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.

Author

  • Justin Blazier

    JUSTIN BLAZIER (on FanLit's staff since September 2009) is a Cyber-Security Analyst/Network Engineer located in Northern Kentucky. Like many fantasy enthusiasts, Justin cut his teeth on authors like Tolkien, Anthony, and Lewis. Due to lack of space, his small public library would often give him their donated SFF books. When he is not reading books he is likely playing board games or Tabletop RPGs. Justin lives in a quiet neighborhood with his wife, their daughter, and Norman the dog.