Case in point: I recently moved into a new apartment. In said apartment I have a bookcase in the living room and also a bookcase in my bedroom. How are my books devided between these two bookcases? You guessed it. The books in my room are the ones I don't want every guest to see. Strangely enough, the books in my room are also the ones that are also more personally significant to me. I find "lowbrow" fiction personally significant, apparently.
So when I read this prompt, a list of embarassing but treasured obsessions came easily to mind. I'm going to confess to two of them.
1. StarTrek Voyager
I like several of the incarnations of Startrek. The Next Generation. The original when I'm in the right mood. But I love StarTrek Voyager. I'll try and explain why in a moment.
First, though, a basic plot synopsis for those of you who have never seen the show: the starship Voyager chases a ship involved in a rebellion into a semi-deserted area of space. Both ships get pulled into the "Delta Quadrant" by a powerful alien entity and they get stranded there. The rebel ship is badly damaged and Voyager looses a whole bunch of her crew so they abandon the damaged ship, integrate the two crews, and set course for Earth. ETA 70 years. Adventures ensue.
Maybe you like your TV to have a little more substance or, quite likely given this crowd, you don't like TV at all. To me, though, this is a recipe for great television because what I like in a television show (and sometimes in movies and books too) can be summed up in one word: escape. Keep your substance and realism. Give me campy fun and melodrama instead. STV gave me both. In fact, I first got invested in the show my freshman year of college because the reruns were on every weekday at 4 pm -- just about the time I got back from school. It was my ritual to sit in my parents room and watch it on their TV everyday. A perfect release.
Also, unlike other versions of Star Trek, Voyager has a more consisent cast and a stronger episode to episode arc. I got really invested in their journey. When they finally made it back to Earth on the last episode (sorry to spoil the ending) I cried and then walked around for the rest of the day with a big sloppy grin.
2. The Farseer Series
I wholeheartedly recommend these books but only to select people. They are SO good but they look so, SO bad. They sound bad too if you try and explain the plot so I wont even try. You'd just decide not to read them. I wouldn't have read them either except that my oldest sister recommended them and she has excellent taste in books. I borrowed the first one from my brother (who has still never read them) and was instantly hooked. The books didn't become a sheepish obsession until I went to the store to buy the second book.
You know the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Good saying, but I would also recommend another one. "If you don't want people to judge your books, don't give them covers like this."
Seriously. What were the publishers thinking? I almost didn't buy it, but it was summer and without some reading material I would have been bored out of my mind so I sucked it up and took it to the counter. I figured there would never be any need for me to go back to that store again anyway.
Just so you know, there is now a second edition of the books that are not nearly as mortifying to carry around.
