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Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesEpisode #80: THE GIRL THEY BOTH LOVEDIt's another mis-titled misadventure of random characters, and this time All Time Favorite guest Don Flaxbart is here to simultaneously despise the book and read deep into the twisted heart of its male lead. A thrilling, dirt-bike filled mega finale to Season 8 of Sweet Valley Diaries! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2023-11-091h 30Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesCatch Up With: ROBIN WILSON (and Book 46: DECISIONS Replay)Episode 74 has been delayed by a week, so this seemed like a great time to try something new! Marissa catches you up on a character's arc over the series. In this case, Robin Wilson, whose first appearance in Book 4 made a thud so resounding that it's echoed through the entire series. Robin is the star of Book 74, so why not get up to speed by listening to her most recent star turn, in Book 46: DECISIONS, which is replayed following Marissa's dissertation on Robin.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2023-08-031h 19Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #73: I Don't Know If This Was Handled WellAs our first Gen Z guest, Phoebe explains the concept of "Warrior Cats" to Marissa. Also, how is Sweet Valley High like the Duggar Family? What's Jessica really up to? And more questions Marissa's guests can't stop asking her/answering for her.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2023-07-2719 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #62: The Valentine's Day DanceMarissa and Julia compare notes on their respective high school dance experiences; 20-year-old crush gossip is spilled.Sweet Valley Diaries on Instagram and TwitterMarissa's Substack, MetaforiaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2022-03-1714 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #61: BOY TROUBLEPatty Gilbert is having a scheduling nightmare! Her boyfriend is home from college for the first time in a month...and her sister is home from NorCal for the first time in 6 months! This is a bigger crisis than it sounds like. Also, there are handpainted t-shirts in this one.Marissa Wasseluk returns to mark this auspicious Season 7 premiere!Follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTokSubscribe to Marissa's Substack, MetaforiaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2022-02-241h 09Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSUPER STAR: LILA'S STORYPicture this: it's December 1989. You're at the Walden Books inside the mall. As you browse the latest soapy middle-grade serials, what to your wondering eyes should appear but an ENTIRE book all about the elusive, elegant, rich, and endlessly scheming Lila Fowler. Your favorite character in the Sweet Valley High series.Fast forward: it's 22 years later, and two Elder Millennials named Marissa are going to retell the story of this very important novel to you.HAPPY HOLIDAYS, GLADIATORS!Thanks to guest reader Marissa Wasseluk and Purple Planet Music.Advertising Inquiries...2021-12-231h 33Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #56: LOST AT SEAPart island fantasy, part survival guide, part extra credit assignment, LOST AT SEA is the first Sweet Valley High novel to feature a character getting lost at sea, assumed dead. Professional science enthusiast Haley Tubbs joins Marissa to dig into this book and what it has to say about the true nature of Winston Egbert. Fun! Watch Haley on the Tappity Kids' Science App! What is a predicate adjective? (strap in, kids) What is a Gilligan's Island? What is a bandeau? Subscribe to Marissa's newsletter, Metaforia....2021-07-291h 01Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Thriller #3: NO PLACE TO HIDESURPRISE! Did we spook ya? Marissa is joined by fellow 80s/90s juvenile lit series aficionados and podcasters Jack Shepherd and Tanner Greenring of the Baby-Sitters Club Club. The meddling twins are back, and so is Nicholas Morrow! This one has it all: possible ghosts, jealous painters, mayoral races, Ronoma County...prepare to be thrilled, yet again!   Listen to Marissa on BSCC's "Sweet Sweet Valley Boys" Interlude Vandelay Industries supercut  DoesTheDogDie.com Jet Li’s THE ONE (2001) Babysitters Club Club Podcast Feed BSCC Little Sister Patr...2021-07-151h 15Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #55: PERFECT SHOTDad's back to talk hoops! Marissa is joined by her father, Don, to discuss Shelley Novak. Who's she? Who, for that matter, is Jim Roberts? Cathy Ulrich? Greg Hilliard? Anybody? No? Sweet Valley High contains multitudes, people. This week, learn about the world that includes some of the girls' basketball team, a talented photographer, and a sexy young dance instructor. Listen and learn of them!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-07-0257 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #54: TWO-BOY WEEKENDThe title of this book makes a promise, and that promise is kept in ways both thrilling and hilarious. Also somewhat harrowing. Teya Patt (FOR ALL MANKIND) joins Marissa for the play-by-play of this masterpiece of juvenile (?!) fiction. CW for stalker-y, abusive behavior...but as ever, it's all deliciously over the top and (spoiler alert) everything's fine in the end.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-06-171h 07Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #53: Seizing the Day is Totally BeatCW: Mom death Marissa opens up about why, despite her lack of tennis skill, she found herself relating deeply to Kristin Thompson. Other topics of conversation: enjoying your life on your own terms, the overabundance of straight girls at SVHS, Bruce Patman's sudden interest in Jazz, and getting in trouble for coming home late. Featuring Katie LaDue!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-06-1022 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #53: SECOND CHANCEThe Parade of Randos marches on, but this time around, the plot is not so predictable. Will a soon-to-be tennis pro throw it all away over Bruce Patman? The answer may surprise you! Or, if not the answer, at least the question. Katie LaDue is back and we're talking about Kristin Thompson's SECOND CHANCE. SVD on Instagram Marissa's Weekly Newsletter Eric Andre's BAD TRIP If only I had known: Pacey's "little brother" was named BUZZ!