# When it comes to reading, what is your "guilty pleasure"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157 "2015-08-06T14:32:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/1 "2015-08-06T14:32:45Z")
Yes, I love the classics and good modern authors, but I also read a lot of culinary mysteries. These books are very formulistic: Woman owns a store/restaurant/etc in the food business, has a boyfriend/husband who is the dumbest cop who ever lived, she finds a dead boy and later figures out who the killer is, usually when she is alone with them. She manages to disarm them, then brings out the cookies. Still, I love reading them–Davidson, Fluke, Witing, etc. Guilty pleasures. What is yours? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/2 "2015-08-06T14:44:22Z")
I’m currently enjoying the latest Chet and Bernie mystery. [Amazon link](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476703426/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=147670340X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15PZKR8P2AV2P25PH7JH) Bernie Little runs a detective agency. Chet is his dog. Chet writes the books. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/3 "2015-08-06T16:10:58Z")
Comic strip collections: Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side, Mister Boffo, you name it. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/4 "2015-08-06T16:18:00Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I’m currently enjoying the latest Chet and Bernie mystery. [Amazon link](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476703426/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=147670340X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15PZKR8P2AV2P25PH7JH) > > Bernie Little runs a detective agency. Chet is his dog. Chet writes the books. So cheesy and I love those too. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/5 "2015-08-06T16:19:34Z")
as I’ve remarked before, Clive Cussler. His books are wonderfully overblown and ludicrous. I “read” them mainly on audio, though. Also the work, independently or together, of Lincoln Childs and Douglas Preston, although I try to avoid their Agent Predergast stuff ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/6 "2015-08-06T16:33:10Z")
Children’s novels. Most recently How to Train Your Dragon. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/7 "2015-08-06T16:38:14Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > as I’ve remarked before, Clive Cussler. His books are wonderfully overblown and ludicrous. I “read” them mainly on audio, though. > Also the work, independently or together, of Lincoln Childs and Douglas Preston, although I try to avoid their Agent Predergast stuff I haven’t read Cussler in ages. How can something be so cleverly inventive and ridiculous at the same time? Is his recent stuff as good as “Vixen 03”? That one had my Dad on the floor, but he couldn’t stop reading and he wouldn’t give it up until he was finished either. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/8 "2015-08-06T16:41:05Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Comic strip collections: Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side, Mister Boffo, you name it. In addition to reading comic strip collections, I also enjoy quite a bit of YA SF. When I was in the target demographic, I was always amazed that I could find so many good stories that resonated with me as both a YA and a SF fan: Heinlein’s juvies, L’Engle’s _Time Quintet_ series, etc. And now, other people who grew up reading them like I did are now writing new YA SF books, so there’s tons of stuff to check out. Brian Sanderson’s _The Reckoners_, for instance, is my current YA SF favorite series; I am currently eagerly awaiting the 3rd book which is due to be published sometime early 2016. For comic strips, my favs are _Get Fuzzy_ by Darby Conley and _Willy 'n Ethel_ by Joe Martin. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/9 "2015-08-06T16:47:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > For comic strips, my favs are _Get Fuzzy_ by Darby Conley and _Willy 'n Ethel_ by Joe Martin. \ I was going to say _Willy 'n Ethel_, but **Boffo** edged them out ever-so-slightly. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/10 "2015-08-06T16:54:56Z")
Neil Gaiman is my guilty pleasure. 25% is good and 75% is mediocre at best. He’s so ridiculously prolific that I suspect half his stuff is written by ghost writers to whom he hands his outlines and story plots. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/11 "2015-08-06T17:14:38Z")
YA novels, definitely. The Lockwood & Company series by Jonathan Stroud is the best thing I’ve read this year. Y’ever notice that nobody asks you what you’re reading unless it’s something you’re a little embarrassed about? ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/12 "2015-08-06T17:25:03Z")
