Food and Drink #27

[Into_the_tunnel]

Malory Towers and St Clare's. The idea of boarding school seemed so exciting! In fact, so much Enid Blyton...I went through all of The Famous Five, The Magic Faraway Tree, Amelia Jane the naughty doll...

Did anyone else read Paul Jennings? I don't know if he was as popular in the UK, but his books were incredible. He wrote short stories with mad twists, and some of them I still remember really vividly.

I didn’t remember reading them, but just googled them and the covers do ring a bell- maybe from the library though?

So, we never ever get any Enid Blyton or Ladybird books into the shop. EVER. Lots of David Walliams books though. My theory is that people hand them down and will never donate them because they loved them so much and just don’t have that attachment to the Walliams books (we do get some Roald Dahl books in though).

(never seen one JM book- which tells me her initial sales were so low they never really are around in enough numbers this small shop seeing one.. MH books come back with high frequency. I put them straight in the box that goes to the “unknown place that sells books for money but isn’t eBay.” I cannot face selling anyone a MH book of bollocks for £1.

 

[Vanelope]

The Chalet School. I don’t even think I was sure where the Tyrol was but I loved them and there were dozens of them.

I’m excited to get my old kids books down from the loft when they start reading longer books. Love the library, was a magic place. I got the same book on Greek mythology out maybe 29 times in a row. The tiny young adult section had one David Eddings book when I was about 10 and from then on was hooked on fantasy and sci fi.

 

[Pocahontas]

Does anyone else know this? One of my favourite childhood books.

Malory Towers and St Clare's. The idea of boarding school seemed so exciting! In fact, so much Enid Blyton...I went through all of The Famous Five, The Magic Faraway Tree, Amelia Jane the naughty doll...

Did anyone else read Paul Jennings? I don't know if he was as popular in the UK, but his books were incredible. He wrote short stories with mad twists, and some of them I still remember really vividly.

Yes!! He wrote the books that Round the Twist were based on. The early ones in the series were all in the books. I won one of them in a story writing competition! Loooove those books, have them all! And my oldest read them all too a couple of years ago.
Also loved the Magic Faraway Tree series too! Dreamed of going to the Land of Cakes.
Hilarious that they changed the children’s names from Dick and Fanny to Rick and Frannie or something - political correctness gone maaaaad

Sidey B, I loved Point Horror as well, and The Snowman was mega creepy - one of the first examples of a coercive controlling boyfriend in teen fiction ... as a snowman

MCMama - I loved Snugglepot and Cuddlepie when growing up. I always think Jack looks a bit like the Banksia men.

 

[MaineCoonMama]

Poca, one of my dad's friends has a tattoo sleeve of the gum nut babies. When he told me about her I thought she'd have a small, tasteful shoulder tattoo. Nope, big eff off sleeve including Banksia men, which yes, they do look like Jack!

 

[Pocahontas]

Poca, one of my dad's friends has a tattoo sleeve of the gum nut babies. When he told me about her I thought she'd have a small, tasteful shoulder tattoo. Nope, big eff off sleeve including Banksia men, which yes, they do look like Jack!

Wow, I love that! What a cool tattoo.

 

[colouredlines]

The Chalet School. I don’t even think I was sure where the Tyrol was but I loved them and there were dozens of them.

I’m excited to get my old kids books down from the loft when they start reading longer books. Love the library, was a magic place. I got the same book on Greek mythology out maybe 29 times in a row. The tiny young adult section had one David Eddings book when I was about 10 and from then on was hooked on fantasy and sci fi.

OMG I was OBSESSED with David Eddings when I was 10/11. I read those books so quickly, and my dad got really pissed off because I kept pestering him to take me to the book shop to buy the next one (our library had the Belgariad but not the Malloreon). I loved them so, so much.

Years later, when I discovered what a genuinely evil person he was, I was gutted, and I've never been able to reread them. I think there's an interesting debate about separating art and artist - certainly a lot of my favourite painters were crappy people - but I just can't stomach Eddings. It's a shame, I think rereading them would bring back a lot of happy memories from that particular time in my life.

 

[Into_the_tunnel]

Point Horror books were considered “low brow” by parentals (no ITV or Grange Hill remember ). But I was grudgingly allowed to read them.

There is an Instagram account I recently discovered (you have probably all known about it for ages) that reminisces about early 90s stuff. They were on about PH books the other day- the lifeguard came up frequently (squiggled to protect Mrs T’s identity).

 

[colouredlines]

Point Horror books were considered “low brow” by parentals (no ITV or Grange Hill remember ). But I was grudgingly allowed to read them.

There is an Instagram account I recently discovered (you have probably all known about it for ages) that reminisces about early 90s stuff. They were on about PH books the other day- the lifeguard came up frequently (squiggled to protect Mrs T’s identity).

View attachment 1370514

I never read Point Horror or Goosebumps - I had no appetite for horror (watched Serial Mom when I was far too young for it, nightmares for MONTHS, didn't realise it was actually a comedy until I was about 24 ).

My "low brow" reads were Sweet Valley and Babysitters' Club, which my parents thought were utter trash. I was mad into books as a kid, I read everything, but I used to hide those ones at the back of my desk.

 

[Into_the_tunnel]

I never read Point Horror or Goosebumps - I had no appetite for horror (watched Serial Mom when I was far too young for it, nightmares for MONTHS, didn't realise it was actually a comedy until I was about 24 ).

