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?

Maeve Binchy
Used to love MM Kaye
Used to love Jilly Cooper

And I love Maeve Binchy. I do read worthy books too, honest!

Toriana, thanks for reminding me of A Woman of Substance. I believe there was a mini-series.

There is also The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

Another Miss Read fan here, love her books, also James Herriot and Gerald Durrell. Maeve Binchy too. Non-thinking reading, and you don't have to worry about seeing anything that might upset you!

kurrikurri i have read the whiteoaks books too (i think-did they have characters by the names of Rice and Adelaide?). if so-i loved them!

There was an Adeline, nineyearolds, she was the matriarchal Grandmother and a Renny, Eden, Piers, Finch and Wakefield - all brothers, amongst others, they lived in a big house called Jalna in Canada. Was that the ones you read? (sounds as if it could be, the names you remember are similar )

Ah, Adeline it must have been! Renny and Eden definitely ring bells-could have sworn there was a Rice too though? Will have to investigate!

Len Deighton spy novels.

IShallWearMidnight - girls gone by publishers have reprinted a few of Gwendoline Courtney's books and they aren't too ridiculously priced at £12 a book. :)

whingeomatic Thorn Birds is my guilty pleasure too! I love it and have lost count of how many times I've read it!!

Another fan of Enid Blyton's Secret Island. Real fantasy stuff totally improbable if seen from an adult perspective but addictive.
I love Carrie's War, The Diddakoi, Black Beauty and find reading Enid Blyton's very therapeutic and de-stressing...

I bought the complete set of Jalna books from Oxfam last year!

Also: Rumer Godden, Elizabeth Goudge, Dorothy Sayers, Betty McDonald, and Jane Gardam. Comfort reads are passed down in my family- some of these are now on to the 4th generation.

secret pleasures include the secret stories by enid blyton which we are reading to our children now. MM kaye when I can get hold of one. Patrical Cornwell, Little women stories (have on my ipod!!) I also enjoyed a little know series called Lone Pine set in the shropshire hills about a secret club!

Jill Mansell, Agatha Christie, Carrie's War by Nina Bawden (you're not alone, careergirl), Jilly Cooper and The Shovering Sands bu Victoria Holt.

With the exception of Jill Mansell I first read the others at least 20 years ago and they are still favourites.

Can't read James Herriot though, they make me cry.

Oh, and the Policeman series by Harry Cole, describing his life as a Bobby in 1950s/60s South London.

It's great to see a few fellow Jalna fans barbarian I'm trying to collect the whole set in hardback - got about four more to get.

oh sorry my bolding failed

Me too with 'A Woman of Substance'
Jilly Cooper

I read my dad's James Herriot books and mum's Miss Read books when I was school age and really loved them, hadn't thought about a re-visit.

I used to enjoy Jane Green as a guilty pleasure but finding hers tedious now. Same with Adele Parks

Always buy Jonathan Kellerman 'Alex Delaware' paperbacks for some reason.

Flambards & Georgette Heyer

OMG, someone threw away Chalet School books!?{thought we were going to use thwm for our new world when it all went tits up!!)
also read WW2 books and Kellerman (wife and son incuded)seek a look at granny's Peoples Friend too, oh the shame

sorry about spellngs errors

Have just this minute re-bought Upper 4th at MT (Dragon books version) as dd and I are ploughing through MT, Famous 5 etc.

Adult books I am ashamed to say I love include Mistral's Daughter, (have read and re-read and cry every time) a few early Danielle Steel's and thrice and every time I feel low I re-read Bridget Jones. Oft copied, never bettered.

Yup, love the Thorn Birds too...and another of hers, really weird but clever idea, about a female Jesus Creed for the Third Milennium it was called. Was great.

I thought I'd be the only one to mention Phillippa Carr but as someone has already mentioned Victoria Holt, which is another pen name of hers, I guess I'm not so original!!

But everything she's ever written is perfect pregnancy reading!!

Anything by Susan Howatch, although I don't think they deserve to be mocked!! I have loved them all.