I used to read books like this as a kid. I would read them straight tho.

I couldn't read them without cheating. Committing to one path stressed me out.

I would read them regular, and then whenever I died I would just go back and choose the other option until I got a more definite ending.

@Rabid: I'm mostly sure everyone atleast did that.. It'd be interesting to find someone who read it once, died and was like "OMG I WASTED MY MONEY" and threw the book away =P

I used to read them with a bunch of pieces of torn up paper, and i would bookmark every option with a numbered piece of paper. then I'd go back and figure out the best way through the book.

I wish I could remember them, but after the CYOA books, there came some fantasy ones where you could 'create' a character and roll dice for outcomes.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about, or is it the cheap drugs again?

They did that with Star Wars. I used to play that one.

crazy_diamond_73, you're thinking of a completely different series, Fighting Fantasy. They were awesome.

BiggerJ (for some reason, I was gonna type BuggerJ): Those were it! Thanks for re-hashing my memory and proving that, for once, I'm not off my rocker!

Yes. They were awesome, and I could never help but cheat by taking my 'inventory' from one book over to the next.

I'm pretty sure those books were created to teach young children about shame and despair through repeated failures...

They taught me that when I make a mistake, i can turn back and fix it until i'm happier with my life.

They also taught me that there's only about 10 outcomes in life, and chances are I'm going to hit the bad ones.

They taught me I control my future. Man, these were great.

lol but you only controlled your future to an extent.

There weren't many options.

For instance. you couldn't finish the game by living a long uneventful life in a middle-class suburban area with a wife and 2 kids and a minivan and a dog.

Completely unrealistic. lol

I remember sticking one of my fingers in each decision place, and then going back....how did I do that??

padawan3000: I guess so, but maybe the lesson of the books was more important than the reality. I like to live like I have all my options open. I feel completely free in life, and I think these books play a big part.

amesbr: I did the same with the fingers.

Everyone: Sorry if I'm being sappy, but this link has made me all sentimental. I'll get back to being sarcastic, pseudo-anonymous and callous.

I was never satisfied with these books & spent way too much time writing my own CYOAs, that I would make my friends read.

There used to be a similar series with a sci-fi theme, in which you also had to solve puzzles correctly. I don't remember what it was called.

Barganintuan, that would be Be an Interplanetary Spy. Which was also awesome.

Nope. I don't think that was it. The cover art, as I remember it, was quite different.

CrazyDiamond: I remember those books well. Published by Steve Jackson they often came with a "spellbook" that you had to memorize (reading it while playing was cheating). That series was awesome for D&D nuts like me.

I remember the similar books. They often had time-travel themes, and from what I remember, they had silvery covers. They were basically CYOA books, but possibly be a different publisher and with different cover art. I loved those fuckers and I did the finger thing, too.

Alas, these books quickly became things of the past when I discovered Choose Your Own Hooker.