You are so right! That's why I love the banned book project! It has forced me to take a look at so many different authors that I may have never otherwise read. Not that I shied away from anything, but let's face it - we all have our comfort zone! Good video, Kim and lots of super reading suggestions!
Oh this is such an interesting question!! Thanks for bringing this up because it made me go back and analyze my own BookTube channel to see the demographics of the authors I'm reading. In one of my recent used book haul videos, I picked up 26 books written by women. So far this year, I've read books by 23 different women and 30 different men. So I definitely seem to read more books by men than women so far. I looked at my current top 10 reads of 2024, and 7 of the books were written by women. These kinds of stats are super interesting to me! Thanks again for bringing this up - as you said, it's important to pay attention to!
Brilliant video! I just want to add two more ways of branching out: reading books of and by disabled people or people living with illness and books written outside the US and England. Many booktubers tend to only highlight translated fiction, but there are many asian and african countries that produce loads of English fiction!
Really good point that I was unconsciously unaware (so really unaware 😂) of. I love books in translation just to get different perspectives / new voices / points of view /insights to cultures etc..besides from the storytelling that is US or UK based as you mention. I widely read books written in English by authors from non-English speaking countries, but I had never thought of the two as the same thing.😮😮 OMG…. a lightbulb moment. How bizarre on my part. I feel so foolish (and can’t believe I am actually so happily sharing my stupidity on here ) 😂😂
@eviewilliams5100 I don't think you're stupid at all since, as I said, many people only point out translated books. I am so happy you had an Eureka moment!!
Good question Kim. I probably was more oriented towards male authors as a young man even if it was subconscious. Woolf, Butler, Leguin, T. Morrison, Cather are all favorites. When i think of Gendered reading i probably think more of certain genres.
@@JamesRuchala for certain genres I specifically look for varied authors to branch out and get new perspectives. There’s some awesome female and non binary sci fi authors out there.
Beginning of the year Shelly mentioned the ratio of male and female writers. I have been keeping note of it in my book notebook and I mostly read books by female writers. But it seems some genres are mainly written by men and maybe those are the genres men gravitate too 🤷🏻♀️ I do have some favorite books written by men, specifically Stoner by John Williams. And now I am reading the latest Flavia de Luce, written by a man and of course the Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall Smith and yes Stieg Larson. Hmmm, liking male writers with a female main character 😂😂😂
This is something I've noticed too. I heard one male booktuber say, when asked why there were not more women authors mentioned in his videos, that he seeks out good books and doesn't make it a gender thing. Hmmmm. If you happen to read Invisible Man, I'd love to read it with you. I read it earlier this year, and I want to reread it in 2025. It's a book I cannot stop thinking about it. A Fine Balance was out of this world, and another book I think about almost on a weekly basis.
Hi Kim, we don’t always agree on the same books. but before you mentioned the title, I was thinking of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. It’s one of my favorite books by a man or anyone. Also, if you decide to do that group read of invisible man, I would be interested because I first read the book, when I went back to college when I was 38. I took an African-American literature class and that book was amazing! About 75% of the books I read are by women and that’s on purpose. I also read books by underrepresented writers. but I’m also not hesitant about putting a book down by a woman if I don’t get along with it. Aloha friend.❤
I think some of this is what we tell them. When recommending books for kids, people will pick books with a male main character a "boy books.". Yet girls will be expected to read whatever. Drives me crazy.
Great observation. It made me think about what I’ve been reading and by whom. I think I mainly read male authors, but it’s not a decision I subconsciously make. I just choose books that I find interesting without really thinking about who writes them. Although I’ve had a nice mix these last few months, with several female authors including Virginia Woolf, Mary Oliver, Silvia Townsend Warner and then a few James Baldwin books (being both gay and African American) and EM Forster who was also a gay man. Plus a few translated books (all men) Jon Kalman Stefansson (Icelandic) and Tolstoy. So I’m feeling quite proud for myself right now 😏
Great list and great philosophy of reading. I never thought about my gender tendencies until this… went back and looked through my books read over the last 2 years. About 65% women and 35% men. Thanks for your usual goodness. ❤ The Count and Lonesome Dove are two of my all time favorites too!
