Teen reads

Following on from childhood reads, it's time for my teen reads. I'm a little fuzzy on exact reading dates, so some of these might be childhood reads, but ho-hum.

As an early teen, there were four book series I mainly bought. Firstly, the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine - these were the predecessor to me buying Point Horror books (another of the series). I *hated* the ones with the ventriloquist dummies - soooooo creepy! From what I recall, I liked the one set in Egypt where the mummies came to life - I think the kid was called Gabe - and the one where the kid swapped bodies with a bee. LOL. Anyone else read these?

Another of the series was The Baby-sitter's Club books by Ann M. Martin - I loved the New York Special - and my favourite characters were probably... actually, I have no idea now! I'd say Kristy or Mallory, but I don't think my thirteen year old self thought that: I think my favourite was Stacey back then, maybe Dawn! And then there were the Sweet Valley books. From Sweet Valley Twins to University, I couldn't get enough of the Wakefield twins! Oh, and The Unicorn Club!

I suddenly feel quite juvenile! Moving on! Two other authors that spring to mind are Bill Bryson and J.K. Rowling. I was eleven when Harry Potter was first published, but started reading the books aged thirteen. It was just before Prisoner of Azkaban was published - coincidentally that became my favourite Harry Potter book, and I recall reading it for the very first time on Christmas Day. I was fourteen when I started reading Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island was my first book of his I ever, and I've read him ever since.

When I was about sixteen, I started reading Robert Rankin books. I can't remember why - I think I spotted them in a bookshop, and was attracted by the covers. My first read of Rankin's was Snuff Fiction, which I still love now. Then it was onto the likes of Bridget Jones, Adrian Mole, and Ben Elton books - Dead Famous was my first Elton read. It's funny how I didn't develop my love of chick lit until I was twenty-one - I much preferred travel writing and comedic far-fetched fiction like Elton's and Rankin's.

I'm sure I'm missing some essential teen reads out, so what were *your* teen reads? Maybe you can jog my memory! What do you recall reading?