My Guilty Pleasure

Authors recommend embarrassing, but addictive reads

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Forbidden 'Lace': A Book That Belonged To The Convent Girls In Zimbabwe

August 17, 2014 • At Dominican Convent High School in Zimbabwe, then-16-year old writer Irene Sabatini and her classmates swooned over the opulence, sex and strength portrayed by the women in Shirley Conran's Lace.

Confessions Of A Former 'Sweet Valley High' Addict

July 13, 2014 • Although she's loath to admit it, author Cristina Henriquez used to love Sweet Valley High. She explains why this "all-American" series meant so much to her as an awkward half-Panamanian 5th grader.

Kim Harrison's 'Hollows': The Good, The Bad And The Badass

April 27, 2014 • Kim Harrison's Hollows series is drawing to a close after ten years of supernatural shenanigans. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar says the books are fun reading with a solid core of strong female characters.

Cursed With Mom Guilt? Charlie Brown Might Cure What Ails You

April 12, 2014 • Whenever writer Yiyun Li feels guilty about her parenting choices, she turns to Peanuts for refuge, holding on to the comforting comic strip as tightly as Linus clutches his security blanket.

For This British Author, If It Bleeds, She Reads

February 23, 2014 • Who doesn't like to curl up with a good murder mystery? Author Louise Doughty recommends her favorite collection of such tales, and muses about why we're drawn to stories about homicides.

It's French, But Ooh, It's Pulpy: The Dark Adventures Of Fantômas

February 17, 2014 • Fantômas — even his name is mysterious! The French criminal mastermind starred in a series of 19 deliciously pulpy novels beginning in 1911. Author Rachel Cantor says the series is "part police procedural, part gothic horror story, part courtroom drama, part Sherlockian mystery, part existential potboiler."

Caped Crusader, Or Cruel Sadist? Miller Makes One Fan Wonder

January 12, 2014 • Author Kim Fu has always loved Batman — at least, one form of him. Her Batman was moral, principled, triumphant: never cheesy or brutish. But Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns cast a guilty shadow over her love for the character, because Miller's bloodthirsty madman shares an awful lot with Fu's favorite version of her hero.

If Being A Teen Wasn't Awkward Enough: A Date With 'Your Mom'

November 17, 2013 • When humor writer Tom Ruprecht decided in high school to read Ian Frazier's Dating Your Mom, he faced a conundrum that most teens would find terrifying: How do you ask your mom to buy you a book with a title like that? And — again, like most teenagers — his solution wasn't exactly graceful. But at least the book of essays was worth it.

You Came, You Saw, You Did WHAT?: A Ribald Roman History

October 27, 2013 • Rita Mae Brown, author of Rubyfruit Jungle and several mystery series, first read Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars in college. It's hardly a staid Latin history book — in fact, it's Brown's favorite guilty pleasure. An academic-looking cover hides a raunchy, violent, thrilling book, she says, full of "around-the-clock degradation."

'The Moonstone' Is A Hidden Gem Of A Detective Novel

August 4, 2013 • Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone is a sleuthing novel that was ahead of its time.

When In Rome, Solve A Mystery

July 14, 2013 • When crime writer Karin Slaughter was struggling to find a good literary relationship, she turned to the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis. She learned about togas and scrolls and came away with a new template for a happy marriage.

Appetite For Destruction: A Deadly, Delicious Rock Memoir

February 3, 2013 • Guns N' Roses epitomized all of the glamour of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But, author Alex Stone writes, Duff McKagan's memoir shows the ugly underside of the legendary rock group. What's your favorite music memoir? Tell us in the comments.

Spy Vs. Spy: A Former MI5 Director On Loving James Bond

January 14, 2013 • Though former MI5 director Stella Rimington knows better than anyone that Ian Fleming's From Russia With Love is not a realistic portrayal of life in the intelligence services, she still loves this tale of sex and violence. Which is your favorite Bond book? Tell us in the comments.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

Pterrifying Pterodactyl Meets Sexy Detective

November 19, 2012 • The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec by Jaques Tardi features a beautiful, gun-wielding detective and a horrifying prehistoric monster. Author Rosecrans Baldwin explains why this is no ordinary comic book. Do you have a favorite graphic novel? Tell us in the comments.

Pterrifying Pterodactyl Meets Sexy Detective

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Rewriting Homer, With Some Lurid Twists

October 24, 2012 • Adele Geras' Troy has everything The Iliad doesn't: graphic details and some really bad writing. NPR intern Annalisa Quinn explains why that's exactly what she wanted. What is your favorite remake of a classic? Tell us in the comments.

Bad Sheriff: Murder, Lies And Southern Fried Catfish

September 26, 2012 • Pop. 1280 is the perfect noir thriller, featuring a murderous, corn bread-loving sheriff from a small town in the South. Author Stephen Marche explains why the book is genre fiction at its best. Do you have a favorite tale of twisted justice? Tell us in the comments.

You'd Have To Be Psycho To Not Pass This 'Test'

August 13, 2012 • The Psychopath Test is a fascinating look into the minds of the deranged, but author Carol Rifka Brunt says she read it not to understand the psychology of madness, but to prove she wasn't mad herself. When have you compared yourself to books or characters in them? Tell us in the comments.

Unicorns And Witches And Wild Mood Swings, Oh My!

July 2, 2012 • The Black Jewels trilogy flips everything you thought you knew about fantasy on its head. But NPR editor Petra Mayer says it's still a wild ride of mystery, erotica, violence and even true love. What is your favorite book that defies the conventions of its genre? Tell us in the comments below.

A Passage To India: From The Annals Of The Raj

June 1, 2012 • NPR editor Krishnadev Calamur didn't expect to like Hindoo Holiday. It looked like a tedious colonial book about India, full of dust and poverty and elephants. But the book's charm and silly characters made it a favorite guilty pleasure.

'The Magus': A Thrilling, Chilling Guilty Pleasure

April 30, 2012 • The Magus is the story of a man who wished for adventure — only to be disappointed when that wish comes true. Author Nick Dybek says he identified with the book when he read it at age 20. Was there ever a time you longed for a more interesting life? Tell us about it in the comments.

'The Magus': A Thrilling, Chilling Guilty Pleasure

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Lives Of The Rich And Shallow: A Socialite's Tale

March 19, 2012 • Bergdorf Blondes is a book about the lives of New York socialites. It might not be the most highbrow of novels, but when author Cristina Alger suffered a bad breakup, she found this fluffy tale comforting. Have you ever gotten over an ex with a great book? Tell us your story in the comments section.

Two Boov Aliens from Adam Rex's The True Meaning of Smekday. Adam Rex hide caption

toggle caption Adam Rex

Sci-Fi Invasion: A Weird, Brilliant Vision Of Earth

February 27, 2012 • Get ready: In 2013, an alien race called the Boov are going to invade Earth. Or, at least, that's what happens in Adam Rex's vision of the future. Author Gin Phillips says that The True Meaning of Smekday stuck with her. Do you have a favorite book about aliens? Let us know in the comments below.

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