Some people just can't help being judgmental. They roll their eyes when they see your shoes, your haircut... but worst of all can be when they see what you're reading.
A book can say so much about a person -- and it can also say nothing at all. It's simply what they are reading right now.
It's bad enough when people assume things about an author's life based on their books, but a reader? You know nothing about that person, their life, why they are reading the book or what they think of it. If you were able to go to their house and see their entire bookshelves, you *might* get a sense of them as a person -- but a single book tells you as much about someone as the color of their shoes. Let alone the fact that most book covers aren't representative of the book itself.
This is one of great beneficial side effects of e-readers -- they can hide what it is you're reading, allowing you to enjoy a book in peace. Yet there is still the danger of someone sat next to you peering over, seeing the title of the book, and sneering.
Get over yourselves, cultural snobs and sneerers. First of all, if you think reading is a good thing, then praise anybody who is doing it, no matter whether you personally would enjoy the same book. They never asked for your opinion.
And secondly, if you feel yourself instinctively starting to curl your lip, then why not make a deliberate effort actually to pick up the book they're reading next time you get the chance? You might learn something outside of your cultural comfort zone, and discover something amazing.
Here are 9 books that many people are uncomfortable reading in public -- and why the book shamers have got it all wrong.
