Yep. I've decided to go for it -- I'm joining The Nancy Drew Challenge. So hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll have read all 56 books in the original series. Thankfully, Deborah at Books, Movies and Chinese Food is allowing challenge participants to skip the books they've already read. So I'm down ten already. (I know I've read more than that, but for the purposes of the challenge I'm only counting the ones I've written about.)
1 The Secret of the Old Clock 1930, 1959 √
2 The Hidden Staircase 1930, 1959 √
3 The Bungalow Mystery 1930, 1960 √
4 The Mystery at Lilac Inn 1930, 1961 √
5 The Secret at Shadow Ranch 1931, 1965 √
6 The Secret of Red Gate Farm 1931, 1961 √
7 The Clue in the Diary 1932, 1962 √
8 Nancy's Mysterious Letter 1932, 1968 √
9 The Sign of the Twisted Candles 1933, 1968 √
10 The Password to Larkspur Lane 1933, 1966 √
11 The Clue of the Broken Locket 1934, 1965 √
12 The Message in the Hollow Oak 1935, 1972 √
13 The Mystery of the Ivory Charm 1936, 1974
14 The Whispering Statue 1937, 1970
15 The Haunted Bridge 1937, 1972
16 The Clue of the Tapping Heels 1939, 1969
17 The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk 1940, 1976
18 The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion 1941, 1971
19 The Quest of the Missing Map 1942, 1969
20 The Clue in the Jewel Box 1943, 1972
21 The Secret in the Old Attic 1944, 1970
22 The Clue in the Crumbling Wall 1945, 1973
23 The Mystery of the Tolling Bell 1946, 1973
24 The Clue in the Old Album 1947, 1977
25 The Ghost of Blackwood Hall 1948, 1967
26 The Clue of the Leaning Chimney 1949, 1967
27 The Secret of the Wooden Lady 1950, 1967
28 The Clue of the Black Keys 1951, 1968
29 The Mystery at the Ski Jump 1952, 1968
30 The Clue of the Velvet Mask 1953, 1969
31 The Ringmaster's Secret 1953, 1974
32 The Scarlet Slipper Mystery 1954, 1974
33 The Witch Tree Symbol 1955, 1974
34 The Hidden Window Mystery 1956, 1975
35 The Haunted Showboat 1957
36 The Secret of the Golden Pavilion 1959
37 The Clue in the Old Stagecoach 1960
38 The Mystery of the Fire Dragon 1961
39 The Clue of the Dancing Puppet 1962
40 The Moonstone Castle Mystery 1963
41 The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes 1964
42 The Phantom of Pine Hill 1965
43 The Mystery of the 99 Steps 1966
44 The Clue in the Crossword Cipher 1967
45 The Spider Sapphire Mystery 1968
46 The Invisible Intruder 1969
47 The Mysterious Mannequin 1970
48 The Crooked Banister 1971
49 The Secret of Mirror Bay 1972
50 The Double Jinx Mystery 1973
51 Mystery of the Glowing Eye 1974
52 The Secret of the Forgotten City 1975
53 The Sky Phantom 1976
54 The Strange Message in the Parchment 1977
55 Mystery of Crocodile Island 1978
56 The Thirteenth Pearl 1979
Are you going to read them in order? See the ups and downs in her relationships with her friends? According to the history of Nancy Drew that I read, any continuity is coincidental :-).
Posted by: Beth | 24 January 2010 at 05:07 PM
awesome! glad you are joining us! i'm up to book 5, and am having a blast reminiscing.
Posted by: Deborah | 24 January 2010 at 05:08 PM
Wow, Leila. Just ... wow! Enjoy.
Posted by: Jen Robinson | 24 January 2010 at 05:40 PM
Ooh, exciting.
Where I went to college, there was a professor named Dr. Nancy Drew. It was pretty awesome but sad b/c she always had to replace the nameplate outsider her office.
Posted by: liz | 24 January 2010 at 06:46 PM
Jen: Well, let's keep in mind how the V.C. Andrews challenge went -- I LITERALLY read one book. And I only needed to read four!
Liz: I'm sad to say, I might have had to steal one. It's just too cool a name -- and actually, I'm pretty sure that there's a lady in our town who has it... (Oddly -- we also, I think, have an Anne Frank.)
Posted by: Leila | 24 January 2010 at 06:51 PM
goodness... it just hit me that i read every single one of those titles when i was 11,12,13. and still own them. that's a lot of nancy. but how else was i going to someday laugh with Lynne Rae Perkins?
Posted by: Noel | 24 January 2010 at 10:12 PM
Yes! Love your Nancy Drew reviews. I'm excited.
Posted by: Aljay | 24 January 2010 at 10:23 PM
As always, I am in awe of your awesomeness. Can't wait to read these reviews!
Posted by: Colleen | 25 January 2010 at 01:13 AM
I wanted to do this so much! But, obviously, can't find all the books in the UK. *sigh*
HAVE FUN. And ditto what Collen says!
Posted by: tanita | 25 January 2010 at 06:33 AM
Yay! I first discovered your blog because of a link to your Nancy Drew reviews. Those books will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember that any time I went to a library or bookstore as a kid, I'd head straight for the Nancy Drew shelf, looking to see if there was a mystery I hadn't read yet.
Posted by: Sandy | 25 January 2010 at 09:54 AM
Hi!
I am so looking forward to your reviews! The first "big girl" book that I read was a Nancy Drew title and I still remember how enthralled I was by the story.
Pat
Posted by: Pat McCaffrey | 25 January 2010 at 10:12 AM
I am so in!!
Posted by: Serena | 25 January 2010 at 07:05 PM
What a neat challenge! Thanks for sharing. Happy reading!
Posted by: Miss Pippi | 27 January 2010 at 07:26 PM