Reading is beloved by so many people. We want to read, but there are always some things holding us back. Toxic myths about readers and reading are hard to overlook. They might not be obvious but they can cause any reader a great deal of pain. We aren’t always good at knowing when we are being influenced by these myths, which is why we need to look out for them in our daily lives. We can stop the cycle of making others feel awful if we only stop ourselves from perpetuating these toxic myths.
You Can Only Love One Genre
Although it isn’t spoken outright, there seems to be the idea that if you like one genre, that’s your genre. You only get one choice and everything else is considered extra. Readers are expected to have one genre and one only.
This myth might not be obvious. We don’t always see that we carry these expectations, but you can tell that everyone has this perception of readers if only slightly. Whenever someone asks you what kind of books you like to read, they expect you to say you like horror, romance, fiction, but not all three.
This kind of thinking is definitely harmful. When you hold the idea that you can only like one kind of book, you don’t try new things. I spend a lot of my reading time invested in young adult novels. I have been reading young adult novels since I was in my pre-teens. Though I’ve tried other books before and loved them, I’m always stuck with young adult books.
By only picking one genre, you are limiting yourself. It can be especially painful when you don’t love the books being published in your genre anymore but you feel stuck and obligated to stay within your original genre.
You Have to Read a Lot to Be Considered a Reader
Toxic myths about readers include thinking you need to read a lot to be considered a reader. This is a common myth! We aren’t considered readers if we don’t read at least a dozen books a year. The problem is that not all of us are avid readers. Reading for hours every day is not possible for everyone.
Because we judge readers who read less than us, we are excluding people from the group. Everyone struggles in life and feeling included makes it easier to deal with. No one should be made to feel like their best isn’t good enough!
When people believe that they are not reading enough to be considered readers, they are discouraged from continuing. They won’t try as hard to keep reading if their community has deemed them unsatisfactory. It’s really hurtful to them.
You don’t need to read a lot to be considered a reader! If you read one book a week or one book a year, it doesn’t matter. As long as you put in the effort, you are a reader!
You Must Have a Favourite Novel
I went to an interview a few years ago where they asked me what my favourite book was. To be fair, it was an interview to work at a bookstore, so I can’t really blame them. Still, it took me a little off-guard. I hadn’t realized before that moment that I didn’t really have a favourite book.
For months after that, I would occasionally stop to think about which of my books is my favourite, but I never came up with anything. I’ve never been the kind of person to have favourites for anything, and it’s honestly kind of devastating. I really want to have a favourite book but I change my favourites so often, it’s not worth picking just one.
Similar to only loving one genre, it’s not easy to have more than one favourite. You are expected to have a favourite book at the top of your mind at all times. People want you to have a great book to recommend to them.
But you know what, it’s okay not to have a favourite novel or a favourite anything really! You can like as many things as you want. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one favourite. Don’t let the expectations of others keep you from loving multiple books.
Your Genre of Choice Needs to Be Age-Appropriate
Once you hit a certain age, people start to look down on you for reading books intended for younger audiences. Even if you love a genre or a series, people don’t see those books as something you should be reading once you hit the supposed “age limit”.
For instance, I love young adult books as you probably already know by now, but I’m in my twenties. I can tell that all the other people buying those books around me are much younger. All the main characters are sixteen. Though I have grown out of that stage in my life, I still love what the genre has to offer. It’s just sad that all the books I love are meant for a younger audience.
I’m still relatively able to read those books without seeming weird, but I know that people wonder why I’m not reading books for people my age. There are so many books that we love but that everyone else has decided we are too old to read. Harry Potter for example! You can’t tell me it wouldn’t be weird to see an older woman reading the novel on a bus or somewhere else. (Though that would be pretty great!)
Eventually, we are all just expected to grow out of those books and find more age-appropriate ones. But if you love them, I say go for it! Read whatever you want! Don’t let other people dictate what you can and cannot read!
You Need to Buy Expensive Books to Be a “Real” Reader
Books nowadays are so expensive! Some can go for $20-$30, especially the new releases. Reading has become a big investment in the long run! And I know we all buy a huge amount of books too. It adds up to a lot.
Though we all want to buy these expensive books, it isn’t always feasible for all of us. Buying these expensive books becomes one of the toxic myths about readers when we start to base everyone’s status as a “real” reader on how many books they have. We can be really judgemental when it comes to how many books people have and where they got them.
Books that you get from a sale or that you get secondhand are just as good as any other book. Sometimes it’s hard to overlook the idea that new books are better, but every book deserves a loving home! You shouldn’t look down on yourself or anyone else for not being able to afford hundreds of dollars in books every year.
When you are looking for books, don’t allow your fear of being judged keep you from getting some nice new reads!
Reading is in all our hearts and we don’t want anyone or anything to change that for us. That is why we need to be aware of these toxic myths about readers. We can avoid hurting ourselves and our friends. These toxic myths have caused so many problems in the lives of readers but the future is bright. We don’t need to let them ruin our lives anymore!
