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So, Fess Up . . .


Raven

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So I was having a discussion on another forum today about [THE GREY BOOK THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED], and the conversation turned to reading material that you wouldn't normally read, but because you are no longer flashing an embarrassing cover in public you have downloaded and read anonymously on your Kindle/Kobo/iPad/Flash Git Fondle Slab.

 

Now I know the way you lot think, and I'm not thinking about naughty books (well, not necessarily); I'm thinking more about whether being able to read what you want without others knowing what it is has encouraged you to try books or genres that you wouldn't normally admit to.

 

So do you have an eCopy of Twilght lurking in the shady corners of your reader? Have you been spending your train journeys with Barbara Cartland? It's time to announce your secret shame . . .

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I don't get embarrassed by what I read. To my mind, what I read reflects my interests and aspects of my personality and to feel shame for any part of that I think is (for myself) silly. If you're ashamed of it, don't read it, basically. And if you want to read it, don't be ashamed of it! I read Twilight. I own all four books, and I own the first book twice because one has red-tipped pages. I think they're garbage, but they're garbage that appeal to the 16 year old girl in me, and I see no shame in that. Same with Shades, I tried reading it but the writing was just so awful (can anyone tell me what a 'British' novel is, or how an elevator can whisk someone upwards with terminal velocity?!) that it's now a source of amusement for me. I also see no shame in that, it's entertaining, and something to have a laugh with others about.

 

That's just me, though.

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No secret shames here as well. What I enjoy most is juvenile fiction and that's just who I am.

There really isn't anything to hide.

 

I think it's a bit sad that you can be judged for being a reader/non-reader, or for reading the kind of books that appeal to you.

And it's even more sad if you let it affect you.

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People tried to make me feel guilty of having a Jeremy Clarkson book, but I find him funny even if he is unbelievably opinionated. Plus it was cheap and it seemed fun enough. And it was.

 

I think that's probably the closest it's ever come...

 

Actually, people also seem to try to make me feel ashamed for having the manga Azumanga Daioh as it's essentially about Japanese high school girls, but it's funny, witty and sometimes touching. You can't make me feel embarrassed, people, no matter how hard you try!

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Hmmm. I don't know about this one, I'm not one for caring about what others think about what I read (or do for that matter) BUT am currently battling my way through Fifty Shades (completely agree about the appalling writing. Also can't help thinking that cocking your head to the side, or covering your eyes with your arm would actually just look pretty daft??) and not sure,given the hype I'd have normally read a paper copy in public.lol.

 

That is an exception though, I also got some stick for my Clarkson collection but read them with pride.

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We have a very annoying woman here at work, who found I was reading Jane Austen. I forget which one, but it was parked on the side of my desk waiting for lunchtime. She picked it up and said in a very loud voice

 

" Jane Austen? You poof!"

 

When I informed her, calmly, (but through gritted teeth) that. yes, i was reading it, and was enjoying it, she then said

 

" I love Jane Austen; I've got all the DVD's."

 

Having a Kindle means I avoid stupid conversations like that

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" Jane Austen? You poof!"

Good grief - what a stupid thing to say. :o

 

The fact that someone could be considered a 'poof' (I hate people who use homophobic language and think it's acceptable, but that's another story) because of their choice of reading material saddens me.

 

As for the original question, I have read 'those books' and I wouldn't have bought them in book form - not because I was ashamed of reading them, but because when I bought them was just before the went really viral and it was much cheaper to buy them on Kindle rather than in paper form (we didn't stock them in our branch of Tesco when I downloaded the first book). The writing is crap but I quite enjoyed the background story.

 

I can't really think of anything I'd buy on Kindle because I was too embarrassed to read it in public, but like Noll, I don't read things that would make me feel ashamed.

 

ETA: For the record, I think it's great that you read and enjoy Austen - many men could take a leaf out of your book, Ian! :)

Edited by Janet
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ETA: For the record, I think it's great that you read and enjoy Austen - many men could take a leaf out of your book, Ian! :)

 

I've read Pride and Prejudice. I didn't like it. But I might read more, and it wouldn't bother me whether it was treebook or ebook :D

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We have a very annoying woman here at work, who found I was reading Jane Austen. I forget which one, but it was parked on the side of my desk waiting for lunchtime. She picked it up and said in a very loud voice

 

" Jane Austen? You poof!"

