Book a Week 2022 - BW14: Classic Children's Mysteries

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to April and the beginning of National Poetry Month, National Card and Letter Writing Month, and National Humor Month and this week is National Library Week.  

And thanks to Sandy and Amy, we are also celebrating our childhoods, going back to the books we read when we were young.   Take it away, ladies.

Many of us began our life of crime early by reading under the covers with flashlights and lies of “I’ll read just one more chapter then I’ll go to bed.” If you grew up reading Classic Children’s Mysteries then you’ve like got a rap sheet and a read-list as thick as a Sears catalogue. Who were you solving mysteries with in the lunch room and during geometry class?

 Authors to explore:

Stratemeyer Syndicate – Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins

Cherry Ames

Boxcar Children

Trixie Belden

Encyclopedia Brown

 

Challenge: Confess to starting a life of crime young and reread a favorite childhood mystery.

 

Thank you, ladies for bringing back memories of the past. I read many The Hardy Boys as well as Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon books back in the day.  Does anyone remember the television show of Hardy Boy/Nancy Drew mysteries from the 70's?  I was infatuated with Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson and wanted to be a detective just like Pamela Sue Martin who portrayed Nancy Drew.  

Which bring me to our Letter and Word of the Week:  N and Noteworthy

 

Link to book week 13

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges.

[Robin M]

I finished The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart. From the opening line - "Father told me I'm broken" - I was drawn into the world of Lin - the emperor's daughter, Jovis - a smuggler, Phalue -  the governor's daughter, her girlfriend Ranami, and a mysterious Sand with no memory. Bone shards play a center role in the islands. At the age of eight, children are gathered in the square of each village during the Tithing Festival to have a shard of bone removed from their skull. Not all the children survive and parents used any means to smuggle their children away to safety. The bone shards are used by the emperor to create and power constructs. Magical creatures, made of different animal parts and used to spy on the citizens. While the emperor and governor reside in palaces of gold, many of the citizens live in poverty, and a group of rebels work to undermine the governor and stop the tithing festivals. It's the rich against the poor trope with the unique twist of the bone shards and constructs thrown in which makes for a unique and engaging story.

I’m currently in the middle of three books:  My I by title is James Rollins thriller, Ice Hunt.  My books about books read is A.J. Hackwith’s Library of the Unwritten, and my e by author Louise Erdrich’s Native American Mystery The Round House.

As always I have to be a little different and currently have the children’s author Willo Davis Roberts waiting in the wings with The Girl with the Silver Eyes, a science fiction mystery.  

[Vintage81]

I finished Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.

@Storygirlyou described it perfectly in the last thread. I really enjoyed the historical/cultural aspects of the book, but the characters felt flat to me. Also, the author would just have characters die "off-page" kind of abruptly, so it was hard to get too attached to anyone. I kind of wish the book would've just stayed on Sunja's perspective, instead of moving on to her children and grandchildren and other people. It felt very meandering. I gave the book 3.5 stars

[mumto2]

Thank you, Robin!

I love mysteries and started my life of crime with Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown and never stopped.  Dd and I read all the children’s mysteries I could find and we had a blast.  So the decision of what to read this month is a bit daunting.  I have my box of books ready from my childhood which has a great collection of favorites.  I may be reading Cherry Ames as Dd finished those and left me scrambling to catch up……I haven’t.   Mainly because she launched into Agatha Christie at that point and pre reading was required! So the what to read this month in honor of Statemeyer’s brilliance in creating mysteries for children is a tough one for me! Lol

I have never even opened one of the Ruth Fielding series but during my research learned that before Stratemeyer had Nancy Drew he had a main character called Ruth Fielding.  She intrigues me.  The series started in 1914 with a 12 yo orphan called Ruth and ended publication in the 1930’s with Ruth all grown up and married.  When Ruth’s series ended Nancy Drew (my fav)  started………Nancy never grew up because the aging of Ruth had been a mistake!