It's such a fascinating topic. I've been stewing on this a lot lately after Johanna Reads had a similar conversation recently. I looked at the authors that I've read this year and it was actually about 30% women, which isn't great but frankly I'm surprised it was as high as it was. I don't it's male authors that I gravitate towards more than female authors, I think it's more about the stories they tend to tell, in other words blurb first author second. I'm trying to be better at reading from a broader spectrum, need to do more though. It's funny though how I seem to be subconsciously rebalancing my reading to lean male. Looking back at my TBR's and wrap ups, June was very female centric and I read five female authors, but then in July I only read 2, and both of those were writing from the perspective of male protagonists.
Thank you for bringing up this topic! I had never thought about it until last year; I was preparing my top 12 favorites list and suddenly I realized that 10 of them were written by women, and the other two, by gay men. It left me wondering... This year it should be a little more balanced as I read East of Eden and loved it, and planning to read a Dickens book that I will hopefully like! I loved The Remains of the Day and I have Invisible Man on my tbr!!❤
Really interesting topic. Thank you-I’m going to review my book shelves. That said, many of the books you featured by male authors are some of my favorites too. My mother made us all read “Angela’s Ashes,” she loved that book and so did the whole family.
This is an interesting topic to me. I looked at my books read this year for personal reading and found 9 books by male authors vs 11 by women, which is more balanced than I expected. I don't have a Goodreads account for my son to be able to neatly see the exact count for him (he's a middle schooler) but he doesn't seem to shy away from female authors at all and his top favorite books are by women, so that's nice to see. (My husband's not a reader, so no count there.)
I try to read diversely (gender and otherwise). Some of your favourite books by male authors are mine as well or are on my TBR. Might have to check out Being Mortal. 😊💙
I noticed the exact same thing when watching a couple of new (to me) booktubers last week! I always wonder whether I should say something in the comments (and I never do).
What a thoughtful and timely discussion. I definitely read far more women. Being Mortal is so powerful, isn’t it? I really need to put Lonesome Dove on my list-and A Fine Balance! And I might add another book by a man which I have not read: A Suitable Boy.
Hi Kim, this is a great topic and brings up a very interesting topic. I personally feel that just focusing on books writing by one group or another a bit strange. I usually don't pay attention. In the end, I feel that my reading is balanced without giving much thought to it. Thank you for bring this topic up. As always, I do enjoy immensely your videos and look forward to them every week. On another topic, the group read sounds wonderful if you get to it. Also, if you would like to do a buddy read of East of Eden, I would be game. Let me know. And, I am still game for the Iliad whenever you are ready. 😄
@@jorgem71962 East of Eden. Yes!!! Group read maybe in February for Black History month. The Iliad I was hoping this fall. Maybe October? I like to think that if I don’t pay attention my reading is already pretty balanced but I do still pay attention and try to purposefully reach for varied types of books. Mostly because they’re already interesting to me and on my shelves. 🤓
This is an awesome video and really thought provoking. I am going to have a think about whether I can detect differences in my favourite female writers. It’s a fascinating thing to think about. I love your copies of the Steinbeck books. I’m going to read The Invisible Man in December. Shall we get a group read going for December?
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Exciting stuff! Thanks Kim, something awesome to look forward to - it was one of the first books I picked for the banned books project. I'm really looking forward to reading it and sharing it with you will be amazing.
I admit that all thirteen books I’ve read this year were written by men. The last book I read with a female author was _Nylon Angel_ by Marianne de Pierres - it is an Australian science fiction story with an action-oriented female protagonist. I have books by Margaret Atwood, Agatha Christie, and Elizabeth Hardwick on my shelves. I should give them some attention before the year is out.
