# Ashamed of what you are reading



## jackokent (Aug 23, 2006)

I was shocked to hear at my reading group last night that Harry Potter books have 2 covers, an adult cover and a childrens cover.  Apparantly many adults who come into the bookshops are quite adamant that they have the adult covers.  I can only assume this is becuase they do not want to be seen reading a children's book.

I am astounded.  Are people really that ashamed to be seen reading a book.  I suppose it if were porn or something maybe but surely not a popluar YA fantasy.  And even if you are ashamed, the adult cover is still for the same book... I mean why bother.  Who are you trying to fool.

As an aside, the bookstore worker also said that some people expected the adult Harry Potter to be different from the children's one in that it had some "adult" content.  I thought that was hilarious.


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## nixie (Aug 23, 2006)

I've never been ashamed of what I read.If I want to read a childrens book I will, don't care who sees me.I even been seen to read David Eddings in public If what I read makes people look down their nose at me,tough thats their problem not mine.


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## dwndrgn (Aug 23, 2006)

nixie said:
			
		

> I've never been ashamed of what I read.If I want to read a childrens book I will, don't care who sees me.I even been seen to read David Eddings in public If what I read makes people look down their nose at me,tough thats their problem not mine.


Ditto!! (well, except about the Eddings - I only read one and since I don't read them I can't read them in public).


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## jackokent (Aug 23, 2006)

Well I'm the same.  I really can't understand people needing an adult book cover. 

I guess however, thinking about it, there are some books I might be embarrassed to read in public, Mills and Boon springs to mind.


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## Paige Turner (Aug 23, 2006)

I make my own fake covers for books I know I'm going to be reading on the bus. Fun titles like _Satanism for Dummies_ and _Teach Yourself Taxidermy_ get lots of furtive looks from fellow travelers. Life is too short to pass up chances for a bit of fun.


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## Teresa Edgerton (Aug 23, 2006)

We had a conversation about this subject before, only it was confined to adults reading YA (so no mention of David Eddings).  For anyone interested in the comments there:

http://www.chronicles-network.com/forum/10559-how-do-you-feel-about-reading-ya-as-an-adult.html


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## Crisspin (Aug 23, 2006)

Paige Turner said:
			
		

> I make my own fake covers for books I know I'm going to be reading on the bus. Fun titles like _Satanism for Dummies_ and _Teach Yourself Taxidermy_ get lots of furtive looks from fellow travelers. Life is too short to pass up chances for a bit of fun.



Too funny


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## Cloud (Aug 23, 2006)

I could care less what people think.  

I do hide my porn from my grandchildren, though.


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## Paige Turner (Aug 23, 2006)

Cloud said:
			
		

> I do hide my porn from my grandchildren, though.


  The mark of true aristocracy.


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## steve12553 (Aug 24, 2006)

Cloud said:
			
		

> I could care less what people think.


 
If they care what your reading, they probably don't think.


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## Loner (Aug 24, 2006)

jackokent said:
			
		

> there are some books I might be embarrassed to read in public, Mills and Boon springs to mind.



That is the only thing I might be embarrassed to be seen reading in public. I like the idea of fake covers though Paige!

"Improve your Telekinesis"
"Home Enemas"
"How to mind your own business on public transport"
"Basic Obedience for Dragons"

I'm sure I can come up with more.


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## Paige Turner (Aug 24, 2006)

Loner said:
			
		

> "Home Enemas"


I can see using that one for one of the _For Dummies_ covers. Nice. Subtitling it will be a gas. So to speak.


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## Loner (Aug 24, 2006)

Paige Turner said:
			
		

> Subtitling it will be a gas. So to speak.




Oh god! What a _PUN_ishment!


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## Nesacat (Aug 24, 2006)

Tend to read what I want, where I want to. Does not matter if it's a book aimed at children. I don't get the whole business with the covers either unless some people have a tremendous fondness for black and some kind of uniform colour scheme for their book shelves and have to buy the 'adult' Harry Potter books.

I have however had some funny experiences with this. When I worked as an editor with the New Straits Times, I used to only start working at about 7pm. So, I had a day job at a rental bookstore and the bulk of the books were romances. We had everything from Mills & Boon right up to the novels and for whatever reason, a large percentage of the renters were men.

They wanted to read the books but they did not want to be 'seen' reading the books, which resulted in some pretty quirky situations. I would get a call and the caller, a man, would speak in a hushed whisper. If anyone can tell me who exactly was listening in, I'd be grateful. 

