True Confessions of a Bookworm

Photo found here.

We've all had that moment, right? When someone says something disparaging about a book or genre we secretly love, and we sort of hem and haw and maybe imply that we agree with them.

I always wonder about those people that are book-snobby about all "genre" stuff. As if unless a book is great literature it's not readable?

Well here's my true confession. I usually don't like general fiction. I much prefer a book to have some sort of other point, rather than just being about relationships or dialogue between a few characters in a modern setting.

Historical fiction? I often appreciate, because you're not just reading about characters, you're also learning about a historical era. [Well, one caveat, I like good historical fiction. If it's set in the 1800s and a character says, "Ok!" I'm out.]

Mysteries? My favorite. Especially European authors like Fred Vargas, Donna Leon, Ian Rankin, Arnaldur Indridason and Henning Mankell. These are books that delve into deep discussions and careful characterization, while simultaneously presenting the seamy side of human nature through crime.

Fantasy? Quite often enjoyable. Take the Robin Hobb books that I've talked about lately. I'm obsessively into these books because they're (a) well-written and (b) gripping. The fact that (c) they're set in an intriguing other world is a distant third.

Romance? Oh romance. The guiltiest pleasure of all. I read that Kindle romance sales are booming. That  makes sense to me, because who wants to be caught reading a romance with a bodice-ripping cover in public? But if you're reading on a Kindle, no one can tell. Now don't get me wrong, there are a lot of bad romances out there. I'm very, very selective about the ones I read. But Georgette Heyer is a delight, and I eagerly await the publication of each new Lauren Willig book.

My guilty secret is out. What are your guilty secrets about books? 
Are there genres that you pretend to hate?