Who are your guilty pleasures writers?

[mixedmamameansbusiness]

Not that I am particularly high brow in my readig, it spans huge swathes of themes, writers and periods, however some is hard going and sometimes when I just want a break I read,

Catherine Cookson
Agatha Christie

but, mostly Catherine Cookson and I am building up a collection. I can't walk past a 20p Cookson and not buy it.

Who are the authors you read when you want to just have a quick read?

[5Foot5]

SDTGisanEvilWolefGenius Finally someone else who admits to Trisha Ashley!

Which have you read? My fave is one of her earliest "Good Husband Material" nut I think I have read almost all of hers by now

[RoxyRobin]

You will be able to choose her as your specialist subject when you're on Mastermind.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Another Katie FForde fan. Every story is the same but they are so undemanding I love them!

Also like Jeffrey Archer - sorry

[Selky]

Georgette Heyer
MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin/Hamish MacBeth
Charlaine Harris - Aurora Teagarden/ Sookie Stackhouse/ Shakespears champion etc
LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables etc
Jane Duncan - "My Friend ---" books

[mrsmillsfanclub]

Miss Read. Whenever I have a lot of worry or am feeling low I read her books in bed and always sleep well afterwards. They describe a gentle, innocent way of life that is hard to find in other books.

[MegBusset]

Dragonlance

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Oh yes, just remembered, James Herriott. Another gentle reminder of how life used to be not that I've ever put my hand up a cow's arse.

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

The Katy books, all five of them, and Malory Towers, and the Barney books. I never liked St Clare's as much, or Trebizon somehow. The first two Chalet Books, the rest I can take or leave, but I do like the first two.
Adult books, it has to be Shelly Laurenston (sp?) - she writes paranormal romance or shapeshifter porn and they are very explicit, but also have a great story line and are funny, and the characters are "real" - you care what happens to them and want to know what happens next. I discovered her by chance on the Kindle and now I actually pay full price for her new stuff as it comes out, I like her that much (except the new one that I have been waiting ages for, that is there today and is only half by her :( that pissed me off because I've never heard of whoever wrote the other story)
I can read some of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series over and over again too - I can never remember which one is which cos the titles are all very similar, as are the covers, so I call them by the main characters. "Bride and Vane" "Zarek and thingy" and "Tabitha and Valerius" are my favourites, I practically know them by heart

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

OO meg do you cry at "Look Raist, bunnies" ? I do, every single time. I can't help it I don't even have to read all the rest of the series to get there, just that last bit gets to me.
It's like On the Beach, I well up about half way through, and by the end am bawling and howling like a baby (in a good way when I'm in the mood for a good weep) it is just so sad...

[epeesarepointythings]

I like Fiona Walker, kind of Jilly Cooper but with not so many horses.

Also Kresley Cole, which is basically supernatural porn, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

I've read all of Sherrilyn Kenyon and have actually read Acheron twice because it is really rather bloody good (but the rest is very forgettable). I've given up on Christine Feehan though, too much metaphysical shit and not enough vampire sex.

I also get the Mills and Boon Modern out of the library for bathtime reading (haven't dropped one in yet but will happily pay for a replacement when it happens)

So glad I'm not the only one happily indulging in crap books.

[mumtomoley]

Loved Sweet Valley books, Trebizon and Mallory towers

Notice someone else mentioned Kelley Armstrong. They are secretly my favourite books...I am sad enough to pre-order them.

[ILoveOnionRings]

Another MC Beaton secret fan here (I have over 30 on my kindle in their own folder) too embarrased to show the kindle to anyone as there they are on the opening menu page. I just find them comforting

[mixedmamameansbusiness]

Mills and Boon - brilliant. I used to read those as a teenager. I might have to borrow a few.

I have created an extensive Agatha Christie/Cookson/Conan Doyle list of all of their books to collect and read.

Am I sad - yes probably.

Am I overjoyed at the prospect of collecting the book - absolutely!!

[SweetFannyCraddock]

Lace, louise bagshawe, jane green... I take a lot of meds so its good to read lite

[epeesarepointythings]

mixedmama the Modern ones are proper raunchy too...

yy to Louise Bagshawe, Lace, also Tasmina Perry and Rebecca Chance.

[elspethmcgillicuddy]

Just thought of another one for all the Malory towers fans... The maggie Adair series by Jane Beaton is awesome! It is set in a school very much ripped off from like Malory towers but is about the teachers' daily struggles and romances etc. They are fab! I've been waiting not so patiently for the third one for two years now and I'm beginning to consider emailing the publisher to tell them to hurry the hell up.

[Oldyellow]

Selky, I didn't think anyone else remembered the 'My Friend....' books. I would love to see them reprinted - some of them are pretty expensive used.

[Selky]

Oldyellow, my granny was a Jane Duncan stalwart so she had most of them. Haven't seen them in a library for years!

[epeesarepointythings]

Ooooh I remember the Jane Duncan ones - I believe my parents still have them, must do a bit of begging next time we're over there... I don't think they're guilty pleasures books though, not trashy at all.

[YohoAhoy]

For those who like Agatha Christie, have you tried John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson? I've wittered on here before about them - similar era and type of mystery and lovely easy reading :)

[ButTheButtons]

Just come across this thread. MrsMills and WhoKnows - I am totally with you on the Miss Read and James Herriot. They are both like being wrapped up in a cosy duvet. Bliss. Also Gerald Durrell's Rosie Is My Relative and HE Bates Pop Larkin Chronicles.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

Jilly Cooper
Penny Vincenzi
Louise / Tilly Bagshawe

[bimblebee]

Ruth Rendall does it for me. (I used to love the Secret Seven books and still have a few of them on my shelf!!)

[R2PeePoo]

Elizabeth Vaughan, especially the Warprize series and the Compass rose series by Gail Dayton. When I am ill I need to have them by my bed.

When I am really tired I reread 'The farthest Away Mountain" by Lynne Reid Banks. It was my favourite book as a child and DD and DS have a copy each now. I also have a collection of girls annuals from the early 1980's (Jinty and Tammy etc) which are ostensibly for DD, but I read quite a lot too.

[Hoophopes]

James Herriot, Agatha Christie,Miss Read and Rebecca Shaw here. Loved Enid Blyton, Georgette Heyer, Angela Brazil, the Chalet Books also - only kept the Enid Blyton ones (what a shame I have a son, lacking the excuse I need to buy again!!)