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-06-0459 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Thriller #2: ON THE RUNSURPRISE! Just to keep things spicy, we're returning to the Super Thriller series, where the Wakefield twins are still slaving away (literally!) at the News. Murders are on the rise, and all the new kids are from Ohio. Superfriend Nick Riley is Marissa's guest, and together they marvel at Elizabeth's illicit new crush, Jessica's annoying new bestie, and the impressive neighborliness of Sweet Valley citizens.   Marissa's weekly newsletter, Metaforia Sweet Valley High Subreddit (go post about SVD there!) Trailer for The Living Daylights  Advertising Inquiries: https://red...2021-05-211h 29Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #52: I Guess It's Okay to Go Home with John for Now?Marissa and guest reader Dr. Daniel Okobi tackle, but don't really answer, a big-but-vague question: Is John Pfeifer a good guy in this book? Also: Jessica's Philosophy on Men, and what's up with this new tennis girl? * * * There's a new Sweet Valley Diaries podpage!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-05-1319 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #52: WHITE LIESIf you're expecting a book titled WHITE LIES to be a cold, hard look at the exclusionary racial culture of Sweet Valley, California...well, keep waiting. The white lies in question here are all about a sweet sophomore, her ill-advised love affair with bad-boy Rick Andover, her sick father, and the sports writer who indirectly causes a rift between them all. Also, Elizabeth is involved. Dr. Daniel Okobi joins Marissa to investigate this twisting tale, Ricks Who've Wronged Us,  HIPAA violations, and, of course, the recorder. Metropolitan (1990) Coronary Intervention This is all I...2021-05-061h 14Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #51: So You're Raising a JessicaMarissa and Mary consider the realism of gritty 1980s teen gambling. Is it harder or easier for a kid to get into money troubles in the 2020s?  And another thing: what do these supposedly “ugly” earrings of Jessica’s look like? And where can I buy them? Should Jessica have a low-balance credit card? These and other questions explored, if not answered, in this extended exploration of themes from Sweet Valley High Book 51, AGAINST THE ODDS. VSafeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-04-2927 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Edition #6: SPRING FEVERThe Wakefields have had spring and summer treks to NorCal, Malibu, France...and now, the icing on the cake: Walkersville, Kansas. How will these small town rubes handle the Blonde Invasion? As guest Megan Keller and Marissa are here to tell you: poorly. They handle it poorly.   Season 6 of Sweet Valley Diaries is coming in April! Some music from this episode comes from Purple Planet Marissa, world-class art-knower-abouter, references this painting but can't recall its title or artist: Christina's World (Andrew Wyeth, 1948)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-03-181h 17Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Thriller #1: DOUBLE JEOPARDYHiatus, schmiatus -- back by popular demand, it's Don Flaxbart (Also featuring Marissa). Listen as father and daughter discuss the heavy implications of Jessica's scheming -- even heavier than usual this time! -- as she helps nearly ruin one young man's life and another's journalism career. But don't worry, it's all okay in the end. Oh, except for the murdered girl. But anyway, back to junior year!   Libel vs. Slander Original SVD Recap Music in this episode from Purple Planet and FilmstroAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2021-01-231h 24Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #50! OUT OF REACHWe did it!!! Book 50!! In this Season 5 finale (not counting next week's Extra Drama), actor Allison Chin and Marissa examine the intricate dance (get it?) that is the portrayal and treatment of sophomore Jade Wu. All the misunderstandings, overreactions, and Elizabeth-day-saving of a regular Sweet Valley High novel, now with the added ingredients of assimilation, racism, broad cultural generalizations, and SO! MUCH! MORE!   Also: Jessica goes on a date with her dad in this one!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-12-241h 05Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #48: SWEET VALLEY HIGH SLAM BOOK!Omigod you guys, Gladiator Heather sent in her very own copy of the official 1988 Sweet Valley High Slam Book! Denise and Marissa read personal messages straight from Liz and Jessica themselves, and don't dwell too much on the idea that the very thing that caused such chaos at Sweet Valley High in Book 48 was marketed to tweens as some kind of super good fun-time school activity.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-12-0321 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #47: 2 Marissas Talk about DRIVE ME CRAZYMarissa Wasseluk-Stuart is back for a promised discussion of the 1999 teen rom-com DRIVE ME CRAZY. We promise, it has at least a little something to do with Sweet Valley High #47. What? Listen to find out!   Discussed in this episode: Drive Me Crazy film Drive Me Crazy music video Hallmark movie Advent Calendar Never Have I EverAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-11-1217 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #47: TROUBLEMAKERMarissa Wasseluk-Stuart returns to talk about the other Porter sister, Julie. Julie's friend Josh is pledging SVH fraternity Phi Epsilon, Elizabeth is back at recorder practice, Jessica is auditioning to be the lead in a play she knows nothing about, and Bruce Patman is his old self again, only worse. But who is the Troublemaker?! Listen to find out...that it is almost certainly Bruce!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-11-051h 21Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #46: Get Outta TownMarissa and her guest Mary Kate have been friends since middle school. In this extra drama, they reminisce not so much about small town life in Northwest Indiana, but about leaving that small town life behind. Also, we talk a little bit about DECISIONS, promise! Read more about the Polar Bear Run event that's a part of Kuvia at University of Chicago.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-10-2914 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #46: DECISIONSMarissa's BFF Mary Kate Battles is back for more Robin Wilson drama! A lot has changed since POWER PLAY -- now Robin's a star diver with a big decision on her hands. But never mind all that; let's talk about the haunting melodic potential of the humble recorder! Mars & MK discuss the very relatable and universal pressures of life in Sweet Valley, California, where everything and nothing is deferred.