(Untitled)

[molly_may]

Hey everyone, wenchsenior is looking for some book recommendations:

I read a ton of stuff...very diverse, but lately I've made a resolution to read more 'good trash' and less serious stuff. The last three years I've read a metric ton of economics, politics, sociology, and literary fiction. Almost no escapist stuff, not even fantasy, which is my old standby

Comments

[poshcat]

The Fault in Our Stars.

Just kidding. Damn, I need to start reading some good trash, too! Bring on the recs!

[molly_may]

You know, I still haven't read that, because I know it will make me cryyyyyyyy.

[wenchsenior]

I'm not reading it either, for the same reason LOL.

[cindergal]

Oh, it will. But in a good way. :-)

[wenchsenior]

Funny story. One of the trashy novels I wanted to find (going Old Skool) was "Forever Amber" by Katherine Winsor (aka the trashy novel our grandmothers hid under their beds). Now back in the 80s, I remember being able to find battered copies in trade paperback for, like, $1. But I never bothered reading it back then (not racy enough for me, most likely).

So when I go looking last week in our admittedly limited used book stores, I can't find it. But lo and behold, there is a fancy, re-issued, humongous, doorstop version available at Barnes and Noble. FOR TWENTY BUCKS!

Basically, it has been repackaged as an actual legitimate classic so that suckers like me will buy it. Which I did. Haven't started it yet, though.

[molly_may]

I've seen that giant edition of Forever Amber, but I've never actually read the book. Or even seen the movie, for that matter. I think books like that end up getting repackaged as classics because anything that can stay in print for that long automatically seems somehow more "literary".

I used to love the trashy novels of Catherine Gaskin, which are almost all out of print now. There was usually an orphan girl who was taken in by an enormously wealthy but completely fucked-up family, and then there would be a tragic romance and Terrible Things would befall the family and the plucky orphan. Good times.

[spikesjojo]

George RR Martin - Song of Ice and Fire series. It starts with Game of Thrones (even if you've seen the HBO series there is far more in the books!) Amazingly well written - no character is safe from being killed off, and there's no good guys or bad guys - as the story goes on characters you loathe do things that you never expected. He creates a really fascinating world - with people from different cultures. As for thick and wallowy - 6 books written and one more to go!

If you want to make less of a commitment I recommend Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Not only is he an excellent writer - he's also a social activist. Every year he organizes a huge auction by several fantasy writers for World Builders.

[molly_may]

Thanks, these are great recommendations! I've never actually read any of Rothfuss's books, but I have a soft spot for him just because he's a Whedon fanboy.

[spikesjojo]

You know another good author is Robin Hobb - Assassins Apprentice.

Yeah, Rothfuss is really a funny guy - his blog is hilarious at times. I also love the social activism. Makes me willing to put my money there. There are a lot of fantasy authors who contribute all sorts of stuff in the auction.

[wenchsenior]

Yup, I've been on the GRR Martin train since 1997 (good GOD, I'm old). Great series. I will definitely check out Rothfuss...I've had him down as a "will get to" for a while, and that link Molly May posted was so great!

I like Assassin's Apprentice ok, but I LOVED Hobb's Liveship series. I haven't gotten around to reading the dragon-oriented series set in the same world yet.

I will try to post some recs over the next few days of stuff I liked back in my days of More Escapist Reading.

[_kirsty]

Hi! I'd recommend "Graceling" and "Fire" by Kristin Cashore for YA fantasy romance. I also love Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series, and Melina Marchetta's Lumatere Chronicles series -- both YA fantasy. They're all really good escapist reads, though I don't think any of them are trashy.

Or try Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series, which is "thick, wallow-y, decently written" YA fantasy.

[molly_may]

Oooh, these are great suggestions! I loved the Cashore books myself, and I think wenchsenior is reading the first one now herself. I haven't read any of the others yet, but I've heard good things about all of them, especially the Queen's Thief series, which I really need to check out for myself soon. Thanks for the recommendations!