Admission of twaddle guilt... What's yours?

[BikeBookBread]

I have to share my "guilty pleasure" here...I stayed up until 1:30 this morning finishing Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I don't know when I have giggled so much reading a book. This is saying a lot, considering the first time I saw this book laying on the new releases table at B&N, I was saddened that anyone would dare desecrate my favorite book. TBS, having read P&P more times than I can count, knowing The Book so well made it all the more hilarious.

 

Now I can hardly wait for the movie...starring Natalie Portman as the sword-wielding Lizzie...Hmmmmm. Not sold on that casting decision. I think that re-casting Kiera Knightly would've been SO funny. Now who could ever play the Mad Sword Skills Mr. Darcy??

 

So, what's your recent twaddle guilty pleasure?

[8circles]

Not exactly the same thing, but your post reminded me of the PBS series Lost in Austen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Austen

 

At first I was very confused since I didn't know what I was watching. Once I figured it out I was hugely entertained.

[Haiku]

Lost.

 

Tara

[Renthead Mommy]

fanfiction.net

 

It's not only twaddle, it's often badly written twaddle about published twaddle! But then sometimes, it better written then the original stories.

 

I read it. I've written it. I've spent many hours over many years.

 

Sad but fun.

[MariannNOVA]

OMH - there isn't enough time to post all of it -- I go through phases. Right now, I am mastering Polarberry Jam on webkinz :lol:.

 

Other twaddle or guilty pleasures have been:

 

Soap Opera Digest

Nip/Tuck (tv series - finished)

Damages (tv series - don't watch it anymore)

Surfing Craigslist for an Antique Pine Armoire (doing this in the evenings)

Cotton Candy Fiction if I am going to be at a resort pool and I need something to read that doesn't tax me

MAGAZINES (PEOPLE, ALLURE -- I LOVE magazines - (Soap Opera Digest doesn't count)

 

When we were living in the hotel, I loved watching movies that had received awful reviews - if I hated them, I could turn them off, if not, I watched -- my favorite "BEWITCHED" with will ferrell and nicole kidman.:blush:

[Guest]

Star Trek, recommended by my daughter -- movies and books. I've fallen for Kirk big time.

[Crissy]

Maeve Binchy.

I recently picked up her latest, Heart and Soul, from the grocery store "Best Sellers" rack, and now I'm dying to re-read a few of her older novels or short story collections.

[Dmmetler]

I read a ton of cozies (mystery series, usually humorous, with a non-professional sleuth). Given those, I have a hard time complaining about my DD's Magic Treehouse habit!

[Mejane]

I have to admit I've always considered Stephen King novels to be twaddle, yet I've read every book he's ever written (haven't liked them all, but have read them all.)

[SeekingSimplicity]

I'm addicted to romances. Especially historicals. Julia Quinn is one of my favorites.

[BridgeTea]

Today's twaddle: Wife Swap on TV

[Rhonda in TX]

I'm addicted to romances. Especially historicals. Julia Quinn is one of my favorites.

 

I love Julia Quinn. I used to read more authors, but I just don't have time anymore. Can't give up JQ, though. I'm even a fan on facebook. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

I have to share my "guilty pleasure" here...I stayed up until 1:30 this morning finishing Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I don't know when I have giggled so much reading a book. This is saying a lot, considering the first time I saw this book laying on the new releases table at B&N, I was saddened that anyone would dare desecrate my favorite book. TBS, having read P&P more times than I can count, knowing The Book so well made it all the more hilarious.

 

Now I can hardly wait for the movie...starring Natalie Portman as the sword-wielding Lizzie...Hmmmmm. Not sold on that casting decision. I think that re-casting Kiera Knightly would've been SO funny. Now who could ever play the Mad Sword Skills Mr. Darcy??

 

So, what's your recent twaddle guilty pleasure?

 

*Points to sig line*

 

I'm a fan of twaddle in between heavy books. I know I've admitted this before, but I like bosom-heaving-historical-romances.

[mommylawyer]

Lost.

Grey's Anatomy.