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-10-221h 02Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #45: SECRET DreamsIn FAMILY SECRETS, Kelly Bates is plagued by a recurring dream. She only remembers scant details, but hey, that's all you need when consulting 1996's ILLUSTRATED DREAM DICTIONARY, a book Marissa has had on her shelf since middle school (probably). What does the book say about Kelly's dream? Shey Lyn Zanotti returns and even offers up a dream of her own for scrutiny.   ILLUSTRATED DREAM DICTIONARY on Goodreads Luke Perry memorial on @sweetvalleydiaries InstagramAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-10-1513 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #45: FAMILY SECRETSSee No Evil...never before has one phrase simultaneously served as the rear cover headline, the main character's flaw, and the costume that she wears to the Big Dance. Guest reader (and former Sweet Valley High reader!) Shey Lyn Zanotti joins Marissa to dissect all the ways that long-lost (and heretofore forgotten) Wakefield cousin Kelly Bates turns a blind eye to the evils around her. And for once we're not talking about Jessica.   I Was a Teenage WereskunkAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-10-081h 06Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #44: Baggage HandlersMarissa and guest reader Katie LaDue bring their personal baggage to bear on Steven's behavior, then on Abbie's. Then things turn to the baggage that other people (like the Wakefield Twins, say) bring into their assumptions about others. All the armchair psychology two book nerds can cram into 16 minutes of bonus content! • • • "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya AngelouAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-10-0116 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #44: PRETENSESCara and Steven grace the outside of PRETENSES, and they are certainly featured on its inside. But Marissa and her return guest, Steven Wakefield romance specialist Katie LaDue, agree that this is really is really Abby Richardson's story. Who is Abby Richardson? Listen to find out; then feel free to immediately forget as she drifts back into the sundrenched scenery.   Further reading: This is the Eric Andre movie Katie's talking aboutAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-09-241h 13Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #42: CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLESandra Bacon and Manuel Lopez may not be the stars of the Sweet Valleyverse, but if SVH is going to attempt to dip its toes in the murky waters of racial prejudice and interracial romance, you'd better believe that Diaries is ready to talk SO MUCH about it. No mere hour can contain Marissa and her guest, the brilliant Aisha Bhoori, on this week's extremely special and (weirdly/unfortunately) timely episode. Added bonus discussion of Jessica Wakefield, Shadow Gemini. www.aishabhoori.com The Diaries on Instagram SweetValleyDiaries.net  A...2020-08-271h 25Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #41: GUILTY PARTY: The Molly Hecht StoryMarissa and her guest, expert in melodramatic Lifetime Original movies Megan Tripp, brainstorm the LOM version of Molly Hecht’s ON THE EDGE/OUTCAST saga. Listen to more Lifetime movie talk on Megan's Not Another Bad Movie PodcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-08-2019 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #41: OUTCASTSeason 5 Premiere! We’re back, baby! And all our Sweet Valley Friends are back too. Except…you know…Regina. Who better to focus on in the aftermath of a beloved character’s untimely death than the background player everyone is holding responsible for said death? Lifetime Original Movie podcaster/enthusiast Megan Tripp joins Marissa for a particularly Lifetime Original episode of our teen soap pulp. NOT ANOTHER BAD MOVIE PODCAST  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-08-131h 16Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Edition #5: WINTER CARNIVALWhat’s so special about Special Editions? Usually it’s travel to an exotic location, or an old enemy returning to town for Christmas. But WINTER CARNIVAL is the Super Edition that proves all it takes to be Super is a super-duper High number of ways that Jessica betrays Elizabeth! But you know what they say about Jessica: That’s just Jessica! Marissa is joined by her cousin, original Sweet Valley Superfan, Erika (Flaxbart!) Poulos.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-07-261h 39Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #40: ON THE EDGE – Season 4 Finale!Lessons literature/life taught Marissa and guests Anjali and Greg Kasunich this week: Don’t do cocaine Don’t gossip As a society, let’s take a guilt Porsche. Check rich people’s mailboxes for car keys. Seriously, don’t even think about going near anyone who knows about cocaine Links to boost your mood: Sophie Strauss, Gone music video (d. Gregory JM Kasunich) Dr. Anjali Kasunich, NDAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-04-161h 38Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #39: Flirty DMs for ScienceGuest Megan Collier has probing questions, and Marissa has probing answers. With so much deep thought about the mechanics of Sweet Valley, this episode is a veritable "Sweet Valley University!" Err, no, that's already a thing. A veritable "Sweet Valley College!" Shit. No. "Sweet Valley Academy?" ••• More about the Lex app. InstaPsycho on LifetimeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-04-0913 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #39: SECRET ADMIRERNot sure which Book 39 the rest of you read, but Marissa and her guest, Megan Collier, read the version where Penny Ayala has a crush on Elizabeth, Neil Freemount (FREEMOUNT!) has eyes for Kirk Anderson, and Jessica and Lila both learn their lesson for good this time. It's pure fantasyland over here.    Some music in this episode by Purple Planet. Thanks!