The Glasses. Very cute Ms Kim. Great list of books. Some I have read. Some on my shelves waiting! Not to be snarky but I think the Dude Bros read primarily male authors especially if they tend to read the Literary Canon which as you mentioned hich is highly weighted with male authors. My brother liked to read sci fi and I think tended to be written by male authors. Being of a more advanced age 😉 When I was younger the female authors were often romance authors that were promoted over others to my recollection. I have no idea the percentage of my reading but I tend to think it is more heavily weighted toward female authors. Some of my favorite male authors Richard Russo, James Baldwin, Colm Toibin and when I was younger I read a lot of James Michener novels.
Love thinking about this! I read a lot of author interviews. If I like an author, I want to know what other books that author reads. Anecdotally, I've started to notice that the male authors I enjoy the most typically list a lot of books by women when they are asked to name their inspirations or books they are reading. Male authors I enjoy the least often list all men as their inspirations and current reads. I think that's another interesting dimension to consider when thinking about this topic!
Does it matter? Read what interests you regardless of who writes it. I just finished the last entry in the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo saga and it was written by a woman, Karin Smirnoff. I found it interesting how she wrote Lisbet Salander as compared to the previous male authors. I read mostly male authors because the books I find entertaining and interesting tend to be written by men. That being said, I have Kate Quinn, Kate Atkinson, Tana French, Ann Cleeves, Alison Weir, Diana Gabaldon, P D James, Sharon Kay Penman, Eva Stachniak, Frances Mossiker, Kate Mosse, Katie Lumsden, Patricia Highsmith, Doris Kearns Goodwin,, Hallie Rubenhold, Esi Edugyan, Isabel Allende, Elizabeth George, Alison Weir, Anne Rice, Eleanor Catton, Ashley Weaver, Manda Scott, Robyn Young, and probably a few more that I have missed. The authors are in my library because they wrote books that interested me. That's the bottom line for me in these discussions.
@@binglamb2176 yes it matters. We as you stated can find all kinds of books that interest us no matter the author’s gender. But many people stick to a certain type of author and very conspicuously never branch out. Nobody can make anyone read what they don’t want but a little encouragement to open the comfortable box does no harm.
Hi, Kim. Here’s a reaction I have after listening to your episode four years ago about bathe Booker Prize and after regularly listening to other book tubers who routinely share about the Pulitzer, the NBA, the Women’s Prize, the Aspen, and other prizes. Why isn’t the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, which is dedicated to books “that have led readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view” being included? This prize is worthy of attention that it is not receiving. This is a prize list that I think you would find very suitable to your interests and ethics.
This was such a great video filled with many good reccomendations! I realised that I have more men than women on my bookshelf, though this is because of all the books I used as references for my dissertation (which is unfortunately a very male dominated field). I do however have many reccomendations of female/ non-binary authors if people are interested in them! 😊
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Cool! I'll try to organise by genre! Non-fiction: A History Of Women In Men's Clothes - Norena Shopland (A very interesting book about the history of female crossdressing in the UK). Gender Queer - Maia Kobabe (A graphic novel, but a very interesting book exploring the authors journey with gender and sexuality. The Autist's Guide To The Galaxy - Clara Törnwall (A book for autistic people on how to navigate the neurotypical world). Fiction: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells (A book series following the life of the security robo-human construct called Murderbot. Great diversity of race, neurodiversity,gender and sexuality. Also lots of commentary on social norms and what exactly it means to be human. Probably my favourite book series of all time). Chase Of The Wild Goose - Mary Gordon ( A historical fiction novwl focussing on the lives of the 'Ladies of Llangollen' two Irish women who fled to Wales to spend the rest of their lives together as romantic partners.) I hope that's helpful! 😊
This made me think of Britta’s channel, which has a very explicit focus (which I love it for), but sometimes she lets it slip that she reads books by men that (as a rule) don’t get featured. I’m starting Victober early this month with _Daniel Deronda._ It was either that or _Woman in White_ but I don’t think gender was a deciding factor. I decided to opt for the comfort of a writer I was already familiar with, instead of striking out for new territory.
I looked through my Goodreads record and found that only about 28% of the books I read since 2020 are by male authors 😳🙈 I guess I have always been drawn to what's culturally "feminine" since a kid. To be honest, sometimes I have a bit of prejudice towards male-written works before reading them (some writing has a whiff of machismo that makes me uncomfortable)... But I have encountered some great books by male authors too and I use that encourage myself to continue being more open.