I'd be asked to select the required number of books, the preference here seemed to be for the books with helpless heroines. I'd have to wrap each book in plain brown paper, which I always thought was equivalent to waving a red flag announcing that you might be reading something not quite right as it were. I'd then have to wrap all the books in pages from a newspaper and put the package into a non see through bag. 

And then, I'd have to do this little run around the corner and hand it to the man who'd be waiting inside his car. There'd be this quick winding down of the glass and a hurried thank you with money being exchanged for books and then he'd drive off. It was one of the most entertaining jobs ever given all the illicit activities not to mention the fact that I ended up reading a whole load of romances.


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## Paige Turner (Aug 24, 2006)

Nesa, I never heard of such a thing! That's great. Newspaper?   Clearly, not quite secure in their masculinity. Did they say they were picking the books up "for a friend?"


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## Loner (Aug 24, 2006)

Nesacat said:
			
		

> And then, I'd have to do this little run around the corner and hand it to the man who'd be waiting inside his car. There'd be this quick winding down of the glass and a hurried thank you with money being exchanged for books and then he'd drive off.



Heh heh heh! How illicit and clandestine and other "cloak and dagger" expressions! I'm suprised the police didn't assume you were trafficking in something much worse than romance novels!


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## littlemissattitude (Aug 24, 2006)

Considering some of the books I've carried around in public while I was reading them, I'd say I've never been ashamed of anything I was reading.


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## Nesacat (Aug 24, 2006)

Paige Turner said:
			
		

> Nesa, I never heard of such a thing! That's great. Newspaper?   Clearly, not quite secure in their masculinity. Did they say they were picking the books up "for a friend?"



They didn't say friend but here was what I got told 99.99% of the time ... "It's good for men to read these books. I'm not reading them because I really enjoy them or anything. But I think it will help me understand women."  This notion might go a long way towards explaining all the misconceptions.

Loner ... thank goodness. I'd have just fallen over laughing if the police had shown up at any point. It was all I could do to keep a straight face as it is.


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## jackokent (Aug 24, 2006)

I have to admit to having read an awful lot of Mills and Boon, a friend and I were going to try and write one between us and we bought up everyone we could find from charity shops as research. They soon became adictive. If you've not tried one you have not lived. They are hillarious.

Our's was called "only my shadow weeps" and although we never did finish it, it was the most fun bit of writing I've ever attempted.

I didn't try and hide the covers however. I carried my Mills and Boon with pride


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## dustinzgirl (Aug 24, 2006)

jackokent said:
			
		

> I was shocked to hear at my reading group last night that Harry Potter books have 2 covers, an adult cover and a childrens cover.  Apparantly many adults who come into the bookshops are quite adamant that they have the adult covers.  I can only assume this is becuase they do not want to be seen reading a children's book.
> 
> I am astounded.  Are people really that ashamed to be seen reading a book.  I suppose it if were porn or something maybe but surely not a popluar YA fantasy.  And even if you are ashamed, the adult cover is still for the same book... I mean why bother.  Who are you trying to fool.
> 
> As an aside, the bookstore worker also said that some people expected the adult Harry Potter to be different from the children's one in that it had some "adult" content.  I thought that was hilarious.



Thats just silly. Why be ashamed of reading anything? Except maybe smut mags. Grown ups are dumb. Thats why I will always be a kid. And yes, I read kid books, even when my kids are gone. But, I really hate the harry potter books anyways. Love the movies though.


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## Paige Turner (Aug 24, 2006)

dustinzgirl said:
			
		

> Grown ups are dumb.



That is the most quotable thing I've seen in ages. That's going up on the wall. (no worries, I'll credit you) Good call.


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## carrie221 (Aug 24, 2006)

Okay about the whole not wanting to read the children's cover version of Harry Potter, when the last book came out I was at the bookstore at 12:01am like everyone else. There was a party before hand. Most of the people there were either teenagers or adults. In fact most of the kids that were there were there just to give their parents an  excuse to be buying a children's book. At one of the activities one child asked "Who is professor snape?" afterwhich their father looked very embarassed and admitted to the lady with his a sister or cousin that the book was for him.


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## Rane Longfox (Aug 25, 2006)

I wish they did midnight openings for new Erikson books


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## Teresa Edgerton (Aug 25, 2006)

I suppose some of these people may have family members or co-workers who tease them unmercifully, so that they choose the adult covers just to avoid being hassled.

Some of the old, old SFF books I read from time to time have truly lurid (not to mention ugly) covers.  I sometimes wonder what people are thinking when I take those books out in public.  And the artwork isn't exactly _representative_ of what I'm reading -- so if I had a choice of covers, I'd undoubtedly opt for something less sensational.