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-04-021h 06Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #38: Time, TravelNora and Marissa talk about studying abroad, just to drive the gravity of Liz's mistake home. Music credit: Meanwhile in Bavaria by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-03-2614 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #38: LEAVING HOMEElizabeth Wakefield has the opportunity of a lifetime on her hands: get out of Sweet Valley and see the world (specifically, Interlochen, Switzerland). Obviously, she must be stopped. The only way out of Sweet Valley is if your parents move to Vermont, or in a body bag. Marissa is joined by Nora (Hanna) Bigelow to discuss this travesty. Also, Winston wins the lottery in this one.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-03-191h 05Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #37: Regency RumoursMeridith and Marissa discuss the parallels between the Sweet Valley of RUMORS and the worlds of Jane Austen and Regency Romance. Somehow, the obvious comparisons to Emma go unmentioned. Also, serious question: Why didn't Mrs. Reister just tell everyone she was a widow?  Research discoveries: The Debutante Ball in the Age of Instagram "The women can bring their own escorts, or if they do not, one is assigned to them based on height and dancing ability. No inquiries are made about sexual orientation."Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-03-1208 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #36: A Social EnterpriseWhat is a social enterprise? What if your host had an older sister who was bad at humanities? Who is the bigger asshole in LAST CHANCE, Peter or Jessica? Though it may be hard to believe, answers to these questions AND MORE await when Marissa Wasseluk-Stuart returns for this bonus episode. Further reading: More about First Book    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-02-2718 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #36: LAST CHANCEDid you hear that Johanna Porter is coming back to Sweet Valley High? Oh, you didn’t even hear that she’d dropped out? Or that she even existed? Well it’s a good thing Sweet Valley Diaries is here to help you get a clue. In this episode, 2 Marissas join forces to sympathize with Johanna, compare Wakefields, and count the red flags on Johanna’s misguided crush, textbook mansplainer Peter DeHaven. With guest reader Marissa Wasseluk-Stuart! * * * What is NOVA? Some music in this episode is from Purple Planet. Thanks!2020-02-201h 12Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #35: OUT OF CONTROLMarissa is joined by her friend, geography scholar and fellow University of Chicago alumnus Samuel Brandt, for history's most erudite discussion of fictional teen Aaron Dallas and his soccer/divorce-related emotional problems. But more importantly: this is the Tofu-Glo Book!!!!!!!!!!!!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-02-061h 13Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #34: Two Stars for FunElizabeth Schmidt returns to think about high school romance, FORBIDDEN LOVE's lessons for star-crossed teens, and Marissa's lifelong romantic angst. Plus, listener emails and snarky book reviews!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-01-3016 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #34: FORBIDDEN LOVEYou've barely heard of Maria Santelli and you've got no idea who Michael Harris is. All you need to know is this: they are in love, it's a secret, it's as romantic as all hell, everybody in their high school is talking about it...and also they are in high school, their parents don't know they're dating, and this is all a terrible idea. Elizabeth Schmidt joins Marissa to gossip about this very hot mess.   Saved by the Bell - Lisa's Allergy   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-01-231h 02Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #33: Umbersss!umbers (exclamation, slang): "Oooh man, you're in trouble!" Used colloquially in Albuquerque, NM and environs, primarily between children, or adults who are being ironic Marissa and her cousins, Meghan and Corrie, consider their girlhood tactics for avoiding getting caught making mistakes. Hope our parents aren't listening to this one!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-01-1612 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #33: STARTING OVERIt's a full-on first-cousin extravaganza! Marissa is joined by her real-life cousins Meghan Shattuck and Corrie Borgman to chat about fictional cousins Dana Larson (lead singer of The Droids!) and new-in-town Sally Larson, recently rescued from foster care a brief 13 years after entering the system. It's all just nuts and everyone is awful, we don't know what color anyone's eyes are, and Jerry is apparently a nickname for Jeremy.  Apologies in advance for the sub-par audio quality on this one – we were trying out a new mic setting. Takeaway: not all settings are created equal!2020-01-091h 11Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #32: Express YourselfIn the spirit of the NEW JESSICA, Marissa and local fashion icon Caitlin McCann reminisce about pushing wardrobe boundaries in high school and feeling at home in Los Angeles.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2020-01-0216 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesReplay: SPECIAL CHRISTMAS w/Marissa's DadWhile Marissa takes a Christmas break from editing, enjoy this replay of the special SPECIAL CHRISTMAS Christmas episode with Marissa and Don Flaxbart.  Happy Holidays! See you in 2020, Gladiators!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-12-2659 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #31: TAKING SIDESSEASON 4 PREMIERE! The podcast is still here! Unfortunately so is Jeffrey French. Or, wait...is Jeffrey French actually kind of a catch? Marissa comes to terms with her raging case of First Romantic Coupling Loyalty Syndrome (FRCLS) while guest reader Tim Redmond is more concerned about what Mr. Collins is getting up to. Its Jess & Lila vs Liz and Enid but the real hero is a fearless 15-year-old booklover named cousin Jenny. Also, the "dance of the month" is a canned food auction. Welcome back, everybody.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-12-051h 03Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Edition #4: MALIBU SUMMERJessica and Elizabeth are live-in babysitters, living a 90-minute drive from home. But don’t worry, they still manage to make it a thrilling soap-operatic adventure, replete with double-identities, murders, and deadly rainstorms. Frank Bednarz, Esq. joins Marissa to marvel at this book and congratulate it on its simultaneous climaxes.  