@@SluggishReader I totally get it. I did the same thing and notice that at times I have to purposefully pick something different than what I would normally gravitate to. Then again it’s important to enjoy what you’re reading without forcing yourself into a reading box out of obligation.
If this offends anyone then unsubscribe!!! 😂 Please do tell how many people did actually unsubscribe. I don’t go for one gender over another when it comes to choosing authors. I literally go for the book regardless of who it was written by , although what I do do consciously is gravitate towards authors in translation and those (now that you’ve mentioned it) interestingly tend to be women. I know we’re not meant to, but can we take a minute to point out how fabulous you look; how much weight you’ve lost. 🎉 “If it offends you” DON’T cancel me for mentioning it. (see what I did there 😂) Jokes aside - a really good enjoyable and thought-provoking video.
@@eviewilliams5100 thank you so much!!! That’s sweet and I’m not going to cancel. You’d be the third subscriber I’ve lost on this video. See what I did there? 🤣😉🤣😉
I just looked because I tend to read a lot of history and history is male dominated. It turns out that even in the history category, this year, I've got a good mix of men and women writers. I feel pretty good about that. I would assume that most of these books were written by white people. I do have quite a few books on my list by POC historians, but I haven't gotten to them yet because they tend to either write overviews, or write about later time periods.
@@TimeTravelReads I found some great history books written by women. Many. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I do and I now look for female authors in subjects like history, science, theology, and other predominantly “male” arenas.
Any suggestions for books by other gendered people? I’ve read gay and lesbian authors, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by a person with they/them pronouns.
@@kjmav10135 some names that come to mind: Torrey Peters, Caro Derobertis, Akwaeke Emezi, Danez Smith, and lots of others. There are some great nonfiction books out there too. Hopefully if this link works Penguin has a great list for reference: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-by-transgender-nonbinary-and-gender-nonconforming-authors/
Olly from CriminOlly recommended Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt who is a trans woman. The book is a horror novel with a haunted house. TBH I do not typically read this type of novel but was fascinated by the book. Heartbreaking but I got a lot out of this book and perhaps a glimpse into how a trans person struggles in this world and how they have to navigate the "horrors" of being othered.
Women belong in the kitchen cooking , and men write the best cookbooks. I'll leave now. Recently: For me , women write the best psychological/thriller/horror unreliable narrator stories. Nancy Tucker, Maud Ventura, Jennifer Belle, Sandra Newman, Alissa Nutting, Delilah S. Dawson, Liz Nugent, Catherine Chidgey , Ottessa Moshfegh. Love the channel.
What a sweetie there at the end! ❤
Great list of books. Many of my faves on there as well. You forgot Tolkien! 😂
@@myreadinglife8816 he made the long list! 🤣
You are so right! That's why I love the banned book project! It has forced me to take a look at so many different authors that I may have never otherwise read. Not that I shied away from anything, but let's face it - we all have our comfort zone! Good video, Kim and lots of super reading suggestions!
Oh this is such an interesting question!! Thanks for bringing this up because it made me go back and analyze my own BookTube channel to see the demographics of the authors I'm reading. In one of my recent used book haul videos, I picked up 26 books written by women. So far this year, I've read books by 23 different women and 30 different men. So I definitely seem to read more books by men than women so far. I looked at my current top 10 reads of 2024, and 7 of the books were written by women. These kinds of stats are super interesting to me! Thanks again for bringing this up - as you said, it's important to pay attention to!
@@ShaunStevensonBooks I love looking at the statistics. I keep track in my book group and it was very interesting to break them out and analyze.
Brilliant video! I just want to add two more ways of branching out: reading books of and by disabled people or people living with illness
and books written outside the US and England.
Many booktubers tend to only highlight translated fiction, but there are many asian and african countries that produce loads of English fiction!
@@azu_rikka great points that I totally agree with! I love finding translated fiction from around the world.
