Only reading certain authors

I am in several online reading groups. Recommendations go flying back and forth, giving and requesting. I didn’t think much of it, until a great discussion started.

A woman asked for book recommendations for her father-in-law, but part of his requirement was that he would only read books by male authors. This is what caused the lively discussion.

Part of the issue was that the woman stated it, so therefore she was feeding into her father-in-law’s misogyny.

Part of the issue was that the woman was allowing her father-in-law to stay uneducated, since he was avoiding books by half of the population.

Part of it was that other group members felt that they understood that the man only wanted to read books told in a male voice. The discussion was that some women write in a man’s voice, and some men write in a women’s voice. The author’s gender can’t guarantee the voice of the main character.

Part of the group felt that the woman could have just taken all recommendations and then only given her father-in-law the books by male authors.

I am disappointed that the father-in-law excluded so many authors. He is missing out on at least half of the information that he could be learning, just because he is excluding half of the population. Good luck to him, though. I will read what I can get a hold of and continue to do so while I can. I will look at the recommendations as they come up, and give them as I am able. Take or leave what you want.