Bookish propaganda I am not falling for

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This trend is everywhere on Insta at the moment, and I recently took part in it! I’ve decided to accompany it with a blog post because this platform lets me go into detail about the ‘why’ for each bookish propaganda I do not support, whereas there is a character limit on Insta and I don’t think I can squeeze every single word I want to write and say on there!

Throughout my reading journey, I’ve received comments or witnessed things people do that I don’t entirely agree with. I’m not saying they’re wrong (everyone’s entitled to their own opinions), but often they rub me the wrong way and leave a bad taste in my mouth. Here are some bookish propaganda I am not falling for:

1. “You can only read one book at a time.”

As someone who’s gone back and forth between reading one book at a time and reading multiple at once, I can attest that it’s definitely possible to read more than one simultaneously. Is it my preferred method of reading? Right now, not as much, but it might be for many readers out there. I’ll never understand why people insist on NEEDING to read one book at a time, or are even concerned about how we’re reading in the first place. Focus on your reading strategy instead of worrying about ours!

2. Reading is a feminine hobby

I feel like this is equivalent to saying that only men can and are good at gaming or playing video games. This is entirely false; there are many males in my life who love reading and even enjoy more than I do.

3. Romantasy = pure smut or 🌽

Sigh. This one needs a whole blog post to itself. It is a big misconception to assume this, as Romantasy is more than just smut! You’re neglecting everything else that comes with the genre: the worldbuilding, the narrative, characters, themes, pace, plot twists, etc. Smut is just another element of Romantasy too, and more often than not, it plays a small part in the books or series you read to move the story forward or deepen the relationship between two characters (this is especially true for the A Court of Thorns and Roses series!). Instead of making assumptions, why not pick up a Romantasy book and try reading it? Is there smut in the first few chapters? Probably not.

4. “Audiobooks don’t count as reading!”

Uh, they definitely do! You might not be reading words off a page, but it still counts as reading when words are being read to you. Some prefer audiobooks because they are more convenient and fit their lifestyles better, whether that’s listening to one during long journeys on public transport or completing chores around the house. Regardless of which format you use to “read”, it still all counts as reading!

5. Only reading books that are popular or currently trending to keep up with the hype

I’m actually guilty of this and am always tempted to indulge in popular books (Quicksilver and Silver Elite I’m looking at you), but with my recent focus on reading ARCs a priority, I’ve realised there’s so many books out there by indie and less well-known authors that match my mood more and what I want to read compared to those currently trending. Anyone who has written a book is an author, and deserves just as much love for their work as someone who’s made it as a New York Times Bestseller or all over social media.

6. “Oh. You read “those” books.”

I’m sorry, but what does this even mean? What about those books makes them “bad” or presented in a negative light? Is it the smut? Is it the violence? Is it the dialogue? I honestly need people who comment things like this to specify because I don’t know what they’re nitpicking. I wish these comments wouldn’t be made out loud in the first place either because it’s rude and degrading. I don’t care if you don’t like what I read; what I enjoy is none of your business.

7. Physical books are better than e-readers

Now that I love reading with both, this is a very debatable topic. However, I wouldn’t say one is necessarily “better” than the other. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages, but also come with features that differ from each other. I love the ability to feel and flip through pages of a physical book, but I am also grateful that I can change the size of the text on my Kindle to accommodate my eyesight and prevent my eyes from straining.

8. YA is only for teenagers and not adults

Since when and says who? A lot of YA readers are—with myself included—adults. We love YA and grew up reading some very iconic book series from this genre when we were teenagers ourselves (The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Selection, The Mortal Instruments and Divergent series, anyone?). What’s wrong with wanting to revisit them as adults? We might want to get a new perspective on the books now that we’re older and more mature; we might crave all the memories, nostalgia, and comfort they brought into our lives; we might just simply want to escape into a book that is categorised as Young Adult.

Additionally, there are a lot of meaningful messages behind these books, as well as life lessons we could learn from and incorporate into our daily lives. So no, YA isn’t just for teenagers, they’re for adults too!

9. “Indie authors are not real authors.”

I’ve already touched on this a little when answering number 5, but I will reiterate what I said again: anyone who writes is an author! What is the definition of a “real” author anyway? Is it someone that everyone already knows? An upcoming author who managed to take the social media world by storm? Or is this—and most likely—a discriminatory comment insisting indie authors aren’t real authors because they’ve decided to publish their books independently instead of going through the traditional route with well-known publishers? There are several valid reasons why an author might choose to publish independently, but it doesn’t mean they’re not “real”.

10. Movie/TV show book covers instead of the original

I will never understand why this is a thing—I find it ruins the book I’m reading. I want to be able to envision the characters I read about, not already have a specific actor with a specific appearance in mind as a placeholder, and be reminded of them every time I glance at the cover!

11. Yucking someone’s yum

This is pretty much the overall message of this blog post. Whether it’s a book, series, trope, character(s), or authors, no one should be actively hating on someone just because they don’t like or agree with what another person prefers. Everyone has their favourites and icks, so don’t yuck someone else’s yums!