I've got a few copies of Danielle Steel's books on my bookshelf that are in really good condition. They've been sitting on my shelf for a really, really long time. I've never read any of her books.  I worked in a library for about  3 years and her books rarely left the shelf -- a patron kept donating them after she read them.

Looking for an opinion -- is she still popular in the romance genre or has she overwriten herself into oblivion? I'm wondering if I should keep her books on my bookshelf or just donate them.

I tried giving some of hers away and the person begged off! seriously though, I read a lot of her books and some I enjoyed though they usually tend to bug me now because the first half covers maybe a week then the last  half the next 20 years. I think people still read them but there are so many in print that they'll probably never get off your shelf unless maybe if you offered a deal or something..wouldn't hurt to try if you'd like to mail some out for a credit...

I think my faves of hers were Thurston House, The Ranch, Family Album..Kaleidoscope really disturbed me...a coworker likes the Klone and I but haven't read that one myself.

My favorite Danielle Steel book is (THE) GHOST.  I think I enjoyed it so much because it wasn't the typical Steel book.

However, there are a good number of romance readers that I know who when you say Danielle Steel immediately say, she is NOT a romance writer.  

I am not quite sure how else to categorize her.  Although I do get why some don't feel she writes romances since most of her books follow the exact same formula and the first love interest/spouse usually dies, leaves, etc.  I guess that isn't really considered romantic to die hard romance (readers) fans.  

My books were posted 10/2005. Guess I'll wait for the 2 year mark and then pull them off the shelf even though I might be really close to having them requested. More interested in having the books get used than earning the credit. 

I've watched a few of the TV movies of her books and I think her standard formula is what turned me off -- characters and setting might be different but the storyline is always pretty much the same.

Susanna, I've got two you mentioned: Family Album and Kaleidescope -- maybe someone reading this topic might order them out of curiousity.

I just don't care for her books.

Sherri

I think she is just to "worn out" now. Most people have gotten tired of her style of writting, it's the same old thing with each book. "The Ranch" was probably the only one of hers i really liked.

I liked Jewels and Message From Nam.  Not really a big fan of hers.  I have a copy of Toxic Bachelors that i can not get rid of.

whoa haven't heard of toxic bachelors! my co-worker really likes 'the klone and i' but I've never read it. I did go through a phase where I bought/read a lot of her stuff but I think I burned myself out on it and I hated the ending of the ranch! I did like the book overall though but wanted a different ending for one of the characters at least...well 2 I guess!

I have read a few of her books and although I definitely am not a fan I really enjoyed the handful I read. I loved Fine Things. The first 100 pages though are on character developement and backgrounds. Once you get past all of that you have a seriously great book. I also read Malice which is a pretty powerful book with very dark subject matter. My other terrific find of hers was The Promise.  I have several dozen of her books in my TBR mountain and a handful of ones on my PBS bookshelf that I somehow ended up with duplicates of. They do stay on the shelves forever but they will eventually get ordered. As long as you have the shelf space I would just keep them there. But that is my opinion.

I can't bring myself to try her books...I had 'Daddy" an just couldn't force myself to pick it up. I looked at 'Toxic Bachelors' at the library and almost brought it home, but decided not to in the end...I'm not much help, huh?

I have most of her movies.  But just the one's I like.

As for her books I LOVED Jewels and Messages from Nam.  Zoya and Mixed Blessing was good, but No Greater Love I hated with a passion.  I just can't get into books that deal with the Titanic.

I used to enjoy her earlier books but haven't been able to get interested in her later ones. A friend told me she picked up her newest one and while the first half was good, the rest of it dragged so much that she stopped reading it.  I think her books have lost something since her son died. Or it just seems that way.

But when I have books that I am wondering should  I leave them on my shelf or donate them, I put them on my reminder list and see how many are in the system. And if there is a lot of them listed, I donate them. I did that with a book on my shelf the other day and found there were 266 copies of my book! And there were other isbn's of the same title with lots of copies too.  I took it along with some others to Goodwill. If not, it would be hanging around forever.

I guess I must be the odd ball here, I have been reading her books since I was about 15 yrs old and I do look forward to her new releases, but i must say I don't run out and buy them as soon as they come out like i use too, I wait until my turn on the WL comes.  I must admit all of her books are about the same and they are quick reads(usually a day).

Some of my favorites are Daddy and Palomino.

I read Palomino years ago but I can't even remember what it was about.  I've seen some of the movies they've made from her books but they didn't make me want to run out and get them.

I usually don't do longer books anyway.  I think I'd see how many of each book are listed in the system and if it's a bunch, I'd pull them and donate them.

I think I've read maybe four of her books in my entire life.  And I have to agree, she is not, in my opinion, a 'romance writer'.....Her books get to be so mundane and the storylines are the same, just different settings and characters.  I am very happy to say that I don't have any of her books on my shelf...LOL.....

her best works IMO are "Fine Things"   and "the Gift".

Both of those are keepers for me.

I agree she is "worn out" now.  I did read parts of her biography, she has had a wild life, married a lot, etc.  Then she has the story of her son that passed away and that is really sad too. 

Umm....up here in Northren California, you can not get rid of them anywhere....Even the thrift stores will not take them. I am not sure what that says about the author or her books....I have seen them in the free bins at yard sales and thriftstores and no one takes them there either.

I have 22 of her books, mostly HC. I used to read her ALL the time, not so much anymore now that I've broadened my authors....

guess these will sit here for awhile, although I did just this week mail out 2 of her books to a member.

I feel like you all...but I did read Sisters, and it's definitely worth reading...

I have probably read every one of Danielles books so far but yeah her latest books I have a heard time getting into, she seems to repeat herself a lot in her latest books and they start out pretty slow. But hey she and I are getting older so guess it goes with the age! lol  I have books on my shelf that have never moved since I have been in this club, guess not that many people interested in her anymore.  Same with Nora Roberts they mostly just sit and gather dust!