Music in this episode is by Marissa Flaxbart (theme song), Jocelyn Scofield (Beautiful Boys) and courtesy of Purple Planet. Further reading: CIPHER IN THE SNOW (trigger warning: teen death, bullying, may induce lifelong feelings of misplaced guilt) In 2019, Bloomberg listed Malibu as t...2019-11-211h 28Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #30: JEALOUS LIESAh, complicated teen friendships. Ah, high school sororities. Some experiences are universal. Avid girlhood Sweet Valley reader (and current therapist) Cherelle Solomon joins Marissa to examine this timeless text.   Reference Shelf: Joanne the Scammer The DUFF BTW, the last PBA pledge season was 26 books ago, not 16. Time flies!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-07-2555 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #29: BITTER RIVALS (For Real!)It's tempting to say, "why are all these teen girls so awful?" But then you remember what being a teenage girl is like...which is not to say that Marissa and her guest, Denise Boylan, refrain from calling out teen girls like Amy Sutton, Jessica Wakefield, and even Elizabeth Wakefield on their bullshit. Because then, what would this podcast even be? People who we deem "cool as hell" in this episode: Enid’s Aunt; Amy Sutton’s mom, Dylan Sutton; Denise Hadley; Alice Wakefield?  Follow the show on Instagram!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcir...2019-07-1859 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesDear Miss Lovelorn...I Mean MarissaWhile we wait for the haunting to pass (read: until we can re-record the episode recapping Book 29, BITTER RIVALS) we're reading letters from Gladiators like you. Sweet Valley Twins, Thrillers, Special Editions, Sagas, and even audiobooks all get a name drop in this very special episode.   Further listening/reading: SV Twins in-book announcement on Instagram OMG THE AUDIOBOOK Book 29 recap from 2009Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-07-1117 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesNOT Book #29: "JESSICA'S REVENGE"There comes a time in every podcast's run when an episode is thwarted by MAJOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!!! This is that time for us.  As such, Marissa will not be offended if you skip this one altogether. She WILL, however, be offended if this effort is not nominated for this year's Making Lemons Out of Lemonade Award. Which is fictional. Damn. Real #29: BITTER RIVALS episode coming July 18, 2019. Unless ghosts.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-07-0430 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #28: ALONE IN THE CROWDYou've been waiting with bated breath for Lynne Henry to FINALLY get her very own book. Marissa is joined by her cousin, Meghan Shattuck of Albuquerque, for this journey into one of the teen-angstiest  volumes of the Sweet Valley High series. It also doubles as a legit romance novel (if you ignore the b-story about a rocking-chair-based cheerleading fundraiser). Further Reading: "The New Linda Ronstadt Documentary Proves Just How Underrated She Is" (Pitchfork, 2019) "Why Was Trent Lane from Daria So Hot?" (HuffPost, June 2018) Some music in this episode is courtesy of P...2019-06-201h 04Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #27: Daphne SighedIt's Wednesday night and there's nothing better to do than sit in a semicircle at the high school and listen to teen poetry. Molly McKellar returns to help Marissa recreate an authentic "literary evening" at Sweet Valley High and overanalyze a totally fictional poem. WHAT LARKS!   IKEA Catalog covers  Evidence by Mary Oliver Practical Gods by Carl Dennis This episode features music from Purple Planet  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-06-1318 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #27: LOVESTRUCKKen Matthews: The man. The myth. The m....aybe he should be spending more time working on his English homework? Molly McKellar joins Marissa to discuss this movie-star handsome captain of the football team and his many, many, highly relatable troubles in this, the first male-character-centered volume in the Sweet Valley High series.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-06-061h 07Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #25: NOWHERE TO RUNGrandma and Grandpa Wakefield are in town and poor Alice has NOWHERE TO RUN from her attention-hogging, out-of-state in-laws! Oh wait, that's the b-story. This book's title refers to Droids drummer Emily Mayer and her family problems, which Elizabeth will be solving. Thanks, Elizabeth! Guest Dan Gaspari joins Marissa to discuss both a-and b-stories and marvel at the pure evil that is Emily's stepmother, KAREN.    Some music in this episode courtesy of PurplePlanet.com www.sweetvalleydiaries.net    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-05-091h 03Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #23: Welcome to Hometown HoneysAre Steven, Enid, and everyone else in Sweet Valley right about long-distance being a bad idea? Do these rules only apply to 16-year-olds? What is a "hometown honey?" Mary Kate Wiles and Marissa discuss all of these questions, and concretely answer only one of them.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-04-1814 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #23: SAY GOODBYEIs it possible to hang a black veil over a podcast episode description? No? Damn.  Mary Kate Wiles comforts Marissa in her time of crisis. Because...TODD!!! TOOODDDDD!!!!   Music in this episode: ELEGIAC SYMPHONY by Dee Yan-Key Fonte Abandonada by Real Vocal String Quartet   Links! Paper & Slate Lizzie Bennett Diaries Shipwrecked Comedy on YouTube Proof that this whole glasses thing is not newAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-04-111h 00Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #22: Codependency Intervention!Marissa and Russ Nickel consider the morality of staging an elaborate lie to trick a friend into becoming less of a total sad sack. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-04-0410 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesBook #22: TOO MUCH IN LOVEMarissa brings back newly-minted Bill Chase/Dee Dee Gordon expert Russ Nickel, and the results may surprise you: realistic and relatable depiction of romantic problems? Healthy lessons for young readers? This isn't the Sweet Valley High I fell in love with... Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-03-281h 06Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #21: Bad Boy (Stuck) in High SchoolMarissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield discuss the story of Jocelyn's ode to all the former Rick Andovers out there, her song "Bad Boy in High School." Spoiler alert: they're probably NOT the best years of your life.