How about some guilty pleasures? - Page 5

Billi · 12-17-2010, 06:19 PM

My guilty pleasures are some (okay, I must admit almost all) books by Nicholas Sparks.

Mortis · 12-18-2010, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

Why are my favorite books being listed as guilty pleasures?

Lee

I was thinking the same thing.

alyxie · 12-18-2010, 07:25 AM

As someone said earlier: Mercedes Lackey. I have almost every book in paperback form in the Valdemar Series. She's very upfront that she writes to cater to the masses for money though so I'm hats off to her besides I think she's also a programmer (a little occupational solidarity here

).

David & Leigh Eddings and yeah, they're a husband and wife team writing in tandem though some of their earlier books only have David Eddings tagged onto them. They're also upfront about their writing not being high literature and I respect that.

Johanna Lindsey for the bodice rippers.

Robotech, I read these books as a teen and I still go back to read them occasionally.

Maybe a couple of Plot What Plot fanfiction novels which should be really tagged as Porn Without Plot.

FlorenceArt · 12-18-2010, 07:41 AM

Bodice rippers? Maybe I should check that out

alyxie · 12-18-2010, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Bodice rippers? Maybe I should check that out

Probably showing my age there. xD

Latinandgreek · 12-18-2010, 09:53 AM

I'm on book 8 (almost finished it, actually) of the Chronicles of Amber, "Sign of Chaos". I really should brush up on some of the plot points of the first 6 books, though.

jehane · 12-19-2010, 12:49 PM

alyxie, AFAIK they're still called bodice rippers.

FlorenceArt, it's a sort of slang term for those historical romances of the sort that Fabio used to pose for. They can be identified by the muscled, usually topless or open-shirted man holding a swooning female, often with the top of her dress pulled down a bit, at least off one shoulder if not both. His hair (always long) will be streaming behind, while hers (even longer and almost always loose and wavy) will be obeying gravity and not the wind. I've read a few, but there is a certain sameness about them (and not just the covers!) that gets dull after a while. I like romance, but generally prefer it as a secondary plot, although I do like Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.

I thought Jurassic Park (the book) was excellent and the movie wasn't too bad - it couldn't convey the depth of the novel but it gave it a good shot. The visual effects really distracted from the deeper questions although they did use the mathematician (Jeff Goldblum - I think the character was Ian Malcolm?) to overtly pose some of them. But all that tended to get lost in the action, whereas there was more ability to focus on that sort of thing in the written form.

I read a lot of SF and fantasy, but I'm not ashamed of it. At the moment I'm mostly reading space opera and urban fantasy - I go through phases with the subgenres though I can read Terry Pratchett any time.

I'm trying out steampunk at the moment and possibly shifting back towards hard SF. I was also getting into pulp a short while ago.

I don't see why anyone should be ashamed of what they are reading. Books are there as entertainment, and if you enjoy, well that's entirely up to you. I tend to be a bit particular with genres and authors - I don't like JK Rowling, Dan Brown, or Charlaine Harris. But I like Diana Wynne Jones, Matthew Reilly, and Kim Harrison. Similar, and yet I can't get into the former while I enjoy the latter. I don't worry about it too much, I just continue to read the ones I like and try out new authors.

SeaBookGuy · 12-19-2010, 01:57 PM

I read a few cozy mystery series (Mary Daheim's "Bed & Breakfast", Alice Kimberly's "Haunted Bookshop", and a few others), which work well to pass the time between (more serious) non-fiction titles.

doreenjoy · 12-19-2010, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jehane

alyxie, AFAIK they're still called bodice rippers.

Many romance authors and readers consider the term derogatory and misogynistic.

It's always easy to denigrate a genre that's written by and for women.

natasha_fawn · 12-19-2010, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I'm on book 8 (almost finished it, actually) of the Chronicles of Amber, "Sign of Chaos". I really should brush up on some of the plot points of the first 6 books, though.

Oh no! Zelazny as a guilty pleasure?

FlorenceArt · 12-20-2010, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

Many romance authors and readers consider the term derogatory and misogynistic.

It's always easy to denigrate a genre that's written by and for women.

Well, it is derogatory but in my mind it describes some type of romance writing very well. But I suppose times have changed and even Harlequin had to adapt to new stereotypes of man-woman relationship, so this kind of story (strong, forceful man and passive, fragile, helpless woman) is a thing of the past... or is it?

