Do men ever read women authors and vice versa?

quodec

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

eviltwin

quodec wrote: »

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

I read good books, don't care who wrote it

Leg End Reject

I'm a woman and I'll read both, but I hate the so-called chick-lit.

tuxy

I once watched a film by a female director ( American Psycho )
Does that count?

MrMusician18

I'd say males never read female authors, and females never read male authors.:rolleyes: I mean ever. Yeah

I've come across stupid questions here before, but this is up there. Ridiculous question OP. Ffs.

Mickeroo

Never judge a book by its author's genitals.

pillphil

MrMusician18 wrote: »

I'd say males never read female authors, and females never read male authors.:rolleyes: I mean ever. Yeah

I've come across stupid questions here before, but this is up there. Ridiculous question OP. Ffs.

I think the phrasing is off, but if OP meant what i think they meant, then the question is valid.

I don't intentionally choose to read male authors, but, as a guy, the majority of authors I read are male.

I don't know why that is, especially as reading isn't as heavily marketed as other mediums, but either I'm sold male authors better, or I've a bias towards male authors.

Edit: rearead OP: he conciously gravitates towards male authors, whereas I, apparently, unconciously do the same

Quantum Erasure

i wouldn't mind reading female authors, but I can't remember the last time i did. Any recommendations in the kind of satire / dark comedy range?

jaxxx

I haven't read books since I was a kid, but what sort of actual **** reads books based on the sex of the author?? FFS this is 2020 isn't it?? We're still in Ireland aren't we?? We haven't been invaded by some modern misogynistic, homosexual-sinning, ancient fossiled and primeval country?? I get having favourite authors but this is ****.

Please feel free to sub in **** for a word(s) of your choosing of equal, less or greater characters.

branie2

I've read a bit of Jane Austen novels and the novels of Kate Mosse

Arghus

It makes no difference to me.

pillphil

jaxxx wrote: »

I haven't read books since I was a kid, but what sort of actual **** reads books based on the sex of the author?? FFS this is 2020 isn't it?? We're still in Ireland aren't we?? We haven't been invaded by some modern misogynistic, homosexual-sinning, ancient fossiled and primeval country?? I get having favourite authors but this is ****.

Please feel free to sub in **** for a word(s) of your choosing of equal, less or greater characters.

A lot of female authors intentionally hide their sex, so it is a thing, concious or not.

super_furry

Honestly think it'd be weird to restrict yourself to reading the works of just one gender. Why would you even want to do that?

Quantum Erasure

MrMusician18 wrote: »

I'd say males never read female authors, and females never read male authors.:rolleyes: I mean ever. Yeah

I've come across stupid questions here before, but this is up there. Ridiculous question OP. Ffs.

I'd say most women would read both male and female authors, while most men would mostly read male authors.

There was a copy of PS. I love you lying around the house, so I picked it up and started reading it, I don't know did i even get half way through, but it just wasn't my scene, way too 'chick-lit' for me...

so I later heard an interview with Cecelia Ahern, and she said she wouldn't consider what she writes 'chick-lit', and PS I love you would be the least chick lit of her books, maybe I'm just not into books written by women at all

tuxy

super_furry wrote: »

Honestly think it'd be weird to restrict yourself to reading the works of just one gender. Why would you even want to do that?

I don't think that is what is asked.
My understanding of the question is do you tend to gravitate(subconsciously) to literature written by someone who is the same gender as yourself.

Ficheall

branie2 wrote: »

the novels of Kate Mosse

I read one of hers. Wouldn't read another.

Pherekydes

I've read Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. It was written by JRK Tolkieling.

Covers all the bases...

pillphil

Just out of curiousity, I'd like to ask everyone saying they don't care what the breakdown of male vs female authors on their book shelf is right now?

Mine is 90% male. Again, I don't intentionally pick based on sex, but I clearly seem to have a bias.

jaxxx

jaxxx wrote: »

I haven't read books since I was a kid, but what sort of actual **** reads books based on the sex of the author?? FFS this is 2020 isn't it?? We're still in Ireland aren't we?? We haven't been invaded by some modern misogynistic, homosexual-sinning, ancient fossiled and primeval country?? I get having favourite authors but this is ****.

Please feel free to sub in **** for a word(s) of your choosing of equal, less or greater characters.

So you don't read books but you know all about it. Yeah right.
I read books a lot, and after many years have learned that generally speaking, I don't identify or enjoy books written by females. As reading a book is quite an investment of my time, I will usually pass over a book if the author is female.
This is my experience. Sorry if it offends anyone. (ah no, I'm not really.)

the_syco

quodec wrote: »

1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

There's a book that's meant to be gas craic, which I was saying that I'm goring to read it, about some artist that built roads, etc, but someone told me that he died in the end, so decided not to read it.

Other than that, I don't care if a man or woman writes the books that I read.

Earthhorse

I have read women authors but I don’t know that we could ever "just" be friends.

Quantum Erasure

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

I'd say most women would read both male and female authors, while most men would mostly read male authors.

