What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

[Chrissie777]

How wonderful ! I will read it right away.
Thank you, Anita. You have an incredible memory.

When I look outside the window and see all this snow that we've got, I feel like reading some of the EB books set in the winter time again. Is that just me or do others feel the same? Just wondering.

BTW it also works in the hot summer months for me when I get tired of the constant heat and humidity in MA. Then I love to read "Rat-Tat-Tat" or "Tally-Ho Cottage" and all off a sudden it feels much cooler.

[Poppy]

Poppy, I feel the same. This one and Ring O'Bells are my two favorites in the series. I know Rubadub is considered by many forumites as a masterpiece, but still I prefer these two over Rubadub.

Yes, it is difficult to choose a favourite book of this series, because they are all up to the same excellent standard, except perhaps The Ragamuffin Mystery which I consider to be the weakest of the series: but still always an enjoyable read. The Rat-a-Tat Mystery is always a favourite once I get round to reading it - especially at this time of year. It captures the overall festivity of the Lynton-household briefly but beautifully, and the snow afterwards is a joy to read about. But yes, there are the beautiful summertime reads as you said. The Ring O'Bells Mystery is my second-favourite. I love the stories which Enid describes an old and eerie legend interwoven with a a new, modern day crime: I think it always works very well. I do love The Rubadub Mystery though, and the extremely satisfying plot leading up the reunion of Barney and his father, but by a small chalk, the other two are more enjoyable for me.

Poppy, I wonder how many Christmas and winter books do exist in the suspenseful series of EB books?

There are quite a few. You'll see a good idea on that Christmas Book Thread. Tomorrow, for my Blog, I will be reviewing an Enid Blyton Christmas book, as part of my 'Christmas Book Advent Calendar'. In fact, I've got several Blyton Christmas-books lined up to review.

[Chrissie777]

There are quite a few. You'll see a good idea on that Christmas Book Thread. Tomorrow, for my Blog, I will be reviewing an Enid Blyton Christmas book, as part of my 'Christmas Book Advent Calendar'. In fact, I've got several Blyton Christmas-books lined up to review.

I just clicked on your blog link and the on "Follow", so I should be able to read it on a regular basis from now on. I enjoyed your reviews of the Adventurous Four.

[Poppy]

Thanks very much, Chrissie! I hope you enjoy the upcoming posts.

[walter raleigh]

"Enid Blyton's Book Of Brownies". One of my favourite books by Blyton, and indeed, one of my favourite books of all time. One thing I'd never realised before finding this site is just how early in Enid's career it was written, and yet reading it now it seems such a mature book.

Although it's a little episodic, it seems very well plotted with lot's of different details linking the various escapades together (such as the ointments for making thing's small or bigger and the Red Goblin mentioned in one chapter reappearing in the next), and it's so fantastically inventive.

Some of the imagery is just as surreal as that in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice' books, and yet while they are (quite rightly) lauded by critics as children's classics, the same people would turn their nose up at "Book Of Brownies", purely bacause it's Blyton. It's a shame it doesn't get the recognition that in my view it deserves.

[Anita Bensoussane]

That book had me spellbound as a child. In particular I was intrigued by the bottles of goodness, the toffee tower and the absurd Land of Clever People.

[walter raleigh]

I've just started reading "Circus Of Adventure", and I'm enjoying it enormously. I love Gussy, he's a fantastic character, and all the political intrigue is great. It's so cleverly pitched by Enid too. As an adult reading it, there are a lot of unrealistic details (not least the fact there's no such country as Tauri-Hessia) but to a child it's all very exciting and 'grown-up'. What a great writer she really was.

[Carlotta King]

I just love Circus.
I think I was about 9 or 10 when I first read it and I never even gave any thought/bother to Tauri Hessia not being real or anything. It seemed an amazing country to me - I always imagined it to be a Romania/Hungary type country and loved the descriptions of the peasants in their bright clothes (especially the girls in their full skirts and ribbons in their hair - that seemed gorgeous to a little girl who loved dressing up!) and the 'fretworky' wooden designs of the houses.

Gussy is a wonderful character.
I love his dealings with Kiki.

"It spiks! It spiks words!"
"The Kiki-bird, he spits in my ear, he goes pop!"

[Courtenay]

I'm another Circus fan - I only discovered it as an adult (read: a couple of months ago... well, I think I was an adult then), but no, I wasn't bothered about the make-believe location either. It's a gloriously exciting story with some great characters (including Gussy) and plenty of thrilling escapades, and I agree that the political intrigue gives it an extra edge of suspense. For me it's one of the best of the Adventure series, which is to say, one of the best of the best as far as Enid's books are concerned!

[walter raleigh]

Couldn't agree more Courtenay. I've always ranked "Circus" just below "Ship" of all the 'Adventure' books but after this most recent re-read it might sneak into top spot.

[Rob Houghton]

Circus is certainly up there with my favourite Adventure books, along with Sea. The one thing I feel lets Circus down (and its a very small thing really) is how Kiki scares the guards away at the end - I'm sure Enid could have come up with something a little more imaginative. But apart from that it's definitely a great read.

[Wolfgang]

Finished Snowball the Pony today. I hope to finish "A week with Simple Simon" tomorrow.

[Rob Houghton]

currently rereading 'Rat-a-tat mystery' - a good winter read. Although it's not one of my most favourite in the series it's still good - and the story idea is thrilling...though I never feel Enid develops it to it's full potential.

[John Pickup]

I will shortly be settling down with The Secret Seven, the first in the series for an hour or so. You can't beat a bit of snow on Christmas Eve.

[Daisy]

You'll read it in an hour John!