The Ugly Truth - Reading Snobs

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

And how many books with those types of covers have you read?

Covers like this are soooo much better than man titty covers

OOOOhhh....One I haven't read yet...Thanks!!!

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

So: Are you misunderstood, made fun of, kicked aside like last year's old ebook Reader (the one without a font-light) simply because of what you like to read?

No, I like a wide variety (except romance), but your question made me think of my grandfather.

He had three loves...my grandmother, reading and baseball (in that order). He passed away a few years ago at the ripe old age of 84, but his one claim to fame was that he'd never read a book of fiction. He read a lot but every thing he read was non-fiction. I always felt kind of bad for him...thinking of all that he'd missed out on.

He wouldn't even discuss it and we eventually gave up even mentioning the subject.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

And how many books with those types of covers have you read?



Covers like this are soooo much better than man titty covers

Is that real? The one I read wasn't quite that bad. Bujold is great, and often more than a bit romantic, but Baen's covers are poor even by the garish standards of US SF.

My reasoning is that because I read a lot more than most people I probably still read more high-brow literature even though it is a small percentage of what I read. I read an Orange prize winner, a Booker winner and a classic last year, in amongst all the SF, fantasy and crime.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

Well, for historicals, you can't beat either Georgette Heyer or Courtney Milan. I love Nora Roberts, particularly her stand-alone romantic suspense books (Blue Smoke, Northern Lights, The Witness, Birthright are all particular favorites). Some of her earlier series are also good - I love the Chesapeake Bay trilogy-plus-one, although many people dislike it. Roberts is especially good in portraying close family and friendship relationships.

My mother-in-law like Nora Roberts. I have been reading some of her J.D. Robb books.

I did read one Nora Roberts book that was a back-to-back with a J.D. Robb book. The book is called Remember When. It starts off in the present and moves to the future all interconnected. It was rather well done.

Thanks for the recommendations.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I read AND watch Survivor. Often at the same time.

Are you reading as to drown out Survivor? Do you also watch Honey Boo Boo? I cannot believe the low levels reality TV can have does stoop to. What's worse is that these really horrid shows get watched. It's like watching a train wreck only worse.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

And how many books with those types of covers have you read?

None. I've not yet read a description of any of them that catches my fancy.

Covers like this are soooo much better than man titty covers

That's just a rather silly cover. The girl in blue is doing a "I've painted myself blue and I'm dancing around the room so stop paying attention to her and pay attention to me" dance.

Overall, it just looks like a bad Photoshop job with poor use of fonts.

If that was the first book in the series, I would pass up the series.

[gweeks]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Is that real? The one I read wasn't quite that bad. Bujold is great, and often more than a bit romantic, but Baen's covers are poor even by the garish standards of US SF.

Yes. That's back cover of the hardback being used as the front cover for the trade paperback. It's actually a pretty good book.

Greg

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gweeks

Yes. That's back cover of the hardback being used as the front cover for the trade paperback. It's actually a pretty good book.

Greg

But thankfully for the eBook, they've done away with that cover.



The fonts are still massively ugly though.

[Pookeysgirl]

I've never been made of for *what* I read, only made fun of *because* I read. By my own father . I'm sure plenty of people here are going to snicker once they've seen this admission though: I've read the Twilight books numerous times. In fact, I make a point of reading them at least once a year along with Lord of the Rings and The Dresden Files.

That's right, I said it .

[Penforhire]

Well, there have been a few books I am slightly embarassed to have read. John Ringo and Stephanie Meyer, I'm looking at you ('Paladin of Shadows' and 'Twilight' series).

And I admit to an auto-sneer starting to form whenever I see a book with Fabio on the cover...

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Are you reading as to drown out Survivor? Do you also watch Honey Boo Boo? I cannot believe the low levels reality TV can have does stoop to. What's worse is that these really horrid shows get watched. It's like watching a train wreck only worse.

I'm a lifelong TV multi-tasker. If I'm interested in a show, I can seamlessly switch to reading during commercial breaks and then back again. If a show comes on that I'm not interested in, then reading gets full attention.

My point was that making assumptions based on someone's tv-watching preferences isn't any more useful than making assumptions based on their reading preferences. And they certainly are not mutually exclusive activities.

I haven't watched Honey Boo Boo as I do not have cable.

[BWinmill]

Do I feel mocked by literary snobs? No. Do I feel judged for my reading choices? Yes.

I read for personal gratification, so I feel compelled to read the books that reflect my fancies and to interpret those books in a way that reflects my outlook on life. Being mocked for my choice of books is irrelevant because I'm reading for myself, rather than reading for others. Yet I still feel judged because I feel as though people will define who I am based upon a single book. The thing is, a single book says as much about my literary tastes as a single meal says about my culinary tastes, and neither says who I am as a person.

There are, after all, many reasons for doing something. Sometimes we'll do something out of curiosity. We may read a book to see what the fuss is about or to see the world through someone else's eyes. Sometimes we'll do something, but experience it in a totally different way from the next person. I'm a fan of science fiction. People read science fiction for different reasons: as social commentary or precautionary tales, for a sense of adventure or imaginative extrapolation, and doubtlessly many other things. I know why I read it, but does the person doing the judging know?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's the books with the half-naked man on the cover type of romance that I think is the reason romance gets dissed. When romance is mentioned, those are the types of books most people think about. And as long as those types of books are published, romance will always be dissed.

Now, can you give us some good recommendations for romance that does not include any cover that has a half-naked man, no cowboys, no Nascar, no construction workers. None of the books the frustrated housewife would read.

The list would be too long. Only a small percentage have those type of covers or would be sexy. Romance is such a large genre. There are so many facets to it. It all depends on why type or Romance novel you are looking for? Small town? Romantic Suspense? Romantic Comedy? Historical? Paranormal? Vampires? Okay no Vampires...just kidding. although one of my favorite series is Lara Adrian's Breed series. (alien vampires) If you grew up with Marvel you will love the books! They are a bit gritty though. Another superhero series is the Bigtime Series by Jennifer Estep. This one is more cheesy and pretty funny if you like that type of thing.

For Romantic Suspense try Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series or Linda Howard, Kay Hooper, Sandra Brown, Iris Johansen, Heather Graham and Tami Hoag.

I prefer more lighter romantic suspense stories so I read Julie Miller, Debra Webb and other Harlequin Intrigue books.

For Funny Romance there is Jennifer Crusie, Susan Donovan, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Julie James.

Historicals there is Diana Gabaldon, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Shannon Donnelly, Lynn Kurland, Carla Kelly, Nancy Bulter...the list could go on.

I read romance. It's pretty much all I read. I get alot of flack about it too but I don't care. I proudly display my books in my living room. Some do have the bodice ripper look to it some have pretty flowers and some have cool houses on them or other objects. There are so many kinds of covers.

I prefer Romance books with good plot, good characterization and a bit of intrigue that will keep me reading. Depending on the mood I may want funny or an action packed adventure to go with it.

[Turtle91]

Depending on your social skills you could classify someone simply looking at someone else as a romance!! In which case I pretty much read nothing but romance!

And what the heck do you people have against sparkly vampire romances!!!!

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

And what the heck do you people have against sparkly vampire romances!!!!

Not a fan of them. I do love vampire books though but before there was those vampires there was Lindsay Sands Vampires.