In so many regency/Victorian shows and movies, the heroine is scolded for reading because it would make her undesirable or something. I know knowledge in things like languages and music were appreciated, so this doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me. Is there any historical basis for this? If so, were some genres considered “more feminine/appropriate” than others?
Before someone offers a specific answer about 19th century UK, you may be interested in my answer to a similar question about 18th France: a cautious approach of female reading was still a thing in the 19th century (see Mrs Bovary) though it was getting better.