Different moods require different books. 

When you have a little bit of extra time in your schedule, it’s great to dive into a thick nonfiction title that needs more than a moment’s attention here and there. If you listen to audiobooks on your commute, you’ll make choices based on what kinds of narratives will keep you entertained without making you miss the turnoff to your office. Readers who like to get a few chapters in before going to sleep at night likely won’t reach for violent true crime or thrillers. 

But why is it so normal for readers to chastise themselves for picking up books they want to read because they’re simply enjoyable? Why do we make a caveat for “guilty pleasure reading” when we’ve chosen a book because we know we’ll like it? And is it even possible for any kind of reading to be considered literary junk food? 

What Does “Guilty Pleasure” Even Mean? 

Readers love reading. Life is short, so if you start a book and you completely hate it, you probably won’t even finish it. So if all reading is pleasurable, what do we mean when we call something a guilty pleasure? 

For one thing, as previously mentioned, we pick up different kinds of books for different reasons. Someone who has just gone through a painful divorce might look for either self-help titles or novels about healing after loss, but they might not describe that kind of reading as fun. There are also many incredibly significant books about important social issues, both fiction and nonfiction, and while they are illuminating and enriching, they might be hard to get through. 

But people usually don’t call every book they enjoy reading a guilty pleasure. Usually that term is reserved for books that are fun to read despite being considered corny, silly, or even badly written. Books that, for whatever reason, you’d be a little embarrassed to admit you’re reading.

What’s the Point of Reading Anyway?

Why do we read? To learn something new, to expand our minds, to escape to a different world and forget our own for a while. Certainly being sucked away into a fun story is a huge reason why anyone would want to read a book. So why the weird apology for it? 

Sometimes we get stuck in the idea that reading books is like eating vegetables: it’s good for you, something that maybe even makes you morally superior to other people, but it’s not something that’s meant to be fun or relaxing. 

Book is a very simple name for an object that can be so many things to so many people. While a historian writing detailed descriptions of ancient battles and a buzzy romance author writing steamy scenes might technically be doing the same task, they work in completely different worlds. However, both are still writers, and both of their books are still worth a reader’s time.

We’re so lucky to live in a world with such easy access—through bookstores, libraries, and even our phones—to a nearly endless supply of books. It’s wonderful to read for learning and to better understand a difficult subject, but it’s just as wonderful to read for fun and pleasure. 

Whose Books Get Called Guilty Pleasures? 

Reading for fun can mean something different to everyone, but think for a minute about the types of books that generally get labeled as guilty pleasures, and the types of readers who usually say that about their own personal taste. 

It’s almost always books written by women and/or books that women tend to enjoy, isn’t it?

Steamy romances. Swoonworthy fantasy adventures. Far-fetched thrillers where the wife is right to suspect her lying husband. 

Of course it isn’t only women who write and read these kinds of books, but widespread and culturally accepted misogyny is one of the biggest reasons why those are the books that get labeled as trashy. If a man reads a goofy spy thriller about a man who single-handedly stops an evil terrorist from kidnapping the president and also manages to seduce a supermodel, that’s perfectly acceptable. But if a woman wants to read about a beachy romance during the depths of winter, that’s something she should be embarrassed about. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with a good action thriller, but the things we broadly associate with women get additional moral judgment if they’re anything more readable than a college biology textbook. 

Pleasure Should Never Be Guilty

There are certainly conversations to be had about challenging yourself with books you might not be sure you’ll fully understand and facing difficult issues that good citizens should be more aware of, even if they’re unpleasant. 

But there’s simply no reason to ever be sorry for reading a book that you enjoy. Not only is it more or less impossible to hurt someone else by reading a book, any writer will tell you how much their own lives are improved by even just one enthusiastic reader. 

If you are a reader who likes what we used to call chick lit, take heart. Some of the most talented writers working today are publishing romances and women’s fiction, so chances are you’re needlessly shaming yourself for having excellent taste. 

Pleasure is important, and there’s nothing immoral about enjoying yourself. Even vegetables are delicious when you buy them in season and roast them to a yummy crisp. Read what you love to read, and shout your favorite titles from the rooftops! 

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.