There was a copy of PS. I love you lying around the house, so I picked it up and started reading it, I don't know did i even get half way through, but it just wasn't my scene, way too 'chick-lit' for me...

so I later heard an interview with Cecelia Ahern, and she said she wouldn't consider what she writes 'chick-lit', and PS I love you would be the least chick lit of her books, maybe I'm just not into books written by women at all

Please don't judge all books written by women based on your experience of that utter trash.

Ladybird18

No they do not indeed and neither do vice verse. Ever.

eviltwin

pillphil wrote: »

Just out of curiousity, I'd like to ask everyone saying they don't care what the breakdown of male vs female authors on their book shelf is right now?

Mine is 90% male. Again, I don't intentionally pick based on sex, but I clearly seem to have a bias.

I've over 500 books on my shelves at the moment and I don't have any idea of the ratio of male to female authors. I pick my books based on reviews, recommendations or the blurb on the cover. Couldn't care if the writer is a man or woman, all I want is a decent story.

jam_mac_jam

It wouldn't even enter my head when i was selecting a book. I would be much more interested in the type of book and reviews or awards maybe.

As for taking Celia Ahern, for every book of that type there is a silly male written book. So listing stupid books by a female author is a bit of a weak argument.

With novels i read male and female. With history it would be mostly male as I read a lot of second world war which tends to be written by men. Not through choice.

I wouldn't even think about it

gigantic09

Mickeroo wrote: »

Never judge a book by its author's genitals.

I nearly got sick when I found out Robert Galbraith didn't have a willy 🀣.

pillphil

eviltwin wrote: »

I've over 500 books on my shelves at the moment and I don't have any idea of the ratio of male to female authors. I pick my books based on reviews, recommendations or the blurb on the cover. Couldn't care if the writer is a man or woman, all I want is a decent story.

That's my point, so do I. I don't know why i have the specific books I have (mostly recommendatins from my largely male friends, I assume), It just happens that i have a small enought collection with me at the moment to count quickly what sex the autohor is.

I'm not trying to promote any view here, but i find it interesting that my preference seems to align with OP even though it's not something i intentionally choose. I'm just curious as to whether that's the case for others.

Badly Drunk Boy

I don't think I've ever read a book by a female, unless you include Silas Marner by yer man George Eliot, which I did in school. It wasn't a conscious decision, there were just certain things I'd want to read, not stuff I was trying to avoid. The music that I'd listen to would be mainly by males too, although the male/female ratio wouldn't be as extremely one-sided as it is with books.

Actually, I used to read a lot of short stories (often science fiction) and sometimes the odd story might be by a female. Does that count?

eviltwin

eviltwin wrote: »

I've over 500 books on my shelves at the moment and I don't have any idea of the ratio of male to female authors. I pick my books based on reviews, recommendations or the blurb on the cover. Couldn't care if the writer is a man or woman, all I want is a decent story.

As we all know, on the shelf does not equal read. For those you have read and enjoyed you must have a rough idea of what percentage are female authored. Half?

Weepsie

Judging by the amount of books Margaret Atwood, Harper Lee, Hillary Mantel, Donna Tartt, Wolf, Shelley, the Brontes etc have sold, I'd say it's safe to say men and women read each other.

Now they may confine themselves by genre. There's a definite type of chick-lit that men tend not to touch, but also a the male focused Andy McNab all action type things.

Plenty of middle ground too in there across the genders.

Personally, it depends on if it's the type of book I think I'd like. Last 2 books were by a female author Carys Davies, and the current is by a male author.

I work in a library too, and people just tend to read by what genre they like, by what's been recommended in the media, and then by particular author. Author's gender doesn't tend to come into it.

I don't read chick-lit, and never aspire to. That's all, make of it what you will.

pillphil

Deleted User wrote: »

As we all know, on the shelf does not equal read. For those you have read and enjoyed you must have a rough idea of what percentage are female authored. Half?

Are you trying to say you haven't read that copy of gravity's rainbow that's been sitting on your coffee table for the last few years?

Church on Tuesday

What an odd question.

There are many great works written by women.

Zaph

This isn't something that I've ever thought about before, but thinking back over all the books I've read in the past, and while there may have been others, I can only remember two that I know for a fact were written by women. And the only reason I remember one of them so well is that it was recommended to me by a guy in a bookshop I used to frequent years ago who knew what my tastes were. It was possibly one of the least enjoyable books I've ever read and I never took any recommendations from him again! These days I read a lot more non-fiction - sport, military history and travel mainly - and it just happens that these seem to be predominantly written by men, but I'd never let the fact that a particular book was written by a woman put me off it if the subject matter looked like it was something that would interest me.

pillphil

pillphil wrote: »

Are you trying to say you haven't read that copy of gravity's rainbow that's been sitting on your coffee table for the last few years?

Ha ha. That is actually on my shelf, unread. Right next to Infinite Jest.

Harper Lee and Lucia Berlin would be 2 female authors I admire.

