Still, I'd rather have someone honestly go "weirdos!" than pretend to be all "girly book-loving solidarity" while hinting at "weirdos!" all along.

I do get that. I think some people are reading on a subtextual level (but not perceiving it as subtextual--perceiving it as what is "clearly" meant) and some are saying, "Hey, for what she SAID and considering how bad it COULD have been, count your blessings." There's one possible division.