What to do, what to do? When I was hit with the idea to start this mission, one that had never even made it onto my bucket list, I thought it would be pretty easy. I have picked up and put down Sweet Valley High books on many occasions while out thrift store shopping. I'd pick them up out of nostalgia but put them back down out of disinterest, after all, I'd quit reading them 15 years ago. 15 years? Has it really been that long? Since I've read one in ernest, yes it has. I read one once a few years ago out of boredom, waiting for my mom to get out of a church meeting, but before that, it was probably somewhere back in Jr. high.
When I decided to do this, I didn't really have a plan, so I just announced it over my facebook profile and hoped people would come forth with their used books. People have offered their comments, offered their support (one friend told me what I'm doing is awesome) but nobody has offered me their complete collection. The truth is, I don't know anybody that had a complete collection. My cousin Kelly was close though. I'd go to her house and just see them lined up on a shelf above her desk. We'd hang out and read when we were talking about boys...Kelly was cool enough to have boyfriends, I was not. Of course I wasn't, I was reading Sweet Valley High books. But even Kelly quit reading them after awhile and the ones she had were of the old school, when the twins wore matching necklaces and drove their mom's Fiat. I still don't know how it ends, but I'm coming across titles about arrests and deceit and it seems so un-Sweet Valley and not true to the original format at all. Val-asphemy, I say!
Obviously, I was hoping to keep my costs minimal, hoping for donations from kind souls who's mom's stored their books in the attack to be passed down to future generations; the future is now! I'm coming along ok, but I have yet to hit the mother load, the lot that I know is out there, some kid whose collection, the entire series got given away, perhaps unknowingly? I know it's out there. I'm in it, feet first. I have people (mainly my friend Linda and her mom, who are experts at deals and sales) on it. And now my question is...
Do I read them as I get them, or do I try to assemble the entire set first? The original goal was to read them from 1 to 144, in sequential order, but I've already broken that but it's cool because it truly is what Jessica Wakefield would do. But do I hold out hope as I still have a thrift store mission to go on and three used books stores to hit? I've been unlucky thrifting so far, but I always am when I have a purpose. Do I read now, or do I wait? I have no idea how long it's going to take me to find them all; I don't even have titles for them all. I need your help, friends. Word is there is a Sweet Valley High movie coming out and I don't want the film to spoil the dramatic ending. So help me on my mission, spread the word, and about all else, don't hate, donate!!!
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