
My latest obsession: Collecting teen romance novels from the 1980s, particularly the original Sweet Valley High paperback series. To this day their covers evoke the scent of Aquanet hairspray and the pop metal clatter of early Bon Jovi keyboard hits. The books were full of drama, alluring storytelling, and boy trouble like no teen I knew could create. I wanted to be a Wakefield twin and go to Sweet Valley High classes in my Jordache jeans and pass notes to the twins. I have memories of staring at the wall of white SVH spines at the mall bookstore and selecting titles that were completely out of order. My fourteen-year-old self wanted to lose herself in Jessica and Elizabeth’s lives. These books, and the shelves of young adult covers I’ve collected, bring me back to a magical time of innocence and wonder…and wondering about boys.