It’s time for me to engage in one of my infrequent rants. And maybe it’s not even really a rant so much as a disappointed reaction to something that I saw on YouTube. A vlogger that I occasionally watch did a video titled “You’re reading the wrong books”. This immediately got my hackles up (for reasons that I’ll get to later), but I gave it a listen anyway. Upon tuning in, it seemed that the video was more about the fact that bookstores are currently pushing books that are more or less the same–in this case, according to the vlogger, romantasy novels and Korean cozy cat cafe novels. No argument from me on this, to a certain degree. But then she suddenly segues into talking not about bookstores’ choices in promotion, but in readers’ choices in reading. And she says the following sentence: “If you’re someone who isn’t pushing beyond the safe stuff, you’re reading the wrong books.”
No. Just… no. Hard no.
But let’s start with a bit of context for the assertion that bookstores are featuring the same kinds of books over a more diverse selection.
To a degree, this is true; however, there are number of reasons for this, most of which that have nothing to do with laziness. As background, I got my first job in a public library in 1985, and I have been working in bookstores ever since, so I have extensive experience in the bookselling industry as well as the publishing industry through contacts in that world. So, I feel fairly confident in speaking about the whys in this case.
Bookstores have been under threat for a long time. There’s a variety of reasons for this: the higher cost of producing books, the rise of social media, the rise of streaming services, etc. Whatever the reason, booksellers are always carefully watching the bottom line. It’s a sad reality, but it’s true. And it’s especially true for independent bookstores, which often have a smaller area to carry stock and thus have to prioritize what they think will sell. Sale dollars per square foot of floor space is something that has to be taken into account. This is why many independent stores also carry what are called “sidelines”, which are things like bookish mugs, socks, pins, and shirts. I could go on and start tossing around terms like “return on investment” and “profit margin”, but I’m sure you get the point.
When you look at big chain bookstores, like Barnes and Noble or Waterstones, you have a similar dynamic, but there is another aspect that comes into play. Because the buying for these stores are done at a corporate level, the selection sent to each store has to appeal to the broadest possible base. This, again, plays into bringing in what is popular, or what you know the publishers will be pushing with their advertising. It’s difficult for chain stores to appeal to a local set of interests when the buying is done at such a high level. This is where independent stores can find their strength, but that doesn’t negate the points I made above.
Now, as to the assertion that people are “reading the wrong books”… I’ll be honest, I watched this video yesterday and it’s taken me this long to cool down enough to write this. While book selling can be extremely codified, book reading is most certainly not. There is a truism that a book is a conversation between the author and the reader, and I firmly believe that this is true. The reason for my belief is that everybody brings their own experiences to their reading. My husband is ex-infantry, so he’s going to get different things out of a book with a military setting than I will. My mom has given birth to a child (obviously), so her experience of book with a mother’s perspective will be different than mine (since I never had kids). And it’s not just broad life experiences that affect your reading; your mood, the season, what’s going on at work that day or with your family last week, are all going to play a part in how you consume a particular book.
This is why I so vehemently disagree with telling someone that they’re reading “the wrong book”, for any reason. Do we need more representation in books?… of course we do. Do we need stories about a variety of life experiences?… of course we do. But, does everyone need to read all of these books all of the time?… hell, no. I’ll use myself as an example: I do tend to read a lot of books that challenge me. Since the start of the year, I’ve read a book about the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, a novel featuring a character with undiagnosed endometriosis, and a story in which a teenager is killed in a fire, to name a few. But I’ve also read a cozy romance set in a bookstore, a humorous mystery set in an alternate Victorian England, and an adorable middle grade book about otters. At different times in my life, I find a need for different kinds of books. When I’m feeling like learning something new, I’ll read non-fiction. When I feel like exploring a concept foreign to me, I’ll read fiction about someone with a different life experience. And when I’m feeling like I need the literary equivalent of comfort food, I’ll turn to a cozy mystery or two.
This is why, in my opinion, recommending books should never come with an ultimatum. Everyone is at a different point in their life and experiencing different things; therefore, I feel like it’s the height of pretentiousness to assume that you can approach books as a one-size-fits-all proposition. Are you a man who likes weight lifting and also enjoys bodice rippers? Good on you! Are you a preschool teacher who reads hardcore horror? Go for it! Are you the head of a Fortune 500 company who relaxes by reading collections of humorous essays? Yay! It’s all good.
There are no right or wrong books. If you take nothing else away from this post, please take that with you. Anything you want to read is fine. Are there books that I think are better (or worse) than others? Sure, that’s why I write about them, but I do so to allow you to make your own decisions. If I hate something and it turns out to be right up your alley? I’m happy for you! So please don’t ever let anybody tell you that what you’re reading isn’t something that you should be reading. It’s none of their damn business. Go forth and read whatever you please. And know that I’ll support you in that no matter what.