I like reading the memoirs of kidnapping victims. And it makes me feel guilty because I feel like that shouldn’t be something I “like” doing. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/13 "2015-08-06T17:36:18Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Yes, I love the classics and good modern authors, but I also read a lot of culinary mysteries. These books are very formulistic: Woman owns a store/restaurant/etc in the food business, has a boyfriend/husband who is the dumbest cop who ever lived, she finds a dead boy and later figures out who the killer is, usually when she is alone with them. She manages to disarm them, then brings out the cookies. > > Still, I love reading them–Davidson, Fluke, Witing, etc. Guilty pleasures. > > What is yours? I totally love cozies too!! (I didn’t know they were called cozies until recently - and doing a google search of cozy mysteries has really opened up my reading horizons and given my library card a workout!) I tend to read series of books like that in order - I’ve finished Davidson, I just finished the Isis Crawford series (really loved it) and have a list I’m working my way down - I had no idea how many there were or how many authors I’ve missed out on! It was kind of like Christmas when I did my first google search after knowing what to actually google! 😃 How DO you people stand me? I can’t believe I forgot to answer the rest of the damn question! Sorry! I love books on the paranormal, I love police books (just finished US Marshals by Mike Earp - I LOVED that one!) and true crime, and just about anything Dave Barry. I also still sometimes reread my Nancy Drew books but don’t tell anyone - THAT’S embarrassing! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/14 "2015-08-06T17:53:55Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I haven’t read Cussler in ages. How can something be so cleverly inventive and ridiculous at the same time? Is his recent stuff as good as “Vixen 03”? That one had my Dad on the floor, but he couldn’t stop reading and he wouldn’t give it up until he was finished either. **Vixen 03** (which I haven’t read) is ancient history. I’ve read some of his older stuff – B]Raise the Titanic\*\* and **Cyclops** – but his newer stuff fits in a different formula: 1.) He has a well set-up situation into which, if you’ve read his stuff, you can easily slip – Dirk Pitt, or Kurt Austin, or the Oregon Files, or the Fargo treasure-hunting couple, or the not-quite Pinkerton detective agency. 2.) The books are thick, heavily researched, and turn upon some weird quirk of ancient history or modern scientific discovery, and often involve esoteric but real technology that has been mainly forgotten. 3.) Cussler writes the outline, and someone else (he works with 5 or 6 other authors) fleshes it out. 4.) He likes to begin with a teaser, usually set in the past (sometimes a few decades ago, sometimes thousands of years ago). There might be more than one of these. It’s frequently the case that it’s not clear what the hell the intro teaser has to do with the rest of the book. 5.) Our Heroes get drawn into a situation in which Some Secret has been uncovered, or a Horrible Plot is about to unfold, or both. There are very definite Bad Guys involved, usually with some key Oddjob-like henchman. 6.) Our Heroes evidently either have huge personal fortunes, or the backing of well-heeled organizations. They get the latest techno-toys to play with. 7.) At some point, some technical fact or historical event or something will make you put the book down and say something like “You Cannot Be Serious!” It might be an improbably long survival of some ship or treasure, the discovery of animals thought to be long dead, or ancient use of what ought to be very modern technology (like lasers in ancient China, or Airships centuries before the Montgolfiers), or the development of true Artificial Intelligence, or the breeding of climate-altering nanobots. Or more than one of these in one volume. With Cussler, you can never tell. 8.)Oddjob-like guy will become REALLY nasty and vindictive, but gets his comeuppance in a scene worthy of Dick Tracy or James Bond. 9.) Our Heroes will save the day, get to eat a wonderful gourmet meal, have al their ills heal, and have the promise of great sex. Until the next book. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/15 "2015-08-06T18:44:18Z")
Re-reading YA fantasies, like the Susan Cooper “_Dark is Rising_” sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/16 "2015-08-06T18:57:52Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Re-reading YA fantasies, like the Susan Cooper “_Dark is Rising_” sequence. Oooh, I **love** that series! I also love the David Eddings Belgariad series. Looking back at the thread, I’ve at least touched base with most of the books listed. I love police procedurals and most other mysteries. I think it’s because I spend so much time at work reading “heavy” stuff that when I get home, I don’t want to be challenged. Oh, and the Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais is one of my all time favorites. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/17 "2015-08-06T19:09:32Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > Oooh, I **love** that series! I also love the David Eddings Belgariad series. . I re-read those about once a decade or so, also. My _Non_-guilty pleasure is re-reading Nero Wolfe, which I consider the best Mysteries ever written, so no guilt attached. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/18 "2015-08-06T21:01:12Z")
I like rereading children’s books from my childhood - Trixie Belden, Three Investigators, Alvin Fernald series, and a whole bunch of one-off books like The Hero from Otherwhere, King of the Dollhouse, and The Egypt Game. I also like gory horror stuff by Graham Masterton, and old Peanuts collections. I’m very eclectic in my guilty pleasures. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/19 "2015-08-06T21:02:23Z")
Fanfiction. If it’s been published, I see no reason to feel guilty about it. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157/20 "2015-08-06T21:18:42Z")
Rereading my crime fiction faves. I just finished up four Spenser novels I had in duplicate, figured I’d reread them before I donated. I’m reasonably certain I’ve read these at least 8-10 times, each. And I do feel guilty about it, too. Not learning or pushing myself in any way. Just rereading the same 300 or so crime novels over and over. Feh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-it-comes-to-reading-what-is-your-guilty-pleasure/727157.md?page=2)