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-03-2118 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #21: RUNAWAYSeason 3 Premiere! Marissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield investigate Jessica Wakefield’s first emo phase, poor parenting in Sweet Valley, and that one time Elizabeth served Ricky Capaldo some deeply scalding tea.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-03-141h 01Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Vall-entines Day Announcement!Happy V Day...Sweet V Day, that is! Marissa made up that holiday, but there's no reason that should keep you from celebrating. Celebrate by listening to this announcement! This episode features music from PurplePlanet.com and an excerpt from RACING HEARTS, Sweet Valley High #9, by Kate William.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2019-02-1503 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Edition #2: SPECIAL CHRISTMASFan favorite Marissa’s Dad is back for this SUPER EDITION bonus episode…and he’s not the only person who’s back! What fresh hell will Suzanne Devlin impose on Sweet Valley this Christmastide? Find out, if it’s the last thing you do this year!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-12-3059 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #20: Atypicals of Sweet Valley!Popular fiction podcast (and soon to be YA series!) The Bright Sessions might just be the opposite of Sweet Valley High. Creator Lauren Shippen and Marissa speculate on what would happen if the two universes collided (hint: DRAMA!). This is the Season Two Finale! Make sure to subscribe so that you automatically get the latest episodes when Season Three starts, and any special bonuses in the meantime! Further Viewing: RIVERDALE's beautiful nonsense: "Cheryl Doesn't Miss" Never forget that OMFG there was a Sweet Valley TV show alreadyAdvertising...2018-11-2914 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #20: CRASH LANDING!What’s worse: your boyfriend cheating on you; your boyfriend crashing the plane he’s flying you in; everyone agreeing that your cheating boyfriend should stay with you because you’ll never walk again without his love; you convincing yourself you can’t walk without his love; or your best friend tricking you into walking by hanging the life of your hot teacher’s child in the balance? Marissa debates this pressing question with Lauren Shippen, creator of The Bright Sessions podcast. The quest for an answer takes the podcast into untrod territory. Also, Jessica learns to cook....2018-11-2251 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #19: Brotherhood of FrenemiesMark Sullivan sits down at the microphone and before Marissa can even hit record, Pandora’s Podcasting Box cracks open. For a few minutes, this Sweet Valley High podcast becomes a movie podcast, a history podcast, a theater podcast, a politics-of-representation podcast. You guys, Sweet Valley is as deep as you wanna make it. FYI, Allen Walters IS the under-appreciated Oracle photographer.    Further Reading: Doris Kearns Goodwin on Storytelling  ICYMI: JK Rowling on Cursed Child Casting and a related thinkpieceAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-11-1519 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #19: SHOWDOWNFrenemies Lila and Jessica think they're duking it out over a secret scion, romantically masquerading as a construction worker. Marissa and her guest, actor Mark Sullivan, walk you through it all, from the poolside objectification to the final knife fight. Yep, you read that right. Knife fight. Some music in this episode courtesy of Purple Planet. Links, references, explanations: LA Theatre Works: Spill  Everything you probably never wanted to know about Top-Siders Let’s add one more Jack Donaghy to the list “Gary Hart on the Monkey Business” (talk about simpler times btw) 2018-11-081h 14Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #18: HEAD OVER HEELSRegina Morrow and Bruce Patman, in love? But…that would only work if Bruce had a total pod-person level personality shift! Marissa and her guest, CJ Hoke, discuss Bruce Patman’s pod-person level personality shift and (because this is a 33-year-old work of soap opera fiction) squirm their way into, and then out of, some uncomfortable “believe women” territory. Also: The need for a good therapist in sweet valley, the surprising number of things Lila finds “vulgar“, & some good, old-fashioned goopy romance.   *** Additional Reading: James Mathewuse  Sparkle Beach Ken   Glitter Beach Ken (I got two of thes...2018-10-251h 05Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #17: Natural and Unnatural DisastersMarissa and guest Jeremy talk about the diverse lessons of LOVE LETTERS, from "be yourself," to "once you have a boyfriend everything will be okay," to "San Francisco is a cesspool." To top it off, Marissa reads a love letter of her own...kind of.   Info about the Transcontinental Railroad in California 1989 Bay Area Earthquake KGO TV News Report (This is several years after LOVE LETTERS was first published, but it's both a weirdly nostalgic historical artifact and genuinely a bit frightening -- be forewarned!)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/b...2018-10-1818 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #16: RAGS TO RICHESFate has forced Roger Barrett to trade his mother's life for a fancy new last name, a fancy new mansion, and a fancy pile of money. Meanwhile, his girlfriend (frizzy haired Olivia Davidson) is feeling SO NOT money, and Jessica is giving Machiavelli a run for his money. Marissa and her guest, Mike Yarsky, count the many ways this is totally effed up.   Links: Mike on Instagram: @yarskyguitarsky How Big is an Olympic Sized Swimming Pool?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-09-271h 08Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #15: PROMISESCancer, death, secrets, Luke Skywalker, alcoholism, teen drug use, threesomes at Miller's Point...and that's just Chapter One! Marissa is joined by guest Kali Baker-Johnson to unpack what PROMISES to be the greatest SVH book yet...or at the very least, Jessica's worst. * * *  Download Issue #1 of ZAHRA: THE SHADOW FLAME Sweet Valley High TV Theme Song, "Kind of an ear worm!" raves Kali. Music in this episode courtesy of: Jocelyn Scofield (as ever) and www.purpleplanet.com. Theme song is by Marissa Flaxbart.  