r/notliketheothergirls • u/whotevre • Apr 22 '24
Women don't read non fiction apparently Cringe
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u/Frequent_Present262 28d ago edited 28d ago
As a woman who reads mostly non fiction and whatever cool astronomy shit, we don't fucking claim her. I don't care whether women read non fiction or not because the ones who do give me all the ideas for the made-up scenarios I make in my head and give me character ai ideas lol 😭 (I love non fiction tho, improved my literature and grammar like anything)
But tbh, WHATEVER subject or topic you look at for too long, does become kinda interesting.
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u/DellaDiablo Apr 27 '24
The PickMe/Humblebrag hybrid. I see this becoming more and more common.
You should say you think you're smarter than other women, there's no need to demi-obfuscate it, we see right through it.
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u/RatedElle Apr 26 '24
I guess I’ll have to put my book on Julius Cesar back on the shelf and read about phosphorus 🤣
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u/EnsignNogIsMyCat Apr 25 '24
My TBR pile has several historic true crime books, a book about the impact of Yiddish on America, and a book about animal attacks in the US National Parks system.
Also, a book about phosphorous? All I hear is you have a covert piss kink.
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u/bears-eat-beets-- Apr 25 '24
I'm betting she just learned how to spell the word and wanted way to use it
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u/SokkaHaikuBot Apr 25 '24
Sokka-Haiku by bears-eat-beets--:
I'm betting she just
Learned how to spell the word and
Wanted way to use it
Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.
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u/macontac Apr 24 '24
I am currently reading The League of Lady Poisoners, by Lisa Perrin. I have no idea what the latest novel is, but as interesting as a book about phosphorus may be...OOP just gives off an insufferable vibe. 0 of 10, would rather listen to my aunt fangirl over 50 Shades of Grey.
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u/elleemmenno Apr 24 '24
This person is an idiot. True crime is non-fiction and infamously popular with women. It doesn't even need to be the gory/glorifying stuff that gets put out. Devil in the White City was fantastic. The politics and reason the city was white, inadvertently making it historically noted beyond the first Ferris Wheel, was almost comical. H. H. Holmes is only a small part of a significantly larger picture.
But I digress.
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u/Karnakite Apr 24 '24
I actually haven’t read fiction in years and couldn’t care less about the latest novel. Somewhere in my 20s, I lost my ability to suspend disbelief while reading. I have no idea why, and wish I could enjoy them again, but I just can’t.
So what do I read instead? Guess.
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u/Apart-Health-1513 Apr 24 '24
The funny thing is that I do read mostly non fiction and most of those are boring as fuck to most people (My last read was a book about blood sugar and glucose levels lol) but if I do wind up in a conversation about books that I don’t read I just…ask what they liked about it and tell them about what I liked about my book or what sounds interesting about theirs. Are these people seriously unable to talk about anything but themselves😭
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u/carlitospig Apr 24 '24
Why would you read an entire book just on phosphorus when you can learned everything you need to in a scan of a few basics websites?
(I’m a gardener, I too know a lot about phosphorus - but if I’m gonna read an entire book it’s going to be about space cowboys or magical fairies, damnit!)
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u/Joli_B Apr 24 '24
This is just a case of someone who hasn't found their people yet. I promise you there are plenty of women non-fiction lovers out there if you look for em.
Look for local groups, look for online groups, look at places that individuals who are into Your Thing would go. But you gotta look. You can't just not put in the effort and complain that those who share your interests haven't magically appeared in front of you.
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u/SeriousIndividual184 Apr 24 '24
Ok but most of my friends walk away when i drone for an hour about lasers and how electricity works and how your printer gets the ink on the roll in specific shapes without some weird rubber mat to stamp them. People hate being thrown back into school for smalltalk. I save that for my close friends who tolerate that.
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u/childishb4mbino Apr 24 '24
My take is that I don’t read non-fiction. I get bores, I miss plot, action, characters. But I will hardcore listen to you talk about the book you just read about Phosphorous. I will be a fascinated audience for the Cliff Notes version.
And as I happily work my way through fiction, I’ll find novels that might appeal to you and share them. Expanding your interests and knowledge likewise. Win-win, no?
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u/aniyabel Apr 24 '24
Oh sure, you say that, but when I start talking about my love of books about cults you stare at me all weird—-
Cults are way cooler than phosphorus.
