Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 10:05     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
I read all of Christopher Pike's books when I was in the 6th grade. Lots of teen make outs, sex, crimes and murders/deaths. I loved them.

I've considered re-reading at least one but I think I'd rather remember them as the perfect little trashy mystery books they were to me back then.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 10:03     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Flowers in the Attic did a number on us all.

I remember spending half the book SO CONFUSED about the siblings getting flirty. Like what? This isn't happening right? that's disgusting (I have a brother and ICK). But oh yes, it was happening.

Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 10:00     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:I haven't thought about VC Andrews in years. I remember Flowers in the Attic from my childhood but nothing about it.

Worth re-reading? I'm sort of curious to after all this discussion.


I recently heard it described as YA. That can't be right? But we all read it at like 12, apparently?
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:51     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
I haven't thought about VC Andrews in years. I remember Flowers in the Attic from my childhood but nothing about it.

Worth re-reading? I'm sort of curious to after all this discussion.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:50     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:I read American Psycho when I was 12 because my visiting uncle had brought it and left it in the guest room.

Oh my god, it messed me up. For those of you have only seen the movie and not read the book, the book makes the movie look like a Hallmark film. It is narrated in the first person, with detailed descriptions of rape and torture.

I was horrified but could not stop reading it. My mom was FURIOUS at my uncle when she found it in my room and thumbed through it.



Whoa. That's intense. That's awful PP. I'm sorry.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:12     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:How times have changed.

I felt guilty reading parts of Forever by Judy Blume which was on a shelf at the center where I got tutoring in middle school.


In sixth grade all of my friends and I passed it around and read it. I distinctly remember sitting around on the playground at recess having a conversation about how none of us understood what on earth it meant when it said that she “came.”
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:07     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
I read The Amityville Horror in elementary school, I think like second grade actually, and was so frightened by it that I took it outside and threw it away in the trash. I also read The Happy Hooker in early elementary school. Both of these books were in our house, and I read them, and nobody took them away from me or said anything. But I had terrible parents. I’ll add the Flowers in the Attic series—WTF with those, lol.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:05     Subject: Re:s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:I’m 50 and have multiple older sisters who left stuff laying around which I devoured.
+1 to VC Andrews - I read ALL of them - there are like five different series essentially telling the same brother-sister love story in different settings over and over.

+1 to early Jackie Collins

A book called Celebrity where in the first chapter three young men commit rape

Historical romance novels, particularly Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

The worst is Letters to the Happy Hooker, not my sisters’ fault but was at my grandparents house because my mother had multiple younger brothers


Oh my gosh yes - the Happy Hooker book! My friend's mom had it and we DEVOURED it in 5th grade.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:04     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was in elementary school when the tv adaptation of The Thorn Birds aired. I wasn’t allowed to stay up and watch it, so I checked the book out of the public library. I learned the word “flaccid.” 😊


Ha, I did a book report on the Thorn Birds in 5th grade. My parents did not censor books, and I had found it on the shelf. I was more interested in the historical aspect anyway, but I remember my teacher called them about it to make sure they knew what I was reading. I also read Clan of the Cave Bear around that time -maybe a little older. I just skipped over the sex scenes.


It was the Thorn Birds for me too. My mom did not censor what I was reading either. And I'm really glad. I read "We Children from Bahnhof Zoo" and was so properly scared of becoming a drug addict that I never tried anything other than pot and well into my adulthood.


Ah yeah! My version of that was Go Ask Alice, which I read in like 4th grade. It was one of a million things that scared me straight back then - but the book also harmed be, because I tried the tip about using mayonnaise in your hair and didn't realize you were supposed to wash it out. I had a very greasy and smelly day at school.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 09:00     Subject: Re:s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
I’m 50 and have multiple older sisters who left stuff laying around which I devoured.
+1 to VC Andrews - I read ALL of them - there are like five different series essentially telling the same brother-sister love story in different settings over and over.

+1 to early Jackie Collins

A book called Celebrity where in the first chapter three young men commit rape

Historical romance novels, particularly Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

The worst is Letters to the Happy Hooker, not my sisters’ fault but was at my grandparents house because my mother had multiple younger brothers
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 08:53     Subject: Re:s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
VC Andrews - I don't think I understood what was going on with the incest until I was older.

Also, The Other Side of Midnight and others by that author? First time reading depictions of the male member compared to deli meat.

Clan of the Cave Bear. Seemed quite scandalous at the time.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 08:48     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
I read American Psycho when I was 12 because my visiting uncle had brought it and left it in the guest room.

Oh my god, it messed me up. For those of you have only seen the movie and not read the book, the book makes the movie look like a Hallmark film. It is narrated in the first person, with detailed descriptions of rape and torture.

I was horrified but could not stop reading it. My mom was FURIOUS at my uncle when she found it in my room and thumbed through it.

Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 08:36     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:How times have changed.

I felt guilty reading parts of Forever by Judy Blume which was on a shelf at the center where I got tutoring in middle school.

I remember reading Forever in the library because I was afraid to check it out. Probably around 6th grade?

I read Flowers in the Attic and the second book in that series in 7th grade. While I know generally what was happening, I don't think I really understood. I remember a lot of girls go into Danielle Steele in 7th grade. I've still never read any of her books.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 00:08     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:VC Andrew’s messed up my worldview for years


I started reading her books at 12, and they did nothing to me at all. How did it mess up your worldview?


I was younger and it messed up my understanding of how men and women interact in relationships.


Why did you think THAT was the way men and women interact rather than thinking all the real life examples you had were how they interacted? Maybe it's because I was a super creative kid that loved film, tv, plays and acting that I understood someone's imagination is not reality. I HAD a brother and there was no way we would ever mess with each other. If we were stuck in an attic we would band together to get out/get help.


Why are you criticizing me here? I had a different reaction. Are you like this in real life?


I'm not criticizing. I'm trying to understand, because your viewpoint has never occurred to me at all, and I can't figure out the logic of why it would. So I'm asking in an attempt to understand.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2025 00:04     Subject: s/o inappropriate books you read as a child
How times have changed.

I felt guilty reading parts of Forever by Judy Blume which was on a shelf at the center where I got tutoring in middle school.