USA Today’s recent story about how trade paperback books are thriving in “tough times” 
gave me pause about reading, its escapist quality, its cheap availability and, most importantly, the upcoming beach trash season. And what better time to dive into some light reading than now when you’re unemployed or broke and in need of an escape. Better yet, most of my favorite trashy titles are available in mass market paperback. I’m a former publishing gal, so I don’t want to take dollars out of my friends’ pockets, but I do know when times are tough, the used bookstore and library are fabulously cheap solutions!
Best, most have movie adaptations that have aired on Lifetime, WE or Oxygen and are probably available on Netflix. I’m a Netflix dropout, but you might still indulge!
Now, without further ado, below is Miss Pink Slip’s top 10 list of all-time favorite summertime smut titles:
- The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
- Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
- Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
- Once is Not Enough by Jacqueline Susann
- The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann
- Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins
- Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz
- The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe
- I’ll Take Manhattan by Judith Krantz
- Any book by V.C. Andrews
Check out my Listmania! List on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/o2j5ff
Miss Pink Slip 
I also love love love J. Evanovich and J. Cruise too. Oh and Sandra Brown is good if you like a mystery with your smutty books.
Oh, those are good. Thanks for the suggestions!
Oh man, The Thorn Birds! That’s a classic! I haven’t thought about that book in years. I think I first read it back in high school. And remember the mini-series on TV?
Janet Evanovich is a great recommendation. I love Stephanie Plum.
The Thorn Birds was the first “grown-up” book I ever read. I was always reading when I was a kid and I think my Mom handed it to me when I was 12 or 13 and had run out of things to read.
Knew TTB mini-series well, but read the book on a train from Barcelona to Rome. Absolute heaven. And how appropriate!
That list brings back some serious memories. Although these days I have to admit I’m much more partial to Lorelei James and Lora Leigh than just about anyone else.