I was digging through the Thoughtful Thursday archives looking for some inspiration from our beloved Retired Ruth for this week’s post, when I spotted an early gem about guilty pleasures. It was nearly two years ago that Ruth asked you to admit them, so it seems like it’s time for confession again. We all have those little guilty pleasures which we’re embarrassed to admit to. Professional Wrestling, Fruity Pebbles cereal and fan-subtitled Anime are just a few of the female-repelling habits I have never been able to shake. I did somehow manage to lure a lady into wedlock despite them, but it wasn’t easy. She informs me now that if I had mentioned Pro Wrestling at any point during our courtship or even the first few months of marriage, she would have purchased a one-way ticket home before I could say “Suplex.” Alas, those are not my only guilty pleasures. I have guilty pleasures in my reading habits too. I have a particular fondness for Urban Fantasy, which some of you consider a questionable taste.
My literary guiltiness goes a little deeper than that. I enjoy a few cringe-worthy series that you’ll probably never see me review here unless it’s for some self-deprecating article… kind of like this one. For example, I adore Piers Anthony‘s Xanth books. I made it all the way to Zombie Lover (#22) before I finally moved on. Piers Anthony himself is actually a guilty pleasure of mine. The Incarnations of Immortality series is either loathed or loved by those who’ve read them. Guess where I fall? I’ve also recently gotten great pleasure from James Axler’s Deathlands series. Here is an excerpt from my review:
“There is lots of bloody action, over-the-top characters, with a bawdy and macabre humor tossed in. If there were a template to be made for “Books for Dudes” this would be the mold to start with. The men are manly, the women are beautiful. Sex is brief and very “Dude-centric”. It was the first time I’d seen the word “pumping” used to describe the act of intercourse. Mutants (Muties) and Cannibals (Cannies) are the common foe in the Deathlands. This book is awesome for the very same reasons Chuck Norris, Rambo, and demolition derbies are awesome. “
Sounds like a genuine literary masterpiece does it not? Now that you have completely lost what little respect you had for me, I would like you to share your guilty pleasures in the comments section below. If you remember posting about this the last time we did confession, then tell me if you’ve discovered any new books you need to confess. My favorite entry’s author will get to pick a book from the stacks as a reward for bravery.
Well, I was going to say Terry Prachett, but I’m not really guilty about him. I guess my confession would be not reading, but viewing. I mock them terribly, but I love to watch Syfy Original movies. So bad they’re good, etc.
Fan-subtitled anime! Where would I find that?
I was hugely into Piers Anthony from my mid-teens until college. I read a Xanth book not too long ago and didn’t hate it, so I guess my taste hasn’t changed all that much. But the Incarnations don’t hold up as well for me. I loved them back then though…
Justin-What’s wrong with pro-wrestling?!?! Admittedly I haven’t watched it much since The Rock hasn’t been in the ring. -If someone is gonna argue its fake, fair-warning, I’ll take offense. ;) LOL
And Dude, Deathlands! I’ve came close so many time to picking-up one of those (or a Mack Bolin even). I’ll have to check-out your reviews. :)
I guess my guilty pleasure right now is; Warhammer or Warhammer 4OK books, but in my defense some of those are actually pretty good.
I did used to pick-up the occasional non-Robert E. Howard Conan though, but they don’t make many of those anymore.
I’ve never really liked the term “guilty pleasure” because it implies something like self-created snobbery – looking down on yourself for liking something you shouldn’t like. I proudly like everything I like :D
I confess that sometimes, even when I have a really interesting book in the TBR, I will get distracted by a really juicy flame war on the internet and read. the. whole. thing. instead of getting back to my book.
Okay, so I have a guilty pleasure that involves really naughty books, bookmarks and my boyfriend’s glasses, but I’m not going to get into that :D Make of it what you want.
One that I will admit though, would be reading books by Eloisa James. She writes historical romance novels. But it’s not the normal overly dramatic nonsense about virgins and pirates or whatever… well, it’s probably still nonsense, but it’s funny nonsense. :D
@greg: That’s about the time I stopped watching too. I just recently started again when The Rock came back for the long term. OMG you have to youtube his return…awesome. I love The Rock more than should be acceptable for a straight guy.
