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Original poster

Can I start a thread about nostalgic Young Adult/Children's books we used to read in the 80s/90s?

136 replies

guineaholic11 · 16/11/2017 01:28

I love going to second hand bookshops or charity shops and browsing the children's sections to see if I can spot any books I used to love reading then?

I used to love anything by Jean Ure, (anyone remember the Peter High school series she wrote?) Anne Digby's Trebizon series, Noel Streatfield, Antonia Forrest's school books with the Marlowes, and endless pony books by Patricia Leitch (anyone remember Jinny and her Arab horse Shantih?) Also went through a serious Sweet Valley phase...goodness knows why, looking back those books were full of fat shaming and bitchiness!

OP posts:
BabCNesbitt · 21/11/2017 16:17

@KeithLeMonde, that should have been. Oh, for an edit function here.

BabCNesbitt · 21/11/2017 16:16

N@KeithLeMonde I have Beginners’ Love on my shelf here, right next to Tunes for a Small Harmonica by Barbara Wersba (another Pan Horizons title)! The latter is my comfort read; whenever I’m in a reading slump, I reread it and it gets me into reading again.

SimplySte · 16/11/2017 12:20

@Ballyhoobird Hehe, Eddings and music were my escape from reality (which was shit), I loved those books, I have them all as both ebooks and audiobooks. They, along with R.A. Salvatore's amazing collection are as good today as they were over 20 years ago.

The Belinda Carlisle and MeatLoaf albums are still pretty good too!

Ballyhoobird · 16/11/2017 12:05

😆*SimplySte are you me?

aaahhhBump · 16/11/2017 11:47

The point horror unleashed series. Blood sinister and The Vanished by Cecelia Reese and In Spirit by Nick Turnbull. Annette Curtis Klaus Blood and Chocolate and the Silver Kiss. LJ Smith's series Forbidden game, Vampire Diaries, Secret Circle, Dark Visions and Night World.

Lots of horror.

KeithLeMonde · 16/11/2017 11:36

Oh plus

Margaret Mahy (The Changeover, The Tricksters - I loved those)
Diana Wynne Jones (started these when I just started secondary school - Crestomanci series :) )

KeithLeMonde · 16/11/2017 10:44

YES! I ended up doing a search for a set of books that I loved as a teen, they were Pan Horizons. Just looking at the covers in a google search brought back the feeling of excitement when I spotted a new one in the library that I hadn't read.

I also loved Lois Duncan, Paula Danziger etc.

Francine Pascal (not Sweet Valley but I loved "Hanging Out With Cici").

Jean Ure.
"My Darling My Hamburger" - anyone read that?

Easy Connection/Easy Freedom

Also did anyone read "Beginners Love" by Norma Klein? Like "Forever" but fruitier!

NannyR · 16/11/2017 09:33

I used to love reading
Judy Blume
Nancy Drew mysteries
Paula Danziger (the cat ate my gymsuit etc)
Chalet school, trebizon, malory towers, any boarding school books really
Choose-your-own-adventure books

TossDaily · 16/11/2017 09:30

I used to love Lois Duncan, Betsy Byars and Judy Blume.

I was also a bit of a fan of the Sweet Dreams series.

modifiedmummy13 · 16/11/2017 09:24

Jinny and Shantih! I’d forgot all about them! Rushing onto Amazon now...

I also loved:
The Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer
Malory Towers, The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton
Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh
Truckers, Diggers and Wings by Terry Pratchett
The Box of Delights by John Masefield
Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary
Anything by Judy Blume

Walking down memory lane now, thank you! 😍

SimplySte · 16/11/2017 01:57

I read all the David Eddings books while listening to Belinda Carlisle and Meatloaf on repeat Blush