Nobody Asked Me/Giveaway: Childhood Favorites
So lately I've been feeling a bit sentimental about the books of my past. You know the ones, they are the ones that first sparked your love. Maybe you were like me, addicted to lemon jolly ranchers and a little boy crazy, thinking that Christopher Pike was THE best author around. Sweet Valley High was a thing of the past, and I was just starting to poke around VC Andrews. So today, I want to talk to you about my favorite books when blogging about books was, well... non-existent. Hello?!?! We are talking the late 80s here, no internet!!!
Ok, Sweet Valley High. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (yes, I totally had to just look that up). At the time, these girls were so awesome. One was preppy and one was a bit wild. And every edition had me at the edge of my seat, and totally fed my need for teenage drama. But sadly, other than that, these stories didn't really stick with me. Same with The Babysitter's Club. Cutesy stories, but nothing really memorable in the long run. So what was memorable for me? 
That is an easy answer. Christopher Pike. I saved all my money to go to B. Dalton's bookstore in the mall, anxiously looking for a new book. I got rid of most of them as the years went on, but some I kept and they are still some of my most treasured books. Which ones, you ask?Chain Letter! I can still picture Alison running through the not yet completed condo complex with bare feet, running from she doesn't know who, but knowing she was in some trouble!! 
Next on the list, Weekend! Shani, Robin, Park, Flynn, Lena... ok, mostly Shani. That chick was awesome. I used to fancy myself a writer in my teen years, and Shani was inspiration for so many stories that I wrote. Hell, Christopher Pike was an inspiration!
But wait, there's more! How about Slumber Party? I totally flashback to Laura running, trying to get away... finding scorch parks in the snow, freezing to death and thinking, "Why the hell not?" as she pees on her hands to get warm. LOL! The things you remember, right? 
But my VERY favorite Christopher Pike book was Remember Me. Shari Cooper: did she commit suicide or was she murdered? This girl was so awesome, I fell in love with her. She was able to go into dreams, like her brother's who dreamed in black and white... but wait, so did Amanda! And Pete holding onto the top of an ice cream truck. *sigh* Good good times. 
But there was one more book, possibly lesser known. I still have my tattered copy that I bought from a yard sale. The Grounding Of Group Six by Julian F Thompson. This is the story of six teens whose parents send them to a summer camp of sorts. They kind of figure its a camp for misfit kids when they realize their group is different from everyone elses. So Nat, their camp counsellor type guy, takes them out into the woods for their trip. But the group grows close. And the secret comes out. Their parents aren't going to be there to pick them up when camp is over BECAUSE THEY'VE PAID TO HAVE THEM KILLED!!! OMG seriously, this book was beyond wonderful. I might have to reread it soon :) So this post is getting kind of long. I won't get into Flowers In the Attic or the Heaven series by VC Andrews, but you can be assured that I lost many night of sleep staying up late at night reading these. Plus I was also a big Stephen King fan, at the time I had made sure I read every single book of his, no matter how much they scared me - and I loved every minute. But these are the books that shaped my reading habits as an adult, and I love them more than words. So how about it guys? What did you read when you were younger? Do you still have any of your old copies?I'm doing a giveaway on this post, just cause I always do, although its not really relevant to THIS post. It's a swag giveaway of Mandy M Roth, Michelle Pillow and Raven Books items, since my other post (above this one! HERE) is an interview I was lucky enough to do with Mandy M Roth. So be sure to check that out, you can get extra points for visiting both posts!Giveaway is International. I will pick a winner next Thursdaya Rafflecopter giveaway
Ok, Sweet Valley High. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (yes, I totally had to just look that up). At the time, these girls were so awesome. One was preppy and one was a bit wild. And every edition had me at the edge of my seat, and totally fed my need for teenage drama. But sadly, other than that, these stories didn't really stick with me. Same with The Babysitter's Club. Cutesy stories, but nothing really memorable in the long run. 
That is an easy answer. Christopher Pike. I saved all my money to go to B. Dalton's bookstore in the mall, anxiously looking for a new book. I got rid of most of them as the years went on, but some I kept and they are still some of my most treasured books. Which ones, you ask?
Next on the list, Weekend! Shani, Robin, Park, Flynn, Lena... ok, mostly Shani. That chick was awesome. I used to fancy myself a writer in my teen years, and Shani was inspiration for so many stories that I wrote. Hell, Christopher Pike was an inspiration!
But wait, there's more! How about Slumber Party? I totally flashback to Laura running, trying to get away... finding scorch parks in the snow, freezing to death and thinking, "Why the hell not?" as she pees on her hands to get warm. LOL! The things you remember, right? 
But there was one more book, possibly lesser known. I still have my tattered copy that I bought from a yard sale. The Grounding Of Group Six by Julian F Thompson. This is the story of six teens whose parents send them to a summer camp of sorts. They kind of figure its a camp for misfit kids when they realize their group is different from everyone elses. So Nat, their camp counsellor type guy, takes them out into the woods for their trip. But the group grows close. And the secret comes out. Their parents aren't going to be there to pick them up when camp is over BECAUSE THEY'VE PAID TO HAVE THEM KILLED!!! OMG seriously, this book was beyond wonderful. I might have to reread it soon :) 