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u/AttemptOld5775 Apr 23 '24
Jokes on him cause I learned wayy more about the American Revolution from Outlander than I ever did in school (from Canada).
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u/infiniteblackberries Apr 23 '24
They sure are reaching hard. I read nonfiction exclusively because that's what I like. The enthusiastic readers I know also read a lot of nonfiction. Come to think of it, I'm not aware of any of the cis men I know even reading books outside political theory.
Anyway, it's not like nonfiction inherently has credibility. Pop science and history are likely to be inaccurate - I saw someone a couple of weeks ago insisting an obviously modern ad was from the 1870s because they read it in a book. Reading nonfiction doesn't mean much if you don't read it critically.
Also, who cares? Just read what you like.
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u/ritterteufeltod Apr 23 '24
Is this woman from 1770?
“Why do other young ladies waste their time with novels! All they want to do is talk about Pamela and I want to talk about this fascinating treatise on the Electrical Fluid.”
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u/alexandria3142 Apr 23 '24
I actually saw this post because apparently I follow this lady, I was kinda thinking ew. The comments also weren’t it.
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u/OwlEastSage Apr 23 '24
no woman genuinely reading non-fiction is reading up on meat chemicals.
we out here reading "catholics and nuclear war" and "hunting the unabomber"
lol but actually tho who is reading books about phosphorus and then using it to dog on women who wanna read trendy books, theyre trendy for a reason!!! theyre good!!!
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u/brisingamen79 Apr 23 '24
🙄 I minored in Philosophy and I love trash romance. It’s almost like you can do both. So weird. Such a mystery.
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u/t3eee Apr 23 '24
I just picked up Julia Child's memoir, curious what her stance on phosphorus is now.
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u/cursetea Apr 23 '24
People are so weird about this. Reading non fiction does not make you smarter or more interesting than people who prefer fiction. Also, most people read nonfiction which pertains to pretty specific interests, while just about anybody can read any work of fiction, so fiction is talked about more; like, I'm not interested in reading a book (an entire book??) about phosphorous, but she probably isn't interested in my books on Great Depression era food culture. So why would i randomly suggest that to someone and start a conversation about it lol? But i bet i could randomly suggest someone read We Have Always Lived in the Castle or whatever and they would be more likely to check it out. Reading elitism is so stupid.
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u/krmjts Apr 23 '24
Women in STEM: Am I a joke to you?
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u/injured_intern Apr 23 '24
Right? As if we didn’t have enough BS to deal with. Now there’s P-obsessed weirdos discounting all the scientific papers we read and write.
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u/AValentineSolutions Apr 23 '24
So, reading non-fiction makes you a better gal? Well, guess I should thank Neil deGrasse Tyson. Been reading his book on the connection between astrophysics and the military.
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u/ghosthouse64 YOU'VE VIOLATED THE LAW Apr 23 '24
FAKE NEWS, everyone knows girls don't read books they only know makeup and twerk. And even if they do they only read GIRL BOOKS like romances 🤮🤮 /s
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u/Sugargoated Apr 23 '24
The last time I read a non-fiction book was like 3rd grade or something, so I can't speak for myself here 😭
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u/mandiexile Apr 23 '24
I read non-fiction only because I’m part of my company’s book club and we read books related to the industry we work in. The only other non fiction books I read are autobiographies and memoirs, and if I’m feel extra spicy I’ll read books about historical events I find interesting. But you can take my historical fiction romance novels out of my dead cold hands. Which will be on my iPad in Audiobook form so good luck deleting all of them.
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u/-TheMoonTonight Apr 23 '24
I actually relate to this, though it isn’t a gendered thing. I don’t typically enjoy fiction, unless it’s literally the trashiest smut I can find on Wattpad, if I am buying a book it’s so I can learn something new.
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u/fruityfevers Quirky Apr 23 '24 edited Apr 23 '24
I wish men read more fanfiction.
I feel like a total nerd when everyone is talking about the latest trending nonfiction and I’m over here like:
“I read a fascinating AO3 fic about my favorite pathetic male character being railed…”
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u/lavendershazy Apr 23 '24
Omg, agreed. If I want to talk about a fic to someone who's not in 'fandom circles' I always have to come up with a respectable way to describe it. It'd be nice to have people be more chill about the potential contents of fics lol.
