I was pretty close to shelling out USD110 (plus taxes) on Ebay last week.
The latest object of fixation?
A set of 20 hardbound books – the complete collection of The Royal Diaries Series.
Taken from the Ebay listing
Have you read it?
Because I have yet to meet another person who has.
It was one of the first – if not the very first – books I read that compelled me to write without apologies.
They came in the form of adolescent diary entries that dated back to the summer before 5th grade, the summer before transferring to a co-ed school after spending my first 6 school years at an all-girls school.
The written outputs of that tumultuous age were, by no means, a work of art.
I remember rereading them a mere 3 years later and found them shallow, immature, yet mildly entertaining (if you enjoy pre-teen dramas centering on a girl who likes a guy who has a friend who likes that girl — phew!)
Nevertheless, that was where this whole business of writing started.
It all began with a book which, at that time, I had no idea was part of a 20-part series.
All the books in The Royal Diaries Series listed in chronological order on Wikipedia
That book was “Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess” by Carolyn Meyer.
I saw my cousin reading it one day on our way to voice lessons and asked her if I could borrow it.
She said I could, on the condition that I’d have to read it very fast, because she had to give it back to her friend.
And read it fast I did.
I was already a huge fan of the 1997 “Anastasia” animated movie but hadn’t known that Anastasia was a real person (and that Dimitri wasn’t) and that she and her whole family were shot and burned in acid.
After reading about her brutal death, I had a haunting nightmare where I was led down a dark basement, felt actual bullets penetrate my body and was still conscious when my murderers buried me alive.
To say that the book made an impression on me is an understatement.
I decided to start writing about my life in a diary too, even though I felt frustrated that I only had boring, “peasant” things to write about.
About a year later, I found “Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile” and “Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles”, also from the Royal Diaries Series as evinced by their near-identical hardbound covers.
I was 12 and begged my mom to buy them.
But she said I could only have one.
I ultimately settled on “Cleopatra” (a foreshadowing that I would marry an Egyptian, perhaps?)
What I loved most about the Royal Diaries Series is the interplay between history and fiction (which remain my two greatest loves).
And the fact that the authors chose the princess’ teenage years made it so relatable – well, to a certain extent.
I was still just a teenager who could barely afford to buy a book.
So when I chanced upon the Ebay listing last week, I was instantly transported back to my teenage years, albeit 15 years older but hey, at least I’ve got a proper bank account now.
To my disappointment, the Ebay seller did not ship to Dubai, so I had to keep looking for another seller who did.
All this searching led me to a website for free book downloads.
With just a few clicks, I had the complete Royal Diaries Series in my laptop.
I finished “Catherine: The Great Journey” over the weekend and am now in the middle of “Kristina: The Girl King”.
Considering this series was written for kids ages 8-13, it’s not exactly difficult reading material.
Still, I take more time than what is strictly necessary, because I like to do some background research on the characters – a “luxury” I could not afford back then in the age of dial-up internet.
Would I still buy the hardbound set given the chance?
Definitely!
They’re mementos of a childhood I never had, and they played a defining role in who I am today: avid reader, struggling writer and all.