Advertising Inq...2018-09-131h 09Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #14: It's Hard to GetSpeaking of DECEPTIONS: When is telling a dude you don't want to date him secretly a coded message that you DO want to date him? And is it NEVER? Marissa and guest Elizabeth Yarwood consider and fail to answer this question, then read a delightful letter about a young girl tricking her parents into buying her books.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-09-0616 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #14: DECEPTIONSAfter several weeks of non-stop crisis in Sweet Valley, Marissa returns to the relatively placid territory of bad decisions and new boy problems (Nicholas Morrow, to be exact). But as guest Elizabeth Yarwood can attest, sometimes it’s the seemingly placid ones that really get you yelling into the microphone. Ladies and gentlefolk, DECEPTIONS.  Links: Watch the trailer for LA PICKER on Seed&Spark. What are tournedos Rossini and why are they so fancy?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-08-3058 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #13: Tactlessness & Corrupted SuperpowersMarissa and guest Mischa Stanton eavesdrop on an upsetting conversation between Jessica Wakefield and Cara Walker, then travel in their mental time machines back to the days before cell phone ubiquity. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-08-2315 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #13: KIDNAPPED!Q: What happens when you’ve just published a book about impending girlfriend death and every fiber of your writerly being says, “Can we go darker?” A: “KIDNAPPED!” Marissa is joined by accomplished podcast producer Mischa Stanton (in Mischa's recording booth!) and together they try and explain what the hell happened here. Check out some of Mischa’s other shows: The Far Meridian — New Season Premieres August 27th! Sci-fi road trip sitcom StarTripper!!  LeVar Burton Reads   Read Marissa’s original hot take on Kidnapped!...2018-08-161h 06Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #12: OMG [Spoiler] is [Spoiler]!Katie LaDue joins Marissa once again, this time to examine WHEN LOVE DIES (and a few of the Sweet Valley boys therein) through a new lens. All I can say is SPOILERS SPOILERS SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL SPOILERS! BEWARE! Marissa's Initial Take on SVC (from back in 2011)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-08-0913 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #12: WHEN LOVE DIESThis is what it sounds like...when love dies. Sweet Valley High goes full soap opera and Marissa talks through the pain with teen television drama aficionado Katie LaDue. Oh, and file this one under "Very Special Episodes" because the topic of facing one's own mortality made us accidentally get a little real. Oops!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-08-021h 11Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #11: Two GOOD Two BE TwoAre modern day teens woke enough to laugh at Suzanne Devlin? Were 12-year-old readers in the '80s indoctrinated into the grand tradition of victim-blaming and rape culture? Does Jessica Wakefield know what sex is? Marissa and guests William J. Stribling and Sinead Persaud answer none of these hard-hitting questions in this bonus episode. Instead, we stand in awe of the highly problematic, highly entertaining volume that is SVH #11.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-07-2616 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #11: TOO GOOD TO BE TRUEIt's the premiere of Season 2 of Sweet Valley Diaries! Let's celebrate by shipping Jessica to New York and getting beloved teacher Roger Collins fired for unspecified sex crimes! Don't panic, everyone. Marissa and her guests, William J. Stribling and Sinead Persaud (of Shipwrecked Comedy!) are here to hold your hand until this nightmare blows over. Welcome back to Sweet Valley.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-07-191h 10Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSuper Edition #1: PERFECT SUMMERTechnically summer doesn't start until next week, but here at the Diaries, summer break is in full effect...and it's PERFECT. In this special between-seasons episode Marissa and guest-friend Alex Bishop dig into the series' first SPECIAL EDITION novel. Are you ready to bike a major chunk of the California Coast with nothing more than a couple of saddle bags and a heap of moxie? No? Well, neither were the Wakefield Twins et al, but they did it anyway, and lived to tell the tale (but just bear-ly). Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-06-141h 03Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #10: "Wrong Kind of Girl: The Musical!"In this final episode of Season One, Marissa uses the power of the internet to call guest Mary Parker in Boston, and they BOTH use the power of imagination to invent several possible stage adaptations of the comitragic saga of Annie Whitman and Jessica Wakefield. THANKS FOR LISTENING and helping to make this first season so much fun! Get in touch! Leave a comment on sweetvalleydiaries.net, email sweetvalleydiaries@me.com, follow on Twitter @sweetvalley, and on Instagram @sweetvalleydiaries!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-04-1915 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #10: WRONG KIND OF GIRLIt's the final main episode of Season 1, and we've come full circle. This is the tale of a wannabe cheerleader with a bad reputation that started Marissa's obsession with Sweet Valley High lo, those many years ago. Mary Parker was there to see that obsession take root. Now Mary and Marissa take a closer look at "Easy" Annie Whitman, diagnose Elizabeth Wakefield with Stockholm Syndrome, and fantasize about wrecking Bruce Patman's Porsche. Oh, and that pesky Rick Andover is back.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-04-1253 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #9: Memories of Valle Dulce HighMarissa is joined once again by her dad, Don Flaxbart, and she's steering him straight down Memory Lane. Was high school in the 1960s Southwestern US anything like that Sweet Valley High life?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-04-0521 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #9: RACING HEARTSSo you love Ned Wakefield's dad jokes? We'll do you one better: a real life dad! Marissa's own actual father, the wise and weird Don Flaxbart, joins shares his thoughts and insights on this, the first "teenage romance of any kind" that he's ever read. Will the lanky boy get the imperious-looking girl he's sweet on? Marissa discusses this absurd question, and even more absurd book, with – cannot stress this enough – her very own father.