#Especially Ruby Redfort 13 Treasures The Declaration and Uglies

[oohlook-thevoid]

Ok I’ve literally been unable to stop thinking about all the books I loved as a kid so I’m going make a list of like my favourite childhood (meaning stuff I read from yr 1 to yr 8 roughly) book series/authors because I can (with like random anecdotes relating to them for some). And maybe if it’s out the brain I can start chilling again. (I’m fairly certain this will be long as hell)

Ruby Redfort - Lauren Child I have several memories relating to these books because THEY ARE THE BEST. Ok, so first memory is how I got into them. My town has a local lit fest and the year this first RR book came out, Lauren Child came and did a talk there. I went with my mum and it was super cool, I got the first book (signed!) and fell in love with the series. I also remember she gave away a like unfinished copy of the book to another girl in the audience. She also spoke about how the author of the RR books mentioned in Clarice Bean had given her permission to write about the character and I believed her; like me and my mum left and I was like going on about how I wanted to read the other books and then it turned out they weren’t real. Also that year I dressed up as Ruby for World Book Day at school: I wore this hand me down slogan tee with ‘so over it’ on and a hairgrip with a plastic fly glued to it. The other strong memory of the books I have is actually to do with them. Y’know the scene (in I think it’s book 2) where Ruby’s hiding and she describes hearing the tap of Italian leather shoes and you know it’s The Count. Like that scene makes me lose my shit everyday I remember it, like I had major chills when I read it. 

The Declaration trilogy - Gemma Malley

13 Treasures trilogy - Michelle Harrison 

My Secret Unicorn - Linda Chapman

Stardust - Linda Chapman I distinctly remember I returned one of the books from this series to the library. When I went to take something out next I was told I hadn’t returned it. I went and checked and found it on the shelf. That was the beginning of my dislike for the local librarians (the rest occurred when I did work experience there many years later).

Rainbow Magic - Daisy Meadows I absolutely adored this books as a kid. There was one in particular (the one about the fairy w/ the same name as me) that I treasured. It was my comfort book and if something was up with me it was obvious because I was reading that book again. Unfortunately I decided I was grown up and gave them all away a few years ago which sucks coz I could do with my comfort book again.  Another thing, recently I looked these books up for some reason and discovered Daisy Meadows is a pseudonym for multiple authors and that one of the writers was in fact LINDA CHAPMAN of several other of my fave childhood book series. Absolutely wild.

Dolphin Diaries - Lucy Daniels Guesss what? It’s another pseudonym in children’s literature. Turns out Dolphin Diaries was written by Ben M. Baglio. I’m beginning to think my entire childhood was a lie. 

Tiara Club - Vivian French

Sophie Mckenzie books I’m not sure if this was in one of her books but I do remember that around the time I was reading all her books I read a book where and American character ended up in London. She was in the bathroom and she heard a local person talking and went off on one (in the narrative) about how this person should move to the USA where her accent would be appreciated. To this day, weirdest scene I’ve read. I hated it. But I loved Sophie Mckenzie’s books. 

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld In year 8 we had a booklet of extracts we were studying. The final extract of the booklet was from Uglies which, coincidentally, I had recently read (as had one of my friends). Unfortunately, we never studied it in class. Largely because, whilst he was strict and scary as hell, the teacher we had was super easy to distract. He was ex-army so all someone had to do was bring that up and he’d go off on one for ages. There was also another lesson where somehow the class ended up discussing spongebob for most of the hour. 

Jacqueline Wilson books I mean, I wouldn’t be a British girl if I hadn’t read a ridiculous number of Jacqueline Wilson books; Hetty Feather was my favourite. Also, in like year 5, I lent my copy of Dustin Baby to a girl in my class. Never got that book back. 

Enid Blyton books Specifically the boarding school ones (St. Clares, Malory Towers and Naughtiest Girl). I actually used to get the Naughtiest Girl books instead of money from the tooth fairy. I guess my parents must have got the box set cheap and decided that this was a good idea. And tbh it was. 

Lady Grace Mysteries - Grave Cavendish Another case of a pseudonym - Grace Cavendish was the main character, not the actual author. Anyway, I read this when I was in like yr 4 which was also a time when I couldn’t sleep well and I was awake a lot (idk why). My parents, not having technology to blame for problems as they do for my brothers now, decided these books were to blame and banned me from reading them. So that was fun. 

Gwyneth Rees books My year 1 teacher (who was, like, the best) got me into these books, that’s it.

Meg Cabot books So, I really only got into these books because two of my friends loved them. These two friends would often wander off w/o the rest of the group to talk about boys and their crushes. That’s mildly relevant, the point is I read these books (and did enjoy them) purely because one of those friends liked them and I had a crush on her (not that I actually realised that at the time). 

An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series - Chanda Hahn

Iron Fey series - Julie Kagawa Both this series and the one above were the specific genre I was reading when I was 12/13. Like books where a girl is not normal and there’s a mean broody fae love interest with black hair and blue eyes was my shit back in the day, I was reading many series like it but these two are the ones I still have positive thoughts on. Anyway, I distinctly remember reading books like this and listening to Taylor Swift constantly. I was like trying to bond with my friends like yeah my type has black hair and blue eyes (coincidentally a similar appearance to a guy who asked me out around the time, we’re not going into that mess though but I didn’t date him, we’ll leave it at that). Anyway, more than anything these books combined with Taylor Swift songs was my way of staving of the realisation I’m gay and of trying to make myself straight. It clearly wasn’t that effective. 

House of Night series - P.C. & Kristin Cast

Vampire Academy + Bloodlines - Richelle Mead I had these series on my nook. I read them way too much purely because it was easy to. Now, my nook is broken and the account inaccessible so they’re lost to the ether. 

Jackson Pearce books Oh god. Ok, so when I read Sisters Red, it was the first book I’d read with swearing in. I remember going to my mum and being like there’s a swear word because I wasn’t sure I was allowed to read that and I didn’t want to be found out and end up in trouble. So that was fun to.

Fantastic Diary of Bathsheba Clarice de Trop series - Leila Rasheed

Sita Brahmachari books Artichoke Hearts in particular, I just remember loving it and then reading all her other books that were in the school library. 

Rose series - Holly Webb

We were liars - E. Lockhart So this is one of the only stand alones here but I have to mention it. In drama we had to sit and read quietly as the teacher went through the register and called us up to see our exercise books. I was reading this book. I also happened to finish it before I was called up. I was crying, knowing I’d have to talk to my teacher in a few minutes trying to not look like I’d been bawling.  

Cathy Cassidy books

Thora series - Gillian Johnson

Journey to the River Sea - Iva Ibbotson

A year without Autumn - Liz Kessler