“What are you reading?”
You shudder.
The question itself isn’t so bad. You’re reading a book, and at that, it’s a book you enjoy, with positive themes that spark your interest. Still, you hesitate, because if you keep talking, you know you’ll say that word, the one that leads to a look of false understanding and an unspoken judgment:
Romance.
But here’s why you don’t need to be ashamed about that romance novel you’re reading.
In literary discussion, we’re always taught that there are...