As for following Paige's lead with the homemade book covers:  In my ill-starred youth, I used to run around most of the time in Renaissance or medieval costume; or really witchy dresses embroidered with cobwebs.  (This was long before Goth.)  I boggled enough minds and attracted enough stares to last me a lifetime; so that sort of thing no longer amuses me.

But I'll tell you something that's far more embarrassing than bad cover art on something you're reading; it's atrocious cover art on something you've written.  Those are the very dregs of despair.


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## Loner (Aug 25, 2006)

Teresa Edgerton said:
			
		

> But I'll tell you something that's far more embarrassing than bad cover art on something you're reading; it's atrocious cover art on something you've written.  Those are the very dregs of despair.



Oh yes, bad cover art is a main reason why people think Sci-fi is for kids and the socially inept. I hate it when a cover has a "Conan" scene on it that represents _nothing_ in the novel. It indicates that the artist and everyone involved in approving the cover (which I gather rarely involves the author) hasn't read the story.


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## ScottSF (Aug 26, 2006)

you know recently I did have an experience where I was embarrassed to boy a book.  I bought a copy of the King James Bible and I didn't want anyone to think I really believed in that stuff.  I just wanted to read through it so I would be armed in case someone wanted to debate me on religious issues.  Plus it is interesting stuff.  Once I thought I would buy a bible, a koran, a bagavad gita all in one go.  That's kind of like buy cerial and a big bag of rice when you really went to the store to buy one embarassing item.  So, I think a new version of the king james bible should say "I don't really believe this stuff but find it interesting King James, who by the way was gay not that anything's wrong with that, Bible."


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## hypocriticHarkonnen (Aug 26, 2006)

Loner said:
			
		

> Oh yes, bad cover art is a main reason why people think Sci-fi is for kids and the socially inept. I hate it when a cover has a "Conan" scene on it that represents _nothing_ in the novel. It indicates that the artist and everyone involved in approving the cover (which I gather rarely involves the author) hasn't read the story.


 
hear hear!!


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## steve12553 (Aug 26, 2006)

When I transport books they're usually in a brown paper bag.






Or a big white one that says "Barnes and Noble" or "Borders".
If I take something with me to read it's usually my PDA and that's a convenience thing. It's lighter and smaller and can fit in a coat pocket in the winter. I'm too old to care what people think about what I'm reading.


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## Eoghann (Aug 28, 2006)

These days if I'm out I'm usually reading the book on my PDA since it's much more portable than the paper version sitting on the bookcase at home.

Personally I'd go for the adult Harry Potter covers because I just think they look a lot better. I really don't care for the regular ones at all.

I don't think it's shame that makes people do it though. More likely it's wanting to avoid having to explain their choices. It's very easy to say you don't care what people think, but if you have to work with them or interact with them, you probably do.


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## Cloud (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm reading a Buffy book about Oz by Christopher Golden right now, and I am NOT ASHAMED! 

(repeats to self; I am not ashamed Iamnotashamed Iam . . . )


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## valeriefrankel (Sep 14, 2006)

I spend my life reading YA fic and kiddie fic.  But I write for kids, so I have an excuse.


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## Jason_Taverner (Sep 14, 2006)

I was ashamed when my mother caught me reading razzel


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## Joel007 (Sep 15, 2006)

Well, I was embarrassed a few times. Never ashamed. I have the right to read star wards comics if i so desire, ostensibly to fill in the story gaps that you have if you only read the novels


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## Carolyn Hill (Sep 16, 2006)

Sometimes I read romance novels.  But never in public.  That's WAY too embarrassing.


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## Nesacat (Sep 16, 2006)

The last time I read Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher on the bus was pretty embarassing since I was sitting there crying my eyes out.


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## j d worthington (Sep 16, 2006)

*ahem* Have that happen to me every time I read "Flowers for Algernon" (the short story does it to me even more than the novel)... Yep. Get some strange looks when you start tearing up at a book while on the bus....


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## carrie221 (Sep 16, 2006)

I have a few books that will make me cry and sometimes I forget that fact before I start reading them... I always end up in some public place for the really touching part trying not to cry


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## Tau Zero (Sep 16, 2006)

That reminds me of the time i was reading "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome Jerome on the subway.  I was laughing so hard, tears were coming out.  Trying not to laugh out loud made it worse.  DO NOT read this book in public!


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## Rosemary (Sep 17, 2006)

I honestly can't recall reading a book that I was ashamed of...

Even ones that made me laugh so much...don't worry Tau Zero, you will get used to it after a while   Just think of those poor people sitting there without a book to read!


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## Azathoth (Sep 17, 2006)

> *ahem* Have that happen to me every time I read "Flowers for Algernon" (the short story does it to me even more than the novel)... Yep. Get some strange looks when you start tearing up at a book while on the bus....


