Hi and welcome back to another Let’s Talk Bookish post! This week, we’ll be discussing guilty pleasure reads and oh I love me some good ol’ guilty pleasure. So, let’s take a deeper look into this!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted by Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Since April 2022, this meme is hosted by , Aria @ Book Nook Bits and since February 2025, Dini @ DiniPandaReads is the co-host. Let’s Talk Bookish is a meme where participants discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and share their love by visiting each other’s posts.

Prompts: Do you agree with the term since it has a somewhat “negative” connotation? Should you feel ashamed or “guilty” for enjoying a certain genre or non-traditional type of book (i.e. graphic novels, manga)? What books do you love or are on your TBR do you think would be considered “guilty pleasures” by others?

Do you agree with the term since it has a somewhat “negative” connotation?

Honestly, I don’t see any negative connotation towards the term “Guilty pleasure”. The definition for what’s classified as a guilty pleasure is different for everyone. For me, it’s related to something comforting, something you don’t have to think harshly about. Something you easily digest and have a good time with. No, it’s not your typical high quality read like a classic or really heavy literature, but it’s a palate cleanser for instance. And let’s be honest, sometimes a guilty pleasure is just what you need to avoid a reading slump. Or when you’re feeling unwell, or (fill in the blanks).

Should you feel ashamed or “guilty” for enjoying a certain genre or non-traditional type of book (i.e. graphic novels, manga)?

No, of course not. Each to their own. What doesn’t work for you, works for someone else. I see many book reviewers on different platforms only reading and reviewing graphic novels and manga, so what? Personally, I won’t read their reviews, but that’s more a personal thing since I can’t read this type of books due to my visual impairment. But if they highly enjoy them, let them. Live and let live. I’m reading lots of guilty pleasures as well, because most books that are popular on Booktok can be classified as such. In the past, I read a lot of chicklit or typical “holiday thrillers”. These thrillers are pageturners which can be easily digested and are not too complicated. Perfect for the “holiday reader”. Now, they are too easy for me, but I still like to read such a book when I’m on holiday myself and am just chilling. Same for chicklit. These books are often less in-depth and often lack things as character growth, but are highly entertaining when the time is right.

What books do you love or are on your TBR do you think would be considered “guilty pleasures” by others?

If you’re looking for a guilty pleasure, I think these authors and books will get you covered:

• Jill Mansell;
• Sophie Kinsella;
• Jenny Colgan;
• Fifty Shades of Grey;
• The American Royals series by Katherine McGee;
• The Thousandth Floor series by Katharine McGee;
• Royals  and its companion novel by Rachell Hawkins;
• The “Royals” series by Erin Watt;
• Many of the KPop themed novels (even though they address more serious themes, they are still an entertaining and easy read);
• Many royally/regency themed books such as Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton;
• And so on, and so on…

What do you think about guilty pleasure reads? Do you agree with the term and do you like to read such books yourself?