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kqtey t1_j1rsgfh wrote

Reading is a hobby like any other. You can pick up critical thinking skills from reading, but it’s not a prerequisite to start. Not everyone engages with books for the same reason, and not every book serves the same purpose. There are conversations like this a lot on this subreddit, and it seems to me that they essentially boil down to “who’s doing Reading better?” And the answer is no one. One of my favorite booktubers, allisonpaiges, says “if you’re reading, you’re winning.” If you’re participating in an activity that brings you joy, that’s a good thing. Some people are just here for the entertainment. Some people are here for learning and critical analysis. Some people are here to admire storytelling as an art form. All are good reasons to read.

Critical thinking doesn’t always mean criticize, and probably one of the best things you can learn is that your opinions on books don’t make you better than somebody else. Your opinion on Colleen Hoover IS just an opinion. You are NOT better for that.

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Organic_Rock_6974 OP t1_j1s422g wrote

i'm agree with the first part, i don't think i'm better than anyone. but genuinely asking, what are exactly you're winning with Colleen Hoover books? if you're an adult and you want to have some joy reading them is okay i guess, i'm obviously not forcing anyone to read anything but my only concern is that these kind of books that romanticize abusive/toxic relationship are most reading by teenagers and i feel that is important to have some responsability if you're recommendig something like that.

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ShadowChildofHades t1_j1sxxtn wrote

They're winning entertainment and for some people pure entertainment is enough.

Sometimes I read to learn, sometimes for fun, sometimes for other reasons.

For those people the act of just reading it and "enjoying" the experience and story is what they "win".

Sure, theyre* toxic, bad, poorly written, whatever other adjectives people who dislike them throw at them, but they're obviously chaotic and entertaining enough for those who enjoy them.

Same as reality TV, or poorly written fanfiction, or janky video games.

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kqtey t1_j1s5t0o wrote

I should clarify that I’ve only ever read 2 Colleen Hoover books and hated them both. I will concede that romanticizing abusive relationships is definitely something to be critical of. I agree that that’s an important conversation to have.

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After_Mountain_901 t1_j1tox5w wrote

You're being downvoted, but moral engagement with art is valid, and always should be. If I make a neo-nazi romance, that casts genocide in a positive light, people could say my book was bad, and be correct. They could say the writing is good and the romance was sweet and authentic, even, and the book could still be bad.

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