but that doesn’t mean you can snicker behind my back and claim to be friends after all that, right? #notcool
So tell me, has this happened to you before? Share your horror stories below!
[…] Ezrah @ I Heart Romance & YA wants to discuss When People Think the Books You Read are Crap… […]
I may have been that person at one time– the one who snickered at people reading romance novels. Which is kind of weird because my mom used to be a HUGE fan of them when I was a kid. Every Sunday she would curl up on her bed with some bon bons and a harlequin romance novel. I think I sort of rolled my eyes at the books because I was a bit of a prude. I notice my opinion is kind of changing though. I read the first two novels in the Mistresses of Versailles series, which is historical fiction with a side of sexy-time, and it’s really quite delightful. I mean, I imagine the content in these books are tamer than the bodice rippers you mention (although, I’ve never read them, so I don’t know), but reading them was kind of…liberating in a way. Is that just me?
Jackie recently posted…The Book that Made Me Blush Even More | The Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie
LOL I totally understand you…. and even though you think NOT a lot of people read historical romance, it is a HUGE business ergo, a lot of people ARE reading it!
I actually don’t read bodice rippers as much…only because the genre has changed through the years. The “modern” historical romance isn’t a bodice ripper 🙂
I refuse to be ashamed about reading anything. I read for me, not for anyone else, so it doesn’t really matter to me whether other people like the books I read!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Do Author Bios Ever Make You Want to Read a Book?
Yup! I TOTALLY AGREE Nicole! But as a teen, I used to care about what other people think. When I started college, that’s when everything changed 🙂 And all is GOOOOD!
Ha, agree, I use to be ashamed about reading romance novels, but now I just embrace it. And made my BFF start reading them too so I have someone to talk about them too (before I started blogging and have lots of people, haha). It is not okay to be snooty about book genres people read, that’s just rude! Great discussion!
Cyn @ Book Munchies recently posted…Blog Tour: Return of the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon
I know what you mean! Sadly, hardly anyone of my friends read historical romance! 🙁
I’ll admit that I am not a fan of 50 Shades and have snorted and turned my nose up at it. (Yes, I have read it. I was curious!) But I have been in discussions where I have actually ended up defending it!
Why? Many of those discussions have revolved around what is literature? or if you were in a Fahrenheit 451 situation what books would you save? Is something not literature just because you think it is not good, but it got MILLIONS of people reading again or reading in the first place? See, that’s why I end up defending 50 Shades. It’s a weird position to be in, but if it got you reading and you love it, then love it will all your bookish heart. And scream that love from the roof tops. 🙂
Terri M. recently posted…A Delightful Surprise I Was Not Expecting
True! I may not want to save 50 Shades, but I don’t turn my nose up at people who read it… LOL still not going to read it, though!
But I do get your point, just because it’s horrible, doesn’t mean it’s not literature. Just not a stellar example… LOL
I love this topic. I totally agree with you! I don’t disparage anyone reading what they like. I don’t like graphic novels or manga, but that’s okay, I have books I do like. Now I do maybe speak bad about Fifty Shades, but only because I did read the first one, and it is written horribly, I could barely make it through. So it wasn’t the topic, just the actual writing. But again, if that is what someone enjoys, who am I to care that they want to read that! Great post!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…YA Review and Giveaway: Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey
Precisely, Lisa! I mean, I don’t like Fifty Shades, too but if someone asks (someone actually asked me yesterday! LOL) I would tell them why I don’t, but not in a way to degrade the ones who actually LOVE the book.
What I’m saying is that intelligent discussion is good. Being snooty and thinking someone is lower than you because you don’t read the “classics” is just plain wrong!
This sounds so familiar!!! (and now I feel bad that I didn’t include a disclaimer in my 50 Shades post but meh.)
I think this is why I haven’t read a lot of romance lately! Because I do feel like I will be judged for it. It’s also the same with YA sometimes! I feel weird shopping in the kids/teens section.
And and and definitely – being snooty isn’t nice. I love talking to all kinds of readers too, and sometimes you get really interesting recommendations that way!
BUT at the end of the day, we read what we like, right? No one else’s opinion should matter.
Now you let me know if someone’s mean to you and I’ll give them a stern talking-to, okay?!
Annika @ Hiding Books recently posted…The Progeny by Tosca Lee
Awww thanks Annika! It was just a couple of people at work who looked at me funny…one actually snorted and laughed when I said the title… sigh*
The romance reading used to be read under the covers at night but I changed my tune years ago when I just said, WTH, who cares?!
It just pushes my buttons when people are SNOOTY about it! Thankfully, this doesn’t happen a lot BUT when it does… I go to a very baaaad place.
But no, you’re good. Your Fifty Shades discussion was a good discussion post! 🙂 I mean, I totally unfriend people who LOVE Fifty Shades… LOL kidding wink*
That’s not very nice of them!
That’s like what my YA reading used to be like! Only on kindle so I don’t have copies lying around…. Now I have a shelf full. Oops 😉 But, yeah, REALLY. who cares?!
Being snooty is just not okay. I don’t understand it, especially if it’s from someone else who loves books, you know?
Haha aww! YOU HAVE THREATENED TO UNFRIEND ME SO MANY TIMES! ahaha <3
Annika @ Hiding Books recently posted…The Last Remnant by Pam Brondos | Fourline Trilogy
LOL you know I do that because I love you, right?! <3
Aww I doooo! <3