The Tower Treasure by Frankin W. Dixon, 180 pages

 It all starts with the boys, Frank and Joe, on their motorcycles delivering important papers to a lawyer in Willowville for their father, Fenton Hardy. He's the well-known private investigator who lives with his family in Bayport. A reckless driver almost forces them over the embankment. It is not long before they find that their friend Chet's yellow jalopy has been stolen, possibly by the same red-haired driver! Stolen loot may be the issue. Later a dying criminal confesses that the loot has been stashed "in the tower" and the Hardy Boys make an astonishing discovery.

Mystery of Crodile Island by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 In a response to a friend's call for help, Nancy's father, a lawyer, asks her to travel to mysterious Crocodile Island with her friends Bess and George to study the reptiles and try to uncover a group of suspected poachers.

Upon their arrival in Florida, the girls are kidnapped but cleverly escape to pursue their detective work. Dangers mount as they cope with reptiles, enemy boats, and exciting chases after the men who are responsible for a sinister racket that involves many unsuspecting victims. In the end, Nancy makes a bold move to untangle the mass of clues. She and Ned become imprisoned in the enemy's submarine and are held for ransom!

How Nancy and Ned are saved and the tables turned on the owners of Crocodile Island are left for the reader to discover.

The Strange Message in the Parchment by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

A sheep farmer receives a mysterious telephone call shortly after he buys a series of pictures painted on parchment. "Decipher the message in the parchment and right a great wrong," the voice says. Puzzled, the owner asks Nancy to help.

With Junie, his daughter, Nancy tracks down a kidnapper and a group of extortionists. Clues weave in and out of several puzzles, two of which are linked with Italy. Is there a connection between the message in the parchment and a boy artist on another farm? And who is responsible for the atmosphere of fear in the neighborhood?

After several harrowing experiences, Nancy begins to tighten the net around a ruthless villain and calls on the assistance of her friends Ned, Burt, Dave, Bess and George to bring his nefarious schemes to a dead end.

The Sky Phantom by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Nancy goes to the Excello Flying School in the Midwest to take lessons, while her friends Bess and George perfect their horseback riding. At once the young sleuth is confronted with the mystery of a hijacked plane and a missing pilot. Then the rancher's prize pony, Major, is stolen. Nancy becomes a detective in a plane and on horseback to track down the elusive sky phantom and the horse thief. A lucky find - a medal with a message to be deciphered on it - furnishes a worthwhile clue. Romance is added to mystery when Bess becomes interested in a handsome cowboy. Readers will spur Nancy on as she investigates a strange magnetic cloud, hunts for the horse thief, and finally arrives at a surprising solution.

Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #304, 180 pages

BRAND NEW “Smells Like Teen Spirits“ A new beach pop-up shop has opened in Riverdale where you can mix your own fragrances and Betty and Veronica are excited to make a summer scent! However, when the two accidentally walk out with not a scent, but instead a potion concocted by Sabrina the Teenage Witch, all sorts of unexpected and unfortunate things start happening when they wear it—including repelling all the boys they approach! Sabrina has to find a way to undo the damage without Betty and Veronica noticing!

Betty & Veronica Jumbo Digest #303, 180 pages

 "BRAND NEW "New Trails,Trials and Tribulations" When the gang's favorite hiking trail gets washed out, they need to find a new one—but every other trail is riddled with problems! Will they be able to find the perfect trail and enjoy the great outdoors?

Then, in "A Million Dollars Short," Veronica realizes that she misplaced her purse, which had a million dollars in it. Betty enlists the help of Cricket O'Dell to use her sense of smell to track down the missing purse. Betty and Veronica follow Cricket throughout Riverdale as she follows her nose towards the scent of the missing money! Will they be able to track down the missing loot?"

World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #18, 180 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW First, in “Wooden it Be Nice,” while the gang is at the annual Riverdale Fall Carnival, a loud noise transforms Betty into a wooden puppet, hoping to become a real girl! Will her wish be granted in this fun take on the classic Pinocchio story?

Then, in “Only the Strong Survive,” Pepper decides to help Melody become more self-reliant by taking her on a camping trip. Pepper’s plan is to have Melody take copious notes on how to set up a camping site and survive off the land. Melody proves to be inept at everything… except attracting teenage boys!

The Secret of the Forgotten City by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Gold! There are rumors that long ago a treasure was hidden in a city now buried under the Nevada desert.

Nancy and her friends plan to join a dig sponsored by two colleges to hunt for the gold. Before she starts, the young sleuth receives an ancient stone tablet with petroglyphs on it. With this amazing clue, however, come a threat and danger from a thief who also wants the treasure.

One harrowing adventure after another besets Nancy, Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave in 102-degree temperatures as they pursue Nancy's hunches above and below ground. They are assisted by a find Indian woman and a young geology student, but both are unwilling participants in a strange plot.

In the end Nancy and Ned nearly lose their lives, just after she has discovered the priceless hidden treasure of gold.

The Double Jinx Murder by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 A bird of ill omen is mysteriously left on the Drews’ front lawn. Did the person who put it there do so with the intent of jinxing Nancy and her father? This strange incident involves the girl detective in her father’s case concerning a rare bird farm threatened with destruction to make room for a high-rise apartment house complex. The use of jinxes to threaten those who oppose the construction leads Nancy to find the criminals behind the jinxing. 

