what crap authors do you really like?

[codswallop]

I read all of jeffrey archers fosrt prson diary yesterday
crap but great
hoxty like Jilly cooper
what else?

[hoxtonturkey]

thanks for outing me cod

[codswallop]

use to read mills and boon when i was at borading school
could read two a day

[JanH]

Maeve Binchy - she's not that crap I suppose but soooo repetitive. She was supposed to have stopped doing it after Scarlett Feather (or was it Tara Road?) but she's still at it - DD2 gave me the latest for Christmas!

[codswallop]

summarise the basic plot...

[hoxtonturkey]

really like valley of the dolls

[codswallop]

haven read a Catherine cookson ever?
is she crap or good
If we are after formulaic hen J grisham can count, his ar all about him arent he?

[motherinfestivemood]

HOXTY!!!


Actually JC is quite compelling, isn't she

[codswallop]

she herself is ma dthough
al that animal stuff

[JanH]

What, Maeve? Well the old ones were different, but the last half-dozen (or so) have been centred round Quentins with all the same characters over and over again.

But they are nice characters mostly and she is very witty so I forgive her. (I loved those mad twins in Scarlett Feather!)

[codswallop]

do they fall in ove with dastardly roguses and make it out of the mills?

[codswallop]

no JIlly is mad

[merrymarthamoo]

I read all of Jeffrey Archer's years ago. The writing is dire but the plots are quite gripping - Kane and Abel is a good story. Don't think I could read one now.

Anyone else devour Virginia Andrews novels as a teenager - all those Flowers in the Attic ones? I thought she was a genius

People who like Catherine Cookson love Catherine Cookson. In my previous incarnation as a librarian I often had to break up fights between pensioners over who would get their hands on the latest CC first. I have read a couple (Mum quite likes her) and they are extremely formulaic - working class girl endures hardship then makes good (yawn).

I wrote a dissertation on Mills and Boon for my degree - so I have read lots and lots of them. They are much racier than you think - and as for Silhouette Sensations, they are like soft porn!

[codswallop]

yes nwo there is one woman who is theeir best seller isnt it
what is georgette heyer like?

[motherinfestivemood]

Wasn't it a bit like eating an entire box of not incredibly good chocolates - quite fun but then rather sick-making?

The image of MMM breaking up the pensioners row is gladdening my heart.

[codswallop]

prison diary rather preachy but very intreresting
hought i hsoudl read inc ase I s end anyone down!

[merrymarthamoo]

Mary Higgins Clark is pants too - I read a lot of hers when I worked in the library as many of my co-workers loved her and would put my name down on the "hey, we can shamelessly abuse the system and put our names at the top of the reservations list for new books and make all the old dears wait til we've read them before they ever get on a shelf" (oh the power!) I never had the heart to say "oh, no thanks, they're shite."

[Arabica]

I used to devour Judith Krantz (Scruples, I'll Take Manhattan, etc etc) the original glitzy shaggin'and shoppin' novelist.

[codswallop]

ooooh yes!

[codswallop]

must mention Jackie collins

[MissYulie]

Danielle Steele

[merrymarthamoo]

Have also read many of Jackie Collins's Hollywood Shagfests. I have read such a lot of crap in my time...

Have never read Jilly Cooper or Barbara Cartland though. I do have my standards.

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[JanH]

Has anybody here read Rona Jaffe?

[merrymarthamoo]

She sounds too upmarket for this thread, jan. Answer is no from me.

[codswallop]

no