Nancy Drew Comics (+ Happy Summer!)

Hi Everyone--

Happy (late) summer! I hope you have been enjoying the longer days and all the summer activities that have been going on. With summer comes a whole new season of books, movies, music, and more. With that "more" category, I would like to introduce to you a new series of book based comics, with a old-time, familiar heroine near and dear to our hearts: Nancy Drew.

(c) Kelly Thompson, Jenn St.Onge, Triona Farrell, Ariana Maher, Dynamite

Released earlier this month, this comic series begins with The Case of the Cold Case: Chapter One, by Kelly Thompson, Jenn St.Onge, Triona Farrell, and Ariana Maher (Dynamite Comics).

We begin with Nancy in unfamiliar surroundings, with new friends, but familiar circumstances - in the middle of solving a mystery. Nancy receives a letter that calls her back to her hometown.With a fresh new look for both her and her friends, Bess and George, the trio are off on a series of adventures in solving a mystery. A certain male mystery duo also make a guest appearance.

I have been excited for this series ever since I heard about the project earlier this year. I was confused when the series stated that Nancy's hometown is "Bayport," the hometown of duo Frank and Joe Hardy, rather than River Heights (maybe I missed something?). The story itself is more modern and makes current pop culture references. Although it is not exactly what I thought it would be, they stayed true to Nancy's personality and her take-charge attitude to get to the bottom of any mystery. I am curious to see if we will meet Ned ("good old reliable Ned") and if we will be introduced to more mysteries once The Case of the Cold Case is solved.

It is good to see more comics based on books, especially ones that focus on intelligent females! I did hear down the grapevine that there will be a new Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys comic book that was also just released (about $13.60 on Amazon), titled Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by comiXology.

What are you reading during your summer days? Let me know in the comments below, or if you are on Instagram, use #currentlyreadingblog and let me know with a picture!

Happy Summer Reading! :)

The Underwater Ballroom Society

By: Stephanie Burgis, Ysabeau S. Wilce, Y. S. Lee, Iona Datt Sharma, Jenny Moss, Cassandra Khaw, Laura Anne Gilman, Shveta Thakrar, Patrick Samphire

A collection of stories by many fabulous and talented authors, The Underwater Ballroom Society focuses on one unifying theme: an underwater ballroom. From the dancing princesses, a martian female detective/spy, the fairy realm (in combination with some rock and roll, of course), to a creepy circus, you will find many fun and satisfying short reads. They will make you laugh, they will make you contemplative, and they will make you want to visit an underwater ballroom of your own. 

What sparked my interest in the book was a few things. First, I loved reading the series of books by two of the authors listed, namely Stephanie Burgis (Kat Incorrigible, The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart,  Snowspelled) and Y.S. Lee (The Agency Series). Second, how romantic and mysterious would plots be if they were to each feature an underwater ballroom? The stories are a must for those who love fantasy, mystery, romance, and adventure. I highly enjoyed reading The Underwater Ballroom Society and have now found new authors to enjoy! 

The Underwater Ballroom Society takes its name from the real life story of the Witley Park "underwater ballroom" (you can read more on this via Atlas Obscura here). Through a conversation between authors Tiffany Trent and Stephanie Burgis, they sparked an idea to create a collection of stories featuring an underwater ballroom. More authors joined in the conversation, each wanting to take part in such an endeavor, thus creating the masterpiece that is now available for your reading pleasure. 

If you would like to find out more about the authors, please visit them at their individual author sites below:
 
Ysabeau S. Wilce
Y.S. Lee
Iona Datt Sharma
Tiffany Trent
Jenny Moss
Cassandra Khaw
Stephanie Burgis
Laura Anne Gilman
Shveta Thakrar
Patrick Samphire