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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 3:41:51 GMT
The Thorn Birds thread brings up some of books and series we read back in the 80’s and beyond.
Yes, I read the Thorn Birds. It’s a mark of the author’s skill that she made the story so readable and loved. And those were different times for sure.
I really loved M M Kaye, especially The Far Pavilions
Great story, and I loved learning about that area, and the culture.
Another author I just loved was Susan Howatch. Cashelmara. I loved The Wheel of Fortune and Penmarric, never knowing they were inspired by Plantagenet kings. Where was the internet back then?
I did indulge in some bodice rippers, some of which were not as ridiculous as others. One, Sweet Savage Love, was memorable to me as it has the heroine giving birth, and then having wild, enjoyable sex like the next day and I remember thinking, I don’t think so. It also had the common for the genre trope of women loving the men who raped them. Ugh. As a young naive married woman, I was frankly confused and fascinated by what I read in these novels.
I soon decided they weren’t my cup of tea, but a lot of my friends really liked them.
I went on to stick to historical fiction, ( some of them were pretty steamy, too, but you could find really good books), mystery, and a lot of non fiction. My favorite author, Sharon Kay Penman, I discovered when her book, Here Be Dragons, had a rather steamy looking cover and was in the 99 cent bin of a local store. I was beyond excited when I discovered the incredible writing I had accidentally found.
So what all did you read back in the day? And how do you feel about it now?
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Post by chlerbie on Aug 6, 2020 3:49:29 GMT
I definitely went through a romance period, particularly historicals. There were quite a few with snappy, sassy heroines. My favorites were Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux and Jayne Ann Krentz. I also plowed through the John Jakes series.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 6, 2020 3:55:10 GMT
Kathleen Woodiwiss. And Amanda quick, who I guess is Jayne Ann Krentz? The Amanda quick heroines always had Some little Flaw? Like a limp or nearsightedness...
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,685 
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Aug 6, 2020 3:58:08 GMT
JA Jance, Anne Rivers Siddons, Fanny Flagg, Dorothea Benton Frank, Christopher Moore
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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 4:09:54 GMT
JA Jance, Anne Rivers Siddons, Fanny Flagg, Dorothea Benton Frank, Christopher Moore I forgot Anne Rivers Siddons. She had some great novels! I still read Jance. Her Beaumont series is a big favorite of mine. |
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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 4:11:52 GMT
Kathleen Woodiwiss. And Amanda quick, who I guess is Jayne Ann Krentz? The Amanda quick heroines always had Some little Flaw? Like a limp or nearsightedness... Kathleen Woodiwiss. That’s one a lot of my friends loved! Did Amanda Quick do regency type romance? If so, I read her during menopause when I went through a severe escapist phase. |
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Post by Skellinton on Aug 6, 2020 4:21:27 GMT
When I was in upper elementary/jr high I was all about Lois Duncan, John Saul and Daphne Du Maurier. Totally read Thorn Birds, My Sweet Audrina, Flowers in the Attic and Forever although obviously those were hidden from my mom!
I still periodically read the Lois Duncan books and I still enjoy them although Daughters of Eve is too cruel for me now. Still love Daphne Du Maurier.
I only read the others for the sexy stuff, haven’t ever reread them.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,465
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Post by edie3 on Aug 6, 2020 4:21:47 GMT
Here's a blast from the past: Jacqueline Susann. Who remembers her?
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 6, 2020 4:21:51 GMT
In middle school I read nearly every true crime book about serial killers
Flowers in the Attic, The Clan of the Cave Bear series (i was pretty young for the sex parts)
I'm not really sure what else. I read a lot
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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 4:34:33 GMT
In middle school I read nearly every true crime book about serial killers Flowers in the Attic, The Clan of the Cave Bear series (i was pretty young for the sex parts) I'm not really sure what else. I read a lot Have you discovered Bailey Sarian on YouTube? She’s a makeup artist who discusses murder cases while putting in her makeup, and when my DD recommended it I was skeptical, but it’s rather addicting. |
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Post by elaine on Aug 6, 2020 4:34:49 GMT
In terms of fluff:
Shogun and the other books in that series.
