Author Archives: mondomolly

Love At First Sight (First Love From Silhouette #9) By Elaine Harper

Posted on June 20, 2022 by mondomolly

How could nature have produced such virile perfection? Background: I am on the record about how I’ve turned around my opinion on Silhouette’s First Love romances (“AMERICA’S publisher of Contemporary Romance”), at least when it comes to Elaine Harper’s terminally … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Announcing the 2022 Edition of Molly’s Imaginary Summer Book Club!

Posted on May 15, 2022 by mondomolly

Full name: Molly’s Imaginary Summer Book Club Featuring Classics of Women’s Literature Defined As Books Authored By, About or Widely Read By Women in the 20th Century. This year, the Love Stinks edition. I’m announcing it early and trimming the … Continue reading →

Posted in Non-YA Fiction | Tagged | 8 Comments

Movie Madness And/Or Mania: Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones (1971)

Posted on April 28, 2022 by mondomolly

Back in 2014 I wrote about the 1967 teens-in-trouble classic Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, in which author Ann Head (the penname for non-YA writer Anne Wales Christensen), tells the story of how two high school seniors cope with … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fat Jack By Barbara Cohen

Posted on April 7, 2022 by mondomolly

“A person never gets over high school, Judy.” I’ve written before about my general impression of YA fiction moving from topical issues based on shock value in the 1970s (Drugs! Cults! Satan!) and into more internal crises of the characters … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Kathleen (Sunfire Romance #8) By Candice F. Ransom

Posted on March 17, 2022 by mondomolly

There were times she wished she’d never come to America… Background: Scholastic’s Sunfire series is a cautionary tale about judging a YA Romance by its cover. Lurking behind the overheated cover art and melodramatic taglines are some of the best stories and most … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Movie Madness And/Or Mania: The Late Great Me! Story Of A Teenage Alcoholic (1979)

Posted on March 2, 2022 by mondomolly

A number of ABC’s Afterschool Specials (and CBS’s School Break Specials and NBC’s Special Treat) have been made available on YouTube; while usually associated with heavy-handed renderings of TEEN ISSUES (DRUGS! DRINKING! SHOPLIFTING! CULTS! ALL THE GREATEST HITS!) a number of these specials adapted contemporary … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Christopher Cool TEEN Agent #3: Department of Danger By Jack Lancer

Posted on February 13, 2022 by mondomolly

The Department of Danger! There was something about the words that sent a faint chill down Chris’s spine. Background: It is somewhat comforting that (for at least a few more volumes) I know I can always fall back on Jack … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy New Year, New Book and Site Updates!

Posted on January 30, 2022 by mondomolly

I am very excited to announce the publication of Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950 to 1985, the third collection of essays on 20th century popular and pulp paperbacks and mass culture. Edited by Andrew Nette and … Continue reading →

Posted in Non-YA Fiction | 6 Comments

Hawaiian Christmas (Super Seniors #2) By Eileen Goudge

Posted on December 22, 2021 by mondomolly

An island reunion of romance, surf and sun! The cover is telling: this book is just as busy and confusing yet generic as the graphic design choices. I had to defer to the folks at Fantastic Fiction over how to … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Wrapping Up The Imaginary Summer Book Club: She Let Him Continue By Stephen Geller

Posted on December 15, 2021 by mondomolly

(Click here for information on the 2021 edition of Molly’s Imaginary Summer Book Club Featuring Classics of Women’s Literature.  This week, the 0final selection She Let Him Continue By Stephen Geller) Well, as usual, what was intended to be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Non-YA Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments