Not a waste at all! You learn all kinds of human behavior, language, and critical thinking from fantasy novels.

BUT if you want to read nonfiction, there are genres within that too. Even within self help, do you want to learn about psychology, health, business, interpersonal skills? Or maybe you’d be interested in memoirs, narrative nonfiction, history?

My best suggestion is go to a library or bookstore if you can and tell them what you like and they will give you ideas. Even if you don’t have that access, try highly rated books from lots of different genres until you find something you like. Also, don’t do it because you think you should, do it because you want to. So if that means you enjoy fantasy then go for it, but if you want to learn things go for that too. Just don’t read because you think it looks good for you to be carrying around “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” or something like that.

I’m a hs teacher and there’s definitely a resurgence happening now of goth kids and other hot topic adjacent groups that we haven’t seen in awhile!

If my brother says, don’t let this guy around your food, then yeah I’m not letting this guy around my food. I trust my brother more than a distant relative I’ve never met. I take your point but I’m going based off the info I have. I’m not making accusations based on info I don’t have.

He’s been told this guy will do “twisted and unhygienic “ things to his food. It’s not selfish if I don’t want someone like that in my house, it’s called boundaries.

OP connecting with the family member:

“So what’s this I hear about you sticking your dick in people’s food?”

The OP has said he has been warned by other family members to lock up valuables and food around this person, though. If I heard that, no way this person would be staying with me but I’m also at the point in life where I can say no to people.

You say “have to” like it’s a problem!

This is the one I came here to mention!

Yes!

Love the book. I don’t interpret him as being mentally ill. It’s like you say that he was provoked. If anything, his actions make the most sense in that moment because her control and dehumanizing/emasculating approach is responsible for the death of someone and McMurphy stands up for that person. We can all see what she did is wrong, and we root for him in that moment. He sacrifices himself for the justice of the innocent.

It’s my favorite book. It meant a lot to me as a teenager, but it meant a lot to me in a new way rereading it as an adult. I think when people don’t like it, it’s because they can’t relate to Holden’s internal conflicts so he just seems like a whiner to them. But I think even if a lot of people don’t realize it, he’s very realistic.