In this, the time of corona, some people are killing time by embarking on new hobbies. I’m a proud member of the sourdough nation, i.e., those weirdoughs (bread pun!) making homemade starter and bread. I’ve gotten back into adult coloring and, relevant to this review, I’ve taken up reading the first novels of the Babysitters-club books on Facebook live. You miiiiight wonder how exactly I got to here.
My favorite podcast, Literary Disco, is doing their part to raise spirits by cranking out more episodes to entertain and enlighten. Recently, they read the first Baby-sitters Club book which was quite a hoot. (I was intrigued overall, never having read the series in my youth, though I’ve seen the AMAZING MOVIE). Flash forward to hanging on Facetime with some friends and I grabbed a nearby romance novel to read an excerpt to them, as I am the consummate entertainer. They were tickled, and I pondered doing a reading to more folks but was smartly nudged not to do so as it could malign the genre. Soooo what’s a girl to do?
Well, this girl ordered the “retro set” tin from Amazon and posted in her newsfeed that she was going live on Facebook to read it, and provide color commentary. Let’s get this out of the way: definitely don’t have the copyright, so bootlegging myself out there I suppose, but it’s not a cash grab and literally like 8 people are watching at any given time.
I read the first book in 4 1/2 hours over three days and y’all, it was an experience. (Partly because I made it a drinking game wherein I had to drink everytime they said “baby-sitters club” in the book and I have NEVER read a book that referenced the title SO. MUCH). This book has eeeeeverything: young entrepreneurs, petty tween drama, divorce, a six-year-old inexplicably called “David Michael,” the neighborhood witch amazingly named “Morbidda Destiny” and positively delicious 90s fashion.
Most of my commentary is centered on counting the ways in which Kristy, queen bee of the sitters and president of the titular club, is a brat and should have been sent to her room a million times, especially BEFORE getting to finish the leftover twinkies (Also, how are twinkies leftovers?!). Plus there is a cool girl new-to-town who refuses to eat candy and her mother is LYING for her and what is her DEAL?! During such a nightmare hellscape, reading such a silly lighthearted book is balm for the soooul. Also, now is a good time to brush up as there is now a graphic novel series and a Netflix series in the works (!!) wherein 90s Clueless goddess Alicia Silverstone is set to play…Kristy’s mom!
The next installment of my illicit reading is coming up tomorrow (Wednesday) night wherein I’ll be onto the next book…Claudia and the Phantom Calls (!)