I was in the car on my way to pick up my husband this afternoon as we were going to go see Art & Copy, which was very good by the way, when I heard a bit on NPR about Guilty Pleasures. You know, books that you love but are a bit embarrassed to admit you read and enjoy.
I can’t believe I’ve never heard any of these commentaries but glad I can still read about them on their web site. Anyway, it just got me thinking about my reading guilty pleasures and I can’t think of anything I’d hate to admit I love to read. I guess Twilight was a bit of a guilty pleasure but well I raved about it here so I guess I didn’t feel all that embarrassed about it.
I’ve mentioned that way back I read my fair share of romance novels and those would have been guilty pleasures type books. But now, I just can’t come up with one type of book or series that I read that would fit that. I guess I figure that as long as I’m enjoying a book, who cares if it’s a YA book, a graphic novel, a romance, etc. and so I don’t view it as a guilty pleasure.
What do you think? Do you consider some books guilty pleasures? Give me some titles and maybe I’ll find something to feel a bit guilty about. heh.
Those Mills & Boons romances are my guilty pleasures, LOL. I find they’re a good escapism if I want a light and fluffy read. 😛
Melody, u r right! Mills and Boons were also my guilty pleasure, when I was younger LOL!
But not anymore 🙂
Iliana, like you I dnt think there is any book that I liked and did not rave about 😀
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich – though I’m not really embarrassed about – I just consider it my brain candy.
the Rosamunde Pilcher books. The food description, the characters, Cornwall, the romance. I was guilty to want some more.
I think as most people get older they get less bothered about having to justify their reading choices, but some people never get over it. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about reading what I call ‘battle books’ where it’s basically war, war, agh dead friend, war, war, romantic happy ending/tragedy strikes.
Yes, Stephanie Plum is at the top of the list. I am unashamed too. She makes me laugh. And maybe the Prey series, and the Jack Reacher series. Man-fiction it is called I think, but I get excited when another installment comes out.
I loved the Twilight books and I am not afraid to admit it. They got me reading again, after a very long reading drought.
My guilty pleasure is something that I am reading for me. I’m not reading it for either of my books clubs, or for reviewing, or for work. So I can’t say it’s a specific tpe of book. It’s just something I want to read for my self.
When I was very young, my father told me I couldn’t bring home any more Nancy Drew from the library unless I brought home some books that were more educational. I can’t remember just how he phrased it, but I began bringing home nonfiction as well…mostly archaeology. I learned to love history, art, and architecture as a result, and I’m forever grateful for his interference.
But, as a result, mysteries remain my “guilty pleasures.” I don’t feel really guilty, just indulgent.
The Twilight series and all those Austen sequels are my guilty pleasures; but like you, I’m not embarrassed to say I like them. 🙂
Maeve Binchy books are my guilty pleasure! I love them all!! Her book characters are down to earth, well rounded and the stories she writes are pulled from everyday happenings. And yes, with love affairs too 🙂 Not hot and steamy–I don’t know, but satisfying reads?
Meh, I’m not ashamed of much, so I would probably go with “no.” Though I did download a free Harlequin romance recently for Nook (because it was free). Didn’t make it all the way through, so I can’t even say I read it. lol
Mysteries are the same thing for me – indulgent. I think it’s the academic in me as well. I feel like there are books I ‘should’ be reading but don’t want to. So, mysteries. Plus, after I finished my Master’s degree, mysteries were literally the only thing I could read. So they definitely feel that way for me.
The Twilight series was a guilty pleasure, for much the same reason. I hated to like them. My reason was personal, though. I saw an interview with the author in which she states she did absolutely no research. I was disgusted, but I kept reading, dang it.
I would say books by Stephen King, John Grisham, and David Baldacci are some of my guilty pleasures that I have indulged in over the years! I also read some Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins in my twenties.
Melody – I’ve never read any of those but have heard they are fun. Maybe I should give one a go one day when I need some brain candy 🙂
Veens – Yea, if I like a book I’m not ashamed to admit. I figure we are all different anyway and everyone will have different favorites!
Carrie K. – I used to love those books, especially the first few in the series were just so fun. My favorite characters are Lula and Grandma Mazur. Seriously funny characters!
roxane – Oh those sound good. I’ve never read one of her books either but they just sound like the type of books you can easily get caught up.
Jodie – I totally agree. I think in my younger years I would have hated to admit I liked sappy love stories but now I just don’t care. And, too funny about your battle books!
Sandy – Man-fiction, haha. I love that. I’ve not read any of those but should give ’em a try and see what I think.
vivienne – Oh see, then they can’t be that bad, right? I think we’ve all gone through phases where we sort of lost the reading bug and it’s so wonderful to get it back. Hurray for whatever gets us reading again!
Melanie – I know what you mean. At one point I used to belong to four reading groups and I swear I felt like I was always reading “assigned” reading material so whenever I could work in one of my books it just felt wonderful.
jenclair – mysteries are definitely my indulgence too I think. I love ’em but I they are also dear to me because when my dad was very ill the books that got me through some rough times were mysteries. I was reading a lot of cozy mysteries then but it was all I could read and at least escape so I love ’em for that.
Anna – Good for you! I used to be a bit of a book snob when I was much younger but luckily I got over that very quickly 🙂
Jeannie – She’s a good one for comfort reads! I haven’t read one of her books in such a long time and she’s got a new one out doesn’t she? Maybe I should add that to my list!
andi – How could you pass up a free book right? 🙂 Ah well, too bad it didn’t really catch your attention but at least you tried it.
jrav – Yep, I think of all the classics I still haven’t read and think I should read them. I want to read many but really there’s nothing wrong with reading just for pleasure. I mean, who’s counting what we are reading and how good it is right? 🙂
Kathleen – Oh Stephen King is a good one. I never did get into Grisham and haven’t tried the others. Can you believe that? Well, I did read a Danielle Steel once 🙂
I haven’t (yet) read the TWILIGHT books, does HARRY POTTER count for guilty pleasure? If not, I’ll admit that Dan Brown’s THE LOST SYMBOL was on my list shortly after it was published last year.
I don’t think of them as guilty pleasures anymore; I think of them as palate cleansers. You know, the quick reads you slip in between the heavier stuff. Still, if I was forced to admit a ‘guilty pleasure’ it would be smutty vampire books.
You know, after reading the comments, I have a theory. I think people who truly love books don’t really allow themselves to be embarrassed by what they read. In other words, we don’t describe Twilight or Austen sequels as guilty pleasures because we don’t feel guilty or embarrassed about reading them. We just enjoy what we read. I stopped reading a blog that remains fairly popular in book circles several years back because I thought the blogger was a book snob. Hey, I absolutely love Harry Potter, and she took (maybe still takes) every opportunity to mock adults who read those books. I just didn’t get it. She was a champion of graphic novels. Why be such a book snob? People should read what they like without feeling they’ll be judged for it. Perhaps my attitude comes from being an English teacher and working with reluctant readers. All I know is, until one of my students read Twilight, she wasn’t much of a reader, but last year, she showed me a fat biography of Henry VIII that she was “reading for PLEASURE, Mrs. Huff!” because she liked The Tudors and wanted to learn more. If you’ve ever had to be a cheerleader for reading, you tend not to feel too snobby about what people read as long as they do read.
I definitely consider Penny Vincenzi a guilty pleasure! So wonderfully trashy, but I recommend her every chance I get. Lately, DE Stevenson is my guilty pleasure.