Welcome to the club!

Were you ever part of a book club? 

I've heard of library clubs. Reading clubs, too, were in vogue (I use the term "in vogue" only because these reading clubs seemed to be mentioned a lot for a period of time) and I heard of them mostly in the context of Oprah Winfrey's group that met regularly for some time and discussed a particular title on each occasion.

I was not what one would call a voracious reader as a child and even as a young adult, and reading clubs--if there were any in my school--would not have appealed to me. Outdoor play--the entire day if only this were possible--was my thing during those carefree days of patintero, Chinese garter, piko, and agawan base!

A sibling remarked during a recent conversation that Americans in general love to read. Reading books is certainly a good habit to develop starting from a child's early years, for reading opens a whole new world to one who pores over stories in print. I wish this habit were more ingrained in the average Filipino's lifestyle and that good books were treasured more than they often are these days as a source of learning. 

Anyway, is it any wonder that book clubs seem to have been common among communities and schools in the US--at least in pre-internet years? Check this out: a Nancy Drew Mystery Stories book club edition.

This is merely one of several book club editions that were released from the 1950s to the 1980s. This particular one, which was available to Nancy Drew's Inner Circle (the club's official name), was released in 1962 and had volumes 1-32 as part of the collection. 

Even before I learned of the various editions in which Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were issued, a copy of a book club edition came my way. 

Mystery # 1 featuring the cover art.by Bill Gillies. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1959)

Bill Gillies' art and its characteristically retro flavor appealed to me and I had my sights set on acquiring at least one book that featured his cover art. When I spotted one of The Secret of the Old Clock among a bunch of volumes in a photo sent to me, was I jubilant! 

"That's the one I'm looking for!" I told the seller, and the book arrived within a week. 

Plain and simple. Back cover is plain, and no volume number is on the spine. These mean it's a book club edition.

Hey, the back cover is blank. I wonder why. Maybe this is a rare copy! I theorized and promptly shared pictures in the book fan group I'm part of, asking why the back cover didn't have the usual title listing and Nancy illustration. That's how I learned of book club editions, features of which included a plain yellow back cover and the absence of a volume number on the spine. Also, on the title page is printed "Book Club Edition."

More recently, I acquired another copy of the same edition--again, unintentionally. From the cover I knew it was an original-text version, and since it was not among my collection yet, I snapped it up! 

Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1932). Cover art: Bill Gillies

Only upon receiving the item did I realize that in my hands was not your regular edition but another treasure from Nancy Drew's Inner Circle. 

Check out what Nancy Drew consultant and collector Jennifer Fisher found inside a copy of Mystery #32 when she purchased it years after the club had ceased its activities! What a cool collectible!  

Count me in if "retroactive membership" is an option! In the meantime, the Nancy Drew Book Fans online group on Facebook is a nice club of sorts to get together with a welcoming bunch of enthusiasts as well as collectors who continue to appreciate River Heights' amateur detective. Long after book clubs have issued the last of the mysteries for their members to plunge into, in this group Nancy, her chums, and everything which has anything to do with the teen sleuth and the books are the subject of exciting exchanges!