Ruth Fielding books can be found for free in Kindle format and I rather randomly picked a couple that I thought looked “best” and plan to give them a try this month.  I just discovered this goldmine of a website for children’s mystery book series last night when looking for something to link Ruth Fielding to today https://forgottenstoriesweb.wordpress.com/mystery-series/ruth-fielding-series/. Have fun!

[Kareni]

Thank you, @Robin M, for this weekly thread!

@mumto2 and Amy, as a child I read Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and the Bobbsey Twins as well as Cherry Ames along with some other mysteries before moving on to books by Agatha Christie.

ETA: I also recall vaguely reading a Christian series featuring Felicia Cartright. 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches: What We're Reading

February

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2022/02/what-were-reading.html#comment-6a00d8341c84c753ef02942f9bc99d200c

and March

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2022/03/what-were-reading.html#more

**

Treasuring the Books No One Else Seems to Love

https://www.tor.com/2022/03/31/the-books-no-one-else-seems-to-love/

Regards,

Kareni

[melmichigan]

I completed my reread of the Jane Yellowrock Series by Faith Hunter in preparation for the end of the series, and have been hopping around since then.  I tried the Paradox Series by Rachel Bach.  I finished the first two on audible, but then realized I wasn't invested enough to read the third.  I came back to a few of my author/series and read Abandoned in Death by J.D Robb, and Beyond the Eyes of Mars, before reading a few kindle unlimited books for quick reads.  I've given up any rhyme or reason this year.

[Lady Florida.]

Thanks Robin!

I started my life of crime with Nancy Drew when my dad gave me a copy of The Secret in the Old Attic. He thought I'd like it and he was right. I then devoured every Nancy Drew book I could find and often asked for them for my birthday. For some reason I never got into Trixie Belden or The Hardy Boys. By the time I was in high school I had long outgrown Nancy and her friends but I was still devastated to learn that Carolyn Keene wasn't a real person! 😂

I still love many kinds of mystery stories - amateur sleuths, historical mysteries, police procedurals. I'm not that big on thrillers or suspense but I like some, like Harlen Coben's style of novel.

I also love tv mystery and police shows, especially British tv mysteries. The British know how to have a wide circle of characters and tie them all together as well as tie one or more to the crime. 

[Kareni]

I just finished Akin by Emma Donoghue which my book group will be discussing on Tuesday. I very much enjoyed this book and would happily read more by the author. The book has a slight mystery element and some poignant history; it also has a lot of humor and I laughed aloud several times.

"Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor and widower living on the Upper West Side, but born in the South of France. He is days away from his first visit back to Nice since he was a child, bringing with him a handful of puzzling photos he's discovered from his mother's wartime years. But he receives a call from social services: Noah is the closest available relative of an eleven-year-old great-nephew he's never met, who urgently needs someone to look after him. Out of a feeling of obligation, Noah agrees to take Michael along on his trip.

Much has changed in this famously charming seaside mecca, still haunted by memories of the Nazi occupation. The unlikely duo, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, bicker about everything from steak frites to screen time. But Noah gradually comes to appreciate the boy's truculent wit, and Michael's ease with tech and sharp eye help Noah unearth troubling details about their family's past. Both come to grasp the risks people in all eras have run for their loved ones, and find they are more akin than they knew.
Written with all the tenderness and psychological intensity that made Room an international bestseller, Akin is a funny, heart-wrenching tale of an old man and a boy, born two generations apart, who unpick their painful story and start to write a new one together."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Goodreads was down all morning and I didn’t want to post without my links.

 

My M and N are both done.  I read Seanan McGuire’s 11th book in her Incryptid series and am a bit underwhelmed.  If it hadn’t been a book in a favorite series it likely would have been abandoned because the first 40% of Spelunking Through Hell was boring. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57187851-spelunking-through-hell 

I wish I could say Nine Lives by Peter Swanson was vastly better https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58385688-nine-lives and it actually had a great start but it sort of fizzled once it became obvious who the murderer was and why.  Only the epilogue saved its rating on GR for me.  It was a very obvious copycat of Christie’s And Then There Were None with the book being discussed frequently.  The nine characters were done well and easy to keep track of which was awesome.  Both books received 3* on GR from me which is low for me! 😂

I listened to a good one by Jesse Milhalik who is a space opera author I have enjoyed in the past.  Hunt for the Stars is the first in a new series which I will definately be reading more of.    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56754734-hunt-the-starsFrom GR......

Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line

[Mothersweets]

I didn't have much reading time this week but have several books at the ready and just need to decide which to start with. 

My grandparents gave me the first few Nancy Drew books and I read them but they weren't compelling enough to make me want to read more of the series. I think I grew into liking mysteries as I got older. @Robin M I remember the Hardy Boys tv series and had a crush on Parker Stevenson! Shaun Cassidy (remember Da Doo Ron-ron?) was all the rage for a while, too

[Storygirl]

We owned dozens of the yellow Nancy Drew and blue Hardy Boys hardbacks when I was growing up in the '70s -- I actually still have them on my bookshelves -- and I read them all multiple times. I was an avid reader but didn't get to go to the library often enough to restock my pile of books, so I reread everything in the house over and over again. I also owned a lot of the Trixie Belden series, which I loved even more. Mystery series are still my very favorite books. I am not a re-reader any more, though, so I'm not sure what I will do for the challenge. I may read a Nancy Drew on audio, which would let me zip through it, though it seems like the books on my shelf are sitting right there, waiting for me to crack one open, so I don't know, yet.

[Storygirl]

This week I finished my T book -- Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. It's my first book by her, and I'm sure I'll read more. This one was not my cup of tea, storywise, because it was ghosty, and ghost stories are not my thing. However, it's not clear until the end whether a ghost really exists, or whether there is another explanation for the mysterious and scary events, so it's actually more suspense with a ghosty theme. When a young woman accepts a nanny position in a remote mansion, she discounts the mother's warning that previous nannies left over worries that the old house is haunted. Then she is left alone with the children for a week while the parents are away for business, and spooky and threatening things begin to happen. The narrator actually is telling this story from prison in a letter to an attorney, begging them to take her case, because she didn't, really she didn't, kill the little girl, so the reader knows from the first page that things go very, very wrong, and then we see it unfold. We can tell that the narrator has secrets of her own. Very well written and expertly plotted.

[wintermom]

I jumped pretty quickly to Agatha Christie at a certain age, and I only remember reading Nancy Drew and The Bobsey Twins in elementary school. 

I wonder if Madeleine L'Engle would be considered classic children's mystery. A good portion of her children's books had a degree of solving crimes and other mysteries. I really enjoyed her books more than anything else on that list you have in the OP.

Edited April 4, 2022 by wintermom

[Storygirl]

I also read a few on audio.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- I've read this multiple times, but the audio was a first for me. I enjoyed Jim Dale's narration, but I may go back to the print version when I move on to the second book. DH just gave me the boxed set of the paperbacks, because I don't want to keep rereading my hardcovers and wearing them out. I heard one of the hosts of the Currently Reading podcast say that she rereads one of the Harry Potter books each year at Christmas, and I thought that was a delightful idea. Except I will do it in the month of March, for my birthday. The first one down, and six more years of Harry Potter to look forward to!

The Current by Tim Johnston. When two college girls stop their sliding car on the brink of an icy river, they are relieved. Until another vehicle comes up behind and pushes their car into the river. One dies and one lives. Told from multiple perspectives, the story links this event to another murder from ten years before, which affected many of the same people in the community. The surviving girl's father was the sheriff at the time of the previous event. A teenage boy suspect was never proven guilty but has been assumed guilty by everyone for a decade. The past and present of the families swirl and twine together like the current of a river. The multiple POVs give this book a different tone than most mystery-thrillers. I enjoyed it.

[Storygirl]

9 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I jumped pretty quickly to Agatha Christie at a certain age, and I only remember reading Nancy Drew and The Bobsey Twins in elementary school. 

I wonder if Madeleine L'Engle would be considered classic children's mystery. A good portion of her children's book had a degree of solving crimes and other mysteries. I really enjoyed her books more than anything else on that list you have in the OP.

