Naff old books that you are embarrassed to admit reading but just LOVE

[BalloonSlayer]

I recently found a copy of an omnibus of James Herriot's books in a church booksale.

I last read his books (my copies must be in the loft somewhere) when I was waiting for DS1 to arrive, nearly 11 years ago.

I am enjoying reading them again SO much. They are so funny, and sad - and yes, sentimental - and the funny stories are written so well I still chuckle out loud. I must have read some of the anecdotes a hundred times in my life, they were a massive success in the 70s. Yet I wouldn't be surprised if they were out of print now.

What guilty pleasures do you have? Have you got any favourite books that you don't give pride of place on your bookshelf, even though you should?

Flowers in the attic.

Winston Graham - Poldark series
Georgette Heyer
Miss Read
James Herriott
Alexander McCall Smith
H.E. Bates - Darling Buds of May

Am a sucker for kids books too:
Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie)
Noel Streatfeld
Gillian Avery

Check out my user name for my all time favourite comfort reads... Amazed to see that there are others here who read her too, was convinced I was the only person under 50 who'd ever heard of her! Have recently discovered Lillian Harry whose Burracombe novels are very similar but with slightly more plot. Also adore Jilly Cooper especially the Octavia/Imogen/Harriet etc series. Love kids' books too, spent many happy hours in the children's section of the local library when I was a student and am loving reading them to DD now.

The Flowers In The Attic series .

Dorothy L Sayers - just the Wimsey & Harriet ones. Agatha Christie, just Miss Marple.

Jilly Cooper, definitely Virginia Andrews, all of them but especially My Sweet Audrina, Poldark series, Catherine Cookson, Jean M Auel.

Another that I can't remember the author of, The Mists of Avalon, brilliant.

A John Wyndham box set!

The Far Pavillions is a shameless holiday read.

William Horwood's Duncton series and Skallgrigg.

I have Noam Chomsky on my shelf (a gift), the spine remains uncracked.

i'm sad!!

my dd's laugh at me but i pounce on their english lit gcse books!! i LOVE to re read 'lord of the flies',and' an inspector calls',and last night started on 'of mice and men'

kind of think i'll avoid 'much ado about nothing!

sybilvimes - I also like MM Kaye, especially her detective ones, have you come across those

I forgot to add K M Peyton's Pennington Books - love them

Georgette Heyer - I have read them all more than once since my teens. I kept quiet about it until Stephen Fry said they were favourites of his and it didn't seem so embarrassing then.

Ahem, Georgette Heyer is neither naff nor embarassing, there's a whole thread of out and proud GH fans here!

My embarrasing comfort read is Sally's Family by Gwendoline Courtney which is set just after the war and is about a girl (Sally) who reunites her siblings and leanrs how to run a household a la Swiss Family Robinson. Have never found anyone else who'se read it, nor have i managed to find any of her other books as they are all out fo print (not paying silly ebay prices).

I have all the Mary Stewart books, kind of adventure/romance from the 50's. Like eating doughnuts, definitely comfort reading...

I love the Mary Stewart books - they were my mother's comfort reads, and are now mine too!

only me too. When I left home I had to get my own copies!!

I LOVED the Mary Stewart books about Merlin, they were brilliant and would still read them if I had them. I also had a bit of an embarrassing Anne McCaffrey collection but they got sent to the car boot in the latest cull.

I had the first 6 Dragonlance novels until recently, when I reread them for the last time and finally realised how crap they were Total comfort/nostalgia though.

Sent my beloved Jilly Coopers to the charity shop last year, after having read them infinite times. I can always get them out of the library if when I need them again

My absolute favourite guilty pleasure for bathtime reading when I have nothing else, is an incredibly battered copy of Enid Blyton's The Secret Island. It's about four children who run away from home and live on an island in the middle of a lake and it just sounded SO exciting when I was a child that it captivated me. I still dig it out once a year or so for comfort reading.

I read and am NOT ashamed of:

Stephen King
Georgette Heyer (although am a bit bored of hers now)
Lots of old children's books

I can't get bored of Georgette Heyer!

I read "The Unknown Ajax" twice while in bed recovering from flu last week.

Talking of dragons though, Ann McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" series is another secret vice of mine!

The Thorn Birds

Do I get a badge for the worst so far...?

I (and about a billion other American girls born in the early 80's) was named Megan in honor of the Thorn Birds whinge. I like it too. :)

I love, love, love James Herriot! The story where they find the neglected dog and are going to put it down, but then give it to an old woman who nurses it back to health...I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it! I've just started watching the series and I love that too.

I read Nora Roberts all the time. Actually, I'll take that blush back. They're fun, entertaining books and I don't care who knows I love them!

CheerfulYank I just read that story! "Mr Herriot, haven't I made a difference to this dog?"

I love it when authors describe the contrast between being cold and hungry and knackered and coming in to a hot fire, big meal and comfort. I love Dickens for that too, and also The Darling Buds of May, someone mentioned. I'm a sucker for it.

BalloonSlayer I was reading that story to DH and everytime the woman would say that I could barely get the words out!

I'm the same way about the whole fire and warmth thing...I love reading those stories in the winter especially. It's always twenty below with three feet of snow here, so it's lovely to read about someone sitting with a steaming mug of tea by the hearth while I'm doing the same thing myself :)

ILove Tiffany - you might find 'Much Ado About Nothing' becoming rather more popular shortly

Are your DDs David Tennant fans? Maybe they could persuade their school to run a trip?

Kurri - I have never actually read the Jalna books, but my nan used to love them and when I was a librarian I spent ages tracking down every one of them in large print for her.

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Have read it so many times but still love it

The follow up ones were not so good though

Kurrikurri - Pennington's seventeenth summer. The daring leap from the sail loft.... love that book.

Whingeomatic - I love that book, too! I read it when I was in hospital post c-section. Fabulous.