Litsy

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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I didn‘t finish this before the #NancyDrewBR discussion. ❤️ that we‘re reading these together.

@Librarybelle @Enchanted_Bibliophile @tpixie
@BarkingMadRead @kspenmoll @PurpleyPumpkin @CogsOfEncouragement @AnneCecilie @Born.A.Reader @Deblovestoread @Bookwormjillk @Read4life @StayCurious @jlhammar @CSeydel @inthegreensandblues @dabbe @julieclair
@TheAromaofBooks @Roary47 @peanutnine @PageShifter @bookandbedandtea @Ruthiella
@AmandaBlaze @MariaW

Librarybelle This has been so much fun to read together! 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1w

PurpleyPumpkin Me too! I‘ve so enjoyed us reading together. Hope you enjoyed! 1w

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BarkingMadRead

Mystery of the Moss-covered Mansion ; The Hidden Staircase | Carolyn Keene

I scored some new books for my #nancydrewbr collection! If you‘re ever in Savannah, be sure to check out Books on Bay. It‘s my favorite bookstore to visit when I‘m here!

Librarybelle Hooray!!! 1w

Ruthiella Beautiful! 🤩 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 10: Password to Larkspur Lane | Carolyn Keene

We are on to book 10 in the Nancy Drew series, #LittenDetectives ! Will Nancy be able to solve the mystery surrounding a strange message? Discussion questions will be posted August 15th!

All are welcome to join! Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!

rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, catiewithac, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, Deblovestoread, lauraisntwilder, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, jlhammar, CSeydel, Ruthiella, inthegreensandblues, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, Pageturner1, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze, julieclair

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 2w

Librarybelle #NancyDrewBR 2w

bookandbedandtea 💜 2w

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Ruthiella So looking forward to this. I love knowing I have a Nancy Drew book on my TBR each month. They are such a comfort to read. 2w

Librarybelle @Ruthiella They truly are! ❤️ 2w

dabbe #yahoo! 🤩😀🤗 1w

mrp27 Luckily I own this one! 1w

Librarybelle @mrp27 Yay…so glad you have easy access to this one! I wonder if this one is on Faded Pages too, since it‘s also by Karig… 1w

julieclair Just checked… it is on Faded Page! Thanks for the tip! I had not heard of that site before. 1w

Librarybelle @julieclair I had not either! Big thanks to @AnneCecilie for mentioning it! 1w

julieclair @AnneCecilie Thank you! 👏😀 1w

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CogsOfEncouragement

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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I truly enjoyed this fun installment with secret drawers and panels, a quick pace and of course dreamy, always supportive Ned Nickerson. #NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle Yay!!! 2w

bookandbedandtea Ned was my first #litcrush 💜 Little did I realize, back then, just how high he was setting the bar. 2w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

#LittenDetectives : It‘s time for our #NancyDrewBR discussion! I posted 5 questions as spoilers; they can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

Please share any additional comments below!

Can you believe next month is book 10 in the series?!?! I will post the graphic for next month‘s book, The Password to Larkspur Lane, tomorrow! Thanks for reading with me!

Ruthiella Looking forward to Larkspur Lane. I know I read it as a child because I remember the title! 2w

DebinHawaii Thanks for hosting @Librarybelle 🤗 Looking forward to the next one! 2w

DGRachel Thanks for hosting! I was late to the chat, but I love seeing everyone else‘s reactions. 2w

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BarkingMadRead Looking forward to book 10! 2w

Bookwormjillk Thank you! 2w

Librarybelle On to Larkspur Lane! @Ruthiella @DebinHawaii @DGRachel @BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk 2w

Sace I haven‘t read this yet and I had a minor procedure done yesterday. I‘ll read it and post my thoughts later this month? Hope that‘s ok? 1w

Librarybelle Of course, @Sace ! Wishing you a speedy recovery! 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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5. Let's talk about the dangers in this book. There were parts that really had me gasping (I have a fear of people looking at me through windows!). Nancy gets physical with bad guys, there are other fight scenes, & the Lemitts continuously mention striking Carol for punishment. Oh my!

