Tag Archives: the lust lizard of melancholy cove

(Guilty) Pleasures

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Admit it. You have a reading guilty pleasure. You know, the kind of thing that would bring on a terrible case of the vapors for the literary elite or critics who only peruse classic literature. I admit, there are books I’ve enjoyed but have been wary to tell the world about, lest I seem less sophisticated and intellectual than I want to appear. But I’m tired of hiding. I enjoy reading a great many kind of tale and am ready to tell the world! I don’t believe that good books have to be tragic, or classic, or uber-intellectual to be great.

Great stories are those that transport you out of time and space, to another dimension in which your imagination is the only limit. Okay, that sounds very sci-fi-ish (which I LOVE). But it’s true. When you get lost in a good story, it doesn’t matter if the author has ever breached the New York Times Bestseller list because YOU liked it. For whatever reason, it tripped your trigger. And that’s okay. Deep breaths now, and repeat after me, IT’S OKAY.

In an effort to come clean to the world I’ve put together a list of the books I consider to be my guilty pleasures because they contain (to me) fascinating plot lines or compelling or interesting characters. But honestly, these books are just fun to read.

1. Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris – These are the books the popular True Blood series on HBO is based on. Vampires, Were-creatures, fairies, witches, this series has all manner of mythical being and Sookie is a telepathic, country bumpkin who attracts them all. The characters are kooky and fun and Sookie is a character you just can’t help but adore. There are about 11 books in this series and I’ve read every, single, one.

2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – I know, more vampires. But it wasn’t the allure of the undead that attracted me to these books, but the seriously magnetic attraction between Bella and Edward. I fully admit that I read the entire series in one weekend, abandoning my family for the drama in Forks, Washington.

3. Amish romance novels – I think it’s the radically different culture that makes me unable to pass up any book with a picture of an innocent Amish woman with a far-away look in her eyes. Often these books not only provide a glimpse into a fascinating group of devoted of Americans, but also have a strong message about faith that I find reassuring.

4. Various Young Adult (YA) works of fiction – I’m young at heart and many of the YA books on the market are just as interesting for adults as they are the young. Also, reading these books gives me another thing to talk about with my kids. My son read The Hunger Games trilogy and the Divergent series after I told him how awesome they were. I also had insight when he read The Giver by Lois Lowry for a class last year and needed an opinion. Booyah! In. Your. Face. Haters.

5. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore – This was the very first book my book club read and one other woman and I were the only people who liked it. Moore’s novels are often downright bizarre, but funny and this kind of humor is just my thing. Sure, many people might think a book about a gigantic, ancient, sea monster coming ashore and humping various large motor vehicles is off-putting, but it cracks me up.

So now I need to hear from you. What are your guilty pleasures? What do you need to get off your chest and proclaim to the world that you LOVE?

 

BEbabes Chapter of the Week

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(L to R: Deena Flanigan-Kreutzer, Dani Stone, Stacie Unruh and Jennifer Wright. Deena, Dani & Stacie are Rebel book clubbers.)

Let’s see, besides being FREAKING HILARIOUS and a generous spirit, Dani Stone also reads. What’s not to love? Join me in giving an atta-babe and mimosa toast to Chapter 2 queenB Dani Stone and her Rebel Book Club in Wichita, Kansas. Can’t wait to hear more from you gals!

1. How often do you all meet? Currently we meet once a month. I know that might sound like alot to other groups but it really makes you work hard to carve out time to read when you know you only have 30 days to do it.

2. Where do you meet? We take turns meeting at each other’s homes. When I send out the nominations for the next month’s book I ask for volunteers to host. I like your idea of doing it at a restaurant though at some point, maybe somewhere that has a private party room to keep the mess at bay.

lustlizard3. What books in the past have sparked great discussion? We’ve only met twice. Our first two books were The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove and Jennifer Weiner’s latest, Best Friends Forever. Lust Lizard provided an interesting discussion because it was so odd and different from anything we’d ever read. Books that have moved us individually and sparked “mini discussions” at nomination time include, “Lovely Bones,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” and “The Red Tent.”

4. What are you reading now? Burn. I’m not quite done and we meet in less than 2 weeks so I need to get on it!! So far I’ve only heard one negative grumbling about it so I’m excited to get everyone together and talk it over.

5. What do you all eat/drink at your parties? Though I was in a previous book club that served elaborate potlucks and even themed meals, we’ve kept it very low key in the form of appetizers and wine. Anything that can be dipped with a chip or a spread on a cracker is the usual fare including a new concoction created by fellow founder, Stacie Unruh that we simply call, “Hella-Good Dip.” It’s cream cheese, Raspberry Chipotle grilling sauce and black beans, baked until it’s bubbly and hot. Delish!

6. What do you love best about your book club? The members of my bookclub are lighthearted, fun and often a little outlandish. From the beginning our motto has been, “we don’t judge.” If you want to come to bookclub in sweatpants carrying a bag of Fritos because you’ve had a bad day, that’s okay. As long as you come with an open mind, an open heart, ready to listen and laugh, you’re going to be welcomed with open arms and a full glass. ;)

Thanks, Dani! You can connect with Dani’s club by following them on Twitter. See our TwitterBEbabes directory for all the info. I hope Dani has inspired you to start up a chapter of BEbabes in your area. It’s easy! Just pop over to the Book Club page for the deets, use the invite we’ve supplied on the page and invite your girlfriends, co-workers or other interesting gals for a girls night out with great reads at least every other month.