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Paperback Crush
- Author
- Gabrielle Moss
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 30 October 2018
- Run Time
- 4 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
A hilarious and nostalgic trip through the history of paperback pre-teen series of the ’80s and ’90s
Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, s’hort, and utterly beloved.
Paperback Crush dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark. Listeners will discover (and fondly remember) girl-centric series on everything from correspondence (Pen Pals and Dear Diary) to sports (The Pink Parrots, Cheerleaders, and The Gymnasts) to a newspaper at an all-girls Orthodox Jewish middle school (The B.Y. Times) to a literal teen angel (Teen Angels: Heaven Can Wait, where an enterprising guardian angel named Cisco has to earn her wings “by helping the world’s sexist rock star”). Some were blatant ripoffs of the successful series (looking at you, Sleepover Friends and The Girls of Canby Hall), some were sick-lit tearjerkers à la Love Story (Abby, My Love), and some were just plain perplexing (Uncle Vampire?) But all of them represent that time gone by of girl-power and endless sessions of sustained silent reading.
In six hilarious chapters (Friends, Love, School, Family, Jobs, Terror, and Danger), Bustle Features Editor Gabrielle Moss takes the listener on a nostalgic tour of teen book covers of yore, digging deep into the history of the genre as well as the stories behind the best-known series.
Critics Review
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“Pays homage to the pastel-tinted golden years between Judy Blume and J.K. Rowling.”
Washington Post
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“A researched and nostalgic look back at what made the genre so successful, from cover art and feminist themes to fan favorite authors and publishers.”
Chicago Tribune
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“Paperback Crush will jog your memory in the loveliest possible way.”
Brit + Co
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“A love letter to and analysis of the books that an entire generation read voraciously.”
BuzzFeed News
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“A history lesson, sociological study, and nostalgia trip in one.”
Hello Giggles
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“Part history, part snark, part love letter to the past, Paperback Crush is the hilarious pop culture history book millennial readers have been waiting for.”
Bustle
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“YA history buffs and academics alike will want to read, reminisce, and chuckle through this fun but well-done work.”
School Library Journal (starred review)
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“Moss’ lovingly snarky writing style will fuel former teen-girl paperback readers’ appreciation.”
Booklist
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Details
- Author
- Gabrielle Moss
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller
- Duration
- 4 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 October 2018
- ISBN
- 9781982583996
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Humour collections and anthologies
Synopsis
A hilarious and nostalgic trip through the history of paperback pre-teen series of the ‘80s and ‘90sEvery twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved. Paperback Crush dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark. Listeners will discover (and fondly remember) girl-centric series on everything from correspondence (Pen Pals and Dear Diary) to sports (The Pink Parrots, Cheerleaders, and The Gymnasts) to a newspaper at an all-girls Orthodox Jewish middle school (The B.Y. Times) to a literal teen angel (Teen Angels: Heaven Can Wait, where an enterprising guardian angel named Cisco has to earn her wings “by helping the world’s sexist rock star”). Some were blatant ripoffs of the successful series (looking at you, Sleepover Friends and The Girls of Canby Hall), some were sick-lit tearjerkers à la Love Story (Abby, My Love), and some were just plain perplexing (Uncle Vampire?) But all of them represent that time gone by of girl-power and endless sessions of sustained silent reading.In six hilarious chapters (Friends, Love, School, Family, Jobs, Terror, and Danger), Bustle Features Editor Gabrielle Moss takes the listener on a nostalgic tour of teen book covers of yore, digging deep into the history of the genre as well as the stories behind the best-known series.
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