My Guilty Pleasures

Hello and welcome back to Ink Stained Finger where no book is too good or too bad for a review.

As I mentioned last time, I’m following in the footsteps of my old friend TheCinemaChick. She’s pretty much the reason I decided to start up this blog in the first place.

So with that in mind, it’s time for me to offer my next list.

I’m sure that there’s been a time or two where you were reading a book or watching a movie where you’ve had a friend or family member wondering why the heck you’re reading or watching whatever it is.

It’s not because of the subject content but simply because they don’t understand just why someone would enjoy that particular book or movie. I’ve found myself there quite a few times defending books that I think have some value to them despite whatever inconsistencies they contain.

That’s what I mean when I talk about those books that are my guilty pleasures. Those books that for a reason no one really understands you enjoy and find yourself going back to them time and time again.

So on this edition of Ink Stained Fingers, I’m going to touch on the 5 books that are my personal guilty pleasures. While they aren’t in any particular order, they all made the list just the same.

So let’s get this show on the road.

5.      The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

Now, I know one friend is going to wonder why this book even made the list. I’ve bashed this book with this friend talking about how bad it is and how things don’t make a heck of a lot of sense. However, this book is more set up for children than it is for adults. In that mindset, this book is actually pretty interesting. It’s not like a typical children’s book with fairytale creatures or knights or princesses. Heck, it’s not even set in the U.S. of A but in Zimbabwe. But the fact that they went outside of the norm for children’s books and created a futuristic world is to be commended. I haven’t seen many other books like it and it’s easy to get into the story without wondering what is going on.

4.      The Chalice and the Blade by Glenna McReynolds

Despite my overly independent nature and dislike of stories with a female character that must be constantly saved by a man (feminist? Who, me?), this story makes this list because it manages to slide past my usual defenses. This is the case simply because the way the characters are written. The female character isn’t always in danger and manages to do rather well with the few times that she’s given to take care of herself. Sometimes she even faces danger on her own and saves people, which is far more than I can say of Bella from the Twilight series.

3.    A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Again, this is a book I had to read in one of my literature courses in college. This book is very different from any others on this list simply because of its realism and lack of supernatural elements. However, this book is completely depressing half the time. Look at the title for yourself if you can’t figure out why it might be. However, this book made the list because of a simple thing I covered in my last list. This is a book about facing up to something that no one can overcome and coming to a sense of peace and understanding that gets you through it. It’s a great message to get across and that’s only one of them. It’s a guilty pleasure simply because it offers such valuable messages that the depressing subject matter is only background noise.

2.    Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

Now, I have quite a few people that find the entire Anita Blake series as joy to read. Even going so far as to be very popular. But this book makes this list because of the action that happens in between all the other drama. The emos stop being emos, theirs lots of fighting, and make up sex as well as intentional sex and magical sex…did I say there was sex?

1.          The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries was a series I never really got into like rest of those that loved it right into a TV series that has nothing to do anymore with the books, but that’s not a review for me to do.

However much I don’t like the TV series and the fact that I didn’t go right out and buy the rest of the books, I found myself at least sucked into the idea that L.J. created in her type of vampires. Then again, maybe it’s because Elena is NOTHING like the whiny and pouty Bella who complains about every day she gets older.

Elena deals with the situation, sometimes on her own, and finds her own way. She may get all goo goo eyed with Stefan and his brother, but they are rather hot. But she doesn’t cling to them unless she finds herself in a situation that she can’t handle on her own. She’s not a damsel in distress but she’s not the lone gun either. She plays her part and manages to stick it out which is why it makes my list.

And there you have it, my 5 Guilty Pleasure books.

If you have a favorite book that no one else understands just keep one thing in mind, if it’s a book you enjoy and it lifts you up, makes you happy, inspires you, or any of those other good emotions then don’t let anyone take the joy out of those books for you. They don’t have to understand why you enjoy it just that you do.

So that’s all from me for now.

This is Creative Karma and I enjoy my guilty pleasures.