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Nancy Drew ReRead P4
The final seven wrap up the Nancy Drew series in a . . . well t didn’t really wrap it up as Nancy Drew lives on forever and the series followed that cue without any sappy goodbyes or retrospectives but act like its just another day in her life. So let’s get to the final seven.
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher-Nancy’s new friend Carla begs her to go to Peru with her after her precious plaque is nearly stolen. Said plaque is actually a map to treasure because treasure always falls in Nancy’s way. The girls travel to Lima where they face more robberies and attempted kidnappingas they struggle to decipher the indigenous code of the Ponces’ inheritance. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been reading these back to back but I didn’t find this nearly as exciting as it should be.
The Spider Sapphire Mystery-Yet another one where natives play a vitally helpful yet stereotypical part as Nancy tries to find the stolen spider gem. Honestly, not much else to be said between the classic stoic noble Cherokee warriors and the bumbling Indian (Asian Indian not Native Indian) jewel thieves. Just did not age well. Also spider in a jewel? Creepy!
The Mysterious Mannequin-I actually nejoyed this one as I find Turkey to be supe rinteresting in an artistic sense and this book leans into it by extolling the beauty of Turkish rugs, architecture and exotic mannequins. The latter catches Nancy’s eye and she ends up in a mystery of romance and excitement. Loved the adventure even though I found the ruse to be so complicated to be real.
The Secret of Mirror Bay-This was a very fun camp adventure where Nancy helps the Girl Scouts and shows off her skills, inspiring the next generation with finding more treasure. So it was nice and it has a really cool cover.
The Double Jinx Mystery-This one hits close to home as greedy redevelopers threaten to condemn the house of Nancy’s friend, Oscar and his wife. Utilizing dirty tricks, poisoning and stealing, the two almost get away with it if not for that meddling kids. . . oh wait, I meant Nancy. A real Scooby doo-esque mystery.
Mystery of Crocodile Island-Back to Florida as Nancy and her friends fight in the swamp lands against smugglers. Full of madcap excitement but predictable in how much danger they face between snakes, spiders and subs. Ultimately forgettable to me as the plot felt overshadowed by the speedy events.
The Thirteenth Pearl-The final mystery brings Nancy to Japan against cultist who steal Mr. moto’s Pearl to bring about another doomsday cuz cult. A nice finale though I wish there was more of a full circle moment.
So yeah, Nancy Drew definately deserves her role in the literature canon of great female heroes as she almost can do anything. Like Kim Possible without the martial arts and the sheer inventiveness of her adventures and mysteries will always keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus it acts as a cool time capsule as well. I just suggest not reading them all at once because it gets tiring after awhile. Still, glasses up to Nancy Drew!
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Author Highlight: Gloria Chao
So I decided to spend the week reading Gloria Chao’s catalogue of books. Which okay that was easy since there’s only four and she’s addictively readable. While each premise seems light, she also deals with the more difficult frustrations of coming of age as a Taiwanese American daughter of immigrants and the difficulties of communication between generations. Even though the parents and daughter hurt each other in harsh ways, there is still optimism and humor interspersed throughout plus swoonworthy romances.
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Nancy Drew ReRead P3
Now onto the vacation series, otherwise known as #30-40 more or less. This was a very exciting set as it combines my favorite book trope, travelling with Nancy Drew mysteries.
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Author Highlight: Neil Gainman
Initially I was going to stop at Gainman’s classic child horror tale, Coraline, but I saw that he has several fairytale adaptations in his repatoire so I felt I had to read them to complete my fairytale TBR pile.
Let’s get to it!
The Sleeper and the Spindle was the only “high school” level book which it really isn’t too high-school because of the same-sex kiss. Quelle horror. I mean the kiss was completely platonic too but I digress. It was my favorite one as he cleverly ties the tales of Snow White (now a queen on her wedding day) who decides she must complete one last mission and save the neighboring kingdom from its sleeping plague and wall of thorns. Aka Sleeping Beauty. Sure, no one is explicitly named, even the dwarfs, as it comments within the text, but you can tell.
However, it’s not just a cool mash-up but an insidious twist, touching on Snow’s own traumatic past and her desire to be a good leader. Just the best of the bunch.
Snow, Glass, Apples, is definately for adults if one couldn’t tell by the first page spread of erotic. I mean it’s tastefully done as Doran it mimics the style of stained glass art (the whole book does) but it gives you an impression of the atmosphere of the book. Daark, sexy and grimm in turns as this Snow White is a eerie beautiful vampire whose lies founded the tale we know but the Queen is here to tell us the truth in her final moments.