Judith Krantz - Princess Daisy, Scruples, Mistral’s Daughter
Rosamunde Pilcher - The Shell Seekers
Pat Conroy - Prince of Tides, The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini
I was a Literature major in the 80’s so mostly read classics.
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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 4:36:10 GMT
In terms of fluff: Shogun and the other books in that series. Judith Krantz - Princess Daisy, Scruples, Mistral’s Daughter Rosamunde Pilcher - The Shell Seekers Pat Conroy - Prince of Tides, The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini I was a Literature major in the 80’s so mostly read classics. I loved Pilcher and Conroy. |
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Post by ntsf on Aug 6, 2020 4:40:38 GMT
I read all the science fiction and fantasy.. lord of the rings. and georgette heyer...
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Post by Linda on Aug 6, 2020 4:49:31 GMT
I think I read just about everything mentioned above and more - I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on as a tween/teen and I came from a book-family so there were plenty of choices - some better than others.
From 9.5-12.5 we lived with my grandparents and there was a bookcase in the hall right outside my bedroom. Let's just say it didn't house the classics (those were downstairs in the living room along with the Readers Digest condensed books -which I also read). I would sneak a book at night and read under the covers by flashlight or sit right inside the doorway and read using the hallway light and hope I heard the footsteps on the stairs to warn me to crawl quietly into bed before I got caught. By the time we moved out, I had read through the entire bookcase which had everything from James Herriot's vet series to Lace.
After that we had our own house and my parents' books came out of storage and the collection rapidly grew. We went to yard sales and library book sales and bought books by the bag and box. And of course there was the school library and the public library. My parents didn't pay a whole lot of attention to WHAT I was reading.
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Post by leannec on Aug 6, 2020 4:52:56 GMT
Definitely VC Andrews ... Flowers in the Attic series ... loved them and their warped storylines  |
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Post by ~summer~ on Aug 6, 2020 4:56:25 GMT
Way back in the day (teens to very early 20s) I would say:
Sidney Sheldon
Judith Krantz (omg loved her)
VC Andrews
Danielle Steele
And books like The Shell Seekers, The Thornbirds...
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Post by flanz on Aug 6, 2020 4:57:39 GMT
Winds of War; War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk
Charm School, The General's Daughter and others by Nelson DeMille
Scott Turow
Chris Bohjalian - Midwives, Trans-Sister Radio
Alice Hoffman - love her magical realism
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Post by ~summer~ on Aug 6, 2020 4:58:10 GMT
In terms of fluff: Shogun and the other books in that series. Judith Krantz - Princess Daisy, Scruples, Mistral’s Daughter Rosamunde Pilcher - The Shell Seekers Pat Conroy - Prince of Tides, The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini I was a Literature major in the 80’s so mostly read classics. I’m curious how old I was when I read all of Judith Krantz books - I’d guess around 18 but boy did I love her books. She passed a few years ago... |
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Post by lesserknownpea on Aug 6, 2020 4:59:02 GMT
I think I read just about everything mentioned above and more - I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on as a tween/teen and I came from a book-family so there were plenty of choices - some better than others. From 9.5-12.5 we lived with my grandparents and there was a bookcase in the hall right outside my bedroom. Let's just say it didn't house the classics (those were downstairs in the living room along with the Readers Digest condensed books -which I also read). I would sneak a book at night and read under the covers by flashlight or sit right inside the doorway and read using the hallway light and hope I heard the footsteps on the stairs to warn me to crawl quietly into bed before I got caught. By the time we moved out, I had read through the entire bookcase which had everything from James Herriot's vet series to Lace. After that we had our own house and my parents' books came out of storage and the collection rapidly grew. We went to yard sales and library book sales and bought books by the bag and box. And of course there was the school library and the public library. My parents didn't pay a whole lot of attention to WHAT I was reading. Hahahaha, you sound so much like me. I used to babysit a lot, and always read their books. There was a very popular writer of gothic novels, Victoria someone? I remember reading my first of hers at 13 while babysitting. As a kid I stuffed a blanket under the door of my bedroom so the parents couldn’t see the light was on. Then I read for hours. Yes, so many of the books and authors mentioned are ones I’ve read. That’s what I was hoping for. |
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Post by myboysnme on Aug 6, 2020 5:41:58 GMT
Her books were fabulous in their time. I also liked Fern Michaels, Eugenia Price, Sidney Sheldon, and I still like Danielle Steel. Oh I have to add Barbara Ferry Johnson |
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Post by katlady on Aug 6, 2020 6:16:24 GMT
I loved Kathleen Woodiwiss. I still have my copy of Shanna. I started reading historical romance back in high school. Read them for years! Then one day, I got tired of the fact the hero had multiple partners while the heroine was always a virgin. That is when I switched to contemporary romance and romantic suspense books. The suspense ones still had an alpha male, but the heroine wasn’t a virgin. Lol!
