What ridiculously trashy books/authors do you love?

But only the early ones are a bit tongue in cheek trashy.

Jilly Cooper

VC ANDREWS

So very, very wrong and yet so right.

'The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club' by Her Majesty Joan Collins is GLORIOUSLY shit. Best Poundland impulse buy ever

Theonlylivingboy - I love Laurel Hamilton too - I once went as ANita Blake at Halloween

Have you tried the Merry Gentry series too? Much of the same but I love them.

Yes to Jilly Cooper and Judith Krantz.

Catherine Cookson and Agatha Christie.

I love Jennifer Crusie. Welcome To Temptation is a great one-handed read.

I adored Danielle Steel as a teenager. I seem to remember she loved the word 'chagrin.'

I offer the most sincere apologies, Somerville, and will shortly be off out to purchase a hair shirt.

As my last offer to the trashy fiction has been withdrawn, I'd like to put forward Dick Francis. Every book is the same, but they're still great for a long journey. I buy them from charity shops and leave them on the train. Doesn't matter if I've read them before because, well, see above.

Wendy Holden and Catherine Alliott.

Wendy Holden isn't quite as formulaic as Catherine Alliott though.

With Catherine Alliott I can pretty much guarantee the women's names will be Imogen, Olivia or Molly, their children are bookish and knowing, some sort of landed gentry will be involved plus farming and a handsome vet and some one will have an affair with their secretary. Still live them though!

I'm still awaiting an apology for even suggesting it, Matilda...

Sorry for the alpine de-rail, OP!

To bring it back to trash, in all honesty when I fancy reading some utter trash I don't reach for a book. I log onto AO3 and indulge in some fanfic. Once Upon a Time fic, mostly, at the moment.

When trying to explain about the Chalet School to people I always mention the Chalet School in Exile. The description of the lynch mob attacking the Jewish jeweller who they'd known for years, together with the clear distinction between Nazis and Germans was... well, it's not what you'd have expected from a book published in 1940.

I will have to completely retract my statement of the Chalet School as trash based on this book alone.

I too have no guilt at enjoying Chalet School books. Just pure pleasure.

DH2 and I swapped our ten favourite novels of all time while we were dating. Chalet School in Exile was one of mine - obvs. He started off reading it like this and ended up crying. The Chalet School Peace League is an extradinary thing for a book published in 1940.

Very happy matilda! 😅

Imagine Miss Annersley's dismay at hearing her gels wholesome Alpine pursuits being described as trash. No kaffee und kuchen for you my girl! 👎☕️🍰

I remember reading Julie Burchill's Ambition when I was a teen, now that is trashtastic. Ruthlessly ambitious protagonist from small town moves to the the big smoke and claws her way to the top of X industry whilst indulging in all kinds of eye popping sexual shenanigans.

Okay, I'll accept the Chalet School as a guilty pleasure. Only I have absolutely no guilt about reading it at all.

There, happy now Somerville and squoosh

Somerville, I am an enormous fan of the Chalet School. But great literature it ain't.

Chalet School books (and other kids' books) are guilty pleasure rather than trashy.

Stephanie Laurens - all her books are the same and the 'mystery' is always quite obvious but I still love them and reread them every year or so especially the Bastion Club series.

Laurie McBain - the first trashy book I ever read was 'Wild Bells to the Wild Sky' and I have loved her books ever since. Such sweeping love stories with such typically perfect women and men. 'When the Splender Falls' is one of my favourites.

Do you know, in RL no-one I know has ever even heard of the Chalet School. They give me the full look whenever I try to share the Chalet School love.

Also...
< sticks fingers in ears, pointedly ignoring Matilda >

StUmbrage I had no idea Pacat is a Dunnett fan Totally makes sense actually.

My own definition of 'trashy novel' is one that I store in a bookcase with the spine facing inwards. And Captive Prince, with a blurb all about pleasure slaves and the main character spending most of his time on the end of a leash, is definitely stored inwards! However, it's not badly written in any way.

Somerville, I am an enormous fan of the Chalet School. But great literature it ain't.

Another vote for Jilly Cooper - love her books, and agree that the earlier ones, with girls' names as the titles are great fun. Spent lots of time as a teenager reading them all when I should have been revising! I read 'Harriet' again recently - and want to rediscover them all.
I was always torn between Cory Erskine and Matt in 'Imogen'....which is a perfect summer read. Super Cooper indeed!
www.tatler.com/news/articles/september-2016/when-tatler-met-jilly-cooper-interview-2016

I'm really surprised Marian Keyes is included in this list. I can't think of one of her books that matches:

"Both guilty of that most irritating of chick lit/flick tropes...a new dress and an hour with an hairdresser and you can lose 3 dress sizes and 10 years...and gain the man of your dreams (who is likely right under your nose but you will insist on being oblivious to his good looks, great personality and obvious love for you because you fancy a rotter from Accounts)"