Really good point that I was unconsciously unaware (so really unaware 😂) of. I love books in translation just to get different perspectives / new voices / points of view /insights to cultures etc..besides from the storytelling that is US or UK based as you mention.
I widely read books written in English by authors from non-English speaking countries, but I had never thought of the two as the same thing.😮😮
OMG…. a lightbulb moment. How bizarre on my part. I feel so foolish (and can’t believe I am actually so happily sharing my stupidity on here ) 😂😂
@eviewilliams5100 I don't think you're stupid at all since, as I said, many people only point out translated books. I am so happy you had an Eureka moment!!
Great video, Kim. And I enjoyed seeing your granddaughter. She is cutie!
@@hartereads 😍😍😍
Good question Kim. I probably was more oriented towards male authors as a young man even if it was subconscious. Woolf, Butler, Leguin, T. Morrison, Cather are all favorites.
When i think of Gendered reading i probably think more of certain genres.
@@JamesRuchala for certain genres I specifically look for varied authors to branch out and get new perspectives. There’s some awesome female and non binary sci fi authors out there.
Kim I loved this video and intend to watch more!
All you have to say is Lonesome Dove and I'm there!❤❤❤❤
@@cindys4722 thank you so much!☺️
Beginning of the year Shelly mentioned the ratio of male and female writers. I have been keeping note of it in my book notebook and I mostly read books by female writers. But it seems some genres are mainly written by men and maybe those are the genres men gravitate too 🤷🏻♀️ I do have some favorite books written by men, specifically Stoner by John Williams. And now I am reading the latest Flavia de Luce, written by a man and of course the Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall Smith and yes Stieg Larson. Hmmm, liking male writers with a female main character 😂😂😂
This is something I've noticed too. I heard one male booktuber say, when asked why there were not more women authors mentioned in his videos, that he seeks out good books and doesn't make it a gender thing. Hmmmm. If you happen to read Invisible Man, I'd love to read it with you. I read it earlier this year, and I want to reread it in 2025. It's a book I cannot stop thinking about it. A Fine Balance was out of this world, and another book I think about almost on a weekly basis.
@@ariannefowler455 I’ve heard that same thing from several male Booktubers. I think Invisible Man is a goal for February. 🤓
Hi Kim, we don’t always agree on the same books. but before you mentioned the title, I was thinking of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. It’s one of my favorite books by a man or anyone. Also, if you decide to do that group read of invisible man, I would be interested because I first read the book, when I went back to college when I was 38. I took an African-American literature class and that book was amazing!
About 75% of the books I read are by women and that’s on purpose. I also read books by underrepresented writers. but I’m also not hesitant about putting a book down by a woman if I don’t get along with it. Aloha friend.❤
@@MarilynMayaMendoza same. 🤓
I think some of this is what we tell them. When recommending books for kids, people will pick books with a male main character a "boy books.". Yet girls will be expected to read whatever. Drives me crazy.
@@audreyh7892 so true.
Great observation. It made me think about what I’ve been reading and by whom. I think I mainly read male authors, but it’s not a decision I subconsciously make. I just choose books that I find interesting without really thinking about who writes them. Although I’ve had a nice mix these last few months, with several female authors including Virginia Woolf, Mary Oliver, Silvia Townsend Warner and then a few James Baldwin books (being both gay and African American) and EM Forster who was also a gay man. Plus a few translated books (all men) Jon Kalman Stefansson (Icelandic) and Tolstoy. So I’m feeling quite proud for myself right now 😏
Great list and great philosophy of reading. I never thought about my gender tendencies until this… went back and looked through my books read over the last 2 years. About 65% women and 35% men. Thanks for your usual goodness. ❤ The Count and Lonesome Dove are two of my all time favorites too!
@@jillwhitneybirk great minds certainly think alike! 🥰
It's such a fascinating topic. I've been stewing on this a lot lately after Johanna Reads had a similar conversation recently. I looked at the authors that I've read this year and it was actually about 30% women, which isn't great but frankly I'm surprised it was as high as it was. I don't it's male authors that I gravitate towards more than female authors, I think it's more about the stories they tend to tell, in other words blurb first author second. I'm trying to be better at reading from a broader spectrum, need to do more though.