Wrack and Rune by Charlotte MacLeod, 180 pages

 When 105-year-old Hilda Horsefall tells young reporter Cronkite Swope of a stone carved with Norse runes that once sat in the nearby woods, the writer starts salivating at the thought of breaking the news that Vikings once marauded through their sleepy Massachusetts countryside. But while he's jotting down notes, a scream rings out, and Cronkite finds an even bigger story. A farmhand has been burned to death by quicklime, and Cronkite gets an exclusive scoop.

In this neck of New England, strange deaths are invariably referred to Professor Peter Shandy, the only local with the know-how to connect fearsome quicklime to the Vikings of old. But as he digs into the ancient mystery, he finds the forgotten Norse gods are not above demanding a modern sacrifice.

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Mrs. Strook requests Nancy’s help finding an old stagecoach she believes her uncle hid in her hometown of Francisville. Mrs. Strook believes the stagecoach houses a clue that will be valuable for the town! Can Nancy help her find the missing stagecoach?

World of Archie Jumbo Comics #130, 180 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, in “Spring Breaking and Entering,” Pureheart and Fly-Girl’s plans for a fun spring break are foiled by the arrival of two villains, Smash & Grab! But will Pureheart be able to resist the allure of beach time in order to solve a crime? Then, in “Can’t Top This,” Inferno is hot on the (balloon) tail of villain Kennel Kween, as the evildoer takes to the skies in a hot air balloon! Will he be able to take her down (literally!)?

Archie's Pals 'n Gals Double Digest #11, 180 pages

 

The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Nancy witnesses a purse snatching and chases the thief. She rescues the purse, but not its contents. The owner, a doll collector, asks Nancy to do some detecting. The woman provides a mysterious note: "The source of light will heal all ills, but a curse will follow him who takes it from the gypsies." Nancy interprets this clue in her quest to find an old album, a lost doll, and a missing gypsy violinist. The girl detective’s valiant efforts bring happiness to a misunderstood child and her lonely grandmother. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1947) is similar with one major and other minor revisions.

Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 From the moment Nancy Drew boards an ocean liner leaving for New York, she becomes involved in a new and dangerous mystery. A man on the pier gestures to someone on board in  sign language. BEWARE OF NANCY DREW AND NE, he signals. Who is NE? Can it be Nelda Detweiler, a young woman who shares a cabin with Nancy, Bess, and George?  Mystery and intrigue follow the girls across the ocean; but with her usual ingenuity Nancy solves the mystery and defeats her enemies before the ship reaches New York.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Nancy and Helen visit a charming old inn, recently purchased by friends. Soon after her arrival at Lilac Inn, Nancy discovers someone is impersonating her! The young detective’s enemy alters her appearance to resemble Nancy and uses stolen identification! When Emily Willoughby's diamonds are stolen, Nancy is determined to find Emily's inheritance. A mysterious ghostly figure roaming Lilac Inn's grounds, a strange message with the phrase “blue pipes,” and other unexplained incidents lead credence to the belief that the inn is actually jinxed! This revised text is a new plot from the 1930 original text. Some of the same or similar character names remain.

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Nancy and Helen are trapped in a violent lake storm and rescued by young orphan, Laura Pendleton. Upon meeting Laura's guardian, Jacob Aborn, the girls are disturbed by Mr. Aborn's odd and crass behaviors. Soon Laura confides in Nancy about Mr. Aborn's mistreatment toward her. While trying to help Laura, Nancy has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow at the hands of a crafty villain.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley's fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure. 

MASH by Richard Hooker, 180 pages

Before the movie, this is the novel that gave life to Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John, Hot Lips Houlihan, Frank Burns, Radar O'Reilly, and the rest of the gang that made the 4077th MASH like no other place in Korea or on earth.
The doctors who worked in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) during the Korean War were well trained but, like most soldiers sent to fight a war, too young for the job. In the words of the author, "a few flipped their lids, but most of them just raised hell, in a variety of ways and degrees."
For fans of the movie and the series alike, here is the original version of that perfectly corrupt football game, those martini-laced mornings and sexual escapades, and that unforgettable foray into assisted if incompleted suicide--all as funny and poignant now as they were before they became a part of America's culture and heart.

I'm glad I got my book club to read this. It's an interesting look at the book that created the show. I'm going to look at reading the other books in the series as well. 

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander, 180 pages

In the imaginary land of Prydain, where "evil is never distant," Prince Gwydion faces dangers more threatening than have ever been dreamed of. It has become imperative that the Black Cauldron, chief implement of the evil powers of Arawn, lord of the Land of Death, be destroyed.
For each of the warriors chosen to journey to Arawn's domain, the quest has special meaning. To Ellidyr, the youngest son of an impoverished king, it means a chance to satisfy his bitter longing for fame. For Adaon, beloved for his gentleness and bravery, the quest is an omen whose significance he dreads to discover. And to Tara, Assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure seems a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword, and be a man among men.
In this story, filled with great sacrifice and great adventure, each warrior fulfills his destiny in ways entirely unforeseen.