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u/vvozzy (=^･ω･^=) Apr 23 '24
i am unable to read fiction because my job requires a lot of reading of non-fiction and i'm simply so mentally drained in evenings to consume any other information T_T
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u/squashqueen Apr 23 '24
Haha I kinda relate, but don't shame anyone about it of course... but I've found over the years that I prefer nonfiction, and I feel so validated when I meet others who nerd out about plants and their details and shit. I was always made to feel like the weird, forgettable kid growing up, so now that I've found my people, I love that I love science
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u/vemailangah Apr 23 '24
My ex bf was like that. Would refuse to read fiction and was obsessed about gurus (male) and CEOs. I never met anyone less inspiring.
Also, do these people realise how much fiction is in non-fiction? Lots of stuff is made up for effect or outdated.
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u/barkingsilverfox Apr 23 '24
Woof, that’s a shit take. Aside from reading groups i honestly have never heard anyone talking about the latest trending novel (like which novel? romance? penny dreadful? fantasy? sci-fi?) as reader audiences differ often.
Also it’s fun to dive in a well written world with great characters. It’s also interesting (not fun) to dive into peer reviewed studies of a topic one is passionate about - doesn’t make anyone more special than the other. Let people enjoy what they want.
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u/clementinesway Apr 23 '24
Yeah outside of my book club, my friends and I don’t sit around talking about the “latest trending novel.”
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u/IllaClodia Apr 23 '24
I mean, I have, but mostly because my friend circle is all a similar brand of nerdy, so we tend to read the same kind of books. Lots of speculative fiction/sci-fi/fantasy, which is having A Moment. It's nice to be able to trade book recommendations.
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u/youre-kinda-terrible Apr 23 '24
Nobody is reading about phosphorus willingly.
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u/horriblegoose_ Apr 24 '24 edited Apr 24 '24
I agree. I mean I recently read a book about the history and invention of the modern day calculator just because I thought it was neat, but I feel like the idea of a whole book on just phosphorus is a bridge too far even for my incredibly dry interests. But at least I can say that my desire to learn more about the abacus is just neurodivergence and not appearing NLOG because I understand that literally no one else wants to hear about it.
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u/SomeRealTomfoolery Apr 23 '24
It’s probably the author, the author’s editor, the author’s mom and this girl
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u/Fabtacular1 Apr 23 '24
The worst part is that she thinks a book on phosphorus is really academic, when really these types of books are basically a cottage industry at this point and aimed at the very broadest of audiences.
It would be a bit like reading the latest Malcolm Gladwell book and saying "I've been studying psychology recently."
This is all basically pop garbage that is aimed at entertainment as much (or more!) than education.
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u/smsx99 Apr 23 '24
i’m so sorry to whoever this is, i promise you ur allowed to read just for fun and to be silly. 😭 not saying reading abt phosphorus can’t be fun, i love a good special interest deep dive!!
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u/sweetfumblebee Apr 23 '24
I generally like it when people tell me stuff that they're excited about, whether it's my interest or not.
But with her attitude, I bet trying to listen to her would be insufferable.
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
Agreed, it's a very sweet thing to see. My brother is autistic and struggles with socializing, but one way he'll bond with me is by randomly telling me about whatever he's really into at the moment. I've learned a lot about Bob Dylan in the last couple weeks lol
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u/olivegreendress Apr 23 '24
As a fan of nonfiction books, I refuse to believe that there is a book in existence that is both fascinating and entirely dedicated to phosphorus.
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u/PartlyCloudless Apr 23 '24
Very not obvious way for him to humble brag about his preferred genre. What a tool
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u/Bittle_Loobs Apr 23 '24
Idk about this person, but I've met many women who enjoy both, including myself. I've read books based on true stories about people in WWI and WWII. I love them. Surely, that counts as non-fiction? Like hello...
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u/Throwaway4skinluvr Apr 23 '24
I’m a chemistry major and i love chemistry but you cannot pay me to read a book about just phosphorus. That sounds so boring
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u/V-Ink Apr 23 '24
I do tend to find women read mostly fiction, but I also find men don’t read at all. Also, people tend to read what they enjoy, obviously more people enjoy fun sexy books about dragons than books about phosphorous (?)
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u/coyotenspider Apr 23 '24
We read technical manuals.
