Merry Wanderer of the Night + TIME

The Pink Heeled Dilemma

I've become a huge fan of Enthusiasticast over the last year but their recent episode fifty really built a soft spot in my heart for them. For those of you who don't know, Enthusiasticast is a book podcast run by two hilarious guys, Jon and Mark. For the most part they review literary fiction or possibly "guy's fiction" by which I mean Hornby-esque writers. It's unfortunate that we have these gender distinctions in literature because as a woman Hornby is one of my all time favorite writers, and apparently Jon, suddenly, is a big fan of romance.

Okay, maybe big fan is a bit of a stretch-- but on episode fifty he reviews a book called Tell Me Lies

by Jennifer Crusie. This a book I've seen around but have passed off as a girly book.

I, a woman, have passed on this book because it looked too much like chick lit. And even worse: I started this blog to encourage people not to feel about what they read. I was sick of the English department telling me what books were good and what books were bad so I decided to go against it and say "Hey, there is good stuff in this here historical romance to ya'know!" For the most part I think I've succeeded in my mission. I've tried different kinds of books, like romance novels, and I've gotten over the "I haven't read that book guilt." I still do judge a book by its cover though-- I guess I've just gotten a little more liberal with the covers I choose.

As a side note, I think this is also partially the fault of publishers. I hate how books by women get slapped with pink high heels on the cover just because they are about girls. There is a lot of great women's fiction out there-- but it's a genre I've left mostly unexplored because the covers turn me off.

But why do we make ourselves feel guilty about the books we read? Why is a bad emotion like guilt associated with an awesomely fun activity like reading to begin with? I know I've asked these questions before, but Jon got me thinking about them again. He forced me to be a little more honest about how open I am when it comes to books. I'd love to hear your answers to these questions, and I'd also love it if you went and listened to Enthusiasticast.

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The Pink Heeled Dilemma + TIME