Another one of my literary goals is the read all of the Hardy Boys. Now that I’ve read all of my libraries collection, I’ve figured that I write a review. Also, since this is after my reading the collection of Nancy Drew, I can somewhat compare the two since they are so similar. Unlike the straight forward mysteries that encompass Nancy Drew novels, The Hardy Boys novels are more along the lines of thrillers as there are not the typically who-dun-it scenarios. Instead of the usual mysteries, we are diving into solving heists, dangerous espionage, and environmental dangers. The dangers to these two teenagers is much more real that those to Drew at times. While Drew’s boyfriend is often around to magically save her, the Hardy’s sometimes have their dad to save them, but it does feel really close when that does happen. It is a more heart-racing experience when having to follow these two boys around. They are quick and simply adventure reads with a couple of mystery components thrown in, including the best friend that magically happens to have some hobby that will magically solve the entire case. While the language is somewhat outdated, it is still a fun adventure from setup to wrap-up with all of the interesting locations they end up going to and interesting people met.
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Childish Insight
It’s not too often that I enjoy that I enjoy a show where the central character is a child just living their everyday life. Usually, I get so bored without some given conflict or some other thing going on. Instead, I was sucked into the world of Kotoru Lives Alone. Kotoru’s monotone and bleak understanding of the world is somewhat wholesome, until I remember that I’m adult watching the show. Instead of lighthearted and cute, the world takes a much darker tone that I ever imagined. This darker tone was what kept me engaged. It wasn’t anything that was necessarily happening on screen but the implications that drew me in episode after episode. This isn’t a fell good story, but a very memorable one.
Travel to Now
In a world full of time travel books, it is not often that time travel happens in today’s day and age. Usually, it is a historical drama set in the past or a Sci-Fi epic taking place in a distant future. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley explores the premise of those from the past being transported to today. The premise was really good, and I enjoyed it, but the book was a bit of a drag in some areas. While everything wraps up clearly in the end and you get the idea of why things were included, there were moments that just moved too slowly. It was an interesting way to explore the changing times and societal expectations; however, the exploration wasn’t as in-depth as I was expecting. Can I also just be sad that my ship didn’t sail, because my ship didn’t sail. Personally, I thought it would have been a more compelling story, but the author probably felt differently, even though it was set up so beautifully. Slow but an interesting way to incorporate a modern exploration of time travel.
New 60s Classic
I’ve been going through a slight phase where I am trying to find some of the oldest anime possible. While I could only find Princess Knight in English, it has all of the classic cartoon charm that I love: obvious clip art being moved in front of a camera, the same animation being played repeatedly, forward and backward, and villains that sound like goofy mafia bosses. This was before the classic style of anime we know today, so if I hadn’t been watching on Crunchyroll, I probably would have thought I was watching a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. And I must say that this anime was at least very trans-positive for the time, or they just completely forgot that the protagonist was trans about halfway through production; I cannot decide which. We at least start Princess Knight with Prince Knight, an AFAB prince who must hide the fact that he is trans. And then, of course, chaos ensues with wacky hijinks and plans that definitely shouldn’t work. It was a fun, laid-back anime that felt like I was watching Saturday Morning Cartoons again. The nostalgia was great.
The Worst Kind of Introspection
Classics are considered classics for a reason. They are longer stories that are filled with supposed substance that was extraordinary for the time. That was what I thought when I went into reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was supposed to be the inner workings of someone after a crime takes place. Instead, I got boring declarations about a man who doesn’t like his sister’s fiancé and a new caste system that should be enacted. Instead of the haves and have-nots, there should be the people with and without brains. I went in thinking that this would be a murder slowly devolving into insanity. While the parts that had something to do with the actual plot were interesting, you had to go so long before it came up again, making it a drag to read. If anything, be happy with the abridged version of this classic, rather than wasting some hours along the journey of nothingness.
Space Trash
Sci-Fi is once again a great genre to explore social dynamics. In Planetes, that exploration is on full display. In a time where space travel is the norm and available to the general public, there is a team whose job is to clean up space from all the space junk that is stuck in orbit. On top of the beautiful atmosphere, there were topics I didn’t imagine would be discussed from the get-go. From the commercialization of space that is currently happening, I imagine that such a show is going to become even more relatable as we start to adapt to the new frontier of expansion. Not usually a fan of space, I was surprised by how much more there was than just exploring the outer atmosphere.
Worst Girl Next Door
In a probable English town in the supposed countryside, probably, lives probably the worst child I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. So bad, I would probably put her on par with Caillou. This girl is known as Pippi Longstocking from Astrid Lindgren’s books. While I know this is a beloved classic, Pippi is one of the most annoying children I’ve ever heard of. She is probably a child’s dream of never going to school, never learning to read, and never having to go to sleep at a reasonable time. In other words, a parent’s worst nightmare. I mean, what child wouldn’t enjoy living with a monkey and having more money than one could think of doing with? From an adult standpoint, I hated this and would probably never let a child hear or read this story until they were old enough to distinguish right from wrong and reason from unreasonable. It might give children the wrong idea, and I would have to pray for that poor adult’s soul.
Undercover Legend
Becoming a legend of the underworld can be a hassle. Especially when you are apparently too good for your job. That is the story behind The Fable. A hired assassin is forced to go into hiding for a year for being way too good at his job. I also wish there were more to say. Unfortunately, I wish this show were more than just a guy living his life, especially with the setup. Had it been told as more of a slice of life, I probably wouldn’t have been as disappointed. While there was action, nothing had consequences, as there was nothing to be gained or lost, as he is known to be the best, and that is not something questioned by anyone. There was one interesting plotline, but the longer it went on, the intrigue was lost. It was a decent anime to have play in the background, just not at all what I was expecting to happen.
New to Education
In my, albeit, short time in education and teaching, I’ve learned that the things I know and what I think others should not can be wildly varying. An example of this in action is Educated by Tara West, a memoir following the life of a girl from a fundamentalist Mormon sect. It was fascinating to me that what people know and don’t know is sometimes a matter of luck. Whether they are homeschooled or in the public school system. Even outside the context of this memoir, I have noticed a substantial difference in students’ knowledge. I will admit that when I was younger, I genuinely thought it was a lack of caring or a want of incompetence. Over my time, I’ve come to realize it isn’t that, just a lack of teaching that occurs, whether willingly or not. Either way, this was a fascinating read about an aspect that is not discussed outside of sensational reality shows.
Rocking That Online Life
To be fair, if I could spend all of my time online playing games, I might. Sure, I’ll do other things, but hiding from the world online sounds fun. Here, we follow the life of a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) woman who spends her entire time playing an MMO. The only problem is that she is playing as a male avatar with a total crush on someone with a female avatar. In Recovery of an MMO Junkie, Moriko quits her job after 11 years to live out her NEET dreams, which I can honestly understand from time to time. The two timelines explored are heartwarming as we explore who our characters are on the outside and who they are behind the mask of an online persona, both of which are hilariously stupid. On top of the cute love story, it really made me want to get back into MMOs, even if I just play by myself and don’t talk with any of my fellow players.
Drabble Geeks 