EmmetSpiceland

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ha ha. That is actually on my shelf, unread. Right next to Infinite Jest.

Harper Lee and Lucia Berlin would be 2 female authors I admire.

You should definitely read it, leave Infinite Jest for now.

Make sure it’s a copy with the “scene breaks”, without them it’s a head wrecker.

Outlaw Pete

When I was young I read Enid Blyton and Sue Townsend almost exclusively.

tuxy

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

When I was young I read Enid Blyton and Sue Townsend almost exclusively.

Sue Townsend was the first one to come to mind for me too even though it was a very long time ago.

A friend of mine asked me this a while ago..I had never really thought of it before, but on reflection, fiction wise, I actually probably read more contemporary women than men, but more men in the more classics section..

bee06

I’m a woman and it’s split pretty evenly for me. My favourite genre is crime/mystery. I just finished re-reading the Jack Reacher series and currently working my way through Michael Connollys books but I also have Patricia Cornwall, Kathy Reichs, Alafair Burke series on my Kindle. A good book is a good book.

ILoveYourVibes

quodec wrote: »

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

Both genders prefer authors of their own gender. However men are much less likely to read authors who are women. Thus JK Rowling ..became JK rolling in it. Her publishers didn't want people to know she was female.

I would do the same if I were a writer. Be a white dude.

s7ryf3925pivug

Robin Hobb's first nine books were very good. I think pretending to be a man helped. Her next three were terrible.

Gynoid

I think it is an interesting question, don't know why anyone would have a particularly wtf moment about it . I have read loads, though not literature of late, for some reason, and never consciously discriminated. Childhood books as Outlaw Pete noted, mostly female, although CS Lewis and Roald Dahl started to creep in when I could choose myself and go for weirder. Read more philosophy books now, or fact based rather than fiction. Although I am just out of a run of Houellebecq, the fascinating horrid little prophet. Went through times of complete obsession, maybe possession even!, could be Austen or Atwood or Murdoch, could be Roth or Faulkner, Hemingway or Hardy. Or anyone, regardless of sex! Overall male authors pip the post for me in terms of preference, to be very honest, though it is close, and especially in philosophy. Book by female authors have absorbed me much more completely into an emotional journey, often transformative, whereas the books that impacted me by male authors had a more intellectual kick and have somehow stuck longer. Checked my bedside table, 5 books, 4 by men, 1 by a woman, but that is an unpublished self printed single copy of a novel by me so that does not count!! hehe

pwurple

Mixed bag here.

My favourite well-thumbed comfort book always sitting by the fire is a Dorothy Parker anthology. Next to it is the aspirational Finnegan’s Wake, with its badly needed companion “A readers guide to Finnegan’s wake”... just checked, that is William Tindall.

Bedside locker has Dear Girls, by Ali Wong. And on the kindle app for commutes is “a million years in a day” Greg Jenner.

Queued up are
The Bone People, a booker prize winner by Keri Hulme.
Ayoade on Top, Richard ayoade.


And every night for the last eternity I read this one aloud to the smallest in my house, Moon Rabbit by Natalie Russell. Sometimes swapping with The Book with No Pictures, BJ Novak.

Widdershins

I don't gravitate to authors of a either sex in particular. I don't like chick lit.
I like historical fiction which isn't dominated by authors of one sex more than the other.
Or reference books which might be more one or the other (spinning and weaving has more male writers than I expected but dollmaking and knitting is mostly written about by women. Corset making and tailoring has plenty of male writers, as does makeup and fashion and perfumery)
There are more sailing diaries written by men but far from exclusively by men.

Bottom line, writer's sex is not a factor in my choice of book.

Ive only ever stopped reading to note the sex of the writer whrn reading the male perspective in a love story. For some reason.

lawred2

quodec wrote: »

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

Can't say I've ever given thought to the author..

It's more the genre that matters to me.. anything vaguely chicklit is immediately out.

eviltwin

Deleted User wrote: »

As we all know, on the shelf does not equal read. For those you have read and enjoyed you must have a rough idea of what percentage are female authored. Half?

I looked at my highest rated books on Goodreads for last year. It's roughly 50/50. I gave two books 5 stars, one male writer, one female. I enjoy most books I read and it's a fairly even split. I think it's a bit sad to not pick up a book based on the gender of the author, think of all the gems you'd be missing.

I read a man-lit book once and it was terrible so i don't think I'll be doing that again. Stick with proper female writers

kylith

Most of my bookshelf is Terry Pratchett, but idgaf about the gender of the author. Just checked and the last book I read was written by a woman, and i’ve Recently started an excellent series by Ann Leckie.

Igotadose

Of course we men do. Many old-time SF authors were women, with male pseudonyms or 'neutral' names (Andre Norton, James Tiptree, jr.) as they couldn't get published with a male name. And many famous authors outside SF did the same - George Sand, even J K Rowling published a mystery as "Robert Galbraith."

Gender doesn't enter into it when I read something.

pwurple

The question itself shows a close-mindedness. Why limit yourself?