Aspie Women and Reading

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I would spend all day reading if I could. It's fantastic. I love fantasy and nonfiction.

I'm a big reader! I usually read at least one book a week. I even keep a journal of all of the books that I read in a year. I like both fiction and non-fiction, but I read more fiction. I tend to drift from one of my hobbies to another though--for a while I'll mostly want to read (so I might read several books a week), then I'll mostly want to play video games or go online (so I might only read one book a month), etc. I always do all of those hobbies to a certain extent, but it seems like one will take up most of my spare time for a while and then another will move in and take over. I've always been like that.

The only thing about reading that's kind of negative for me is that I've had a hard time moving from teen books to adult books. It seems like the adult market is saturated with mystery/thriller/horror and romance books, which are exactly the genres that I avoid, so I mostly read teen books. I'm okay with that for now, but I'd like to (mostly) be out of the teen section by the time I'm 30. I try to force myself to find one interesting sounding adult book every time I go to the library to check out in addition to my YA books, but I usually can't get into them. I've only found two or three adult books that I liked. Does/did anyone else have this issue?

I have a similar issue. I don't have a problem reading adult books if I'm interested in them and they're well written but I do tend to prefer teen books because I relate to the characters more and that makes the reading process more enjoyable. I always check the teen section first when I go to bookstores.

Have you looked into autobiographies? They're usually aimed at adults and generally avoid the mystery/thriller/horror genres.

I am glad I'm not the only one! Thanks for the suggestion.

I can't remember a time when I didn't enjoy reading. When I was a kid, it was the one thing I really liked to do that I could do by myself and do well. I read books beyond my age level. The length of a novel doesn't bother me. I've read Gone With the Wind and The Stand and both were over 1,000 pages.

I prefer fiction, but I read some non-fiction too (books about Autism, religion, etc.) I've read a lot of romance novels as well as mystery (J Kellerman) and horror (Dean Koontz and Stephen King). Fantasy might be my favorite genre. I read sci fi too, but it's not as... warm. Sci fi seems too hard and cold to me, and it can tedious.

Avid reader. 2-3 books a week.

I really love dystopian novels but I'm running out of them.

Honestly, I haven't read any books about autistic women.

You're welcome.

I like autobiographies as well.I love to learn about how others lived their lives and how they have contributed to the world.Has anyone read any Colette? "My Mother's House" and "Sido" are short works by her that are really beautiful.I really enjoyed Harry Belafonte's and Sidney Poiter's autobiographies.

I tend to be like that too. Although online activities have taken up more time for the last 4-5 years.


I'm the same but I don't see that as a problem. Unlike you, I love horror and thrillers, and some of the best ones are often found in the YA section. I also love dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy.

I dislike the romance that comes with these books, but I hate the romance and eroticism in adult books just as much, so no difference there.

I often find adult books boring. There is too much filler stuff and too many irrelevant sub-plots. It makes me lose interest. I like the more direct story telling seen in teen books. There are very few adult books I can get into, only a few authors are capable of captivating me. They wouldn't be for you though, Quill, they're horror writers.

I'm 36 and will continue to read the books that appeal to me, regardless of the age group they were intended for. There are YA books out there that certainly aren't inferior or childish. I don't care what anyone think about it, reading should never be a chore and it would be if I restricted myself to "age appropriate" books.
I too find it easier to relate to the characters in teen books btw.

At least I'm not the only one. Only a very few adult authors tend to interest me. The current adult books I currently enjoy are Jodi Picoult, Danielle Steel and Sophia Kinselli.

At least I'm not the only one. Only a very few adult authors tend to interest me. The current adult books I currently enjoy are Jodi Picoult, Danielle Steel and Sophia Kinselli.

Sorry, I didn't see your reply until today!

This is a really great reply, and I think you are right. You explained my issue with adult books perfectly--they are often boring and have too much filler for me. I have never been able to figure out exactly why I didn't take to them, just that they seemed different from YA books in some way that meant I just couldn't get into most of them.

I've also had a few embarrassing conversations about my reading habits over the past few years, which I think inspired my quest to try to move to adult books. I think you're right though, and it's probably better just to stick with what I like and not really care about that stuff.

Thanks!

YW! I'm glad my reply was helpful!

As for people not getting it... If there are any adult book authors you do like, you could make sure to bring them up in such conversations. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to mention teen books, you can just stick to those that are more socially acceptable, while still enjoying them privately.
Just an idea.
IRL I usually avoid mentioning things I know is likely to make others awkward, and in turn me embarrassed. Teen books are harmless and there's nothing wrong with liking them. Nevertheless there is little point in setting oneself up for negativity.

Thank you for the idea. My current strategy has basically been to be vague about my reading choices, but having a prepared answer to any questions that come up sounds like it would probably work better and be a bit less awkward. Thanks again!

I was a reader since I was little and had an above average vocabulary. I thought nothing of reading 1,000+ page books as a teen, stuff like Gone with the Wind and The Stand by Stephen King.

I read lots of romance books as a teen but not so much now. I also love fantasy novels but I'm very picky. I still love Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mercedes Lackey. I've read Laurell K. Hamilton, Jeanne K. Stein and Kelley Armstrong. I also read non-fiction, some mystery (Jonathan Kellerman) and horror (Dean Koontz).

I've been into comic books for years, mostly ElfQuest, Excalibur, X-Men.