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Do you have sparkling blue-green eyes that are the colour of the Pacific Ocean? Do you have hair like spun gold? Are you tanned, energetic and a perfect size 6? Neither are we. Join us, Karyn and Anna, as we head back to the sensational1980s book series and explore the strange and terrifying world of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, one Sweet Valley High book at a time. For any sponsorship inquiries contact advertising@headstuff.org
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“Lessons From Sweet Valley” is a podcast where we re-examine the Sweet Valley High series one book at a time and determine what lessons, if any, we can learn from them. Former SVH book nerd Kat Thomas will be joined by guests as they discuss the lives of twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield and all of Sweet Valley’s cast of characters through a modern lens. Episodes released every other Wednesday.
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After years of wide-eyed blogging about the surreal 1980s perfection of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High book series (and the surprising psychodrama that lurks below the town's perfectly-tanned surface), host Marissa Flaxbart is now forcing people to read the series with her. But beyond its obsession with the ubiquitous-yet-obscure book series, SWEET VALLEY DIARIES is a podcast about nostalgia — '80s nostalgia in particular — and the ways this nostalgia can (spectacularly, hilariously) fa ...
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DOUBLE LOVE: COLLEGE WEEKEND PART 2
2:07:41
2:07:41
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We all know that when it comes to journalism Elizabeth's favourite subject is Sweet Valley, so when she's inexplicably allowed to enter a college feature writing competition on student life, she's stumped for an angle. Luckily for us, but unfortunately for her rivals, she finds the perfect topic for her hilariously ignorant yet sanctimonious style!…
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DOUBLE LOVE: COLLEGE WEEKEND PART ONE
2:10:45
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Despite Jessica's appalling academic record, Ned and Alice have decided that the best way for her and Liz to recover from the SAT drama is to take them out of school for a week and send them off to Sweet Valley University to stay with Steven. Why? Who knows! But we do know that the twins have very different visions of the college experience. Jessic…
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DOUBLE LOVE: JESSICA THE GENIUS PART 2
2:05:32
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The twins resit the SATs, but while Liz's stress free approach to the exams leads to triumph, Jessica's serious studying leads to disaster. When Jessica is suspended from school, Elizabeth is determined to prove her twin's innocence. How? With an inexplicably legally binding mock trial, of course! But when Jessica's school records are revealed, wil…
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DOUBLE LOVE: JESSICA THE GENIUS PART ONE
2:25:23
2:25:23
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It’s SAT time and Liz is stressing out, while Jessica is totally chill. But there’s a shock in store when the results come out! Jessica has aced the exams, while Liz has got the worst test results of her life. While Jessica fears being labelled a “nerd in hip clothes” (she wishes), Liz starts to spiral. Is the perfect twin actually not as smart as …
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A correction email about ROSA'S LIE and truly the most epically hyperbolic Reader of the Month winner to date! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsBy Marissa Flaxbart
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When there's an exclamation point in the name of the book, you know it's going to be a good one. But will KIDNAPPED BY THE CULT! ever deliver on the promise of its title? Find out with filmmaker Sam Wineman as he falls in love with every character in Sweet Valley and Marissa dreams up some new cult-themed merch. Advertising Inquiries: https://redci…
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Sorry gang, we won't have a new episode for you this week, as Anna has been struck down by Covid, but we'll be back in your ears soon. To tide you over, we've unlocked a bonus content written recap of the wonderfully unhinged SVU Super Thriller Kiss of the Vampire, the Sweet Valley attempt at Bram Stoker's Dracula you never knew you needed. Listen …
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Christian Dueñas is back for more on Rose Jameson/Rosa Jimenez. We also imagine an all-boys Jesuit version of Sweet Valley High and read a particularly purple Reader of the Month letter. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsBy Marissa Flaxbart
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DOUBLE LOVE: NIGHTMARE IN DEATH VALLEY PART TWO
2:11:58
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The gang are still out in the desert, and things are getting even more dangerous. Eagle attacks! Floods! And of course murderous (and in one case hunky) OTG convicts! But if any proof were needed that nothing can keep these freaks down, it's surely the fact that even when facing their imminent deaths, the SVH gang are still doing what they do best:…
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Welp, Season 9 is starting with a bang. We've got another racism book on our hands. Thankfully, no one gets hurt this time (though a certain Nana Jimenez would probably be pretty darn hurt if she found out what her granddaughter did with her cake!). Christian Dueñas, host of the brand new music show PRIMER, is our guest and guide through this wild …
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DOUBLE LOVE: NIGHTMARE IN DEATH VALLEY PART ONE
1:54:56
1:54:56
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We find the gang right where we left them in Death Valley - stuck between a storm and a cave full of skeletons and scorpions. Things are getting desperate for the Sweet Valley Six, as they try and make it across the desert with nothing to sustain them but a few granola bars. Unsurprisingly, they all start losing their minds - especially Bruce. Yes,…
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SUPER STAR: BRUCE'S STORY w/Jack & Tanner
1:26:38
1:26:38
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Oh-h My-y God, we've got an EXTREMELY special episode at long last! As only the Super Star books can, BRUCE'S STORY brings you a ridiculous Sweet Valley Saga from the POV of one of its richest and least likable characters. Bruce Patman (or, if you prefer, "Pac-Man") sits at the center of this one, looking really dumb but in a way that's unsettlingl…
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DOUBLE LOVE: THE TREASURE OF DEATH VALLEY PART 2
2:00:17
