This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Do you remember those long summer afternoons during the school holidays, which seemed to stretch on forever? There were no obligations back then, were there? No emails to check or deadlines to meet and certainly no place to be. Just you, holed up in your bedroom or out in the garden, with the book you were reading, for hours upon hours – blissfully uninterrupted
These days, you might have a few more obligations and a little less time to read, but why not treat yourself to something sweetly nostalgic, which pays homage to your old fictional friends? You can always join in with our Nostalgic Summer Re-Read, too.
Here are five of our favourite retro reminders.
1. This hand cut acrylic Goosebumps necklace is the perfect gift for anyone who was a fan of R. L. Stine’s horror series back in the day. And who wasn’t? His spine tingling stories were completely addictive and terrified an entire generation of kids with undead children, half-human, half-plant hybrids living in the basement and cursed mummies. What a conversation starter this would be. £10 from Etsy.
2. Now everyone can get into Sweet Valley High! The game that is! Get the right clothes! Throw the right party! Date the right guy! Ok, we’ll stop with the exclamation marks and leave you to watch the YouTube trailer for Sweet Valley High – the board game – for yourself. Who knew this little gem existed until now? A mere £15.50 from Etsy. That’s, like, the price of five scrunchies. Game night at ours tonight, guys – bring the potato chips and the crimping iron.
3. Alternatively, if crime fiction has always been more your bag, you can have everyone’s favourite amatuer detective adorning your own sleuthing device with this Nancy Drew iPhone cover. £12 from Etsy.
4. Another slice of nostalgia for children of the 80s, remember the fictional Baby-sitters Club, which was was founded by Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill to provide a childcare service for local parents in Stoneybrook, Connecticut? It was one of our favourites, too. Now you can buy tile Baby-sitters Club coasters featuring book covers from the series. We want a whole set. £11.50 from Etsy.
5. Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers series, about a girls’ boarding school in the West Country of England, will forever be in our hearts. That's why we were absolutely delighted to discover a book handbag made from an actual copy of Last Term at Malory Towers. You can even fold the handles inside and store the book on your shelves when it’s not in use! Perfect for stashing invisible pink chalk and the like from your collection of schoolgirl tricks. £44.00 from The Literary Gift Company.
Which of these would you treat yourself to?