Reading...no pain no gain? Response to "The Company of Readers."

After getting my undergraduate degree in history, I understand the need for individuals to read more intellectual material. However, I also feel that the stigma against reading for pleasure is too strong and that sometimes people just need to decompress. In fact, I feel so strongly about this, that I will even argue that reading for pleasure has just as many benefits as reading for an academic purpose. While the benefits may not all be in sync, both forms of reading have something to provide to the reader. Reading for pleasure, "tends to be downplayed in comparison with the importance given to reading for information or literacy as a life " (Ross 6). But why? Throughout my academic career I have hear individuals argue that non-academic material or material with limited accredited intellectual content has little merit or benefit in increasing brain function or analytical thinking. I disagree. Of course valid sources should be used for a term paper or a research project, but for everyday leisure reading, why not explore the taboo? Sometimes there are hidden gems that inspire great avenues of thought. Novels with complex story lines and plot development are not limited to the works of the authors in a literary cannon or works published by Oxford University. There are plenty of works that encourage interaction through a play on emotions and morality. Should these stories whether they be fantasy or murder mystery be thrown out as the smut of the reading world? I don't think so.