It's funny though how I seem to be subconsciously rebalancing my reading to lean male. Looking back at my TBR's and wrap ups, June was very female centric and I read five female authors, but then in July I only read 2, and both of those were writing from the perspective of male protagonists.
@@TheBookThing thank you. Just found her channel and will definitely check that out.
Thank you for bringing up this topic!
I had never thought about it until last year; I was preparing my top 12 favorites list and suddenly I realized that 10 of them were written by women, and the other two, by gay men.
It left me wondering...
This year it should be a little more balanced as I read East of Eden and loved it, and planning to read a Dickens book that I will hopefully like!
I loved The Remains of the Day and I have Invisible Man on my tbr!!❤
@@Dawnsbookreviews awesome titles!
Such an interesting discussion.
Really interesting topic. Thank you-I’m going to review my book shelves. That said, many of the books you featured by male authors are some of my favorites too. My mother made us all read “Angela’s Ashes,” she loved that book and so did the whole family.
This is an interesting topic to me. I looked at my books read this year for personal reading and found 9 books by male authors vs 11 by women, which is more balanced than I expected. I don't have a Goodreads account for my son to be able to neatly see the exact count for him (he's a middle schooler) but he doesn't seem to shy away from female authors at all and his top favorite books are by women, so that's nice to see. (My husband's not a reader, so no count there.)
@@NerdySnowFlower that’s great!
I try to read diversely (gender and otherwise). Some of your favourite books by male authors are mine as well or are on my TBR. Might have to check out Being Mortal. 😊💙
@@BookwormAdventureGirl oh it’s definitely a tearjerker. I read it shortly after my mom died years ago. 😭
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH 💙💙
I noticed the exact same thing when watching a couple of new (to me) booktubers last week! I always wonder whether I should say something in the comments (and I never do).
I have before. Didn’t get me very far. Some people are very open to comments or questions and others very defensive. 😐
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Yeah that's what I figured.
Enjoyed
What a thoughtful and timely discussion. I definitely read far more women. Being Mortal is so powerful, isn’t it? I really need to put Lonesome Dove on my list-and A Fine Balance! And I might add another book by a man which I have not read: A Suitable Boy.
@@HannahsBooks that’s one mammoth book that truly intimidates me! 😂
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Me too! I’m terrified of long books in general-even after loving Middlemarch…
@@HannahsBooks I love long books but that one’s a beast!
Hi Kim, this is a great topic and brings up a very interesting topic. I personally feel that just focusing on books writing by one group or another a bit strange. I usually don't pay attention. In the end, I feel that my reading is balanced without giving much thought to it. Thank you for bring this topic up. As always, I do enjoy immensely your videos and look forward to them every week. On another topic, the group read sounds wonderful if you get to it. Also, if you would like to do a buddy read of East of Eden, I would be game. Let me know. And, I am still game for the Iliad whenever you are ready. 😄
@@jorgem71962 East of Eden. Yes!!! Group read maybe in February for Black History month. The Iliad I was hoping this fall. Maybe October?
I like to think that if I don’t pay attention my reading is already pretty balanced but I do still pay attention and try to purposefully reach for varied types of books. Mostly because they’re already interesting to me and on my shelves. 🤓
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Great, let me know on the buddy reads when you ready.
This is an awesome video and really thought provoking. I am going to have a think about whether I can detect differences in my favourite female writers. It’s a fascinating thing to think about. I love your copies of the Steinbeck books. I’m going to read The Invisible Man in December. Shall we get a group read going for December?
@@bookssongsandothermagic ooh…that’s a great idea!!! I was going to do it in Feb but let’s team up in December!!! 😄
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Exciting stuff! Thanks Kim, something awesome to look forward to - it was one of the first books I picked for the banned books project. I'm really looking forward to reading it and sharing it with you will be amazing.
@@bookssongsandothermagic awesome Gareth! I’m really looking forward to reading it with you! 😄
I admit that all thirteen books I’ve read this year were written by men. The last book I read with a female author was _Nylon Angel_ by Marianne de Pierres - it is an Australian science fiction story with an action-oriented female protagonist.
