The Sword and Laser discussion

Okay confession is good for the soul so I am wondering if anyone else here has guilty pleasure reads that you love but keep on a hidden bookshelf?

For me it comes down to Giant Robot Space Opera!

I have a bookcase pretty much filled up with Battletech and Robotech novels from the 90s. None of my other science fiction friends seem to understand why I would collect the entire library of both books but I loved them both!

And then there is Twilight. I actually had to read it for some research I was doing on youth culture...and if you ask me in public it was totally horrible....but despite the fact I am a 36 year old male I actually did love it.

Older Dean Koontz stuff. Its extremely formulaic - lead character and another will share a love beyond any normal love and face some paranormal threat. They will be accompanied by a child who is mature beyond his / her years and / or a special dog that has some sort of human like empathy. Even though its extremely predictable going in the older books nonetheless are page turners. In his later books he began delving too much into spirituality for my taste.

a lot of media tie-in novels. some of the x files novels were surprisingly good.

I had all the X-files books, some charmed books (from the tv series about 3 sister witches) and one or two xena warrior princess books - these are all hidden in my cupboard im not quite brave enough to advertise that part of my geekness lol

Jonathan wrote: "a lot of media tie-in novels. some of the x files novels were surprisingly good."

Same. I read both EVE: The Empyrean Age and Templar One because I really liked EVE:Online's universe. Even so, I think the books stand on their own, are pretty well written and avoid a lot of that too-specific language (e.g. "a sniper rifle" vs "the 99D-S2 Anti-Matériel rifle") you can get with cross-media sci-fi books.

Manga. And Diana Gabaldon books. It's sad but I can't help it.
I try to keep them away from my other books, out of fear the Joe Abercrombies and Richard K. Morgans might start loosing pages from embarrassment.

I have everything under the sun that I'm not ashamed to say I read. I do have to hide how-to sex books or other explicit books since I have a minor in the home.

Breten wrote: "Okay confession is good for the soul so I am wondering if anyone else here has guilty pleasure reads that you love but keep on a hidden bookshelf?

For me it comes down to Giant Robot Space Opera! ..."

Well, then those are mine too, since I'm only missing a few Mechwarrior: Dark Age novels to have the complete collection :D Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever find them, cause they probably only exist second hand in American bookstores :(

André

I don't know if I quite consider them guilty pleasures, since I bought them at the age they were appropriate (12-17), but I did really enjoy both the Robotech series and the first dozen Battletech books. I liked the Robotech books so much I even bought the fictitious author Jack McKinney other books that I also enjoyed "his" "Black Hole Travel Agency" books as well. All that being said, I have such fond memories of those series, that I guess I could consider them a guilty pleasure.

And Procrastinador, if the ones you are missing are some of the early ones (in English), I might have them, and I'm guessing we can work something out.

I know I have guilty pleasures when it comes to books. I just can't seem to think of any at the moment. :D

I will admit that I own Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner in multiple formats. I tend to read them about 4 times a year.

I'm also in my 40s.

I have no children or little people about.

Yes, I read them ALL for myself.

Usually while drinking hot chocolate. :D

John wrote: "And Procrastinador, if the ones you are missing are some of the early ones (in English), I might have them, and I'm guessing we can work something out. ..."

I'm going to check the names of those I'm missing and I'll let you know, thanks!

André

the Robotech books really were good. The cartoon came on Sunday morning when I was forced to go to church, so I only saw it a couple times when I was sick. It stuck in my mind, so I decided to get the books. Years later I managed to get the whole cartoon, and found it absolutely unwatchable as an adult, but the books I found still held up as and adult.

The Battletech books really varied based on author. Michael Stackpoles were definitely my favorites, but I also had a fondness for the Clan trilogy as well...I was fascinated enough by the alternate culture they developed to be able to ignore that the main love interest was Aidens sister.

*Looks at read book shelf on profile* You mean people read books that aren't guilty pleasures?

I used to be a little guilty about my Vaginal Fantasy reads until I discovered the VF bookclub. As it turns out, my tastes are pretty tame in comparison. :) Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study and the sequel, Magic Study are two that I've read several times over.

I've also read Ella Enchanted at least a dozen times, though I don't feel particularly guilty about it. For years it's been my go-to pick-me-up book for when I'm feeling down. A great, funny, feel-good read.

Nothing I feel particularly guilty about, no. The closest to an actual guilty pleasure would be Dan Brown's books, I guess and that's it.

I really don't read any romance books or pulp fiction stuff and YA or children's books don't fall in the guilty pleasure area for me. I love (LOVE!) the Winnie-Pooh books, but those are not guilty pleasure books, those are just plain awesome.

Whenever I'm in a used book store, I go straight for the cheesiest pulp sci-fi I can find - thing with titles like BIKINI PLANET or MATRIX MAN.

(I also collect cookbooks from the 1950-70s, especially anything published by a food company to promote it's product. ENTERTAINING WITH CAMPBELLS SOUP, 101 WAYS TO ENJOY JELL-O, etc. They're awesome. But since I don't actually cook from them, those are all pleasure, no guilt.)

Brian wrote: "Okay confession is good for the soul so I am wondering if anyone else here has guilty pleasure reads that you love but keep on a hidden bookshelf?

For me it comes down to Giant Robot Space Opera! ..."

For me it is the same. I only regret that I don't have all Battletech novels. It just stopped when they changed from Battletech to Mechwarrior. Somehow the Mechwarrior novels just don't get to me.

And well I never read a Robotech book, but I don't want to miss my Robotech DVDs.

I may have read a novel upon which a Disney tv movie was based (Lemonade Mouth).

Tamahome wrote: "I may have read a novel upon which a Disney tv movie was based (Lemonade Mouth)."

Thanks for the info, I did not know there was a basis for the movie. I just think all the movies made for Disney Channel have no original source, but that the people over at Disney thought of it.

When I was younger (and even when I was way older than the target audience for them), I would read The Babysitter's Club Series books. For me, they were books I could read and not have to pay much attention to, allowing my mind to free up a bit. As one who gets stressed very easily, I need those diversions.

As an adult, I've replaced those with the books in the Harry Potter series, books in the Wheel of Time series, among a few others. It serves the same function, to calm me down and let me focus on something ELSE than whatever is stressing me without requiring full attention.

I also like mystery-thriller type books. I'm particularly fond of the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. I only wish the entire series was available on Audible. Grover Gardner does the narration, which is fantastic.