Strong Words Magazine

Maybe we’d build a healthier reading culture if people spent more time championing books they love rather than publicly humiliating the ones they don’t. Not every book is written for every reader. That’s fine. But the constant sneering around “bad” books or mocking people for what they enjoy reading creates an atmosphere where readers feel judged instead of welcomed. Reading for pleasure should never feel like a test. In the National Year of Reading 2026 and the message to GO ALL IN, this matters more than ever. If we want more people to read, discover bookshops, take chances on stories and build lifelong reading habits, then enthusiasm will always achieve more than literary snobbery.