tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post8554688195170536243..comments2024-03-25T22:59:30.053+00:00Comments on Desperate Reader: Trashy books and guilty pleasures. Desperate Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-89206905460692553772016-09-12T19:07:25.039+01:002016-09-12T19:07:25.039+01:00It's fine! And great post :)It's fine! And great post :) Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-43014569266534506292016-09-11T22:42:09.784+01:002016-09-11T22:42:09.784+01:00I'm also a dedicated tea drinker and it has to...I'm also a dedicated tea drinker and it has to be leaves in a pre-warmed teapot for the very best tasting drink. Nilgiri is the standard daytime brew of choice, with a whole variety of different teas making an appearance evenings and weekend afternoons.Spade and Daggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447641240079673493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-37839703190517951322016-09-11T13:43:25.479+01:002016-09-11T13:43:25.479+01:00I think it's entirely acceptable to want to es...I think it's entirely acceptable to want to escape sometimes (ALL the time might be worrying!). I am depressed at my paucity of guilty pleasures, and in fact your whole post and the comments have inspired me to write a post on the subject - I hope that's OK (I'm linking back here).helenhttp://gallimaufry.typepad.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-88038688609941353782016-09-10T11:36:28.293+01:002016-09-10T11:36:28.293+01:00I have no problem with frivolity, which enhances a...I have no problem with frivolity, which enhances and improves life too, and very little patience for the snobbery attached to genre fiction, or the value placed on some literary fiction. Who has the right to really judge someone else's reading preferences? Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-59100648243413755972016-09-10T11:28:12.138+01:002016-09-10T11:28:12.138+01:00Precisely, and that's where the guilt comes fr...Precisely, and that's where the guilt comes from, and why I think it's a good thing. I'mnot a fan of over sharing but if you don't want to share at all you need to question what you're doing. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-14476039829056726182016-09-10T11:24:26.116+01:002016-09-10T11:24:26.116+01:00After my chocolate and tea disclosure I'm wond...After my chocolate and tea disclosure I'm wondering where the line is between guilty and private pleasures. Everyone always says the best thing about living alone is coming home and being able to lock the door on the world and not be disturbed, but whilst I love having my own space, I really don't like living on my own that much, so I've never really felt that. On the other hand watching rubbish on TV, sometimes reading trashy novels, not always doing the washing up straight away - and nobody commenting on it - those are all good things. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-53526836340761255602016-09-10T11:17:04.579+01:002016-09-10T11:17:04.579+01:00You can't escape into something if it fails to...You can't escape into something if it fails to convince you on any level. <br />Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-5218178932575097762016-09-10T11:15:09.721+01:002016-09-10T11:15:09.721+01:00I know exactly what you mean about quality of visu...I know exactly what you mean about quality of visual and quality of ideas becoming to much sometimes, and my TV motto is much the same, but I find it very hard to just watch TV and do nothing else - it's not as immersive as a book. Also it's great to finally 'meet' a fellow Lapsang drinker, I know they're out there but most of my friends prefer coffee and won't touch tea. They don't know what they're missing. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-38892109585722092242016-09-10T11:10:21.771+01:002016-09-10T11:10:21.771+01:00I love Riders/Polo/Rivals era Cooper, but have fou...I love Riders/Polo/Rivals era Cooper, but have found her more recent books fairly awful. I really got angry with Jump - though someone said the latest is a proper return to form... Anyway, when she's good, she's very good. I don't want to knock M&B because I don't agree with the snobbery that implies, but I think I'm uncomfortable with my state of mind when all I want to do is binge on very formulaic romance - it's generally when I don't want to deal with, or think about, anything at all. <br />Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-73512781507600627842016-09-10T10:58:59.282+01:002016-09-10T10:58:59.282+01:00I read Shirley Conran's Lace when it was reiss...I read Shirley Conran's Lace when it was reissued a few years ago. Undoubtedly trash, but brilliant with it, and so many interesting things going on - I have no guilt about that kind of book at all. Others bother me more though the content isn't really so very different. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-58650826876502313002016-09-10T10:52:50.290+01:002016-09-10T10:52:50.290+01:00The time thing is so true, all those nice penguin ...The time thing is so true, all those nice penguin or OUP editions of sensation novels, or the gothic horrors that Jane Austen made fun of... Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-35758793648084029122016-09-09T16:57:24.090+01:002016-09-09T16:57:24.090+01:00Yes! I agree completely. Whenever someone tries t...Yes! I agree completely. Whenever someone tries to get me to 'get serious', I just say that reading is a pleasure, no matter what I read.lifesarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680578867057281541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-39990405717208762942016-09-09T08:22:33.050+01:002016-09-09T08:22:33.050+01:00On the Guardian Online there is a books blog (TLS)...On the Guardian Online there is a books blog (TLS) that regularly discusses the relative merits of reading. Each time the comments clearly divide into two camps - those that believe reading should always be of the sort to enhance and improve life & that every other sort of reading is a frivolous waste of time; and those that read whatever they fancy without regard to its' supposed value. Personally, I am in the second camp, as a little of what you fancy always does you good and there is a good chance that it will also include a little of the former camps' choices of 'good literature' too!Spade and Daggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447641240079673493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-16631472161943412702016-09-08T14:48:05.389+01:002016-09-08T14:48:05.389+01:00Its a question of balance; if you only ate fried c...Its a question of balance; if you only ate fried chicken wings they would be very detrimental to one's health, but as an occasional meal they're OK. I think the same applies to reading: a few Mills and Boon now and then, fine, but to read nothing else would be, to my mind, boring. I'd also feel that I'd be missing out on a lot of other more enjoyable and interesting reading.jayceehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00252396018395433888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-17183370066744557412016-09-08T04:06:08.975+01:002016-09-08T04:06:08.975+01:00I have to laugh because this past winter I got add...I have to laugh because this past winter I got addicted to rather erotic romance novels and can't stop reading them. My past reading has always been 'literary' or biographical, but after a move to another state, and suddenly feeling quite randy at my advanced age, I found these 'guilty' pleasures to be the best escape from loneliness. The happy endings, the fairy tale exposition of the stories and the existence of many extended series set in a a convivial place all make it easy to enjoy. There's some good writing in the genre, some funny as hell books, with great sex scenes that can be a real turn on. That said, I guess I do consider them guilty since I don't add them to my goodreads profile.lifesarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680578867057281541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-88756559994637244632016-09-07T21:47:57.293+01:002016-09-07T21:47:57.293+01:00I definitely distinguish between good piffle (eg F...I definitely distinguish between good piffle (eg Fanny Flagg - good story, easy to read, possibly a bit sentimental but certainly well-written) and just piffle (eg Jodie Picoult - I've only read one so may be being unfair, but it was unconvincing and boringly written). Pam https://www.blogger.com/profile/12641269043817163165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-25885272988802957072016-09-07T14:48:51.867+01:002016-09-07T14:48:51.867+01:00I drink Lapsang Souchong even when no-one sees me....I drink Lapsang Souchong even when no-one sees me. *smug*<br /><br />My equivalent of your M&B is easy-watching television and sometimes films - I hardly ever watch anything of real quality because when quality of idea is combined with quality of visuals it becomes almost unbearably good; I can't handle the brilliance. At the same time I have low tolerance for pretentious shite pretending to be anything better than the other rubbish on telly. See True Detective for reference. Anyway, my point is that iZombie and GOT is the most challenging thing I ever watch on TV. Shut out the world and don't overthink anything, that's my TV motto! banihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17014197149063468132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-62120493870690135592016-09-06T23:37:30.456+01:002016-09-06T23:37:30.456+01:00I think there is sometimes snobbery around books a...I think there is sometimes snobbery around books and reading choices. Nothing wrong with M&B when you are in the mood. My own guilty pleasure is Jilly Cooper!Nicolahttp://vintagereads.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-8823334544591492982016-09-06T16:12:01.795+01:002016-09-06T16:12:01.795+01:00It is all a matter of time and perspective I belie...It is all a matter of time and perspective I believe; what might seem trashy twnty years ago might not seem so now. You enjoy yourself, no-one can do it for you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-75381303587057701382016-09-06T03:47:25.610+01:002016-09-06T03:47:25.610+01:00A lot of things called guilty pleasures are certai...A lot of things called guilty pleasures are certainly not morally wrong, and that includes reading Mills and Boon books. Though a lot of junk food is certainly wrong in a nutritional sense, and I have eaten plenty of that. I have to admit I have never read a Mills and Boon book, though there are plenty of books and movies I have read or seen that could be called trashy. Though what is considered trashy does seem to change over time. Ednoreply@blogger.com