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 
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?
How about Virginia Lanier and Laurien Berenson?
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:::
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.
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.
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. 
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.
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 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.