  Same here.  'Cept, first time I read it, I was in middle school, and I actually started crying in class - sobs, hiccups, and everything.    And I still cry when I read it.


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## j d worthington (Sep 17, 2006)

Azathoth said:
			
		

> Same here. 'Cept, first time I read it, I was in middle school, and I actually started crying in class - sobs, hiccups, and everything.  And I still cry when I read it.


 
Seventh grade for me... and again, a year later, when I reread it in the first volume of *The Hugo Winners*, edited by Asimov. Read it several times since, including about a year and a half ago... still gets the same response. Daniel Keyes wrote one very wonderful story there....


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## dustinzgirl (Sep 17, 2006)

This is kinda related, but the little used book store down the road had Buffy and Harry potter in the childrens section with Sweet Valley High and the Babysitters club, as well as some D and D monster manuals. She thought I was buying them for my kids....LOL.....


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## Tau Zero (Sep 18, 2006)

Rosemary said:
			
		

> I honestly can't recall reading a book that I was ashamed of...
> 
> Even ones that made me laugh so much...don't worry Tau Zero, you will get used to it after a while  Just think of those poor people sitting there without a book to read!


 
LOL!  They didn't need a book, i was their entertainment!  Laughter is contagious.  Through my tears i could people who were watching me turn away, but with smiles on their faces.  They were getting a big kick out me laughing so hard (and quietly as possible) that i couldn't read more of my book.  

My father said he had the same experience with the same book, only decades earlier!


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## j d worthington (Sep 18, 2006)

Tau Zero said:
			
		

> LOL! They didn't need a book, i was their entertainment! Laughter is contagious. Through my tears i could people who were watching me turn away, but with smiles on their faces. They were getting a big kick out me laughing so hard (and quietly as possible) that i couldn't read more of my book.
> 
> My father said he had the same experience with the same book, only decades earlier!


 
Now, see, _that_ is a really neat thing ... and something that only a book could provide!


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## the smiling weirwood (Sep 18, 2006)

The Bridge to Teribithia was the first book that ever made me cry and is still one of my all-time favorites.


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## Tau Zero (Sep 19, 2006)

When my daughter was young i tried to read to her "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.  Big mistake.  Never has so few pages hit me so hard and i was crying within minutes.  I was embarassed (not ashamed) and i think my little girl was shocked more than anything.


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## Nesacat (Sep 19, 2006)

The Gift Of The Magi is one of my all-time favourite Christmas tales. Cry every single time I read it too.

Carrie ... you're right about this. For some reason reaching an emotional point in a book seems to happen in very public places. I've cried on buses, trains, in malls and restaurants...

Tau Zero ... Three Men In A Boat is very fun. It's impossible not to be rolling on the floor in laughter.


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## the smiling weirwood (Sep 19, 2006)

I have to say, completely off topic, what a beautiful avatar Nesa!


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## Milk (Sep 19, 2006)

Sometimes I get embarassed that I read Terry Pratchet. Like the other day. I was about to leave town for a plane from Portland to OC ( Portland being a city that is extremely well read) and I was at Powell books to buy a quick read for the ride home. 
In line, the guy in front of me was buying 4 heavy Faulkner (spelling?) books, the chick at the checkout was "Faulkner? How impressive!"
and there I was holding the "Wee Free Men" behind him in line. So when it was my turn to talk to the pretty cashier, I blurted out. "I'll be on a plane most of the day, I just... I want something simple to read...easy to digest." Then I felt like a jerk.

The girl at the checkout replied that she read Terry Pratchett as well, but it was too late I was already ashamed. I mean it does say Teen adults on the cover somewhere. The book was perfect for travelling with though, it made the flight and layover much better, almost relaxing. And I dont regret reading Terry Pratchet he's one of my favorite writers, its just that sometimes I get this compulsion to hide the fact that I read him.


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## Joel007 (Sep 19, 2006)

the smiling weirwood said:
			
		

> I have to say, completely off topic, what a beautiful avatar Nesa!


 
also off topic! where do you get those?


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## Nesacat (Sep 20, 2006)

Embarassment aside, I admit that I'm awfully curious about what other people are reading and have almost fallen into several laps trying to work out the titles of books people are reading on public transport, in restaurants, etc. 

It's always a tiny leap of joy when the book happens to be an SFF one. They have such a shaky hold in the bookstores here I'm always glad to see people buying and reading them. 

Thank you Weirwood & Joel ... I think I like this avatar the best so far. They come from several places and we have huge archives at the newspaper and graphic artists.