@Stefan for the most part I agree with you, but there are a few things that you absolutely know are garbage and you love them anyway…lol.
I’m with Stefan. I can’t think of anything I’d call a guilty pleasure. If I love it, I’ll happily admit it and defend it. I am picky enough that I believe anything able to capture and hold my attention must have some value. But, I can’t stand Pro Wrestling, Fruity Pebbles, or Piers Anthony…
Bread and butter pickles and chocolate milkshakes. OK, that’s probably more strange than guilty. I’d have to say Amanda Quick or Georgette Heyer romances, with the occasional Jayne Krentz thrown in there.
Well, since you’ve gone and confessed your sins, I guess I’ll try to be as honest though I’m sure somewhere out there someone with find out that maybe I’m not as “intellectual” as they had thought. Guilty pleasures, yes, they’re just that–every time I play “Angry Birds” I feel guilty–but when I listen over and over again to my favorite books: Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series narrated by Davina Porter, the Miles Vorkosigan Series by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, and The Riddle Master of Hed by Patricia McKillup and last but not least Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (don’t even as me how many times I’ve listened to these favorites because I probably would have to lie to you). I’m on my 5th go around with the Vorkosigan Series, and the other numbers would just make you laugh. SIGH! What’s a librarian to do? I keep reading and listening to other books too, but I just cannot resist my favorites and their narrators awesome delivery of their precious, worshipped prose.
Well, since you’ve gone and confessed your sins, I guess I’ll try to be as honest though I’m sure somewhere out there someone with find out that maybe I’m not as “intellectual” as they had thought. Guilty pleasures, yes, they’re just that–-every time I play “Angry Birds” I feel guilty–-but when I listen over and over again to my favorite books: Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series narrated by Davina Porter, the Miles Vorkosigan Series by Lois McMaster Bujold (anything Bujold writes, fantasy included is held in high esteem by me–okay, I admit it–I plain old-fashioned LOVE HER WRITING), The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, and The Riddle Master of Hed by Patricia McKillup and last but not least Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (don’t even ask me how many times I’ve listened to these favorites because I probably would have to lie to you). I’m on my 5th go around with the Vorkosigan Series, and the other numbers would just make you laugh. SIGH! What’s a librarian to do? I keep reading and listening to other books too, but I just cannot resist my favorites and their narrators awesome delivery of their precious, worshipped prose.
@Kat- I know people that can’t stand pro wrestler either, just not sure I trust ’em. LOL ;)
I played Angry Birds for 2 hours last night. I guess I kind of do feel guilty about that. But I was watching TV with my husband and son (“So You Think You Can Dance”) at the same time, so I figure I was multi-tasking, and that’s efficient, right?
I haven’t watched pro wrestling since the Chief Jay Strongbow years, does that still make me guilty? (Guess I’m dating myself). I still enjoy comic books/graphic novels and video games. I just will not grow up! I too remember the Xanth novels fondly , but have not read one in years. The Warhammer novels are probably my current reading guilty pleasure. I really have enjoyed some of the Dan Abnett Warhammer offerings.
Piers Anthony is not a guilty pleasure! He is a classic. When I was in middleschool, his Apprentice Adept series opened up a whole new world of reading for my young mind! I also love the Xanth and Incarnation books! Now I want to reread them!
@marion A lot of fansubbed anime is under US license, so it technically illegal. You need to be careful and find the anime that is not yet licenses in the US. That is getting tougher to do since Anime is popular and companies are constantly keeping an eye on the Japanese market for the next Naruto. http://www.animesuki.com is the primary source of legal unlicensed fansub Anime. The trick is find one you like and then download the entire series to watch at your leisure. The frustrating part is when it gets licensed before they can subtitle an entire series….ok I know too much about this..
@ Justin; Why, yes, you did know rather a lot! 8-)
Deb, the guilty librarian, if you live in the USA, please choose a book from our stacks and send me (Kat) your address. Thanks for the comments, everyone!