Double Love

We feared this would be another convoluted tale of pointless misunderstandings but we were surprised yet again because this book was an absolute delight! When Penny heads to DC, there's only one Oracle staffer who's fit to take her place: Elizabeth. At least, that's what Rod Sullivan thinks. Olivia's boyfriend has become worryingly obsessed with Liz. When a flu epidemic (yikes) leaves her shortstaffed and overworked, Rod offers to help her with an essay for Mr Collins (who is way too harsh on his students in this ep). But when Mr C reads the essay he accuses Liz of plagiarism! Is this the end of her journalism career (of course not, but she's a total drama queen)? Meanwhile, in the highly entertaining B and C plots, Jessica vows to tell the truth at all times, and Ned develops a surprising new obsession. This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

Well, we knew that a dud was coming in this run of books, we just didn't realise it was this one! Jessica and Elizabeth set up a letter writing service for the troubled denizens of Sweet Valley and against all logic, it's a runaway success. But when Shelly Novak writes in to request a love letter for none other than Todd Wilkins and his coffee coloured eyes, Jessica has to spring into action with a typically convoluted plan in an effort to save her sister's relationship. Yes, unfortunately it's another book about Liz and Todd having the same argument over and over, but luckily there's a surprising amount of outfits to discuss! This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

For weeks we’ve been assuming that this book would be a drop in quality after a run of bangers - but we were wrong! When Ginny becomes the latest ill-trained recruit at Project Youth, she bonds with one of the callers, a boy called Mike. But when Mike wants to meet up, Ginny fears he’ll be disappointed by her, so persuades her super-hot friend Denise to take her place. But she finds herself regretting it Jen Denise falls for Mike. Ginny, Denise and even Mike are so likeable we feel bad about calling them randomers! All this and a truly fantastic b-plot about sexual harassment and freedom of speech that almost causes us to cancel our favourite teacher. 

The sexual tension is off the charts in this one, as Jessica faces off against her ultimate foe 1BRUCE1. When Bruce starts a new club whose members have to prove themselves in (frankly stupid) dares, he announces that no girls are brave enough to join. Jessica's determined to prove him wrong - and soon she's a member of Club X, a gang comprised of the worst dickheads in school, all wearing embroidered leather jackets. Liz is horrified by Jessica's exploits, especially when they disrupt the visit of a group of international teachers which Liz is inexplicably thrilled about. Can she persuade Jess to abandon Club X?  This book may be short on outfits (apart from those iconic jackets) but it's got lots of Jess whispering dramatically to herself, so we didn't mind too much! Plus there's the iconic wheel of misfortune, and the triumphant return of our favourite teacher. This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

Sorry we won’t have a new episode for you this week. But we’ll be back next week! 

It's our 100th episode! And what better way to celebrate than to head to Walkersville, Kansas, where the Wakefield twins are spending spring break with their great-aunt and uncle. Liz wants some R&R, while Jess wants to pick up some local hunks and dazzle the locals with her truly exceptional outfits. To the twins' shock the local girls, led by the terrifying Annie-Sue, give them the cold shoulder, but the Wakefields aren't lonely for long. Jessica bags herself a hot horse wrangler, who conveniently happens to have a twin brother whom Liz dates despite the fact that she has a boyfriend at home (#poorjeffrey). There's something in the water in Walkersville because everyone in this town is either a total drama queen (we're looking at you, Aunt Shirley) or an actual psychopath - which makes for a highly entertaining book! This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

When Jessica sees that her fave soap opera is looking for identical twins to appear in the show for a week, she's determined that she and Elizabeth will get the parts. But Liz despises soaps and their ridiculous plots, silly characters and contrived misunderstandings (pot, kettle etc etc). Of course Jessica tricks her (twice!) into taking part in the show and soon the twins are stars. But when Jessica's head is turned by her hunky co-star Brandon, she risks losing Sam forever. This fantastic book not only contains some of the most entertaining scenes in Sweet Valley history, it's also got the greatest collection of outfits so far. Jump in the lime green triumph (it's got a car phone now) and enjoy the ride! This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

Elizabeth is devastated when Todd tells her he wants to take a break - and then immediately starts dating dimwitted Peggy. So when moody artist Kris Lynch asks her to the big dance (yes, yet another one), she takes him up on his offer. But when an angry Kris realises Liz has been using him to get over Todd, he decides to get revenge - with a little help from Liz's beloved journal. This book has it all: it's got Todd being terrible (as usual). It's got a villainous boy who doesn't like sports (gasp!). It's got Enid being delightful and Lila being magnificently bitchy. It's got some genuinely cute banter. It's got a silk blouse. And it's got a Jeep-obsessed Jess on top form, as she embarks on a mission to save her sister's reputation. We loved it! This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

We're back! And we've gathered here today to witness the nuptials of Steven and his child bride Cara. Cara and her mom are going to live in London, and Jessica decides the only way to stop this move is for her friend and Steven to tie the knot. The lovebirds are up for the idea - but when Cara really thinks about what married life will mean for both their future prospects, she starts to feel trapped. Will she go through with the wedding? Meanwhile Jess's attempts to keep their secret are hilariously inept, and yet again Liz has contrived worries about her and Todd's relationship. All this and some actual discussion of S-E-X. We're as surprised as you are! This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more.

It's Christmas! And that means we're breaking out the jingle bells for one last trip down memory lane, as we finally delve in to the Wakefield Legacy: the Untold Story. Yes, it's Ned's ancestors' turn to take centre stage, complete with a LOT of revisionist family history! Saddle up Theodore Wakefield's stallion Raven and gallop into the past, from the Yorkshire moors to the American mid-west, from jazz clubs to reservations and of course Sweet Valley California. There are yet more runaway aristocrats, but there are also trapeze artists and single mothers and crusading journalists and brave POWs and political protestors, reminding us that Elizabeth and Jessica's ancestors are way cooler than they are. Oh the humanity! Merry Christmas, everyone. This show is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For more, go to HeadStuffPodcasts.com, where you can also become a member of HeadStuff+ and get exclusive access to bonus material and lots more