I did occur to me that I could re-read A Wrinkle in Time for this challenge. I'm willing to stretch the rules, because no one but me is keeping track, anyway! I considered counting Harry Potter.

There are some other older children's mysteries that I would think one could count. Who Really Killed Cock Robin by Jean Craighead George was first published in 1971. Willo Davis Roberts wrote a bunch of children's mysteries (Robin already picked one as her choice). Enid Blyton wrote some mysteries (have not read any of those myself). Holes by Louis Sachar is an atypical mystery but could count as a modern classic, I think. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

I don't want to lead anyone astray with my list of alternate choices, if you want to hold tight to the original challenge, but since I'm not entirely "Keene" about re-reading Nancy Drew myself, as much as I adored her as a child, I thought I'd throw out a few ideas.

[mumto2]

24 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

I did occur to me that I could re-read A Wrinkle in Time for this challenge. I'm willing to stretch the rules, because no one but me is keeping track, anyway! I considered counting Harry Potter.

There are some other older children's mysteries that I would think one could count. Who Really Killed Cock Robin by Jean Craighead George was first published in 1971. Willo Davis Roberts wrote a bunch of children's mysteries (Robin already picked one as her choice). Enid Blyton wrote some mysteries (have not read any of those myself). Holes by Louis Sachar is an atypical mystery but could count as a modern classic, I think. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

I don't want to lead anyone astray with my list of alternate choices, if you want to hold tight to the original challenge, but since I'm not entirely "Keene" about re-reading Nancy Drew myself, as much as I adored her as a child, I thought I'd throw out a few ideas.

The more ideas the better!

[Kareni]

On 4/3/2022 at 7:07 PM, mumto2 said:

I listened to a good one by Jesse Mihalik who is a space opera author I have enjoyed in the past.  Hunt for the Stars is the first in a new series which I will definitely be reading more of....

 

I just finished reading Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik and like you, Sandy, I also enjoyed it. (It's my favorite of her books thus far.)

"Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line."

Regards,

Kareni

[LaughingCat]

Don't forget the Happy Hollisters or Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series  -- and regarding Madeleine D'Engle, I always thought of her as more of a 'growing up' author -- although I'll admit I never read past A Wrinkle of Time (never even knew there were more actually) but did read all the Austin Family books. 

I liked Spelunking Through Hell ok, and definitely better than the previous two books (which both felt like a slog at the begining), although I agree if it (any of the last 3 really) had been the first book, I would not have continued the series.   Also enjoyed Hunt the Stars that several listed this week 😄

[wintermom]

7 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

Don't forget the Happy Hollisters or Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series  -- and regarding Madeleine D'Engle, I always thought of her as more of a 'growing up' author -- although I'll admit I never read past A Wrinkle of Time (never even knew there were more actually) but did read all the Austin Family books. 

I liked Spelunking Through Hell ok, and definitely better than the previous two books (which both felt like a slog at the begining), although I agree if it (any of the last 3 really) had been the first book, I would not have continued the series.   Also enjoyed Hunt the Stars that several listed this week 😄

That's how I always thought of Judy Blume. 😅  D'Engle's books do have that "growing up" theme to them, but there is a whole lot more; moving to new cities/countries, meeting new people, good/evil encounters, etc. 

I read L'Engle's autobiography and she wrote about as an actress, she would show up at auditions with original scripts written by herself and read these. That kind of blew my mind, but I've since learned that writing and acting often go hand-in-hand. Pretty cool. 😄

[Negin]

Food memoir on sale today. 

[Kareni]

I've finished two more books recently.

I enjoyed Near Death (A Raney/Daye Investigation Book 1) by Rich Hosek , Arnold Rudnick , et al. which I won in a Goodreads giveaway. This is a mystery with paranormal elements and, for once, I actually figured out the evil-doer before the reveal. Should book two be written, I'd happily read on.

