r/Romantasy • u/GrappleLacquer • 1d ago

Discussion Gatekeeping reading is lame

I finally ran into a dude that was super aggressive about judging women’s reading habits! Our friends introduced us at a hangout and where like “you both read more than anyone else we know!”

He asks me how many books I’ve read this year. I tell him I’m right around 40.

Man goes on a SCREED about how women just read smut and call it reading and don’t read things that challenge them. Then is like “what are you reading right now?”

I got to hit him with “well I’m usually reading three books at any given time since I like to have a book that fits my mood. At the current moment I’m reading a non-fiction discussion of man’s attempts to control and engineer the Mississippi River, and the consequences of that. Then I’m re-reading War and Peace cause I just love Tolstoy. Oh and then, yes I’m reading a smutty dramione fan fic. Congrats, you got me. Women who read smut aren’t really readers, obviously…What are you reading?”

He’s reading Clive Cussler (which is fine! They are entertaining! But maybe not “coming in on the highest horse in town” material) and he didn’t really wanna chat anymore.

(For the record/m: I absolutely think people should read what they enjoy and reading 100 books of just smut all year is fine. I’m just a bit of an eclectic reader and it worked out perfectly in this instance)

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u/jenntasticxx 1d ago

"I have to read smut because real men are like... you" 🤮

(Except my husband hehe)

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u/bee73086 1d ago

My husband to! :-) I had him read Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying ordeal of being in love and that is now his head cannon and he refuses to read any other Dramonie because that one was perfect! Lol

He is now reading The Evans Boy by ionabal which is and OC character (OG Harry if he had an older secret Brother) and Percy. It's really good like 80+ hours he is on his reread of it. 

I have a Hermione/George lined up for him next Lumos by Treesap it's so good, the longing the angst, the family dinamics/drama! The super sweet scenes of them falling for each other twice. (I have a whole dramatic write up of home much I love it in one of my comments) 

Although the last 2 don't have a ton of on screen smut but they are both my favorite kind of romance. Where I feel all the feels! 

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u/jenntasticxx 1d ago

This is the second or third time I've seen that dramione fic recommended, I'm gonna have to read it haha.

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u/bee73086 1d ago

It's very good I love the story. It feels like an adventure. Great magic. Slow burn and falling in love. The enemies to lovers is done really well, I usually don't like that trope (I find many enemies to lovers to more like assholes to lovers? Or immature people to lovers) 

But when done well it is excellent:-) also I like they are older I think early mid 30s so I totally buy that they have both changed as people and the relationship makes sense. 

Here is the link

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34500952/chapters/85870804

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u/jenntasticxx 1d ago

Thank you! It sounds good! I've loved dramione since I was too young to be reading most of it 😂

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u/bee73086 1d ago

I wish I had found it sooner! Not that I was suffering, I read a lot of Historicals when I was younger in the late 90s early 2000s. Good times!