I have books by Margaret Atwood, Agatha Christie, and Elizabeth Hardwick on my shelves. I should give them some attention before the year is out.
@@mediumjohnsilver good plan. 🤓
The Glasses. Very cute Ms Kim. Great list of books. Some I have read. Some on my shelves waiting! Not to be snarky but I think the Dude Bros read primarily male authors especially if they tend to read the Literary Canon which as you mentioned hich is highly weighted with male authors. My brother liked to read sci fi and I think tended to be written by male authors. Being of a more advanced age 😉 When I was younger the female authors were often romance authors that were promoted over others to my recollection. I have no idea the percentage of my reading but I tend to think it is more heavily weighted toward female authors. Some of my favorite male authors Richard Russo, James Baldwin, Colm Toibin and when I was younger I read a lot of James Michener novels.
@@marciajohansson769 I’ve discovered some amazing female sci/fi fantasy authors that I love. And nobody beats Leguin. 🥰
Love thinking about this! I read a lot of author interviews. If I like an author, I want to know what other books that author reads. Anecdotally, I've started to notice that the male authors I enjoy the most typically list a lot of books by women when they are asked to name their inspirations or books they are reading. Male authors I enjoy the least often list all men as their inspirations and current reads. I think that's another interesting dimension to consider when thinking about this topic!
@@eyesonindie excellent points! I’ve noticed that too. With well known authors and Booktubers and friends.
Does it matter? Read what interests you regardless of who writes it. I just finished the last entry in the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo saga and it was written by a woman, Karin Smirnoff. I found it interesting how she wrote Lisbet Salander as compared to the previous male authors. I read mostly male authors because the books I find entertaining and interesting tend to be written by men. That being said, I have Kate Quinn, Kate Atkinson, Tana French, Ann Cleeves, Alison Weir, Diana Gabaldon, P D James, Sharon Kay Penman, Eva Stachniak, Frances Mossiker, Kate Mosse, Katie Lumsden, Patricia Highsmith, Doris Kearns Goodwin,, Hallie Rubenhold, Esi Edugyan, Isabel Allende, Elizabeth George, Alison Weir, Anne Rice, Eleanor Catton, Ashley Weaver, Manda Scott, Robyn Young, and probably a few more that I have missed. The authors are in my library because they wrote books that interested me. That's the bottom line for me in these discussions.
@@binglamb2176 yes it matters. We as you stated can find all kinds of books that interest us no matter the author’s gender. But many people stick to a certain type of author and very conspicuously never branch out. Nobody can make anyone read what they don’t want but a little encouragement to open the comfortable box does no harm.
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Point taken!😀
Great topic and what a little cutie at the end.
Hi, Kim.
Here’s a reaction I have after listening to your episode four years ago about bathe Booker Prize and after regularly listening to other book tubers who routinely share about the Pulitzer, the NBA, the Women’s Prize, the Aspen, and other prizes.
Why isn’t the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, which is dedicated to books “that have led readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view” being included? This prize is worthy of attention that it is not receiving.
This is a prize list that I think you would find very suitable to your interests and ethics.
@@RebeccaStultz-y9f I’d love to check that out. Thank you! 😊
This was such a great video filled with many good reccomendations! I realised that I have more men than women on my bookshelf, though this is because of all the books I used as references for my dissertation (which is unfortunately a very male dominated field). I do however have many reccomendations of female/ non-binary authors if people are interested in them! 😊
@@isabeldesilva7631 absolutely! Post please. 🤓
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Cool! I'll try to organise by genre!
Non-fiction:
A History Of Women In Men's Clothes - Norena Shopland (A very interesting book about the history of female crossdressing in the UK).
Gender Queer - Maia Kobabe (A graphic novel, but a very interesting book exploring the authors journey with gender and sexuality.
The Autist's Guide To The Galaxy - Clara Törnwall (A book for autistic people on how to navigate the neurotypical world).