Also a really good book with how it manipulates the elements we know, the dwarfs, the apples, and the sorcery with bits from older tales like necrophilic princes and iron-forged shoes. This was just a masterclass in creatively twisting a tale, and I changed my mind this is my favorite one.
Hansel and Gretel is a pretty straight retelling with no twists except for the woodcut-like illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti. I guess it’s a good primer but didn’t see much creative input that makes this distinctly Gainman. Which I would define as darkly whimsical. Like Tim Burton! It’s what made the Coraline movie so good. I highly recommend the first two novels and maybe next year, I’ll dive into some of his classic works like Good Omens.
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Nancy Drew ReRead P2
I know I started the year with a Nancy Drew reread, and finally twelve months later I get to the rest. I’ve been busy. Nonetheless, I almost got the whole collection minus 4 of them that had already been checked out from the library. Or stolen. It wasn’t quite clear.
Anyway, onto the second reread which I did books 8 through 20 more or less. Here the books are very remiscent of Scooby Doo from the 60s vibes to the wacky hijinks. Only I’d argue Nancy’s adventures were a touch more dangerous as she and her friends were getting constantly kidnapped by men who want to get rich the quick dishonest way. Since there’s too many to do a full review, here are my quick thoughts on each.
(more…)#carolynkeene, #middlegrade, #mysteryattheskijump, #mysteryofthemosscoveredmansion, #nancydrew, #nancydrewmysteries, #passwordtolakespurlane, #rachelreads&reviews, #theclueinthejewelbox, #theclueintheoldalbum, #theclueoftheblackkeys, #theghostofblackwoodhall, #thelueofthevelvetmask, #themessageinthehollowoak, #themysteryoftheivorycharm, #thequestofthemissingmap, #thesecretintheoldattic, #thesignofthetwistedcandles -
Farrah Rochon Interview
Farrah Rochon is the author of several romance and YA books including The Boyfriend Project trilogy, The Holmes Brothers and Almost There. Farrah graciously gave her time to answer my questions about football, romance and Louisiana atmosphere. Enjoy!
1. You started out with a Bachelors in Science before getting your Masters in Arts. With how notionally difficult it is to break into writing, what prompted you to pursue your dream to write?
I started writing my first book during my sophomore year as an undergrad. I was a psychology major, which required a significant amount of writing. It segued nicely into a writing career. And it was the encouragement of one of my professors that prompted me to pursue writing as a career. She read many of my psychology papers and always had such wonderful things to say about my writing. It was the push I needed.
2. What draws you to the romance genre in particular?
I love the idea of a happily ever after. Despite what the characters may go through, knowing things will work out in the end is a comfort.
3. With the growing prevalence of African American authors in romance, you can argue it’s no longer a niche subsection of the genre. What are your thoughts on the increasing levels of representation?
Strides have been made in representation, but there is still such a long way to go in publishing. While more African American authors have been picked up by major publishers, I can still name each of the authors on their list. I’ll be satisfied when there are so many African American romance authors published that I can’t keep up with them.
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The Bloody Chamber (and Other Stories)
You know how darker, sexier retellings of fairytales are all the rage?
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Well you have Angela Carter to thank for that subgenre in fairytale retellings with her collection of short stories that subvert and invert these popular tales to pay homage to their darker origins while making it slyly progressive. Putting the females in peril and also able to get themselves out of distress. Going as to far to embrace the primal and dark. -
Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 11-17
Even though the library didn’t have vol 9 or 10, I had to know what happened next and went straight for 11. Thankfully, it was easy to sum up what had happened in between though I was shocked. Armstrong has a sister!! Prince Ling’s body was taking over by Greed! May has joined up with Scar and Dr. Murdoch!! Just wow.
Anyway, these chapters take readers, and the Elric brothers to the North in the Briggs stronghold commanded by Armstrong’s sister, Olivier. Meanwhile, several enemies converge to plot the catalyst of the grand plan of destruction. Namely, Kimblee, the psychopath of the Ishvalan War and the nemesis of Scar. The Sloth homoculi. And down in central, Mustang and his crew soldiers and spies soon piece together the real purpose of the homoculi and President-Furhur Bradley’s conspiracy for Doomsday just as Edward and Alphonse realize the truth themselves.
