When we first bought the Kindle Fire we downloaded a bunch
of classic works: Dracula,
Frankenstein, Moby Dick and various Fairy Tale books. (Also known as the FREE
BOOKS.) Then I discovered that you could read a sample for various books. I’m a
sucker for a sample reading. Even if I didn’t like a bound book, I will read
the included sample of a new book.
So I downloaded the sample file for the Francine Pascal
book, Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years later. I figured, eh! If it’s only
ten pages, I can stop after ten pages. No big deal!
I forgot that the world of Sweet Valley is literary crack.
When I was younger, I read through the canon of Elizabeth
and Jessica Wakefield: Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, The Unicorn Club,
Sweet Valley High. I even tried to read Sweet Valley University and the
Elizabeth Series, but Enid made me so mad I couldn’t go on. (That reminds me,
Amy, just in case I damaged your SVU spine - I’m really sorry that I threw your
book across the room.) I love the Sweet Valley High serial that starts with A
Night to Remember and culminates with book 100: The Evil Twin. Those books
still reside on my bookshelf along with The Wakefields of Sweet Valley, one and
two.
Ok. Fine. The Sweet Valley game is there, too. And I can
still sing the song from the commercial. Are you happy now that you’ve pulled
that information out of me?
My first Kindle book purchase was Sweet Valley Confidential:
Ten Years later. It hurts me to say it.
I bring this all up because I recently realized that my
whole concept of California is based on several flawed images.
1)
Sweet Valley books
2)
L.A. Story
3)
Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion
4)
Saved by the Bell
5)
Charmed
6)
Three’s Company
7)
Lyrics from Beach Boys music
Taken individually, there is no harm. There are good and bad
qualities for each example that can be debated in a later forum.
Taken together and you have visions of balmy 72 degree days
on the palm lined beach. Blondes with lovely surfer tans and roller skates. Guys with too
much hair gel, convertibles and large cell phones.
That can’t be reality, right?
Lyric stuck in my head: I just want to see some palm trees.
