Desert Rat Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 I spent many years in college reading non-twaddle. My brain is stuffed with stress and pressing family situations so ALL I'm reading right now is mindless, amusing stories. I'm waiting for Twilight from the library. I've read all of Darren Shan's vampire and demon books. I love Jane Yolen right now. Pendragon series is great. Oh and Patricia Briggs werewolf stories. Hmmm....see a theme emerging here? There's a time and a place for literary masterpieces and a time and place for fluff. And there's time and room for both. I don't think there's anything wrong with amusing the mind with nonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 My taste in books is a lot like my taste in music--eclectic. It's funny, because my daughter and I were talking about this recently. She was complaining because my son (her little brother) has "such awful taste in movies." My daughter, you see, is a natural snob. And she chooses not to "waste her time" with movies or TV shows or books or music she considers "trash." And it just drives her screamingly, hair-pullingly insane that her little brother watches and re-watches such junk . . . and doesn't even seem to realize how dreadful it is. So, I confessed to her the other day that I was the same way as a kid. My taste was a whole lot more "sophisticated" than that of other kids my age, because I loved good movies and books and music, too, but I would say that, until I was in my late teens, I don't remember ever seeing a movie (or reading a book) I thought was "bad." My son is very much the same way. One of his earliest favorite movies was A Midsummer Night's Dream, and two nights ago he throughly enjoyed watching La Cage Aux Folles, complete with subtitles. But he also loves Spy Kids (even the third one, which is just so bad) and the Star Wars episodes 1 and 2. So, I've certainly read my share of what others might consider twaddle in my time. However, I have found that, over the years, my tolerance for just plain junk has narrowed considerably. Nowadays, the closest I get to twaddle is probably the kids' and young adult novels I read to keep my kids company. I've read and re-read Harry Potter; my daughter talked me into reading the Libba Bray Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy (although I haven't finish the third one yet); I've read the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix; and I'm currently working on The Mislaid Magician, the third of the Patricia Wrede/Caroline Stevermer Sorcery and Cecelia books. Okay, and I am addicted to the Newford stories by Charles De Lint. I've been following those characters for so long that they feel like family. I even read the young adult stuff, just to make sure I don't miss anything. Next up is No Name, by Wilkie Collins. I went on a kick and read The Moonstone and The Woman in White back to back a few months ago and was devastated that not much else is currently in print. My husband heard my pleas and had a copy of this one printed and comb bound using text from Project Gutenberg. (I hate reading on screen.) So, is any of it "twaddle?" I'm sure some folks would think so. But, no, I haven't read anything too terribly embarassing for a long time. I think going to college--and then working as an editor for all those years--destroyed my ability to enjoy real trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 I recently finished reading The Song of Albion series. (First book here.) I enjoyed them quite a bit. Lawhead is a talented author, but you have to like the genre. Just yesterday I finished The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott. It was predictable and very child-friendly. It was her first book at 17. Impressive for her age, but Little Women is by far her finest (IMHO!) :) I am set to start Quo Vadis this week and am really looking forward to it! Oh, and I don't consider any of that twaddle, but I am not a "classics only" kind of person anyway. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autumndivona Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I don't know what I would consider "twaddle", but really don't consider any books to fall into that category whatsoever. Literacy makes me happy, and I have no qualms about reading whatever catches my fancy, no matter how others might define it. I'd classify some books as an "escape", but "twaddle"? Nah. But I'll admit to reading anything considered twaddle, because I just like to read! I will also say that I really find literary fiction boring, boring, boring. I just can't get into any of the books that get the outstanding reviews. :ack2: "The Kite Runner", "A Thousand Splendid Suns", "Love in the Time of Cholera", etc.: They could be thought-provoking, deep tales of inspiration, life, love, and more... But I'd toss them aside for some Kresley Cole in a heartbeat! And I definitely won't consider a paper escape into romance, vampires, demons, and Valkyries (I LOVE LOVE LOVE NIX!!!) as twaddle. No way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 well, right now i don't have any twaddle going, i am reading The Case For...series by Lee Strobel. however, if we are all being honest here, i will admit to some of the worst twaddle out there (maybe a step up from harlequin, *maybe*) and that is all of the original works by V.C. Andrews (Flowers in the Attic, etc.) i LOVE them. doesn't speak very highly, i know, but my mom had them all when i was a kid and i read them when i was a teen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I like young adult lit. For me. I like Lowry, the Among the Hidden series (not that I thought it was great or anything, I just enjoyed it), the princess rewrites that some have done. Etc. It's been good to rediscover the JOY of reading since college. I actually threw away one of my lit books the other day. It started out w/ incest & got darker. I'm sick of *that*! Anyway, I just finished reading 1/2 Magic. At first, I was prereading for ds7. I got far enough that I knew dh would have to read it to make the final decision, but...I kept reading. It wasn't great, but it was kind-of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I honestly don't read anything I'd consider twaddle. I don't have the patience for it. I don't enjoy it. And I have too much good stuff to read. So many books, so little time...*sigh* Exactly! My twaddle days are over. I'm on a classics kick lately and I can't go back to the dark side. I tried re-reading Pillars Of The Earth (which I first read in '92) and I couldn't handle it -- after reading Austin, Bronte, Tolkien, Shakespeare, etc. over the last year. I'm currently reading Spielvogel's Western Civilization, Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath, and Austin's S & S. Gotta love summer :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I'm reading the Twilight series, although I don't find it nearly as entertaining as my dd does. My favorite twaddle are mysteries. I devour anything written by Jonathan Kellerman, John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell (but she's gone way downhill), and Elizabeth George. I love Elizabeth George mysteries, too. Sue Grafton titles are entertaining. Like other posters, I think there's a difference between light reading and twaddle. The majority of recently-published book-club books are painful; many mysteries are engaging! Sandwiched between Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Truss) and a Sunday at the pool in Kigali (Courtemanche), I just finished a YA title, Princess Academy - it was so FUN!! What twaddle can I admit to? Well, Janet Evanovitch definitely counts, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I'm reading the Twilight series, although I don't find it nearly as entertaining as my dd does. My favorite twaddle are mysteries. I devour anything written by Jonathan Kellerman, John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell (but she's gone way downhill), and Elizabeth George. Patricia Cornwell lost me when she dropped Kay Scarpetta. I LOVE those books and have read them all twice...at least. Currently I am reading a mystery set in Ancient Egypt by Steven Saylor. The title escapes me. I've also been reading some of the Vow Of...books from Veronica Black. Fun, clean, mysteries. That has been my new goal. I don't care how twaddley it is, I want minimal profanity and minimal s&x. THAT can be a challenge! In addition, I have a book going about the Black Death, one about marketing to kids/teens and Sacred Marriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citrusheights5 Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 My daughter left one in the "reading room", (you know the one with a camode and sink....) and it sucked me in.. I read one and another... and all of them... I feel so icky admitting it.... but honestly they sucked me in...:leaving::leaving::leaving::leaving: More mind candy for me in manuals... Toaster.. Washer... Computer... that pamphlet that comes with medicine.. Classics... no more for me thanks.. but as with all things (with me at least) the mood will come around again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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