IT'S NOT JUST YOU. I feel the exact same way. It's so funny that I mentioned feeling this to you, and you were like "yeah, I just finished drafting a post about this very topic." And I haven't gotten to that line from Troy yet, but now I'll be looking for it!
I felt the same about All Fours as you did. And I do worry that the women who I spoke to (who all said they didn't enjoy the book) are now judging me for liking it! It's way more fraught than music or restaurant recommendations. If you recommend a band or a dinner place and someone doesn't enjoy it, it just feels like a difference in "taste" - and different people enjoy different things. Some people are snobs about things like wine or music, but I've never had a problem brushing that off.
But when it comes to books, it feels more like a commentary on your values and your intelligence (in addition to your taste). So making recommendations feels much more personal and scary.
Having recommended our next book, I will say that I'm a bit more nervous for the next book club than I was for last week (which was AMAZING). :)
Well, I think the bad news is that they ARE all judging you (and me), and the good news is that's okay! I totally agree that books are way more personal than bands or food. Don't worry at all about the book club selection - it looks great, and book discussions can be even more interesting if there are different opinions anyway. I definitely have books I've recommended in this newsletter that some people will no doubt dislike.
IT'S NOT JUST YOU. I feel the exact same way. It's so funny that I mentioned feeling this to you, and you were like "yeah, I just finished drafting a post about this very topic." And I haven't gotten to that line from Troy yet, but now I'll be looking for it!
I felt the same about All Fours as you did. And I do worry that the women who I spoke to (who all said they didn't enjoy the book) are now judging me for liking it! It's way more fraught than music or restaurant recommendations. If you recommend a band or a dinner place and someone doesn't enjoy it, it just feels like a difference in "taste" - and different people enjoy different things. Some people are snobs about things like wine or music, but I've never had a problem brushing that off.
But when it comes to books, it feels more like a commentary on your values and your intelligence (in addition to your taste). So making recommendations feels much more personal and scary.
Having recommended our next book, I will say that I'm a bit more nervous for the next book club than I was for last week (which was AMAZING). :)
Well, I think the bad news is that they ARE all judging you (and me), and the good news is that's okay! I totally agree that books are way more personal than bands or food. Don't worry at all about the book club selection - it looks great, and book discussions can be even more interesting if there are different opinions anyway. I definitely have books I've recommended in this newsletter that some people will no doubt dislike.