Things quickly speed towards the Doomsday with many high-stakes battle for everyone. I do mean, everyone. Edward, Alphonse, Van Hohenheim (their father who gets an excellent yet tearjerking backstory tied to this whole doomsday mess), Mustang, Hawkeye, Ling/Greed, Scar, Izumi and so many more.
On that note, I completely forgot about Izumi in my last post which is unforgivabale and I deserve to be hit by her sandle. She’s the most badass housewife ever! The fight team up with Izumi and Olivier was amazing.
Know what else was amazing?! Mustang and Hawkeye facing off against Envy where she and Scar of all people manage to talk Mustang from the brink of vengence and madness of finishing off Hughes’ killer.
And I hadn’t even gotten to May almost single-handedly facing off Envy herself as well as helping the other alchemists in facing off The Father.
Oh, oh, Havoc returns! Ad Buchaneer, Old Man Fu and Alphonse make heroic sacrifices for the sake of the world in a suitably tearjerking fashion in the case of Old Man Fu and Alphonse.
Also Greed vs Wrath homoculi with the addition of Prince Ling and Lo Fan was just jaw-dropping in the visuals.
As for where the Elric Brothers are in all this. I mentioned how Edward had Alphonse had their share of scene-stealing moments as one can expect like when they finally punch out that evil scientist man (I forgot his name). Same with Edward finally confronting his father while Alphonse chooses to support Van Hohenheim, two vastly different ways to react to their abandonment and potential reconciliation.
They also speak to the greater themes of how humanity is worth it despite the paina nd the hurt they cause each other. The homuculi are evil and destructive because they are so consumed by their flaws and while they believe that humanity only perpetuates and repeats those flaws, the brothers believe the opposite. That they are capable of change and doing better by not perpetuating the cycle of violence. Something all the adults look at them with respect because they know how hard it is and they know the price of war and hatred.
Arakawa has created a literally explosive, fast-paced and emotionally intense series and I can’t wait to finish it off with the final climax.
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Thoughts on Chain of Thorns
Well, I’m all caught up on The Shadowhunter Chronicles as I finished Chain of Thorns this week. So all that’s left is the final trilogy and the last book in The Eldest Curses trilogy. Woo-hoo.
I must admit I procrastinated for almost the entire year before getting to CoT because the prospect of 800 pages was too daunting. Sure, once I started reading I got so sucked in I finished in three days but it’s like the gym. Starting is the struggle.
Anyway, I think I summed up most of my thoughts in the previous Thoughts on The Last Hours post. Clare excells in transporting readers to early 1900s/Edwardian London with its mores and social etiquette as the young people come of age in a new era. The allusions to Vanity Fair and Great Expectations are woven into the plot threads especially with Tatania acting as a demonically broken Miss Havisham.
However, I felt the relationship drama overshadowed the overarching action plot with Belial trying to take over London and Lilith making Cordelia her paludin. I get it is hard as Clare has to keep things within continuity and anything that happened in this trilogy wouldn’t affect the rest of the timeline, but it rendered the potential world-changing threat moot because no one mentions this part of history.
Also what is it with London? Can’t demons try to take over some other city like Cairo or New South Wales.
That aside, the relationship drama primarily relied on miscommunication shenanigans that went on for 500 pages, slowing the pace. I just wanted them to resolve things already but pride was in the way, and yeah.
This is not to say I don’t like the book, I did. I just liked the characters more as individuals rather than their pairings. But in being swept up nby romance, others fell to the wayside like Tom and Ari taking over most of their POV with Anna having almost none of her own. And Alistair literally had none. I wanted to see more things from their side as I found them to be the most compelling but nope. Missed opportunity there as we get their reactions filtered from other’s POV rather than their own internal monologues.
I must admit the only worthwhile part from the 1,000 pages long estrangement of Cordelia and James (yes, I’m including the other books) was when they did get together, sweetly running into each others arms, falling to the stairs in kisses.
And that’s about it. Not one of Clare’s best books as it couldn’t be built up too much compared to other trilogies but certainly not the worst.
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Hiddensea: The Once and Future Nutcracker Review
Maguire takes readers to a deep dark wood where Dirk the foundling dies and comes back to life.
It’s a traumatic incident and the foundling boy, who was never quite whole in the first place, ventures out into the world. Alone, and lost, apart from others and haunted by the past he blocked out, Dirk tries his hardest to connect with someone but is unable to because he just doesn’t know who he is.
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Rachel Reads & Reviews 