"Near Death introduces parapsychologist Dr. Jennifer Daye and police detective Nate Raney in a ghostly mystery.When Nate is shot during a high-stakes robbery, he awakens from the ordeal during which he was clinically dead with the information he needs to track down the men who shot him. However, he remains skeptical that there is anything paranormal about the revelations. Jennifer believes otherwise and tries to convince Nate to share the story of his near-death experience. Nate is reluctant, but she does convince him to team up with her for the investigation of an uninvited ghost in a woman's apartment. NEAR DEATH brings this investigative odd couple together in a fast-paced story that takes you on an exciting journey through the paranormal that draws Jennifer and Nate into a decades-old cold case."

**

I also continued my Doyle/Acton reread and enjoyed revisiting Murder in Deep Regret by Anne Cleeland.

Regards,

Kareni

;

[Storygirl]

I finished a few more audio books this week.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. I loved this one, and I'm not usually a romance reader. On the day that Evvie plans to leave her husband, he dies in a car accident, leaving her a widow, instead. A year later, her male best friend suggests she allow one of his childhood friends to rent the apartment attached to her house. Dean needs some time in this small Maine town to get away from the spotlight, because he was a major league pitcher who suddenly lost the ability to pitch. As they both figure out a new way forward in their lives, Evvie and Drake become very good friends. Unsurprisingly, this leads to romance but it takes time, and I loved how their friendship unfolded.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells. This first book in the Murderbot Diaries series has been on my to-read list for awhile. I have to say that I did not love it, though I appreciate the creativity of the concept. A security robot (who has some organic parts and can resemble a human when not encased in armor) has disabled its oversight programming, so that it can make decisions and have opinions. Despite its name, the murderbot has good intentions and helps its human crew when things go wrong during their space exploration. On its own time, it likes to watch hours and hours of media programming. Its thoughts about humans can be amusing, but overall the story was too focused on tech and had less satisfying character interactions for my taste. Which makes sense, due to the narrator!! But still not my favorite read. It was super short -- 3 hours on audio.

[Storygirl]

And the audio book that I finished today: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This is a blockbuster book from 2019, so I'm late to the show. It's due to be released as a film this summer. Kya grows up alone in a marsh in North Carolina, abandoned by her family, but she finds nourishment in her communion with nature. Those sections of the book that celebrate nature, as we see Kya growing up, are absolutely transportive and beautiful. I felt the related crime and murder investigation to be less satisfying. Because I won't reveal any spoilers, I can't say much more about that. Overall enjoyable.

[Kareni]

Earlier today I finished the fantasy Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson which I enjoyed. It actually reminds me a bit of Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric and Desdemona series. If a sequel to this book appears, I would happily read it; however, I don't think I'll likely reread this book. This book does have violence, but I think it is a fine choice for teens and adults.

"The spirits of the dead do not rest.
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as ravenous, hungry spirits. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who whisper about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being whose extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.
As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, Artemisia discovers that facing this hidden evil might require her to betray everything she believes—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first."

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

I read a really random book called 'The Evolution of Claire' by Tess Sharpe, which is a tie in to the Jurassic World movies - which I haven't seen at all. (Long story about why I picked up this book, but I needed something to read). It was actually really enjoyable! Feminist and very much all about consent etc. I think it would be a good teen read - the only mention of sx is in terms of a previous boyfriend pressuring her. It would also be good in terms of discussions around how science, private industry, and politics mix. I now want to see the movies, even though scary dinosaur movies are generally not my thing. I am not good with scary.

Reread a few books including Neil Gaiman's 'Stardust'. It feels kind of dated esp with the hero chaining up and dragging a woman in order to give her to another woman in order to force her to marry him. Just - can't see someone choosing that as a plot nowadays.

 

[Laurel-in-CA]

Robin M - I have The Bone Shard Daughter on my kindle this week from the library and am excited to read it!

Mystery series -- I loved the boxcar children and loved re-reading the early ones with my kids. Our library had a special red boxcar that held copies of their collection. Happy Hollisters was a favorite of my childhood but, sadly, not at my local library. My sister is 12 years younger than I am and when I had my first job I would take her to the bookstore at the mall on payday and buy her Trixie Belden books. I think she still has some of them.