 

When I informed her, calmly, (but through gritted teeth) that. yes, i was reading it, and was enjoying it, she then said

 

" I love Jane Austen; I've got all the DVD's."

 

Having a Kindle means I avoid stupid conversations like that

 

:doh::rolleyes: I salute you, brave, patient man, for not lashing out at her...

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Part of the reason for starting this thread is an article, which I think was on the BBCs website but I can no longer find, which had quotes from a woman saying she wouldn't report their Kindle missing if they lost it because she would be embarrassed by the contents (in this case it was the Harry Potter novels),

 

I'm guessing that to a large extent people on here are happy with their inner bookworm, but I think it is interesting that some people are changing their reading habits because of the anonymity a Kindle (or similar) provides.

 

(Raven has no Kindle and has never read anything smutty. Ever. No Sireeeee . . .).

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I don't have a Kindle and I borrow everything I read at the public library. I was waiting to get my form filled holding this book about serial killer behaviours written by a famous doctor and the scary glances people threw at me made me feel a little dirty. But I put up my most dangerous face and everybody looked away. :giggle2:

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I have a kindle, but 99% of the contents are free downloads and IT am ashamed of none of them. Many are classics, some are self-published, all are for my reading pleasure. As for my tree books, I read them all in public with pride, no matter the author, title or content. I couldn't give a flying rat's tail what anyone thinks of my choices in any area of my life and thzt includes my books.

 

Please forgive my multiple typos in this post - I'm using my tablet and going back to edit earlier text is a nightmare that boils my blodd thereford any erors I make when my fat fingers hit the wrong tiny key or the machine decides to incorrectly autocorrect will stay put. Grrrrr! I hate typing on this thing!

 

Anyway, back to the book question. I read whTever I want, wherever I want, and anyone who takes issue with that shouldget alife and stop being such a saddo! LOL!

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I think we're the wrong people to be asking Raven! We all come on here and state out in the open what we read without shame. I haven't read the book that shall not be named, but that's only because it doesn't appeal to me based on the comments of people I trust on here. If I decided to make up my own mind about it, I would have no qualms about reading it, however, I would be reading a Kindle version, only because I prefer reading on my Kindle to an actual book.

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This topic got me interested because I love "snooping " into what others are reading like if we are somelace where lots of strangers are ,say a picnic or restaurant ,and you see other people reading I'll go to just about any lengths to see WHAT they are reading. I walk by r-e-a-l slow, trying to get a glimpse of the cover . Sadly, the eReaders make that more of a task . I will sometimes just go up and ask them what they are reading .

As for me, I don't read much of anything that others would consider strange ,I dont think ,at least ????

I will actually sometimes choose a book just because of the title ,say if it's funny to me . My favorite so far is " I Still Miss My Man, But My Aim is Getting Better " .

,or the Elvis Cookbook titled "Are You Hungry Tonight ?"

I DID kinda ponder what to take to the hospital for my reading material. I found a really fascinating book ( at least I think so ) called Where Are They Buried,How Did They Die ?

I kinda thought it would be a little off-kilter to bring that to a hospital,so I left it at home . :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can't think of anything I'm likely to read which I wouldn't want others to know about. Given Ian's comments, perhaps the closest might be the Georgette Heyer Regency novels, of which I'm a bit of a fan, but like Ian I think that's more others' problem than mine. BTW, I adore Jane Austen's novels, and rate S&S as amongst my top 3 favourites.

 

As for Fifty Shades of Grey, having dipped into it, I can't understand why it's had so much attention. It's badly written and dull as ditchwater. But if that's what others want to read, that's up to them: the joy of reading is that we all have such widely varied tastes.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I have no shame whatsoever. I guess thats what you get when your parents dont check what you read at 12 years old. By the time I was 14 I had read quite some sensitive and/or banned material (my school had indeed a banned book list which only encouraged me to read them) Whenever someone asked why I was reading that, I simply answered that I did not understand so I tried to get myself educated. (this argument worked and still works very well with non fiction) This happened very seldom though since most people had no idea what I was reading and those who knew dared not to say since knowing would also tell a fair deal about themselfs. I remember this one teacher who found me the perfect example why kids should not freely use the internet (revering to a book dealing with gay rights he caught me reading), the funny thing being, I did not went online before 16.

 

The only reason I would buy something on a kindle is because the book is way to heavy to carry around with me all day.

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