My "low brow" reads were Sweet Valley and Babysitters' Club, which my parents thought were utter trash. I was mad into books as a kid, I read everything, but I used to hide those ones at the back of my desk.

They drew the line at Flowers in the Attic. I had to read that in the school library.

They were blissfully unaware with me bringing the likes of Wild Swans and The Regeneration Trilogy home with me.

.

 

[Pocahontas]

My "low brow" reads were Sweet Valley and Babysitters' Club, which my parents thought were utter trash. I was mad into books as a kid, I read everything, but I used to hide those ones at the back of my desk.

Same, SVH was always deemed as racy cos they had boyfriends. Which leads us to Judy Blume ... definite back of the drawer books.

 

[Vanelope]

OMG I was OBSESSED with David Eddings when I was 10/11. I read those books so quickly, and my dad got really pissed off because I kept pestering him to take me to the book shop to buy the next one (our library had the Belgariad but not the Malloreon). I loved them so, so much.

Years later, when I discovered what a genuinely evil person he was, I was gutted, and I've never been able to reread them. I think there's an interesting debate about separating art and artist - certainly a lot of my favourite painters were crappy people - but I just can't stomach Eddings. It's a shame, I think rereading them would bring back a lot of happy memories from that particular time in my life.

Oh no…. Is he evil

Childhood crushed

 

[Pocahontas]

They drew the line at Flowers in the Attic. I had to read that in the school library.

They were blissfully unaware with me bringing the likes of Wild Swans and The Regeneration Trilogy home with me.

.

Have you read My Sweet Audrina? And Heaven - so dark and so racy, utter melodrama

 

[MaineCoonMama]

I never read Point Horror or Goosebumps - I had no appetite for horror (watched Serial Mom when I was far too young for it, nightmares for MONTHS, didn't realise it was actually a comedy until I was about 24 ).

My "low brow" reads were Sweet Valley and Babysitters' Club, which my parents thought were utter trash. I was mad into books as a kid, I read everything, but I used to hide those ones at the back of my desk.

I read Sweet Valley High, omg. They were long hot summer one-book-a-day reads. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. They were kind of trash, haha. I was also reading true crime and horror at the time so they were my before bed books. I also discovered Jackie Collins around that time after finding one on the bookshelf at my baby sitting job.

 

[Into_the_tunnel]

Have you read My Sweet Audrina? And Heaven - so dark and so racy, utter melodrama

No. Should I? Would it make me want to visit a Tesco say?

 

[Emmapism]

I've always been into what people would consider more low brow stuff. Horizons expanded at uni with my English degree but I'm a big proponent of the idea that you like what you like. The best books are the ones you enjoy reading.

I just finished a great true crime read called American Predator, can recommend if you like that sort of thing.

 

[Pocahontas]

No. Should I? Would it make me want to visit a Tesco say?

Sadly doubt you’d find them in a Tesco, melodramatic family sagas are too spicy for one of the big fours (and too dated )

 

[Vanelope]

I googled and had no idea.
I haven’t read them in a while - as an older reader i saw the weaknesses and derivative ideas and also how one was almost a carbon copy of the other.

I know - art and artist separation - but … no

 

[colouredlines]

I read Sweet Valley High, omg. They were long hot summer one-book-a-day reads. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. They were kind of trash, haha. I was also reading true crime and horror at the time so they were my before bed books. I also discovered Jackie Collins around that time after finding one on the bookshelf at my baby sitting job.

Elizabeth was terrible, she was supposed to be the good one but she cheated on Todd at every opportunity!

Oh no…. Is he evil

Childhood crushed

TBH I had gone off him a bit when I read The Rivan Codex, which is all about how he wrote the Belgariad. It's very smug and self-congratulatory. But then I found out that...

Spoiler: TW: child abuse (in other words yes, he was evil)

He and his wife both went to prison for abusing their adopted children. Not sexually, but they beat them with belt buckles and locked their son in a dog cage for hours on end. They only served a year in prison each, and lost custody of the children. There are some fans who insist it wasn't them, but a different D and L Eddings in the same town, but the evidence is pretty clear.

Amazingly, this was BEFORE he found success as an author.

 

[Into_the_tunnel]

I've always been into what people would consider more low brow stuff. Horizons expanded at uni with my English degree but I'm a big proponent of the idea that you like what you like. The best books are the ones you enjoy reading.

I just finished a great true crime read called American Predator, can recommend if you like that sort of thing.

Oh, I hope I haven’t offended you . I only used the term “low brow” as a tongue in cheek saying. MH is the only author I scoff at in the shop (Jack isn’t an author btw).Oh, and John Grisham because I am expected to remember everything he has ever written ever (he does have a different series called Camino Islands which are shorter and more accessible in my opinion).

I completely agree with you like what you like. When I worked in the library, I became obsessed with books about plane crashes and read them in my break.

Sadly doubt you’d find them in a Tesco, melodramatic family sagas are too spicy for one of the big fours (and too dated )

I might try anyway. It’s always worth seeing what you could find in the local Tesco metro express.

 

[Lurkeryaar]

. Which leads us to Judy Blume ... definite back of the drawer books.

Forever
Loved the Faraway Three, loved the boarding school serieses, loved the Babysitter's Club, loved Point Horror (was there Point Crime too?)...loved reading when I was young. Then moved up to Stephen King I need to read more now!!