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## Steffi (Sep 21, 2006)

I'm like that Nesacat....I always have this urge to see what other people are reading.....I very often write the title down....read all the time.

I NEVER get embarassed about what I'm reading.


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## The Ace (Oct 4, 2006)

Paige Turner said:
			
		

> I make my own fake covers for books I know I'm going to be reading on the bus. Fun titles like _Satanism for Dummies_ and _Teach Yourself Taxidermy_ get lots of furtive looks from fellow travelers. Life is too short to pass up chances for a bit of fun.


 
  Brilliant Idea, mind if I borrow it ?  I'm never ashamed of my reading matireal, but your slant is great.


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## The Ace (Oct 4, 2006)

Loner said:
			
		

> Heh heh heh! How illicit and clandestine and other "cloak and dagger" expressions! I'm suprised the police didn't assume you were trafficking in something much worse than romance novels!


 
  There's NOTHING worse than romance novels.


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## jackokent (Oct 4, 2006)

There's nothing funnier than romance novels.  They are truelly brilliant, especially the really old Mills and Boon ones which are all written to a very strict formula.  The men are all greying at the temples and tight wear polar neck sweaters.  THe women are always about 10 years if not more, younger than the men and spend all thier time swooning and having heart flutters. The sex scenes are pure brilliance with buttons that magically undo beneath his well manicured nails as he lays her onto crisp white sheets.  How can anyone not enjoy this?


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## the smiling weirwood (Oct 4, 2006)

I always ambush people I spot reading in public, even complete strangers, and demand to know what they're reading. I'm more polite than "demanding" but you get the idea. If it's a romance novel I slap them and spit in their face while calling them a pox-ridden son of a mangy she-dog. Not really, but that's what I feel like saying.


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## jackokent (Oct 4, 2006)

the smiling weirwood said:
			
		

> If it's a romance novel I slap them and spit in their face while calling them a pox-ridden son of a mangy she-dog. Not really, but that's what I feel like saying.


 
Oh well, harsh but fair I suppose


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## carrie221 (Oct 4, 2006)

I use to read some romance novels because they are easy reads and I didn't have to use my brain... I now use csi novels based off of the TV show for my non-brain reading.


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## dwndrgn (Oct 4, 2006)

Worse than romance novels?  Of course there is, not having any romance novels is worse.


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## Prefx (Oct 5, 2006)

jackokent said:
			
		

> I was shocked to hear at my reading group last night that Harry Potter books have 2 covers, an adult cover and a childrens cover.  Apparantly many adults who come into the bookshops are quite adamant that they have the adult covers.  I can only assume this is becuase they do not want to be seen reading a children's book.
> 
> I am astounded.  Are people really that ashamed to be seen reading a book.  I suppose it if were porn or something maybe but surely not a popluar YA fantasy.  And even if you are ashamed, the adult cover is still for the same book... I mean why bother.  Who are you trying to fool.
> 
> As an aside, the bookstore worker also said that some people expected the adult Harry Potter to be different from the children's one in that it had some "adult" content.  I thought that was hilarious.



I've heard about the ignorance to adult content, too. It was pretty amusing. 

Usually people I know have already discovered I'm a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, so they don't bring up my hobby much, and a lot of people who don't know me could care less (I assume). That said, I do feel a little strange pulling out my *Game of Thrones *paperback in the middle of class just because some people like to be noisy and take a crack at me.  Of course, maybe I would do some justice convincing even one fellow class mate to read the books..


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## Nesacat (Oct 5, 2006)

What I want to know is who does the covers for these romance novels. All those lurid colours and clothes doing the most impossible things independent of the bodies wearing them. I've had several people (men) complain that the covers are totally misleading because more often than not the content of the book is not half as 'hot' as the cover would seem to imply. 

Am rather fond of getting onto public modes of transport with romance novels that have particularly lurid covers. It's interesting to watch the faces of those around. 

 Weirwood ... have gone up and asked people what they are reading too; especially when they've been inconsiderate enough to hold their book in such a way as to make it impossible for me to figure it our by myself. Have picked up several good books that way.


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## the smiling weirwood (Oct 5, 2006)

Making fun of you for reading Game of Thrones? It's agreat book! It's so action-packed and gritty! (and really steamy in some parts)


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## Parrot0123 (Oct 15, 2006)

I read children's books once in a while, they make for nice, light reading.

I think I would pick the adult cover rather than the children's cover.  Not because I'm ashamed, I'm just guessing that the adult cover looks cooler.  I've read the harry potter books with the children's covers, and the covers are lame.

I'm just guessing about the adult covers being cooler though, I haven't seen them.


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