Airport Bestsellers

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You know the kind of author I mean - Tom Clancy, Stephen King, James Patterson, Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, the whole sick crew.

Do you ever read them? Who is the best - and the worst?

― Andrew L, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Question partly inspired by John Sutherland's claim in the Guardian the other week that Tom Clancy is currently the author most in tune with world events.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

in so far as he wrote about an airliner crashing into the whitehouse. not the best reason to read a book. i wouldn't pay them any more attention than you feel you need to.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You only mentioned the blokey ones - what about the chicks? I love good, trash, Barbara Taylor-Bradford style romance novels. I have a special shelf on my bookshelves reserved for trash romance. They are the most re-read books I own, except for The Wasp Factory & Magician.

― toraneko, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It depends in what aeroport you are, but some bookshops have a really great selection. I myself went through a King obsession when I was about 14 years old. He is a lot like Christie. I seem to notice a lot of people going through a Christie and/or King obsession for about a year.

― Helen Fordsdale, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to read a lot of Steven King from ages 10-14, his early books are grate, or at least I thought so then. I then noticed them getting a lot more formulaic and unsatisfying, and I'm not sure if that's because I was getting older or his writing was getting worse.

The rest I can't claim to have read.

― Nicole, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Toraneko quite rightly points out the blokey nature of my list. I'm afraid I have no idea what Barbara Taylor Bradford is like, but I'm happy to be convinced of her merits. In bloke bestsellers, the emphasis often seems to be on weapons, tech, 'facts' - what do you get in the women's genre (I'm guessing brand names and exotic locations, but I have no real idea...)?

― Andrew L, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Airport novels' best use = lazy substitute for porn during family stays in B&Bs/guesthouses. There would always be a selection of trashy novels (blokey and birdy) and they would always have filthy bits, some of which were v.v.filthy (80s 'port-trash particularly good for this - in which Harold Robbins novel do diamonds feature as a sex aid?)

― Tom, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Womens books - they contain Real Men. I am sorely disappointed to have discovered that Real Men do not exist outside the realm of shite romance novels.

― toraneko, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You're not the only one who used them for that Tom.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Patricia Cornwell. She writes crime/mystery type novels that center around a female medical examiner. Lots of medical-info and detailed gory descriptions. I love them.

― Samantha, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Womens books - they contain Real Men.

aka Fabio. RUN!

I should ask my mom about this whole subject, though she seems to prefer the hardcover equivalents. Rosamund Pilcher, PD James...

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does Tom Clancy know how to fire a gun?

― Mike Hanle y, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Does anyone else read Harlan Coben?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 21 May 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

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