Reading is often presented as a universal pleasure, yet society has quietly gendered the activity. Books, libraries and reading for pleasure are frequently associated with girls and women, while boys can grow up receiving the message that reading is less masculine. This divide is not natural. It is the result of cultural expectations that begin early and become increasingly difficult to escape.
Part of the association between reading and femininity comes from the way literacy and education developed historically. In many societies, women were encouraged to engage with novels, poetry and domestic literature, while men were associated with more practical, professional or physical pursuits. Later, publishing and marketing reinforced these distinctions, particularly through the rise of genres explicitly targeted at women. Even today, the image of the avid reader is often imagined as a woman curled up with a novel, whereas male interests are more likely to be represented through sport, gaming, technology or other activities.
The gender gap can begin surprisingly early. Research consistently shows that girls tend to develop stronger reading habits and attitudes towards reading than boys. As children get older, this difference can widen. Girls may receive more encouragement to read, encounter more books featuring characters they identify with, and be given greater social permission to describe reading as enjoyable. Boys, meanwhile, may become increasingly conscious of whether an activity is perceived as “cool” or masculine. If reading becomes associated with schoolwork, quietness or femininity, some boys may distance themselves from it.
These expectations shape behaviour. Girls and women may feel comfortable browsing bookshops, joining book clubs, discussing novels or sharing what they are reading online. Boys and men may read just as much in some cases, but be less likely to describe themselves as “readers”, particularly when their reading falls outside traditionally masculine categories. The issue, therefore, is not simply how many books people read, but how society makes people feel about reading.
Changing this requires challenging the stereotypes rather than trying to make reading itself more “masculine”. Children need access to diverse books that reflect a wide range of interests, identities and experiences. Parents, teachers and librarians can avoid presenting certain genres as inherently for boys or girls, while schools can recognise graphic novels, comics, non-fiction, magazines and digital texts as legitimate forms of reading.
Most importantly, boys need to see reading modelled and valued by the men around them. When reading is presented as something everyone can enjoy - not a marker of gender - we can begin to close the gap and make books feel like what they should have been all along: for everyone.