an {old} guilty pleasure.



I've made passing mentions of this
embarrassing fact in previous posts,
but I'm coming clean today...

See the plentitude of Gossip Girl novels amidst
the Hemingway? Yes, it's true. I may or may
not be a secret fan of Cecily Von Ziegesar's
fictitious accounts of a few NYC socialites...

Beginning the summer before college,
Gossip Girl novels served as my guilty pleasure reading. To date myself, this means that
I've slipped into the crazy world of the
Upper East Side for almost eight years now.
{That number is positively frightening. I'm still getting over it. Anywho!}


I read the GG novels in college to distract me from tomes like Moby Dick and Theodore Rex.
They took me only a few hours to read--and they were a few hours I joyfully sacrificed from
pouring over real literature. When they announced the Gossip Girl novels would inspire a TV
series debuting the fall after I graduated, I was {secretly} elated.

{top row: left - right ~ middle row: left - right ~ bottom row: left - right}
Though the TV show differs a great deal from the "extensive" plot line of the books, it's always surprising {and often humorous} to see what turns the TV show takes. All these things aside, I've come to appreciate the immaculate New York fashion and the perfectly coifed hair. I also have become a HUGE fan of the episode recaps on the New York Magazine website. I feel a little less juvenile for being a fan of the show after reading about the satirical scores they assign following each episode.

I'll admit: the plotline is certainly taking a turn for the weird right now {Dan + Blair? WHAT?! And will Lily ever quit lying?!}, but honestly, each episode provides a {mildly} entertaining 40 minutes of television, even if you only watch it for the fashion! And I promise I do read more critically acclaimed and thought-provoking books! It just feels better to come clean with all of you ;)

This begs the question: do you have any guilty pleasure reads? {I sure hope I'm not alone here!}

In less than 24 hours, the calendar will once again read Friday and most of you know what that means...Friday's Fancies!

Each week, bloggers dream up the outfit they'd wear for their Friday night festivities if money were no object. {Want to see a few examples of past posts? Click here!} It's a fabulous way to keep your wallet in check and still get to admire the "finer things" in life ;) I hope you'll join in with the Friday's Fancies faithful and link up!

I'm crossing fingers this guilty pleasure post won't cost me any readers ;) I just hope I'll find someone else out in the blogosphere with other funny reading habits! Until tomorrow, my dears!
xoxo {av}

26 comments:

  1. aww av youre seriously too cute. i never got into gossip girls but ive had my fair share of guilty pleasures... one tree hill--pretty sure i just stopped watching that a few years ago. and i loved the first two seasons of the OC. and now im hooked on real housewives. so bad. :) xoxo jcd:: cornflake dreams

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  2. I am kind of obsessed with gossip girl... and by kind of... I mean so obsessed that even my husband watches it. and we're totally chuck and blair fans all the way! =) I missed a few episodes and can't wait to catch up on the insanity! <3

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  3. I used to be a big fan of gossip girls, I don't watch the show anymore due to time scarcity but I would love to catch up on the episodes. It's hard enough choosing to watch a show at a time (specially with my obsession with the Office& 30 Rock, adding gossip girl to the list again wouldn't be a good idea until after the semester is over haha

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  4. I feel th same way about everything you said! I am a gossip girl fanatic, but I'm not embarrassed! Such a great show.

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  5. Ha! I am a fan too. Doesn't it feel good to come out! Hahaha.

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  6. I haven't cracked open a GG yet probably because I am too busy watching Archer. Totally different but totally guilty waste of time.

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  7. Your photos collages are fantastic! I love them! And, for Gossip Girl, I've watched the first season in a marathon two days off school and loved them. I've just not had the opportunity to get the second season yet...I like the idea of reading the books, though. I've taken to reading YA fiction lately with the Hunger Games, so maybe I'll give these a whirl! Thanks!

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  8. That picture of Chuck and Blair in Paris where she has the red dress on, is my FAVORITE Chuck and Blair moment ever.. I am obsessed with them. I haven't read the books, but maybe I should :-)

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  9. I read all the GG books too! I might be scalded for saying this... but I kinda liked the books better than the show =x

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  10. Ahahaha I have every single Gossip Girl book that came out (not the "It Girl" spin-off, though) and I absolutely loved them. Chuck becomes gay in the books, I remember, although I'd be so sad if he played for the other team in the TV series. TV Dan is WAY more adorable than I ever imagined him in the books, too. My guilty pleasure read is the same exact as yours haha.. and the novels by Sarah Dessen, which target a teen girl audience and I still read them today anyway.

    P.S. Loveeeed the guest post, thanks again! :)

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  11. I haven't read the books, but I am ob-sessed with the show!

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  12. when i moved to italy i needed a guilty pleasure badly - i had no internet, no satellitie tv, no library, NOTHING! so a friend gave me all four twilight books and i read them cover to cover obsessively! i was secretly hating the writing and the semi-christian undertones of no sex before marriage but i didn't care! guilty pleasures are the best :)

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  13. i LOVEDDDD the gg books!!! I had them all and would read like one a day! I was sooo excited when i heard they were making it a tv show..but its interesting bc the tv is quite a bit different from the books..but I guess that's normally how it goes!

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  14. Gossip Girl = Obsession...I LOVE everything about it!

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  15. Girl, you're not alone. I LOVE GG. I've never read the books but I just might have to start! Thanks for the great post!

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  16. Oh, I have SO many guilty pleasure books. I am an English major, and I would go mad if I only read insightful literature.

    I have read the "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor since I was 11-years-old. Every May, she comes out with a new Alice book. It's funny because I went from being a little younger to Alice, then catching up with her in age, and now I am three years older than the character. The books are definitely for a teenaged-girl audience, but I still love them and buy the new one each May.

    Also, I am unapologetically a HUGE chick-lit fan. Many of my fellow English majors look down on me for this, but I think much can be learned from a good chick lit book :)

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  17. The gossip girl books are hilarious :) And... I am definitely going to join in on Friday Fancies as soon as I get back from my trip! Can't wait :)
    *Ashley {a little dash of ash}

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  18. I watched Gossip Girl for a few seasons. I've always wanted to read the books. I'm looking forward to linking up again tomorrow for Friday's Fancies.

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  19. I guess The Vampire Diaries series would be my guilty reading pleasure. I read the first book in the series in 1992. It was a little embarrassing to check out the "new" fourth book from the library at 30 but whatever. I've also read the Gossip Girl books...they were fun although they got a bit annoying after awhile. Have you read Jenny's spin-off series?

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  20. I also LOVE Gossip Girl. Spotted AV stashing her gossip girl books amongst the classics! xox!

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  21. The GG books made perfect beach reads-full of labels and nonsense you could enjoy will sipping a frozen cocktail! I'm also a secret addict when it comes to wedding shows-so bad, and so, so good!

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  22. love your blog! thanks for stopping by! we too survived the long distance relationship, i moved to california from the east coast and then he came out 6-months later. PS -love that you live in rhody, we both went to URI back in the day and i lived there for almost 6 years :)

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  23. Giirl go on with your bad self! We ALL have guilty pleasures and they're lying if they say otherwise! :) For example, I totally read LA Candy, by LC and have no regrets! Haha! :)

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  24. Hahaha I definitely have read some guilty pleasure books! They're 'Chick Lit' and include Something Borrowed and Something Blue, Bergdorf Blondes, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets (which is also kind of historical fiction as well) I so want to read Chasing Harry Winston and The Devil Wears Prada (since I love the movie!)

    http://annawalker1992.blogspot.com/

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  25. Ok, I so need to get caught up on this show! The fashion alone is worth it:-) xoxo

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