To me, this one felt more physically charged rather than super scary episodes (going off a bridge, trapped on a sinking boat). What are your thoughts? #NancyDrewBR

Ruthiella Definitely. When Nancy jumped on Frank Jemitt when he had the advantage over Mr. Hill. Or when Jemitt tried to push her off the ladder! 😱 Pretty dangerous stuff! 2w

kspenmoll Much more violence in this book than I was used to with the series. Don‘t think all of it was necessary. Wonder if this is the direction the series is going? There was a point when i suspected Mr. Hill was in cahoots with the Jemitts when he was opening a plank to discover money at the tenant house. (edited) 2w

bookandbedandtea I did feel there was a lot of physical violence in this one with Nancy being chloroformed, guards being frequently knocked out, various instances of grappling, and the abuse to Carol. It felt like it was nonstop action. 2w

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CogsOfEncouragement I really enjoyed this for the fun it is - ND w/no car due to carpooling (that was poor planning but to set up the peril of her not having a car) & slashed tires, guards that were no match for the Jemitts, the couple minutes we thought the banker couldn‘t be trusted, ND deciding there was no time to waste & using the ladder - of course to set up the dramatic peril. This type of story was why I loved checking these out from my school library. 2w

DebinHawaii It does seem like Walter likes writing “action star Nancy” more than some of the other writers but it did make it fun. I did think that Carson needed to hire better guards! 😂 And I‘m still considering a chloroforming counter! 😉 2w

dabbe And what about the Attack with the Hairbrush? 😱 2w

DGRachel I hadn‘t actually thought about it being more violent than the others. They definitely got me with Mr. Hill and I side-eyed him for the rest of the book. The ladder thing was a bit much and the grappling at the window. We definitely need a chloroform counter @DebinHawaii! 2w

kwmg40 There did seem to be a lot of physical violence in this book. The thought of Carol living with the Jemitts made me shudder. 2w

Bookwormjillk Late to the discussion but the snake in the box! Ugh. 2w

Librarybelle It felt more violent to me this time, and I wonder if it was because of a male ghost writer. Last time, we had the football discussion! I too was suspicious of Mr. Hill—I still don‘t buy why he happened to be in that room! 😂 @Ruthiella @kspenmoll @bookandbedandtea @CogsOfEncouragement @DebinHawaii @dabbe @DGRachel @kwmg40 @Bookwormjillk 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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4. In the last question, we talked about characters. I wanted to focus a bit more on Carson Drew, because he is more prominent in the story, and we see him in his professional capacity. What do you think of Carson Drew the lawyer versus Carson Drew the father? In the past, we've discussed his almost nonchalance with Nancy and her adventures, but at least in this book we do see him trying to protect Nancy. #NancyDrewBR

kspenmoll He did protect Nancy not just from home or office but actually being on site.I think we saw more of him in both capacities-his integrity with the will & his professional skills at the reading-even his management of the will‘s recipients.As a dad he kept in close proximity at times at the house, & worried about his daughter knowing the lengths the Jemitts might/did go with Nancy & even the guards he hired! (edited) 2w

Ruthiella Honestly, I think he is as protective as the plot allows! 😂 The writers use his absence or presence as needed. That said, he is Nancy‘s main support and ally. Given when these books were written, the fact that he believes in his daughter‘s ability to do everything she does is very positive. 2w

CogsOfEncouragement I always think of ND being able to take so many risks because she has friends that know what she is up to, can go for help, or be the help, when she can‘t get herself out of the scrape. With Bess and George disgruntled we got more Carson and the perfect boyfriend Ned, who is there to help and never take the glory nor mansplain. 2w

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DebinHawaii I liked Carson more in this book & appreciated that he was around for Nancy. @Ruthiella makes a great point about his presence & protection level being driven by the particular story or plot! 😂 2w

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement Excellent point about Mr. Drew stepping up to the plate when Bess and George go awry for a while--I'm still pissed at them. 🤩 2w

AnneCecilie I liked Carson in this book, he‘s very supportive of Nancy and helping her getting in contact with people that can help. He‘s also obviously proud of her, but he also sees that Nancy sometimes need protection even from herself 2w

DGRachel I enjoyed getting to see more of Carson, as well. To @Ruthiella point, it does rather seem like the writers have a bucket of sidekicks to pick from and the sort of mystery that needs solving dictates which sidekicks we get. I can almost picture a discussion between the person who outlines the plot and the writer: Outliner: here we have B&G….Writer: “ugh, no. I‘m sick of them. Can‘t I feature Carson or at least Ned?” 😂 2w

kwmg40 I too agree with what @Ruthiella said. Carson tries to protect his daughter but he also gives her a lot freedom, which she needs to do all those amazing feats. 2w

PurpleyPumpkin The father/daughter relationship in this book was the highlight for me. I really enjoyed seeing Carson more. And as @Ruthiella points out, given when these books were written, it really is impressive how much support Nancy receives from both Carson and Ned. Neither tries to one-up her, which I appreciate. 1w

Librarybelle Really great insights, everyone! I just finished watching the most recent Nancy Drew series on the CW in the US, so I keep thinking of Scott Wolf taking care of the Lemitts (he‘s Carson Drew in the series). 😂 @kspenmoll @Ruthiella @CogsOfEncouragement @DebinHawaii @dabbe @AnneCecilie @DGRachel @kwmg40 @PurpleyPumpkin 1w

Roary47 I agree with @CogsOfEncouragement I saw his added presence in this book as a result of her lack of support from her friends. Plus Ned was away for a while. I also like what @ruthiella said about the times. Nancy is very lucky to be so supported by her father. Fathers are awesome. 🥰 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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3. I have to say, I was so upset with Bess and George! At least in the 1968 edition, their behavior towards Nancy was horrible. Nancy, being the good role model, forgives them in the end, but I'm not sure I would be as forgiving as quickly!