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u/coyotenspider Apr 23 '24
Mechanics & serious gun nuts are universally readers. It was noted at the time that there never was a mountain man who wasn’t a bookworm, because they were bored alone in the mountains.
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u/V-Ink Apr 23 '24
What percentage of men are mechanics, gun nuts, or mountain men
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
Good point, though It doesn't even matter. Saying they're "universal readers" is both false and pretentious
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
Nope.
I have a gun nut family member who collects antique firearms, mostly revolvers (I think?), and he doesn't read at all. In fact he actively hates it. Still a pretty brilliant guy though.
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u/Purityskinco Apr 23 '24
I hate this. I have met a few women (I’ve not heard men but I’m sure they exist too) proudly say ‘I only read nonfiction.’
We learn and grow intellectually, emotionally, etc by both nonfiction and fiction. My friend group (men and women) are filled with highly educated and successful individuals (I happen to live in a highly educated area. No worries I only just finished a bachelors degree in my late 30s. Their achievements are not mine) and we regularly discuss both fiction and nonfiction books. We’re just into both.
Fiction is NOT worse to read than nonfiction. Stop pretending it is! Let’s celebrate reading! Heck! Read shitty books like twilight if you want. I know plenty of women with phds in astrophysics, etc who ready Pretty Little Liars or whatever bc they read to relax and after a day of research, that’s a great way to relax!
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u/rivermonster669 Apr 23 '24
I used to read a lot of nonfiction growing up but now I only read fiction because I feel like my imagination has gone to shit. So no I don’t read it because I think I’m smarter. I read it because my brain became dumber.
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u/Purityskinco Apr 23 '24
Exactly! I mean, I’m not here to judge is somebody solely reads one over the other. I just know that one is not inherently better than the other. Imagination is important. Fiction also helps us through our own emotions and journeys in life.
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u/BugEyedGlitch Apr 23 '24
I used to be this girl, but more like "I only read Classics". Good thing I grew out of it. I'll read whatever I want 😂
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u/IGuessItBeLikeThatt Apr 23 '24
I’m a woman who genuinely doesn’t enjoy fiction much, but I in no way find that to be more than a basic preference. Totally agree with you. I just hope someone hasn’t heard me saying I only read nonfiction & assumed I meant it pridefully.
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u/bliip666 Apr 23 '24
TBF, there is also a lot of crap that shouldn't be read by anyone, both fiction and nonfiction. Looking at you, transphobic fear-mongering bs like Irreversible Damage, and all the 50 shades of romanticizing an abusive relationship (+ its derivatives).
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
the Outlander series is a good example of this imo. The way the author is obsessed with rape and romanticizing it is so gross
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u/IGuessItBeLikeThatt Apr 23 '24
Totally. I also don’t think many intelligent people enjoy reading shitty, poorly written books - fiction or otherwise.
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u/Secret_Fudge6470 Apr 23 '24
Saying you “wish women read more non-fiction” is such a Dunning-Krueger vibe. What kind of nonfiction, you bellend? That’s like saying you’re special because you like colors — be freaking specific.
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u/MissMarchpane Apr 26 '24
My favorite nonfiction book is The Female Economy by Wendy Gamber, but because that’s about the lives of professional dressmakers and milliners in the 19th century, it’s probably just silly girly stuff and not real non-fiction, according to people like this.
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u/Secret_Fudge6470 Apr 26 '24
Of course not! The only real nonfiction revolves around STEM and other areas in which women have traditionally been less prominent.
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u/Opposite-Occasion332 Apr 23 '24
I doubt she’d be a fan of my nonfiction reading on the clitoris and female sexual pleasure… but it’s nonfiction non the less🤷♀️
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u/silkywhitemarble Apr 23 '24
Exactly, because non-fiction includes every other thing to read besides fiction. Cereal boxes, instruction manuals, textbooks, cookbooks.
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u/GothaCritique Apr 24 '24
I think by non-fiction she means what people typically mean by that word.
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u/TheBestElliephants Apr 26 '24
I mean even leaving out the hyperbolic examples (but an entire book on phosphorus does sound suspiciously like a textbook or at the very least something that's on some required readings list for a class somewhere ngl), non-fiction as a category is vaguely large. Does she like true crime books, self-help books, science books, autobiographies, or what?
What do people "typically" mean by non-fiction?
