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Jack and Tanner are back for more THRILLER talk. What all-time-greatest film is this book's plot remixed from? How would the BSC handle this mystery? Would a t-shirt fit over Jack's head? Find out all this and more (sort of) in today's EXTRA DRAMA! Links: VERTIGO's Portrait of Carlotta Valdes scene Kristy and the Cat Burglar Stacey and the Mystery Money

SURPRISE! 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 Patreon Show Some music from this episode courtesy of Purple Planet.

Marissa and her dad found a dance instruction book for teenagers written by Betty White (but apparently not THAT Betty White? It's hard to say.) Discussion of this piece of ephemera (and Dad's high school basketball career) abound in this week's EXTRA DRAMA!    Look for photos from Betty White’s Teen-Age Dance Book on the Sweet Valley Diaries Instagram “Teen Dances of the 1950s”   Last Kiss Goodnight and Malt Shop Bop by Kevin MacLeod are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100611 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Dad'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!

Do twins really have super communication powers? Does goofy drama make scary stuff easier to swallow? Have "mentally unstable" villains kept us from tackling our own mental health issues? TWO-BOY WEEKEND is the gift that keeps on giving...us more questions to ponder! Teya Patt returns, of course.

The 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.

CW: 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!

The 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!  

Super Thrillers have SO much drama that some of it has to spill out into an Extra Drama bonus ep! Alice Wakefield's frustrating food choices, Darcy Kaymen's voluptuousness, and the good citizenship of Sweet Valleyites in general are all up for debate in this continuing examination of ON THE RUN. Featuring Nick Riley!  

SURPRISE! 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  

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!

If 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 think of when I think of the Fender Stratocaster 

Marissa 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. VSafe

It’s the Season 6 Premiere of SVD, and former terrible boyfriend and current minor character Ronnie Edwards has a problem. What’s that? You don’t care about Ronnie’s problems? Well, what if I told you that Ronnie’s in bad trouble with a gangster who he owes a lot of money after making some bad bets on high school soccer games? What if I told you that this has a negative effect on Jessica Wakefield’s burgeoning earring design business? I bet you now. But if this book has taught me anything, it’s that betting is bad.  Mary Parker (Book 10, WRONG KIND OF GIRL) is our delightful guest reader. A transcript of this episode is available HERE on sweetvalleydiaries.net Some music in the episode comes from Purple Planet.

Sweet Valley Diaries returns on April 22, 2021!  Have you ever heard of Sweet Valley High? No? Yes? Either way, you're gonna wanna hear this. Whether you start on Book 1 or Book 51, Sweet Valley Diaries is always going to bring you a wild story, some weird '80s teen antics, and a whole lot of feelings about all of it.  Super glad you're here!

The 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)

Hiatus, 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 Filmstro

Allison Chin returns to investigate: what's the deal with Jade Wu's dad? And we consider the "traditional Chinese" art of...dicing? And who or what exactly is out of reach in Out of Reach?

We 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!

Gossip Guys' Andy Greene and Aaron Davitian are experts in one teen soap opera, and now they've been indoctrinated into another. How do the world and characters of Gossip Girl map onto those of Sweet Valley, CA? You're about to find out.