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grammanisi
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,740
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Post by grammanisi on Aug 6, 2020 7:06:13 GMT
Danielle Steele
Mary Higgins Clark
Dean Koontz
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 6, 2020 8:04:49 GMT
Young teen - anything by S E Hinton, Virginia Andrews, Judy Blume, those godawful Sweet Valley High books. Also Go Ask Alice and Puberty Blues, which were the two most stolen books from the school library!  Older teen / early 20s - everything by Stephen King, Danielle Steele, Jackie Collins, Eric Van Lustbader, Dean Koontz, James Herbert, Robert Ludlum, Frederick Forsyth, Tom Clancy. I still like Danielle Steel. I used to read everything she wrote back in the 80s and early 90s. I tried to read a new one recently (my MIL bought it) and OMG I could NOT get through the first chapter - it was dreadful! I remembered why I stopped reading them..... she repeats the same words/thoughts/phrases 700 times. So tedious! |
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kibblesandbits
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At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
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Post by kibblesandbits on Aug 6, 2020 11:12:09 GMT
Here's a blast from the past: Jacqueline Susann. Who remembers her? I remember my mom had a copy of "Valley of the Dolls" hidden in her closet. I snagged it and read it when I was in middle school - like 8th grade. M I N D Blowing lololol |
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maryannscraps
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Post by maryannscraps on Aug 6, 2020 11:44:36 GMT
Everything I could get my hands on. I read the entire James Bond series by the time I was 12. They were on the bookshelves at home, and I'm sure that started my love of thrillers. Old school Stephen King and other horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Lord of the Rings. Murder mysteries -- all the Agatha Christie books. My dad would take us to the library every Tuesday evening, and I could take out as many books as I wanted. Reading was my very favorite activity.
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lesley
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Post by lesley on Aug 6, 2020 11:57:40 GMT
I loved Irwin Shaw, Herman Wouk, Ed McBain/Evan Hunter. I also read everything by Sidney Sheldon, Judith Krantz, Shirley Conran, Jeffrey Archer.
I remember a couple of specific books that I read many times over because I loved them so much. The first was The Family Nibody Wanted by Helen Doss, and the other was I Am Rosemarie by Marietta D Moskin. My copies of both of these books eventually fell apart and I haven’t read them in years.
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by schizo319 on Aug 6, 2020 12:11:40 GMT
Robin Cook, & Tess Gerritsen (I was obsessed with medical thrillers for years)
I also read every book that VC Andrews ever wrote.
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sharlag
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I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 6, 2020 13:17:55 GMT
Did Amanda Quick do regency type romance? Not sure what "regency" romance is. Seems like it was set in the 1800?s In London, usually. |
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 6, 2020 13:18:39 GMT
I loved Kathleen Woodiwiss. I still have my copy of Shanna. That was the first one that I read! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 13:20:53 GMT
Anything, quite literally. I had a bit of a reputation at school for being able to find the 'smutty' books so everyone was always interested in what I was reading.
I didn't have any particular genre that I stuck to, I'd just go into the library, pick a few books and read them. Rinse and repeat.
Flowers in the Attic was on offer for Kindle not long ago, I bought it and couldn't get past the first chapter, I can't believe I loved that book and the others in the series so much.
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