The value of genre

It's funny how you run across snobbishness in the oddest of places... I recently had a passing conversation with a couple of folks at the place where I teach, which went a little like this:

Teacher A: I bet you read a lot of books, don't you?
Me: Well, I read about 120 last year, so yes.
Teacher B: Oh, what kind of books do you like?
Me: Most of what I read was science fiction and fantasy. I used to read a lot of crime books, but I got a bit bored with them.
Teacher B: Oh. I only read non-fiction.

Yes, because that's clearly much more worthy than me spending my time with (enjoyable but obviously) shameful genre books. Poor me, thinking that actually reading is a good thing when I could be aspiring to the lofty heights of non-fiction!

Actually, I do occasionally read non-fiction, but not across the board. Mostly history and cultural stuff, with the (very) occasional biography thrown in.

Pfft.

E.T.A. Fortunately, I stopped myself from saying 'oh, and I also read a lot of gay porn based on TV shows and movies, what do you think about that?' ;)