And my secretary brings her old People mags to the office. I thumb through those at times during my lunch hour at work.

[ChemMommy]

Star Trek novels in print and on fanfiction. Sigh! It's SO lowbrow and is mental candy, but I really do like them and wait eagerly for the next published novel.:thumbup:

[RoughCollie]

Recently, I reserved 15 books from the library, based on many positive Amazon reviews of each. They were all books and authors that I'd never heard of. I was stuck because our county library system does not have 90% of the books I want to read, and interlibrary loan has been abolished.

 

Every single book would have been a waste of time for me to read. Thank goodness it took less than five minutes per book to determine that.

 

They did not inform me or entertain me. They were poorly written, the plots were predictable and boring, the characters were wooden. Complexity did not exist. Heck, words beyond two syllables were rare.

 

This was the first time I've ordered books sight unseen. I now realize that many books written for adults are dumbed down and written on about a 5th grade reading level. Now, for a person who likes to read, but has a low reading level and comprehension problems, these books would be great.

 

For me, these books were twaddle. If I enjoy reading a book, and/or learn something from it, it is not twaddle. It is true that I read very few books that have purely entertainment value for me, but that does not put them on the twaddle trashpile.

 

I realize that not everyone agrees with me. My own son does not rate the entertainment value of books very highly, but I do. One of his examples is Twilight. To him, that book is twaddle. I read it because I wanted to check it out before DD read it. I was entertained. I realize that if I had to write a literary criticism of the book, there were copious failings. I did not dwell on those. I completely missed that the book had heavy s*xual undertones -- maybe even overtones, which was a major factor of the book according to many of my friends who had read it for the same reason. It entertained me, and as long as I think of that as it's main value, I don't consider it to be twaddle. If I'd dwelled on the book's failings, I would not have been entertained. The author may not have written great literature, but she has entertained many people with her bestselling books. What's wrong with that? (This is a rhetorical question.)

 

RC

Edited April 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[iquilt]

Maeve Binchy.

I recently picked up her latest, Heart and Soul, from the grocery store "Best Sellers" rack, and now I'm dying to re-read a few of her older novels or short story collections.

:iagree: love her stories!

[Tree House Academy]

Facebook is definitely twaddle, though I don't play the games. LOL

 

My biggest twaddle experience was last year when I read the Twilight series. I didn't move for 3 days as I read all 4 books. My kids thought mom had disappeared for good. I emerged later, kinda sad that my husband wasn't a sparkly vampire too. ;)

[Mrs Mungo]

It entertained me, and as long as I think of that as it's main value, I don't consider it to be twaddle. If I'd dwelled on the book's failings, I would not have been entertained. The author may not have written great literature, but she has entertained many people with her bestselling books. What's wrong with that? (This is a rhetorical question.)

 

 

Hm, I guess it is important to explain our working definition of "twaddle," if we're going to name our twaddle favorites.

 

When I think of twaddle, I think of "brain candy." Candy is good, it's tasty, I enjoy it, I don't see anything wrong with candy. However, your diet should not consist of nothing but candy.

[LibraryLover]

Modern Family, although I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. lol

[RoughCollie]

When I think of twaddle, I think of "brain candy." Candy is good, it's tasty, I enjoy it, I don't see anything wrong with candy. However, your diet should not consist of nothing but candy.

 

I think that what is twaddle for one person, may not be twaddle for another. Reading and comprehension levels, reading speed, and personal taste are all factors.

 

I think, for example, that Twilight is brain candy. In fact, I did not think about what I was reading in order to enjoy the book. Since I did enjoy it, I took it out of the twaddle category. I don't read many books that have purely entertainment value, but I do stand up for entertainment having high value. (I did not, OTOH, find Pride and Prejudice to be highly entertaining during any of the several times I have read it.)

 

To this day, I refuse to analyze Twilight because that would marginalize its entertainment value for me. In effect, that would be like eating a piece of pecan pie and then setting about to temper that enjoyment by thinking about its ingredients (corn syrup) and how many calories it has.

