Ramadan Special: A Soulful Reading Series by Dubai author

Why reading that doesn’t improve your CV matters

Stories without bullet points often teach more than those with them — because not everything worth knowing fits on LinkedIn.

Authored by: Purva Grover

“So, you read fiction?” she said.

I mean, who reads fiction? The scorn and judgement in her voice was direct, cold, and, if I may, unnecessary — even uninformed.

Yet something about the way she spoke those words suggested I could not simply dismiss her reaction. I decided to dig deeper. She reads only non-fiction, for that’s helpful for her work, as she explains — how to be a better manager, how to grow the company, how to deal with people you dislike, how to stay positive, and the like. Each book, each title, teaches her something, furthering her career and nudging her personality in the right direction.

What could fiction offer? she raised a brow.

My most recent reads have been The Names by Florence Knapp (e-book), Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (audio), and If I Could Turn Back Time by Beth Harbison (hardback). I am currently reading Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson (paperback). What could these books — about domestic violence, relationships, turning older, and a love story set in the publishing world — possibly teach me? They don’t offer bullet points or frameworks. They do not promise five habits or ten steps. But they teach me how to sit inside someone else’s fear. How to recognise loneliness before it becomes loud. How regret feels at 40, 50. How ambition sounds in a twenty-five-year-old voice. Fiction does not improve my CV, I agree.

Yes, self-help books sell a lot, but so did Harry Potter. I could have argued with her, but I think her choice of genre requires a deeper understanding. We’re taught early on to do things—and invest time in them—that bring results. Good marks = good university = good job. Eat a fruit = get the nutrients. Read a book = gain a benefit, become smarter. In all this, where do emotion, imagination, patience, wonder, and pleasure lie?

I read a variety of genres, and I love both fiction and non-fiction. Of course, I am happy that, regardless of the motivation for picking up a book, books are being picked up ‘for gain’. But in 2026, when we are always complaining of a lack of time — and always multitasking — why did I even imagine that books would be read for pure pleasure, peace, love?

We listen to podcasts as we walk, to make the most of our time. We watch Netflix while sharing a meal with our partner, to make the most of the hour. We reply to Insta stories as we wait for the cab to arrive. We fold laundry while attending Zoom calls. We want to make the most of every moment, every page.

And fiction, perhaps for some, doesn’t allow one to do that.

So then, who reads fiction? Well, a few of us — who are okay doing something “unproductive” in a very productive life.

“So, you read fiction?” Yes, this is one of the most common questions one hears — from non-readers, or rather, readers with a purpose. Fiction asks for stillness. It demands attention without promising results, and that is rare to chase.