I loved those books as a kid. I had the “Deadwood City” one and “The Sinister Studios of KESP-TV” one. I went through them all. I didn’t have one adventure – I had every adventure.
As adults, we remember loving them, but we don’t realize we’re still living them. Because that’s what life is, right? A “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. What’s missing? The “do-over” when your questionable decision leads you to that inevitable line telling you “you’ve died.”
I’ve chosen wisely and we all know I’ve chosen poorly…a lot. But, given that I can’t flip to the beginning of the book and fix my wrong turns, I guess even the poor choices say something. Because many wrong turns simply mean that you were willing to risk losing for the chance at winning. Or it means that you’re stupid. In my case? Probably some of both. But, bravery or stupidity, I do love turning the page every day.
Erin Lyon 
I was addicted to those books growing up. That and Encyclopedia Brown mystery books. But you’re right, we do live a “Choose your own Adventure” book on a daily basis. I would have put a book down in disgust if my life was one with all the wrong choices I’ve made. But I’ve found I make the same wrong choice less often. Usually. Wait, maybe I’m stupid.
See? Our books would be the ones where the rare *good* choices are hidden like Easter eggs 😉
I like that. Hidden like Easter eggs. But you know what, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Absolutely. Fellow page-turner.
I loved those books as a kid too! Did you hear that Neil Patrick Harris’s new autobiography is in the form of a ‘choose your own adventure book’? He’s pretty cool.
Love it! I may have to check that out 🙂
I think I’ve “died” too many times in this adventure. I’m going back to reading Mr. Men and Little Miss books.
No risk, no reward 😉
Those Mr. Happy and Miss Sunshine titles are risky… or risque. There’s an undertone in those stories, I swear.
Hahaha. Anything titled “Miss Sunshine” is clearly edgy.
You know she’s just teaching kids that orange juice is acceptable in beer as long as it’s in the morning.
OMG I haven’t seen these in years! I was just talking about these because my son thinks reading is a chore and these would be cool for him. I so wish we could “choose” our own ways and endings like these uber cool books 🙂
Me too! My favorite books growing up for sure. And we do get to choose where to go…we just don’t get to pick the ending 😉
I’ve got late onset stupidity, but you’re too young for that!
Late onset? I believe early onset is more common 😉
Oh, I loved those books too! Never thought of how they actually are a little like life……..good perspective there!
I’m tempted to go to the used book store and pick up a few. I wonder how they hold up as adults? 😉
I have found, unfortunately, that revisiting childhood haunts/favourites doesn’t always live up to what we remember…..some things better left in memory…however…am thinking perhaps it is time the world had an adult set of these…perhaps you are the one to do it!
Surely someone out there has already thought of that, don’t you think? Hmm…
I love these!! They were my favorite!!
Mine too…and it was amazing how many times I could read the same one over without getting tired of it!
I would always try and kill myself as quickly as possibly in the Choose Your Own Adventure books, just so I could get to all the endings as fast as possible. Bookmarking all of the choices helped . . . and bad decision making . . . I had like 50 of them, and remember selling them all at a garage sale to a lady opening up a used book store. She totally scored. I wish I had kept them!
50 of them?? I only had like…three, and they were all hand-me-downs from cousins (not sure why I never had any of my own) so I treated them like valuable contraband. Pretty sure they’re still floating around my house somewhere.
Wow. I read these as a kid too. I especially liked the one with the dinosaurs. (I think there was one with dinosaurs. Either that or I was on crack.) And, yeah, life is one big Choose Your Own Adventure I suppose… just not as exciting or tightly written.
Sure it’s as exciting…just imagine if you had to distill your life down to 120 pages. It would be riveting 😉