A few #LittenDetectives mentioned in their reviews how upset they were over Bess and George, as well as the sympathy they felt towards Carol. What are your thoughts on the characters in this book? #NancyDrewBR

Laughterhp Yes! I was so upset with Bess and George! They turned on Nancy rather suddenly. Especially since they had known before they visited that they were related. So I don‘t get why they didn‘t already know the drama. 2w

Laughterhp I really liked Carol but her foster family treated her so awful. They were really awful in this book. Shockingly so! 2w

kspenmoll Yes, they were such turncoats!After years of friendship they had no backbone to go against distant family wishes.I would not be so forgiving-I would have felt betrayed- especially after how generous Nancy always is. I did not like how she forgave them so easily.Not a good plot point-I think maybe her forgiveness should have been later in the book,after they earned it. @Laughterhp Carol was so likable! Once she had Nancy on her team,what grit! 2w

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Ruthiella That turn was very sudden and disconcerting. I am glad Nancy did not hold a grudge! 2w

CogsOfEncouragement Money does funny things to people and I would have been surprised if it was written that Bess and George ignored everything their parents were telling them and didn‘t have some hard feelings for at least a short bit. I thought this played true to human nature. 2w

bookandbedandtea I was surprised by Bess and George too. Their behavior seemed out of character and too abrupt. As @Laughterhp mentioned, they should have already known of the family dynamics before they initially asked Nancy to go with them to visit their relative so their change of attitude didn't make much sense. 2w

DebinHawaii Yeah, I didn‘t like that they were so rude & mean to her. I can understand that they live with their parents & if the parents were angry & said they couldn‘t speak to/hang around Nancy, it would be hard to do so, but it was written that they were angry at her too which I wouldn‘t have forgiven as easily. I also thought it was funny that all these greedy, angry, mean people are all of a sudden so happy for Carol when she gets most of the money! 🙄 2w

dabbe @DebinHawaii Yeah, I really had to suspend my disbelief for that ending. How would they have felt if Carol hadn't been a family member? I almost wished it had gone that way instead. 2w

dabbe I've said it more than once ... I'm still pissed at George and Bess. They could have at least talked to Nancy before giving the insipient cold shoulder treatment. 2w

AnneCecilie I was disappointed in George and Bess as well. Only goes to show what money or the possibility of money, does with people. 2w

DGRachel It felt really out of character for Bess & George. I can see being told by their parents that they couldn‘t interact with Nancy, but I feel like they should have said that instead of being as horrible as they were. Carol was sweet, but she definitely has that flighty damsel in distress quality of so many of the girls Nancy helps, that I kind of wanted to shake her. 🙄 2w

BarkingMadRead Bess and George definitely gave off mean girl vibes, I‘m glad they finally worked it out, but it seemed so out of character for them. Carol was so sweet, I‘m glad it ended well for her. Those foster parents were nightmares! 2w

kwmg40 Like many others here, I found the scenes with Bess and George out of character and unrealistic. 2w

PurpleyPumpkin I agree with the majority, Bess and George‘s behaviour was deplorable! And I don‘t think I would have been as ready to be friends with them again like Nancy was. How could one trust them? It would be hard. While the ending wasn‘t my favourite, I was glad that Carol came out on top. She certainly deserved it after the way her foster parents treated her!😤 1w

Librarybelle I agree, @DebinHawaii …it seems not quite right that the people who were clearly greedy were happy for Carol in the end. I understand too that Bess and George were influenced by their parents, but I also feel like they could have handled everything better. Very mean girl vibes, @BarkingMadRead ! @Laughterhp @kspenmoll @Ruthiella @CogsOfEncouragement @bookandbedandtea @dabbe @AnneCecilie @DGRachel @kwmg40 @PurpleyPumpkin 1w

Roary47 Sorry I‘m late I was out of town. I actually disagree with Bess and George actions being unrealistic. Teen girls seem to do this all the time. If your parent has an opinion the teen will do a complete u-turn. It‘s the whole frontal lobe not completely developed issue. Instead of thinking about it and then responding, as a teen they just respond as they see their adult respond. I agree with @DebinHawaii though on suddenly being happy for Carol. 🤨 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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2. A few of you mentioned changes in the writing style during last month's discussion, and that is thanks to Karig. The changes continue in the structure of this book, with the guilty party very obvious within the first couple of chapters.