 

In essence, notwithstanding my Twilight aberration, I do not put fiction that is well-written, tightly plotted with complexity, peopled by multi-faceted characters, and which I enjoy reading, into the twaddle category. A book gets huge extra points if it includes factual information which advances the plot and teaches me something.

 

OTOH, I have a lot of admiration for someone who can write a book, get it published, and provide entertainment for a huge number of people. Not many people can do that! I put Twilight and Captain Underpants into this category.

 

I think how much time one spends on light reading (which is in a category right above twaddle, IMO) is a major factor. I read very fast. It does not bother me to spend 1-1.5 hours reading a Stephanie Plum novel. It is light reading, but I enjoy these books very much. If it took me longer to read I might reconsider, since other books which I consider to be more valuable would be competing for scarce reading time. Right now, I spend about 15% of my reading time on light reading. For me, that is about 60 books per year.

 

Frankly, though, I consider a lot of books to be twaddle, and these are books I would not read because, for me, they do not have any value at all. This is where personal taste, and reading speed, level, and comprehension come into play. An example of twaddle, IMO, is any Harlequin romance. If someone else read and enjoys those, it is no skin off my nose whether they think it is twaddle or not.

 

Conversely, there are plenty of books that do not have value for me, but which other people whose opinions I respect, find to be highbrow reading. Those are not twaddle. An example of that is Moby Dick. By the same token, I like Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis. I do not consider that to be twaddle, and I have met very few people who have read it and liked it as much as I do.

Edited April 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[LibraryLover]

I read a twaddle book today. Jame's Patterson's The Murder of King Tut. I never saw so many short paragraphs and short sentences in one book. But I read it, and I had my two hours of horrified fun. lol

Edited April 8, 2010 by LibraryLover

[TXMary2]

I don't read twaddle books, but I am definitely into twaddle tv. LOL

 

One Life to Live

General Hospital

Desperate Housewives

Private Practice

Tori & Dean (I know! I know!!)

Kendra (I know! I know!)

 

I do feel guilty, but not enough to stop.;)

[Mrs Mungo]

I think that what is twaddle for one person, may not be twaddle for another. Reading and comprehension levels are a factor, for example.

 

Sure, this is true.

 

I think, for example, that Twilight is brain candy. In fact, I did not think about what I was reading in order to enjoy the book. Since I did enjoy it, I took it out of the twaddle category. I don't read many books that have purely entertainment value, but I do stand up for entertainment having value. (I did not, OTOH, find Pride and Prejudice to be highly entertaining during any of the several times I have read it.)

 

I don't dismiss the value of books which are entertaining but may or may not be considered twaddle by any one person. ;)

 

Snipping a bunch of stuff that I more or less agree with, even though I don't hesitate to label my heaving-bosom-historical-fiction books as twaddle, no matter how much I enjoy them.

 

I think how much time one spends on light reading (which, okay, might be twaddle) is a major factor. I read very fast. It does not bother me to spend 1-1.5 hours reading a Stephanie Plum novel. It is light reading, but I enjoy these books very much. If it took me longer to read I might reconsider, since other books which I consider to be more valuable would be competing for scarce reading time. Right now, I spend about 15% of my reading time on light reading. For me, that is about 60 books per year.

 

I also read very quickly. I read about 4-5 books a week; I mix non-fiction, good fiction and twaddle.

 

Frankly, though, I consider a lot of books to be twaddle, and these are books I would not read because, for me, they do not have any value at all.

 

Ah, see, I don't even consider those types of books to be worthy of the twaddle label. IMO, they are garbage, not twaddle.

 

So, in my definition (and I'm not saying you cannot have your own definition that is different): twaddle=good, light, brain candy books; bad books=garbage.

[RoughCollie]

So, in my definition (and I'm not saying you cannot have your own definition that is different): twaddle=good, light, brain candy books; bad books=garbage.

 

I think it is a matter of semantics. To me, twaddle is garbage not worthy of my time. I think of light reading as being one step above that -- probably garbage that is worthy of my time. :D I don't read these books more than once, and I rely on my husband to remember whether I've read one of them or not because he has a mind like a steel trap. They were entertaining, but easily forgotten.

