Lady Lovestead Reads | The Pain Over Joy Reading Tag (An Original Tag by Me) @ladylovesteadreads | Uploaded April 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
This is my own original tag. Please credit me as well as Christina Lauren in your video. 😊

The quote from Christina Lauren: “here are words I get tired of seeing even in *positive* reviews of romance novels: cheesy, predictable, guilty pleasure. Happy doesn’t mean cheesy. Stop belittling things that bring joy. A HEA is guaranteed with romance—that doesn’t make it predictable, it makes romance novels reassuring. And “guilty pleasure” is the most frustrating. Just because reading or watching something romantic feels good doesn’t make it somehow shameful. These words matter. His wasn’t even about a review of our book—it was about a mystery romance in our feed that looks awesome. But we see these in reviews and we never want readers to have to *explain away* why they picked up a romance novel. You shouldn’t have to defend to your followers why you picked up something lighthearted over something intense and serious. Somewhere along the line we started to value content that elevated pain above joy—made it somehow more intellectually valuable. Why do we do that? Anyway. I want people to read romance proudly and without disclaimer. Reading romance is just as valid a use of your time as reading nonfiction, poetry, lit fic, thrillers, horror, scifi, fantasy, comics, the news, that New Yorker piece, or your smart cousins forwarded email about foreign policy. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for wat you read and love. Many folks act like romance is somehow: easier, less important work, intended for a less important or refined audience. And you know what? They can fuck right off.

Tag Questions
1. Do you mostly read books illustrating pain or books illustrating joy? Why?
2. Do you see books about pain as more intellectually valuable? Why or why not?
3. Why do you think major book prizes like the Booker and the Pulitzer mainly award books about pain?
4. Do you use and agree with the phrase “guilty pleasure”? Why or why not?
5. Do you think books centering joy are guilty pleasures?
6. Do you read in secret? Are there books you read but never talk about because of embarrassment, shame, or guilty about liking them?
7. Who do you tag?

I am tagging:
Kit at Kit’s World: youtube.com/channel/UCpyzezkG0FTJnFGwqkON34Q
Becca at Becca Woodward: youtube.com/channel/UClrkdsUxXEvuOOzUa2F24ow
Tiffany at Beach Bum Book Worm: youtube.com/channel/UCDn4HCNJgGVMDJodfQ7ZVsQ
Ro at Cozy Reads Mystery: youtube.com/channel/UCXBUWndUtbXeW-HDAPrwYlA
Simon and Amy at BookTube with Simon and Amy: youtube.com/channel/UC7aFjCDWes3BVdR0UibMfgg
Crystal at Crystal’s Bookish Life: youtube.com/channel/UCYQIIVlMb8Y0p33kywcT8Hg

#booktube #thepainoverjoyreadingtag #booktubetag #ladylovesteadreads


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Disclaimers: All opinions are my own and do not reflect my employer or affiliates.

Connect with me!
Instagram: @ladylovestead
Twitter: @ladylovestead
Amazon Wish List amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1XBRS5O92RZYG?ref_=wl_share
Goodreads: goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-jess-d-artagnan
My Bookstore: bookshop.org/shop/ladylovestead

Title and credits music is “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by George Fredric Handel, played by me ages ago.