for shame, for shame

This is a fun article:

What Books Make You Cringe to Remember

Authors remembering the books they loved as budding intellectuals, and the related shame that haunts them. While I'm absolutely not ashamed of having devoured The Mists of Avalon with an obsession I have yet to relive (followed by an earnest attempt at Wicca-ry), I totally, totally am embarrassed to reveal that I read every single Sweet Valley High book that the Pacific Grove Library could provide. In high school. My only defense being that we had no TV. Well, we had a TV, but no cable. As in, instead of watching after school specials, I filled the cheesy teen-oriented media void with Francine Pascal's oeuvre.

I also couldn't get enough of the sex scenes in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. I wonder if I would be as excited to read it today as I was sophomore year?

Curiously, I never got into the Beat authors, although I was definitely surrounded by lifelong fans, living in Big Sur and all. Ayn Rand never spoke to me, either, but probably less due to her sociopath's philosophy, and more to her writing. (Says the girl engrossed in a Sweet Valley High tale.)

Comments

R-M said…
Way back in 1996, I stayed up late many a night to finish "The Mists of Avalon." Love it, I will not be ashamed of my literary tastes...even if it means fessing up that we really are kindred spirits given that Sweet Valley High (can we say special double bonus editions) was devoured in my formative literary years. Oh yeah...your post rocked my Monday and also made my cringe when I think about all the Cynthia Voigt books I read in my tween years!
10/4/12 07:40
Aralena said…
R-M, we share a lot of potentially embarrassing obsessions. Which I will not list here. ! (Okay, George Michael.)
10/4/12 14:34
Hannah said…
I never got into Sweet Valley High, but I loved Christopher Pike and these cheesy teen romances I called The Name Books because they all had women's names as the titles: Joanna, Susannah, Diana. They were so formulaic, but I ate them up.

I did read Ayn Rand in high school, just to do it. It's funny how many of the writers listed Ayn Rand as a high school embarrassment.
10/4/12 21:43
R-M said…
Um...two words re: potentially embarrassing obsessions...Patrick Swayze (i.e., pre-google internet searches).

And, I know I'm anticipating the following: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/diablo-cody-sweet-valley-high_n_1104888.html
11/4/12 06:09
Aralena said…
Hank, thank you for reminding me about dear, sweet Christopher Pike. I loved his crazy killer stories, too.

R-M: Patrick Swayze. YES. May he rest in peace. And thank you for the link to the Sweet Valley High film. I am excited.
20/4/12 15:34
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