I started The Shadow of the Wind by Zifon based on someone's recommendation here. I am finding it pretty convoluted and rather slow. The dialog is interesting but I have never enjoyed magical realism -- and that seems to be where this is going as real-life and literary characters converge. Should I push on?

[mumto2]

I haven’t been having a great book week.  I keep trying to finish my book by Elizabeth Daly because I should like it.  Golden Age American author that my library owns a stack of but it’s boring.  It’s also very much a book of its time and I am not liking it with this character.  I am still not willing to mark it as abandoned but read a palette cleanser last night. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18900245-murders-in-volume-2

So that palette cleanser was a book by Irene Hannon who I know as a somewhat uneven author of Christian Romantic Suspense.  I picked the first book in an older series of hers and discovered she used to write Christian Contemporary Romance and was very good at that genre.  I have marked the series and will probably read the rest https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6303258-tides-of-hope

Last week I made plans on how to get my bookchains moving again.  I started two that are each supposed to be long and managed to stall them both at two books completed.  So this week I have listened to both Marie Force’s Fatal Frenzy and Jennifer Ashley’s Death Below Stairs.  Both were totally enjoyable and the bookchains have movement. I need to checkout the next planned books.

[mumto2]

@Laurel-in-CA You were such a sweet big sister to buy Trixie Belden’s with you first paychecks!  I think I have seen Happy Hollisters on one of the open source lists.  Several of the Stratemeyer’s are out there for free.  Bobbsey Twins definately because I downloaded those in a failed attempt to interest my kids.  Try looking at the kindle store first.

I have started my Ruth Fielding and am enjoying the similarities to Nancy Drew.  There are many because the ghost writer is the same! 😉. So far they saved a boy from a train wreck and an escaped black panther has been shot.  

[Kareni]

I continued with my series reread and just finished Murder in Revelation (The Doyle & Acton Mystery Series Book 12) by Anne Cleeland which I once again enjoyed.

Regards,

Kareni

[melmichigan]

I found a now defunct group on Goodreads called Buddies Books and Baubles, which dubbed themselves as an Urban Fantasy Group, but seem to have a little bit of everything.  There are a lot of the authors I normally read on their spreadsheets so I'm picking through to see what I may have missed over the last few years. 🙂

Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik, #2 in the Starlight Shadow series is already on my preorders for this July.  It's Kee and Varro's story, and I hope it's as enjoyable as Octavia and Torran's story was for me.

At my sister's insistence I'm going to give Red Rising by Pierce Brown another try, this time on audible. 🤞

Edited April 7, 2022 by melmichigan

[Vintage81]

21 minutes ago, melmichigan said:

At my sister's insistence I'm going to give Red Rising by Pierce Brown another try, this time on audible. 🤞

Did you not like it the first time you read it? I’m curious because this happened to me. My book club read it last year and everyone loved it except for me! To this day, they still rave about it (and all the sequels). 🤣 Many of them said the audio book was good.

[melmichigan]

4 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

Did you not like it the first time you read it? I’m curious because this happened to me. My book club read it last year and everyone loved it except for me! To this day, they still rave about it (and all the sequels). 🤣 Many of them said the audio book was good.

I didn't even get half way through it before I abandoned the book. My sister said I just wasn't in the right mindset. 

[LaughingCat]

Regarding the Bobbsey Twins - I remember reading quite a few of these at a young age, but when I downloaded one off of Gutenberg when my oldest was that age, I couldn't get past the descriptions and language used for Dinah the cook on the very first pages!  

Note: As an adult I think have only reread the first Hardy Boys book, and the first Boxcar Children book (another where I had no idea as a child that there was a whole series of mysteries) so can't speak to how any of the others might have held up (or not)   

[Kareni]

I was up late last night finishing another reread ~ Murder in Unsound Mind: Doyle & Acton #13 by Anne Cleeland.

 

Incidentally, the first book in the series is currently on sale for $1.99: Murder In Thrall by Anne Cleeland.

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Week 15 is live