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Those thrashy, cheap paperbacks?

This is a ‘girls only’ kind of posting. Whether you are 16 or 60, please share your thoughts, please?

I was browsing through some books recently and noticed that those thrashy, romance novels that sell for something like ‘Buy 1, get 2 free for RM10’ are still available at bookstores.

The last time I bought them was about 4 years ago. Back then, I just delivered Vincent and spent every single day at the hospital. To distract my mind, I picked up 3 books. I was too embarassed to be seen in public (Popular) buying these sort of books and therefore, grabbed three most erotic looking ones, without reading the titles and plonked them at the cashier counter. Sort of like buying condoms for the first few times. You know? Shifty eyes, restless pose and cannot wait to get out of the place?

Anyway, Vincent had a lady doctor whom I couldn’t stand and hence, reading romantic novels about patients/doctors romance are not helping. I turned to Chicken Soup for the Nurses and Doctors Souls instead. (book read and given to one of the nurse as a gift)

It was a different story altogether when Mills and Boon and Barbara Cartland ruled the choice of books women read back in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. I was still single, a teenager and dare to dream. Gosh, I wonder those girls who are 30 years old and below know who Barbara Cartland is (was)?

Do women still read those ‘out of this world’ stories. You know? The nurse who fell in love with the arrogant doctor. The teacher who fell in love with the divorced, rich, tall, dark and handsome father of her student. The hostage who fell in love with the terrorist. The ‘Sound of Music’ kind of story?

Anyway, that three books still remained untouched. Women, ladies, girls, females – please tell me that you have a secret desire to read and imagine that those stories may come true in your life. But you don’t read those thrashy novels, do you? Please, I think I can write better ones. One of my imagination is to marry a filthy rich, still ‘functioning’ old man who yearns for an heir. I give him heir, he gives me the whole estates, few companies, a fleet of expensive cars, a yatch….. LOL!

Maybe I should start a blog under anon? Maybe not. I don’t want my sistas’ minds to be corrupted waiting for the knight in shining armour that never come. ‘Pretty Woman‘ only happens to beautiful woman like Julia Roberts.

Errrmmm….back to question, do you at some point in your life, read thrashy, cheap, romance novels?

14 thoughts on “Those thrashy, cheap paperbacks?

  1. Those are called Pulp Fiction ( http://www.shaolintiger.com/?postid=171 ), mostly made from recycled paper.

    Seems like softcore pr0n for the discerning lady at home, I read some before, my gran used to read them, all seems to be the same story with a different hot macho hero and a different weak powerless maiden.

    And yeah sadly, most of these books seems to come from UK :/

  2. how does ‘I grow up in this’ sounds? hahaha. i had no idea who reads it at home but there’s always a new book lying in the house every other week. yup, i know who barbara cartland was and yup, i had at some point in life read trashy, cheap, romance novels. in fact, i still do 😛 but have advanced to reading paranormal & historical romance.

  3. i’m very selective with those novels. must make sure the hero is not an arrogant ba*ta*d and the heroine a helpless female. makes me cringe.

    only read witty ones where both at least have some respect for each other and equally independent. to dream for it too happen? i think all the ladies who read knows that’ll never happen. not in real life.

  4. i am aware of both barbara cartland and mills and boon. i have never read them, nor have the desire to read them! i prefer detective stories =)

  5. my school’s library kept getting such books. i call them fluffy books. it fluffs up your mind. not worth the read. i read a couple of pages from a couple of books and came to realise:
    -the females are all helpess strong-willed recently out of love or never been in love beautiful lasses
    -the guys are arrogant, stubborn, recently out of love or never been in love, hot lads
    -you can find the same cliched plot in every fluffy novel: distress-independant-never needed someone-eyes connected-love at first sight-no it’s not love-it is love-conflict-sex-conflict-sex-happy ending. BLEH~
    -on the covers, there’ll be a couple locked in embrace, the guy with his shirt unbuttoned at the top, girl with lustrous hair, perfect bodies, perfect tan. bloody lies.

    and vc andrews is a sick sick author. thank god, after complaining a couple of times, the library actually stopped ordering such books, and got some real good ones such as anton chekov etc etc etc

  6. The comics and romance story books in my house keep untouched for a long year. I’ve read a few, and at last was forced to close the whole book. The contents are too bored for me.

  7. Mr Kiasi – LOL! What are you doing with romance novels?

    Sarah – Smart move! However, I notice that lately, there are lots of young teenage girls romance novels too. It is as if girls have no life without boys’ attention.

    Lotustol – Stuffs by Sidney Sheldon ain’t too bad, a mix of romance with some suspense. But those pure romance, ewws. Last time, they even have comics.

    Sue – The problem is the bin in the bookstores have so many titles, one need to sieve through. Urggh..it is embarassing to be seen buying them. Hahaha. Someone, please kick me.

    Chrissy – Actually those that have the poor heroine who made it big by working hard is rather inspiring. But not those, find a man, jump into bed and get married type.

  8. Lilian,

    Used to read them years ago but now I dont anymore, not after you have gone through the harsh reality of not so romantic “romances” like the book portrayed.

    These days I have graduated to reading more stuff about people’s life–biographies!!

  9. Hardly read romance books 😉 I’m 25 and I got my grubby hands on a Barbara Cartland novel once because it was a book given to my mum by my dad while they were courting (whilst spring cleaning house). Heheh… found out daddy is a romantic after I found the highlighted portions with a little love note inside. LOL!

  10. I agree with Sarah.. I told my new teen about the gist of all those stories and she said if a guy comes on so strong he deserves a good knee in the groin.. ( ah mother has taught her well hehehe)
    I also had a couple of asian colleague who feasted on those so-called romance novels and they’re still at 40’s and 50’s still waiting for that non existent tall dark handsome filthy rich rough-at-the edges famous businessman .

  11. Romantic!!!! I actually censored my last para. Because I am worried that those 40s, 50s accused me of errr….bashing them. I wrote something like ‘tick, tock, tick, tock… want your man, go out and get him. otherwise, you will end up like those books, on the shelves and gathering dust’

    Mr Kiasi – Trust me, you did not miss anything.

    Juan – Time has changed. Barbara Cartland’s still have that ‘lady like’ moral. But lately, all the current ones are errmm…slutyy? I am sure what your dad gave to your mom must be something really beautiful and romantic.

    Mystic – Good choice, but then, I wonder how true of some of the recent bio. I never buy one before ‘cos they are soooo expensive.

  12. I grew up with Mills and Boons novels. Yup, got all dreamy eyes about all these heroes and heroins. I rememmbered my first “soft porn” novel –“The Pearl” that i read when i was 15.

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