 

I don't have guilty pleasures. My mother says it is because I am too intense about everything, so nothing is frivolous enough to feel guilty about. A pox on her! I am pro-frivolity!

 

It's (note the correct apostrophe usage) difficult to classify modern fiction, IMO. I put it into categories: garbage, light reading, and general fiction. But even the general fiction has variations in its (see, no apostrophe) value.

 

For example, I put any book that is notable for its 2-page chapters and sentence fragments into the light reading category. Stuart Woods and James Patterson are examples of authors who do that.

 

OTOH, Dick Francis (and his son) write popular fiction which I do not put into the light reading category. I think these are high quality books. I have noticed that many bestselling authors begin by writing high quality fiction. As their popularity increases, the quality of their writing deteriorates. I read Dick Francis' books in order of their publication date. To my amazement, the quality of his writing improved with each book, until it leveled out at what I consider to be very high quality modern fiction. OTOH, Stuart Woods' first book, Chiefs, was of much high quality, IMO, than many of the others he has written.

 

I enjoy both -- Dick Francis books provide me with a greatly enriched reading experience, however. To me, his books are not in the light reading or arguably twaddle categories.

 

RC

Saving the lives of kittens by using apostrophes correctly.

Edited April 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Surlygirlie]

When I think of twaddle, I think of "brain candy." Candy is good, it's tasty, I enjoy it, I don't see anything wrong with candy. However, your diet should not consist of nothing but candy.

 

This is how I view it as well. I can cop to reading a romance novel every few months or so, but the twaddle in my life certainly comes from tv. *takes a deep breath* Legend of the Seeker is at the top of my tv twaddle. I cannot believe I watch it. Don't think too poorly of me.

[Mrs Mungo]

RC-I agree on all counts and :001_wub: for your attention to the poor, abused apostrophe.

[TravelingChris]

I mostly read mysteries. I read light authors and heavier authors. I don't read badly written mysteries. They have to have interesting plots and interesting characters. Since like Mrs. Mungo, I read a number of books a week, I do go through authors. Then I search for new ones. I do have misses but I seem to be getting more hits now than misses. Some of this is because I tend to use things like Novelist to find similar authors to what I like but not all since I recently found a somewhat steamy mystery author who is quite enjoyable by browsing the library bookshelves and the titles catching my eye.

 

Oh and I don't read Twilight since I don't like romances and I don't like vampire books.

[TravelingChris]

Actually my twaddle secret (not guilt) is the music I often listen to like right now. Even though I am a 47 conservative Christian homeschooling Mom I love to listen to Party Channel on the tv or put on dance music on the computer or on the dvd. Since I got all my kids hooked on it, its one reason they won't be going to any college that is anti-dancing or strict with music.

[Mrs Mungo]

Oh and I don't read Twilight since I don't like romances and I don't like vampire books.

 

I like some vampire books, I like some romance books, but I could not read Twilight. The dialogue...uuuuuuugh!

[Jen in PA]

I love my British police procedurals, but I like to think the authors I like best write well enough that I don't have to count them as twaddle. But since 90% of what I read is nonfiction, spending time with my favorite hard-drinking detectives sometimes seems like a bit of an indulgence.

[AK_Mom4]

Terry Pratchett books

"Dr. Who" on t.v.

and....runescape.

[Surlygirlie]

I like some vampire books, I like some romance books, but I could not read Twilight. The dialogue...uuuuuuugh!

 

I tried to read it too, but dang it if the overwrought inner monologues of Bella made my eyeballs roll out of their sockets continually. But hey, that's just me--remember I watch LOTS--so who am I to judge? :lol:

[Lady Q]

J. D. Robb's murder mysteries! Even if they end up spooking me so badly at midnight that I have to wake up my husband to keep watch while I go brush my teeth. :D

 

I have a hard time considering Terry Pratchett's books as twaddle, though. :001_huh: