# BOOKS you are not ashamed to admit you like
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 30, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345 "2004-03-30T17:09:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/41 "2004-03-31T19:42:16Z")
One of my favourites is Poppy Z. Brite’s **Drawing Blood**. I think anybody who grew up gay in a redneck town will appreciate it, but if I admit it at school, they’ll probably make me give back my English Lit bachelor’s degree and throw me out of graduate studies 😉
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### Author:  [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/42 "2004-03-31T22:51:46Z")
Dog books. I go through phases where all I want to read are dog books. I’ll read mystery novels with dogs and/or dog trainers as characters (Susan Conant, Carol Lea Benjamin). I’ll re-read Donald McCaig’s books about Nop the border collie (Nop’s Trials, Nop’s Hope.) I read every story that I can find that features dogs, including the sentimental James Herriot ones.
My dogs totally own me, I guess. Anybody else have animal fixations?
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/43 "2004-03-31T23:56:49Z")
> [@Archergal](#):
>
> Dog books. I go through phases where all I want to read are dog books. I’ll read mystery novels with dogs and/or dog trainers as characters (Susan Conant, Carol Lea Benjamin).
How about Virginia Lanier and Laurien Berenson?
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### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/44 "2004-04-01T00:09:48Z")
> [@Archergal](#):
>
> My dogs totally own me, I guess. Anybody else have animal fixations?
Okay, now I am totally ashamed to admit this one. The Lillian Jackson Braun books, you know the “The Cat Who…” series? I’ve read them all. And enjoyed them. I even own a bunch of them.
They’re beyond brain candy. They’re lighter than fluff. You can read one in an hour or so. But they’re fun.
_:::slinks off, totally embarrassed:::_
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### Author:  [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/45 "2004-04-01T00:23:37Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#):
>
> Oh, thank God, you have standards. 😉
> I won’t read Daniellle Steele, either.
> I will, however, read Lavryle Spencer. And Beatrice Small. I mean, even smut has its standards.
Another one that does like (some) romance novels, but refuses to read Danielle Steele.
If you like Betrice Small (I love her - The Kadin is my favourite. I think), check out Jude Deveraux (Sweet Liar is brilliant), and Judith McNaught.
> [@Motorgirl](#):
>
> I like Jean Auel’s _Earth’s Children_ series (ya know - _Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of Horses_, etc).
>
> I even re-read them periodically. (hangs head in shame)
Don’t hang your head - I do the same thing. Granted the first two were the best, and have subsequently gone down hill from there, but Auel remains one of the only three authors I’ll buy in hardcover. I re-read the whole series every time a new one comes out (and other times as well).
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (the whole series, actually) remains my favourite book ever and I never miss a chance to urge people to read it. I read that at least once a year.
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### Author:  [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/46 "2004-04-01T00:33:53Z")
> [@](#):
>
> from jsgoddess: How about Virginia Lanier and Laurien Berenson?
I’ve read Laurien Berenson, but not Virginia Lanier. I’ll look for her!
I also read a bunch of the Lillian Jackson Braun books. That was in my cat phase. I stopped reading them a few years ago, for no particular reason. I still remember Jim Qwilleran and the cats fondly, though. 😃
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### Author:  [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/47 "2004-04-01T02:16:37Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> “Star Trek” books. Yes, I read them. I like them. So there!
>
> I don’t buy them anymore, though. Killing off Kirk = killing off the golden goose that was jsgoddess’s checkbook. So there!
Speaking of “Star Trek” (and “Star Wars”) books, I read a series by one of those authors (Roger MacBride Allen? Roger Allen MacBride?) that I liked, gosh darnit! I didn’t want to read it at first because there was a big picture of a space ship on the cover and that’s usually my cue to tuck the book back on the shelf and run for it, but the blurb sounded sooo good I couldn’t resist.
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-are-not-ashamed-to-admit-you-like/237345/48 "2004-04-01T04:09:08Z")
> [@Jadis](#):
>
> **Morning Glory** , LaVyrle Spencer - This seems to me to be far-removed from the bodice-ripper type of romance novel. The characters are ordinary people, not good-looking in any conventional manner, and they learn to appreciate each other for who they are and what they do for each other. To me, that’s real romance.
I am an admitted lover of romance novel. I read Judith McNaught a lot and practically any romance set in the Regency period I can get my hands on. I try to rationalize it as “I don’t watch soap operas, so I read romance novels.” They offer a great escape when I’m tired of reading heavy literature and don’t want to have to _think_ about what I’m reading.
That being said, there’s been this big revolution in how romance novels are being written in the last twenty years. Prior to the late 70s/early 80s there was ONLY the bodice ripper. Now there’s a lot more diversity in how the relationships are portrayed.
I’ve posted this link on the SDMB before, but it’s an [awesome essay](http://maura.setonhill.edu/~tobin/paranormal_romance.htm) on the changing image of women in romantic literature.
Oh, and _The Dancers of Arun_ is one of the strangest fantasy books I have ever read. It’s not even good – just unbelievably weird. I read it at least twice a year.
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