What do you think of the overall style of this one? Did it work for you? I know there were mixed reviews on this book from the #LittenDetectives ! #NancyDrewBR

kspenmoll I didn‘t like knowing ahead who the “ bad guys” were, although the plot centered around them so I suppose it was necessary. I like having more of a mystery. 2w

Ruthiella I‘m not that picky about these books, but I do think it is interesting to look at stylistic differences between the various ghost writers. 2w

bookandbedandtea I'm with @Ruthiella that I'm not too picky about these books. I do feel like the bad guys have been obvious from the get-go in all the books so this didn't feel different to me in that respect. 2w

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CogsOfEncouragement I thought this one was a lot of fun with searching for family heirlooms around the old place with hidden drawers and panels. It seems quintessential Nancy Drew to me. 2w

DebinHawaii I got interested in looking up the ghostwriters after my favorite librarian was checking my book out & mentioned all the inconsistencies in writing style due to the different writers. They still all get a nostalgia pick for me but there have b en some I liked more than others. I‘m curious to see how I feel about Walter‘s writing in book 10. 2w

AnneCecilie I completely agree with @bookandbedandtea 2w

DGRachel I liked book #8, but I really didn‘t care for this one. I didn‘t hate knowing the bad guys up front, even though, unlike @bookandbedandtea I‘m not great at figuring out the baddie early. 😂 I fall more in line with @Ruthiella. I try not to dig too deep into the books and really critique them, but I do enjoy seeing the stylistic differences. 2w

kwmg40 I was worried I wouldn't enjoy this next book by Karig, as I felt so-so about the last one, but I ended up liking it much more. 2w

PurpleyPumpkin It‘s funny, I didn‘t like the last book all that much. It was a soft pick. But I really enjoyed this one. Definitely my favourite so far in the series! 1w

Librarybelle I thought this one was better than the last one. For me, the narrative had a different feel to it, maybe because it was pretty obvious the identity of the “bad guys,” but it did not turn me away. @kspenmoll @Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea @CogsOfEncouragement @DebinHawaii @AnneCecilie @DGRachel @kwmg40 @PurpleyPumpkin 1w

AmandaBlaze I really liked the pace of the book. It seemed to fly by. 1w

Librarybelle I agree, @AmandaBlaze ! 1w

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 09: The Sign of the Twisted Candles | Carolyn Keene

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1. The two main editions, with minor differences from what I can tell, are 1933 & 1968 (which is the basis for subsequent editions). Which edition did you read?

As @debinhawaii noted in her review, this is the second written by Walter Karig. We'll discuss the overall story in the next question! Some notes I read indicated Karig brought back Helen...is she in the 1933 edition? Karig also wrote book 10, The Password to Larkspur Lane. #NancyDrewBR

Laughterhp I read this on kindle and Libby is saying it was released in 1959. So I‘m not sure what version I read. I already returned the book, so I can‘t see what it actually says. I‘m going to assume the 1968 version. 2w

kspenmoll Mine has 3 dates: 1933,1968,1996 so I am assuming my edition is 1996 - wondering if the editions have changed over the years? 2w

Ruthiella 1968 yellow spine! 😁 2w

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Librarybelle The pub dates are hard to decipher! In the Nancy Drew world, there are two main pub dates: the original in 1933 and the revised in 1968. Anything published prior to 1968 follows the original 1933 text, but anything after 1968 follows the 1968 revised text. Because there have been additional printings, you‘ll find 3 years on some of the editions—such as the 1959 and the 1996. Those are the pub run dates, but follow either 1933 or 1968 ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 2w

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ In the case of the 1996, which I would assume many of us are reading, the book must list the original pub, the revised pub date, and the current publication run date. That‘s why some classics have multiple pub dates too on the copyright page—they‘ve been revised or content added, so all major changes from the original pub has to be noted. Hope this helps! @Laughterhp @kspenmoll 2w

bookandbedandtea I read the 1968 version. It would have been interesting to see how Helen would have been included. 2w

CogsOfEncouragement 1968 2w

DebinHawaii My library copy says 1968. 2w

dabbe 1968. This is the one I remembered from my childhood as well. 2w

AnneCecilie I don‘t know what edition I read. I read it on Faded Page and it says it was published in 1933 2w

DGRachel I‘m assuming ebook copies are all the 1968 version. Mine did not have Helen. Like @Laughterhp Kobo says 1959. 2w

BarkingMadRead I am pretty sure mine was 1968 2w

kwmg40 I'd also read the 1968 edition. @AnneCecile I'm a volunteer at Faded Page and yes, it's the 1933 edition. 2w

AmandaBlaze 1968 1w

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