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Original poster

What ridiculously trashy books/authors do you love?

138 replies

Sadik · 22/06/2017 21:01

Not the likes of Georgette Heyer (not truly trashy IMO), but the really indefensible.

Mine is Cassandra Clare - I'm currently eking out her latest book, ignoring the massive plot holes (and improbable lack of communication without which things would be resolved in about 2 chapters) in the certain knowledge that it'll no doubt end on a cliffhanger which won't be resolved until book 3 in about 2 years time.

OP posts:
StUmbrageinSkelt · 24/06/2017 10:37

Somerville I saw CS Pacat present and discuss the inspiration from Dorothy Dunnett. It was fascinating.

It does seem like any women's genre fiction is automatically ridiculously trashy by definition doesn't it?

Synecdoche · 24/06/2017 10:22

J A Kerley. Trashy detecrivw stories, all pseudo-pschycological-sexual nonsense Grin I love them!

MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting · 24/06/2017 10:21

Jill Mansell, wonderfully predictable, I know what I'm going to get and enjoy reading it

Flightywoman · 24/06/2017 10:12

Assuming we're talking romance, y'all need to avail yourselves of the wonderful Smart Bitches Trashy Books website!

It's fabulous, full of recommendations, reviews, cover snark and other fun!

My guilty pleasures are a bit of Danielle Steele! Formulaic but I love them.

Original poster
Sadik · 24/06/2017 10:06

"I'm curious on how people define trashy?"

Hard to put a finger on exactly, but I'd say the heroes/heroines will be impossibly handsome and talented, if its a real-life set novel their living conditions will be improbable (badly paid employee has lovely flat to herself), that sort of thing. The ending will be appropriate for the genre - so definitely a happy outcome for a romance, mystery neatly solved in a police procedural.

Badly written just makes a bad book, not an enjoyably trashy one for me. DD and I were just talking about this, and we reckon the best trashy writers are very evidently writing in genre and having fun with it (why I love CC - plenty of jokes about her own plots within the books).

Georgette Heyer probably is trashy by this definition, but just squeaks out of it into respectability IMO because of the level of research put into her historical settings.

OP posts:
Somerville · 24/06/2017 09:38

The Chalet school. is. Not. Trashy. Angry

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 24/06/2017 08:47

The Chalet School. There's quite simply nothing better than reading about Jo's latest set of triplets, or the saintly Robin, when you're stressed or knackered.

Arcadia · 24/06/2017 08:45

Denise Grover Swank! The Rose Gardner mystery series. Silly but fun.

ShottaSheriff · 24/06/2017 07:52

I'm curious on how people define trashy?

I'd assumed that it would generally cover any novels that aren't deep or meaningful. I'd also add anything that is clumsily written or a bit sensationalist, like murder mysteries.

I guess in the purest sense it could just mean a badly written book. Or does it refer just to sex filled novels?

SwedishEdith · 24/06/2017 00:02

Douglas Kennedy. Every character has to set up home anew. They always go to a hardware store and then redecorate on a budget - always white walls and stripped wood floors.

MsJuniper · 23/06/2017 23:51

Oh I think I remember Destiny, I might have to try and get hold of a copy.

Glad I am not the only Flavour fan!

tinhead · 23/06/2017 23:10

Jane fallon

Not2bObvious · 23/06/2017 23:06

Ooh I LOVE Flavour of the Month msjunipet, excellent book (a little life & loves of a she-devil about it I reckon?) Destiny by Sally Beauman is a brilliant too

disastrouslee · 23/06/2017 23:05

Jilly Cooper isn't trashy. She is the Queen of Holiday Reading. Also a thoroughly nice person who I had the good fortune to correspond with for a while.

pigletpie29 · 23/06/2017 23:02

Ah I love georgette heyer. I read devil's cub at 13 and ever since I've been longing for a dark haired duke with shapely calves.

Ahem. So Judith Krantz and jilly Cooper are great as long as you don't go past where rupert's cheating on tiggy. But have you tried Karen Rose? Technically crime novels but lots of romance and they're all linked if you start early enough.

If you fancy a non trashy romance I'd recommend m m Kaye - the far pavilions or shadow of the moon. Brilliant books.

MadisonMontgomery · 23/06/2017 22:58

Yessss I love Nora Roberts! Horribly formulaic (no wonder she bashes them out so quickly) but lovely and easy to read, especially the supernatural ones.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 23/06/2017 22:53

Mine is Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I read them and while I'm reading them I think, "God, this is SO badly written and the plots are utter shite" and then - I carry on reading them...

BakedBeeeen · 23/06/2017 22:39

Love jilly cooper too! But only the earlier ones. They are very un PC, young inexperienced secretary/typist/librarian gets ravished by older dashing gent etc etc!

daisygirlmac · 23/06/2017 22:33

And I wouldn't consider St Jilly of Cooper trashy ShockGrin

daisygirlmac · 23/06/2017 22:33

YY to Nora Roberts, all the same but somehow still good.

I just really like anything with a pink/sparkly/cupcake/nice shoe type cover Blush Lucy Diamond is good and sometimes quite funny. They are just pure silly escapism

hugoagogo · 23/06/2017 22:27

Julia Quinn regency romances of the the most deliciously trashy kind.

everygalaxy · 23/06/2017 22:25

I love Jo Carnegie - she is journalist but writes fairly trashy but very readable books!

BestIsWest · 23/06/2017 22:23

The queen of the block buster, Jaqueline Susann. Valley of the Dolls, Once is not Enough, etc. I read them first as a teenager and still read them today. Love them.

And who could forget Judith Krantz? Scruples and Princess Daisy. Oh, I loved those books.

Jilly Cooper but stop after Polo. I love her shorter books, Imogen and Octavia etc. Perfect summer comfort reads.

Somerville · 23/06/2017 22:22

Trashy but hot you say Somerville?

Hot to the point it was embarrassing knowing my little sister had read it first, to be honest. Grin

adds Captive Prince to reading list

Have fun...

MsJuniper · 23/06/2017 22:17

My absolute favourite trashy novel is Flavour of the Month by Olivia Goldsmith (who also wrote The First Wives Club). I turn to it when ill or just really need to escape all sense and imagine that I too could unexpectedly inherit a large sum of money, have plastic surgery and become a Hollywood star. Oh yes.

What ridiculously trashy books/authors do you love?
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