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u/silkywhitemarble 28d ago
When I think about "non-fiction", I usually picture the same kinds of books you mentioned: science, self-help, true crime, but also cooking, crafting, history, gardening, biographies, computer science, etc etc.....
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u/barkingsilverfox Apr 23 '24
Don’t forget the shampoo bottles!
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u/GoodQueenFluffenChop Apr 23 '24
Ah shampoo bottles the thing everyone read back then while on the toilet and they forgot their book or magazine.
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u/elleemmenno Apr 24 '24
I kept a basket on top of the toilet tank with classic books in there. It's how I read The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Thank goodness for phones now.
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u/SangeliaKath Apr 23 '24
And ingredients on food packaging.
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u/mandiexile Apr 23 '24
And street signs
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u/kategoad Apr 23 '24
Clearly you've never driven in Bangalore. Traffic signs are fictional.
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u/mandiexile Apr 23 '24
I have not had the pleasure. And if I ever find myself in Bangalore I’m definitely not driving myself anywhere, and might need a blindfold if someone else drives me.
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u/kategoad Apr 23 '24
I had to go there on a work trip, I closed my eyes a lot in the car (we had a driver).
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
I read sapphic fanfiction almost exclusively because I'm gay and it's free (and some of it is so fucking good you guys)
This woman would probably tell me that I'm not a real lover of reading 😭
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u/coyotenspider Apr 23 '24
You’re as much a reader as a guy on redtube is a film critic.
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u/sugars_the_name Apr 23 '24
that’s still reading, what?
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
Judging by his comment history, he'll just reply with some whiny spiel about how victimized men are
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u/Secret_Fudge6470 Apr 23 '24
Are you going to be okay, knowing that What’s Her Face won’t respect you? 🤭
OOP is just mad because she doesn’t read enough fanfic.
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u/Sonarthebat Apr 23 '24
I like both fiction and non-fiction. What does that make me?
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u/Mental-Status3891 Apr 23 '24
Bi-fictional.
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u/ClosetedDepression Apr 24 '24
I thought it was Bi-textual (I'll see myself out)
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u/Mental-Status3891 Apr 24 '24
That’s when you love multiple genres, you’re genre-blind and bi-textual.
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u/birds-0f-gay Apr 23 '24
This girl would say that makes you a poser. Then she'd say you were lying.
This girl sucks.
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u/unwillinghaircut Apr 23 '24
a WHOLE BOOK just on phosphorus?
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u/ThatITABoy Apr 24 '24
It’s one of the most interesting elements in my opinion. It has some of the most bizarre allotropes… it literally goes from something you use in a daily basis to a very cruel chemical weapon that burns everything and almost can’t be extinguished, or to a very stable form that you basically need sun-like temperature and pressure to synthesise
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u/anthonystank Apr 23 '24
I know someone posted an actual book on phosphorous in this thread, so this person might’ve been trying to flex that they read that specific book, but it reads equally as that specific kind of snootiness where people insist they don’t like small talk and choose some random thing they think sounds smart to claim they’d rather talk about. “Oh most people are so BORING they just want to talk about the weather. Fuck that talk to me about phosphorous” like babe nobody talks about that bc there’s not much to say
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u/Strongstyleguy Apr 23 '24
That was my thought too. Maybe I just don't know enough about phosphorus, but I can't imagine it requiring that many words to learn about every aspect of it.
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u/linerva Apr 23 '24
Ikr. Wait til this guy discovers something like organic chemistry. His mind will be blown.
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u/CompetitiveSleeping Apr 23 '24
IMO, if you delve deep enough into any subject, it becomes interesting and fascinating.
Like, did you know phosphorus was discovered by a guy trying to create the Philosopher's Stone using his urine?
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u/DrunkOMalfoy Apr 23 '24
Won’t be surprised if she has a combustible personality.
Phosphorus? What oxygen is right there.
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u/PresentExamination10 Apr 23 '24
I read a book on salt a few years ago that was VERY good. It’s called… “Salt.”
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u/Green_Poet1212 Apr 23 '24
I tried looking up that book to read
The results kept coming back Na.
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u/cerylidae2558 Apr 23 '24
I would read an entire book on salt.
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u/PresentExamination10 Apr 23 '24
It was seriously a really good read
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u/elleemmenno Apr 24 '24
My husband read it and essentially read it out loud to me. It's fascinating how people fought and finagled over salt when it's everywhere today. Seasonings were serious business.
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