Julie C. Day@bookishbrews your response seems like common sense. 🙃Reading widely is always emotionally & intellectually expansive. There's a 2nd element, too. Removing or ignoring the narrow bumpers some place around "good" or "important" allows people to be truthful about what work is meaningful to them. It's no longer a test. Acknowledgement of important writers & works that have not been deemed canon because of various marginalized identities, though they've inspired and led the way, is far too common.
@bookishbrews it's far broader than gender, but one example: the women historically at the root of horror and weird fiction aren't generally remembered, though their work absolutely exists. This is just one book I found one my shelf.
@bookishbrews I think small presses that help people from historically marginalized groups find their audiences is huge #LethePress #AqueductPress and #FIYAH come to mind.