Guilty Pleasures

We all have them, be it chocolate, or old MGM musicals when it's raining. But I'm talking about literary ones. I have several. I love Marian Keyes' lovely, funny novels. She's not afraid to tackle quite serious issues, like spousal abuse, addicition, rape and abortion, but she does it in such a way that you don't feel bad after reading her books. Her characters are likeable and reassuringly human. She may be grouped as 'chick lit', that irritating, dismissive phrase, but I don't care, I think she's a great writer, her collections of non-fiction are also hilarious and I recommend reading her books, especially on days when it's raining!

My other big literary guilty pleasure is crime novels. I've mentioned my love of Agatha Christie before, but I also like writers such as Tess Gerritsen, David Baldacci and Sophie Hannah (who's also a poet!). Maybe it stems from my watching CSI, Bones (based on Kathy Reichs' novels) etc on TV, but I quite enjoy a good crime thriller, although I'm rubbish at solving it before the writer unveils all at the end. It's the reason I won't watch CSI with my dad, he's got the deductive brain, while I remain clueless. Oh well, I guess I'll never be a detective!
Finally, I will admit to still reading children's books. Mostly these are the ones I read as a child and return to when I'm not feeling well and want some comfort. Some are classics, like Little Women or The Secret Garden, while others are more recent, but they act like a hug, reminding me that it's all going to be ok.
What are your guilty reading pleasures?

Cross posted at A Book A Day Bookworm