Fiction:
The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells (A book series following the life of the security robo-human construct called Murderbot. Great diversity of race, neurodiversity,gender and sexuality. Also lots of commentary on social norms and what exactly it means to be human. Probably my favourite book series of all time).
Chase Of The Wild Goose - Mary Gordon ( A historical fiction novwl focussing on the lives of the 'Ladies of Llangollen' two Irish women who fled to Wales to spend the rest of their lives together as romantic partners.)
I hope that's helpful! 😊
This made me think of Britta’s channel, which has a very explicit focus (which I love it for), but sometimes she lets it slip that she reads books by men that (as a rule) don’t get featured.
I’m starting Victober early this month with _Daniel Deronda._ It was either that or _Woman in White_ but I don’t think gender was a deciding factor. I decided to opt for the comfort of a writer I was already familiar with, instead of striking out for new territory.
@@davidnovakreadspoetry my second favorite Eliot! Check out Himmelfarbs book on “the Jewish question” from Daniel Deronda. It’s excellent.
Thank you! 🎉
I looked through my Goodreads record and found that only about 28% of the books I read since 2020 are by male authors 😳🙈 I guess I have always been drawn to what's culturally "feminine" since a kid. To be honest, sometimes I have a bit of prejudice towards male-written works before reading them (some writing has a whiff of machismo that makes me uncomfortable)... But I have encountered some great books by male authors too and I use that encourage myself to continue being more open.
@@SluggishReader I totally get it. I did the same thing and notice that at times I have to purposefully pick something different than what I would normally gravitate to. Then again it’s important to enjoy what you’re reading without forcing yourself into a reading box out of obligation.
If this offends anyone then unsubscribe!!! 😂 Please do tell how many people did actually unsubscribe.
I don’t go for one gender over another when it comes to choosing authors. I literally go for the book regardless of who it was written by , although what I do do consciously is gravitate towards authors in translation and those (now that you’ve mentioned it) interestingly tend to be women.
I know we’re not meant to, but can we take a minute to point out how fabulous you look; how much weight you’ve lost. 🎉
“If it offends you” DON’T cancel me for mentioning it. (see what I did there 😂)
Jokes aside - a really good enjoyable and thought-provoking video.
@@eviewilliams5100 thank you so much!!! That’s sweet and I’m not going to cancel. You’d be the third subscriber I’ve lost on this video. See what I did there? 🤣😉🤣😉
Very fair-minded Kim.
I just looked because I tend to read a lot of history and history is male dominated. It turns out that even in the history category, this year, I've got a good mix of men and women writers. I feel pretty good about that. I would assume that most of these books were written by white people. I do have quite a few books on my list by POC historians, but I haven't gotten to them yet because they tend to either write overviews, or write about later time periods.
@@TimeTravelReads I found some great history books written by women. Many. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I do and I now look for female authors in subjects like history, science, theology, and other predominantly “male” arenas.
@@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH Yeah. I look for women writers in nonfiction too. They write good stuff.
Any suggestions for books by other gendered people? I’ve read gay and lesbian authors, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by a person with they/them pronouns.
@@kjmav10135 some names that come to mind: Torrey Peters, Caro Derobertis, Akwaeke Emezi, Danez Smith, and lots of others. There are some great nonfiction books out there too. Hopefully if this link works Penguin has a great list for reference: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-by-transgender-nonbinary-and-gender-nonconforming-authors/
Olly from CriminOlly recommended Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt who is a trans woman. The book is a horror novel with a haunted house. TBH I do not typically read this type of novel but was fascinated by the book. Heartbreaking but I got a lot out of this book and perhaps a glimpse into how a trans person struggles in this world and how they have to navigate the "horrors" of being othered.
Women belong in the kitchen cooking , and men write the best cookbooks. I'll leave now.
Recently: For me , women write the best psychological/thriller/horror unreliable narrator stories.
Nancy Tucker, Maud Ventura, Jennifer Belle, Sandra Newman, Alissa Nutting, Delilah S. Dawson, Liz Nugent, Catherine Chidgey
, Ottessa Moshfegh.
Love the channel.
@@Tetsujin-28 🤣🤣🤣