Why Would Someone Pretend to Read a Book?

Why do people pretend to read books? I'm not talking about people who may have a problem with reading or literacy and maybe embarrassed for someone to find out about it. I'm talking about the people who claim they have read a book and will then proceed to talk about it as if they've read it. But why go through all the trouble?

I wonder if some do it to try to impress others or they simply just enjoy doing it. For instance, I have a friend who has a shelf full of the classics but has never read any of them. But she likes to pretend as if she did and what I find interesting is that she will have an entire conversation with someone about some of those books. And I'm always surprised someone hasn't called her bluff and exposed the fact that she has not read them. That example aside, I do wonder if some do it because they feel intimidated by some book enthusiast who is judging them on what they read. I completely understand because I've received a few judgey looks on occasion whenever I said I haven't read certain books. But I'm not going to lie just so they won't make those faces at me. It's their issue not mine.

I feel like there are three easy things to say instead of pretending to have read a book: 1) I haven't read it. 2) At the moment, I don't plan on reading it. 3) I may read it at another time (especially if it's something that interest me).

Reading is a personal thing and no one should feel pressured to read a certain book (unless it's required reading for school, sorry that's one you can't get away from) nor ashamed if they have not. As for the ones who enjoy pretending, well I guess it works for them. However, they should at least try to read any of the books they're pretending to read. Then they wouldn't have to worry about someone perhaps calling them out for lying.