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I was (un)lucky when growing up. There was not much translated SF available (my preferred genre), less than 200 books altogether. Books were cheap, everybody could afford them - but not everybody could get them. Good ones were always sold out (and even the library had waiting list).
While I wouldn't have been caught dead with "Kapital", I had no problems with reading some bestseller in public. I don't think 'book snobism' even entered my mind, if anything, then 'envy' ("You want it, but I was lucky to get it.")
When I could understand english paperbacks, I chose to interpret the looks I got in the bus as 'Wow, english!' (if I noticed them at all.) Some people at work used to ask: "Do you understand what you're reading?", happened so often that I developed a standard answer: "No, I look at the pictures."
Plus, english paperbacks are nice size to carry around.
If it's a choice between enjoying myself and running the risk someone's disapproval, I always choose me. Life is too short.
I love Bujold. When I finished Shards of Honor I thought that it was the best romance I'd read for some time.
Nowadays I read everything: biography, romance, thriller, SF & F ... mostly SF & F. And I really hate how marketing tries to make the covers 'respectable'. Who wants black cover with some interweaved rings on the fantasy book!?
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