Latinandgreek · 12-20-2010, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natasha_fawn

Oh no! Zelazny as a guilty pleasure?

No! Oops... I posted in the wrong thread, this should have been in the "What are we reading" thread. Sorry!

alyxie · 12-22-2010, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

Many romance authors and readers consider the term derogatory and misogynistic.

It's always easy to denigrate a genre that's written by and for women.

Ummm, I'm female and very feminine about my reading choices I rarely like male authors at all.

But then, I only use the term bodice rippers when it comes to books written in the style of Johanna Lindsey. I think it fits their story lines.

alyxie · 12-22-2010, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Well, it is derogatory but in my mind it describes some type of romance writing very well. But I suppose times have changed and even Harlequin had to adapt to new stereotypes of man-woman relationship, so this kind of story (strong, forceful man and passive, fragile, helpless woman) is a thing of the past... or is it?

It's a timeless plot. There'll always be some book being published that'll fit that description, in my humble opinion.

12-18-2010, 07:25 AM	#63
alyxie Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 89988 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Philippines Device: none	As someone said earlier: Mercedes Lackey. I have almost every book in paperback form in the Valdemar Series. She's very upfront that she writes to cater to the masses for money though so I'm hats off to her besides I think she's also a programmer (a little occupational solidarity here ). David & Leigh Eddings and yeah, they're a husband and wife team writing in tandem though some of their earlier books only have David Eddings tagged onto them. They're also upfront about their writing not being high literature and I respect that. Johanna Lindsey for the bodice rippers. Robotech, I read these books as a teen and I still go back to read them occasionally. Maybe a couple of Plot What Plot fanfiction novels which should be really tagged as Porn Without Plot. Last edited by alyxie; 12-18-2010 at 07:31 AM.

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12-17-2010, 06:19 PM	#61
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	My guilty pleasures are some (okay, I must admit almost all) books by Nicholas Sparks.

12-18-2010, 07:41 AM	#64
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	Bodice rippers? Maybe I should check that out

12-18-2010, 09:53 AM	#66
Latinandgreek Warrior Princess Posts: 5,038 Karma: 9724231 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505; PRS-350, PRS-T1, iPad, Aura HD	I'm on book 8 (almost finished it, actually) of the Chronicles of Amber, "Sign of Chaos". I really should brush up on some of the plot points of the first 6 books, though.

12-19-2010, 12:49 PM	#67
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	alyxie, AFAIK they're still called bodice rippers. FlorenceArt, it's a sort of slang term for those historical romances of the sort that Fabio used to pose for. They can be identified by the muscled, usually topless or open-shirted man holding a swooning female, often with the top of her dress pulled down a bit, at least off one shoulder if not both. His hair (always long) will be streaming behind, while hers (even longer and almost always loose and wavy) will be obeying gravity and not the wind. I've read a few, but there is a certain sameness about them (and not just the covers!) that gets dull after a while. I like romance, but generally prefer it as a secondary plot, although I do like Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. I thought Jurassic Park (the book) was excellent and the movie wasn't too bad - it couldn't convey the depth of the novel but it gave it a good shot. The visual effects really distracted from the deeper questions although they did use the mathematician (Jeff Goldblum - I think the character was Ian Malcolm?) to overtly pose some of them. But all that tended to get lost in the action, whereas there was more ability to focus on that sort of thing in the written form. I read a lot of SF and fantasy, but I'm not ashamed of it. At the moment I'm mostly reading space opera and urban fantasy - I go through phases with the subgenres though I can read Terry Pratchett any time. I'm trying out steampunk at the moment and possibly shifting back towards hard SF. I was also getting into pulp a short while ago. I don't see why anyone should be ashamed of what they are reading. Books are there as entertainment, and if you enjoy, well that's entirely up to you. I tend to be a bit particular with genres and authors - I don't like JK Rowling, Dan Brown, or Charlaine Harris. But I like Diana Wynne Jones, Matthew Reilly, and Kim Harrison. Similar, and yet I can't get into the former while I enjoy the latter. I don't worry about it too much, I just continue to read the ones I like and try out new authors.

12-19-2010, 01:57 PM	#68
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I read a few cozy mystery series (Mary Daheim's "Bed & Breakfast", Alice Kimberly's "Haunted Bookshop", and a few others), which work well to pass the time between (more serious) non-fiction titles.

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