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-03-2949 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #8: Relevant Surf TermsOuttakes, b-roll, and real talk about the actually important moral of HEART BREAKER. Marissa is joined once more by former youth body-surfing competitor Russ Nickel, who points out all the dad jokes in the book and reads some favorite passages. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-03-2216 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #8: HEART BREAKERNow that all that coma/personality swap/assault unpleasantness is behind us, let’s get back to what really matters in Sweet Valley: the beach, boys, and miscommunications involving suntan lotion. Marissa is joined by Russ Nickel, funny guy, writer, and former beach boy (not the singing kind…though he does sing in this episode). This is the book about Bill Chase giving Dee Dee Gordon surfing lessons, some sexy Todd-interloper named Patsy, and the school play, Splendor in the Grass.   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-03-151h 02Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #7: DEAR SISTERIn this tearful conclusion to the Sweet Valley High series, Elizabeth stays in a coma forever…PSYCH! But seriously, has Elizabeth awoken only to find that the events of DEAR SISTER are a fate worse than death? Actress Alex Jennings and Marissa give a wide-eyed play-by-play to a book that reads like the unholy lovechild of Freaky Friday and General Hospital.  Heads up: Due to forces beyond our control, this episode has a higher f-bomb count. Plan accordingly.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-03-011h 02Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #6: DANGEROUS LOVEStrap on your hot pink crash helmet! Just after Valentine’s Day comes a tale to warm the heart and then chill it so fast that it bursts and ruins your freezer. Pop culture lover and all-around funny gal Denise Boylan joins Marissa to unpack this tale of private jealousy, romantic gestures, and innuendo. Hot Clam Special, anyone?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-02-151h 02Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #5: More Like ALL NIGHT WRONG!#TIMESUP, Scott Daniels! Guests Jess and Brian Reece talk with Marissa about consent, Encyclopedia Brown, and fan mail(!!!).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-02-0819 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #5: ALL NIGHT LONGWhat happens when Jessica Wakefield defies her parents and stays out ALL NIGHT LONG with a sleazy, pornstachioed college guy? No, seriously, I'm asking YOU: What happens??! Listen in as Marissa and her guests, Jess and Brian Reece, enumerate the many ways they were scandalized by Book 5 of the Sweet Valley High series.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-02-0157 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #4: Lila Fowler Drives a Lime Green Triumph.When did class snob Lila Fowler become the generous type? Why is Jessica Wakefield suddenly draped in old lady luxury from "Lila's Aunt"? Who does that bitchy clerk at Lisette's think she is? Marissa dials up her BFF Mary Kate Battles again to discuss these and other facet's of POWER PLAY's B-Story, a saga of parental neglect and *extremely* petty theft. Click here for a "photo" of Lila cruising in her loud car.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-01-2517 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #4: POWER PLAYYes, it's THAT book. The one where Robin Wilson is publicly shamed, doesn't get into PBA, retreats inward, starves herself, loses a million pounds, and then becomes fun and popular. High school BFFs Marissa and her guest, photographer Mary Kate Battles, have some rather strong feelings about all this.  Side note: It's the first ever remotely recorded episode of the podcast, and it's got the weird audio to prove it! Also, we gratefully welcome our first sponsor The Dairi Burger! ;)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-01-1845 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #3: He's STEALING Her WIND!The "S" word ("Sex") isn't a part of the Sweet Valley High vocabulary, but in this bonus conversation, Marissa and her guest, film scholar Caitlin McCann, cover lots of tricky s-words: Sex, Slut Shaming, and Subtext. Sooooo Scandalous! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-01-1125 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #3: PLAYING WITH FIRESweet Valley's two biggest players (Jessica Wakefield and Bruce Patman) are burning hot and heavy for each other, and the fire is only 37% contained. Be careful out there, kids! Marissa is joined by media scholar Caitlin McCann to give this serious matter the academic consideration it so richly deserves.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2018-01-041h 04Sweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #2: Keeper of the Sweet Valley SECRETS!Marissa interviews her guest Adaora about what it was like reading about the Wakefields et al from across the continents. Together, they consider: Is Enugu the Sweet Valley of Nigeria?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2017-12-2820 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #2: SECRETSMarissa is joined by filmmaker (and Sweet Valley aficionado!) Adaora Nwandu to discuss the past sins and present bad boyfriends of Enid Rollins, Elizabeth Wakefield's best friend. All secrets from Sweet Valley High Book #2 will be revealed!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2017-12-2142 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesExtra Drama #1: DOUBLE LOVE's Double Standard!“Is Dad having an affair with his female coworker? She’s an attractive woman, right? So…probably.” - Every Wakefield Child Marissa and her guests Kat and Selah vent about this and other Book 1 B-Stories.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2017-12-1409 minSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley DiariesSweet Valley Diaries #1: DOUBLE LOVEHost Marissa Flaxbart takes guests Selah Kahrmann and Kat Hazelton down the Sweet Valley rabbit hole as they discuss the very first book in the Sweet Valley High series. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands2017-12-0751 min