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Welcome back to Death Valley, where the gold is cursed and the hiking teens have lost their damn minds! After the gang take a detour to find a second batch of gold, they decide they have to head straight to Desert Oasis. But Jessica tricks foolish Todd into taking them even further out of their way in order to find the third gold hoard! Consumed by…
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DOUBLE LOVE: THE TREASURE OF DEATH VALLEY PART ONE
1:47:11
1:47:11
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Pack your rucksacks and fill your single water bottle, we're heading to Death Valley! Yes, having all placed highly in an essay competition which we can only assume some of them were forced to enter at gunpoint, the twins, Todd, Ken, Bruce and Heather are hiking through the desert without any adult supervision. It all sounds absolutely hellish and …
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DOUBLE LOVE: V FOR VICTORY PART TWO
2:01:06
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Don your curly blonde wig and bring your mauve blusher, Todd, Ken and Winston (or rather Tilda, Kendall and Winnie) are all dragged up and ready to sneak into the CHRLDR compound! Some really do like it hot, and Ken in particular is loving his delightful new look. He and Todd are determined to win back the twins - but will they get the sticky end o…
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Like Margo and Nora before her, Karyn has headed west to California so there's no new ep this week! But we do have the third installment of Anna's unhinged 2002 fanfic, From Here to Sweet Valley, which I think we can all agree is a more realistic depiction of the twins' adult lives than Sweet Valley Confidential. Liz reaches out to an old friend, J…
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The SVH cheerleaders are heading to Yosemite! Yes, Jessica and Heather's combined teams have reached Nationals, and the battle to be the best cheerleaders in the entire country. But after Heather encounters a familiar face at the cheerleading compound, things start to go horribly wrong.... Meanwhile Todd and Ken head off on an ill-planned roadtrip …
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DOUBLE LOVE: THE POM POM WARS PART TWO
2:06:12
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Remember the Pom Pom Wars? Neither do we! Yes, it's been a while since we checked in on the rival Sweet Valley cheerleading squads but don't worry, we'll give you a quick reminder of the last book before we find out what happens when Jessica's new squad make their impressive public debut. Are you ready for a cheer-off? Meanwhile a lovesick Liz chan…
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DOUBLE LOVE: RETURN OF THE EVIL TWIN PART TWO
2:35:50
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Don your blonde wig, pop in your blue green contact lenses, and have a little rummage in your portable Wakefield wardrobe, it's time to return to The Return of the Evil Twin! Nora and Margo have teamed up at last - and luckily the denizens of Sweet Valley are as dozy as ever because within days the Chapelle sisters are successfully impersonating th…
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DOUBLE LOVE: RETURN OF THE EVIL TWIN PART ONE
2:35:17
2:35:17
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We're back! And we're not the only ones making a grand return. Yes, it's been a year since we bid a fond farewell to our favourite psychopath, but back then we didn't know (and neither did the ghostwriters, because they're clearly just making this up as they go along) that Margo had a twin! Meet Nora, an orphan who discovers at her father's funeral…
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Happy Christmas, listeners! To celebrate, we're sharing a special festive episode of our Headstuff+ bonus series Pi Beta Alpha - and if you like what you hear, you can sign up to Headstuff+ and join us in the PBA clubhouse every fortnight at headstuffpodcasts.com. It's Christmas in Sweet Valley (again!). And while Liz attempts to single-handedly or…
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DOUBLE LOVE: OUR FAVOURITE SVH MOMENTS OF 2023
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It's Christmas! So to celebrate, we're breaking out the jingle bells and the (small) bag of cans and taking a trip down memory lane to discuss our favourite moments from the Sweet Valley High books we read in 2023. And what moments they were - from Bruce's visit to Dublin's most glamorous tourist attraction to the iconic Cookie Monster Werewolf's d…
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Don't forget about the Reader of the Month letter from book 80! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsBy Marissa Flaxbart
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Hi everyone, we don't have a new episode for you this week, but we hope to be back with you soon. Thanks for bearing with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy HeadStuff Podcasts
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Having quit the cheerleading squad at the end of the last book, Jessica is facing an existential crisis. What is she if not a cheerleader? Luckily she won't have to find out. With Ken's encouragement, she starts her own rival squad, and a whole lot of familiar - and surprising! - names attempt to join it. Liz of course has no interest - but then Je…
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Episode #80: THE GIRL THEY BOTH LOVED
1:30:54
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It'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/brands…
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DOUBLE LOVE: JESSICA QUITS THE SQUAD PART 2
1:59:23
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We're back in Sweet Valley High, and the tension between Jessica and newcomer Heather just keeps on building. The sneaky newcomer constantly undermines her co-captain - and it looks like most of the squad, newly obsessed with making it to nationals, are being won over by Heather's lavish gifts of megaphone pins and flashy new uniforms! When Heather…
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Extra #79: Maybe Elizabeth Isn't the Best Character Judge
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Bryanna McGeough joins Marissa again and shares her criteria for choosing with Sweet Valley books to read and her personal tales of being an Elizabethan high school journalist. Plus, Reader of the Month for October 1991! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsBy Marissa Flaxbart
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Break out your bag on cans, don your best silk blouse because we are live at the Podcast Studios! Join us and special guest Amy Clarkin (don't forget to vote for her in the Irish Book Awards) to discuss the stupidest SVH thriller yet. When the twins inexplicably bring Nicholas Morrow along on their work outing, he meets a beautiful, constantly weep…
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