I’ve been doing quite well the last 3 weeks in not buying any books and this month, I’m on a weekly budget of only spending £100. BUT, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. It’s something that has been on my wishlist on The Book People for over a year and I’ve been waiting for a price drop before buying it. They sent me an email this morning (4th Tuesday) saying that the price had gone down to £14.99. Let me just pause here. No, I did not spend £14.99 on 1 book. I spent £14.99 on 22 books, a complete collection. Regardless of how many books I have to read – current number is slightly unknown! – I’ve been wanting this for ages, and as it isn’t on any of my lists – that are public – I knew I could buy it myself!

So, without further ado, I am now the proud owner of the complete (22 book) collection of The Famous Five by Enid Blyton!!!

So, if you aren’t familiar with Enid Blyton, she was an incredibly famous children’s book author from England (1897-1968). It is estimated that she penned 800 books over 40 years. Her stories were often about adventure or mystery, fantasy or magic. Her most famous books include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clares.

Whether you’ve heard of The Famous Five or not, I’ve listed below the 22 books and the synopsis of each. In my opinion, Enid Blyton books are something everyone should read. I have very fond memories of her Enchanted Wood books.

• #1 Five on a Treasure Island – The very first Famous Five adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There’s a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail – looking for clues – but they’re not alone! Someone else has got the same idea. Time is running out for the Famous Five, who will follow the clues and get to the treasure first?
• #2 Five Go Adventuring Again – There’s a thief at Kirrin Cottage! The Famous Five think they know who it is, but they need to prove it! Where can they find evidence? The discovery of an old map and very unusual hiding place is all they need to get to the bottom of this mystery and uncover the true culprit!
• #3 Five Run Away Together – Julian, Dick and Anne arrive in Kirrin Cottage to stay with George (real name Georgina) for the holidays. They plan to spend time exploring Kirrin Island but their happiness is spoilt when Aunt Fanny falls ill and has to leave with Uncle Quentin to be treated in a far-off hospital. They are cared for by Aunt Fanny’s temporary cook, Mrs Stick, who is accompanied by her husband and their ghastly son Edgar. The Sticks and the four children come to hate each other. Mrs Stick repeatedly tries to poison George’s dog Timmy, prompting George to hatch a secret plan to run away to Kirrin Island. When Julian catches her leaving, she decides to allow the other children to go with her. The children find evidence of other people visiting the island and suspect smugglers. The discovery of a young girl’s toys and clothes point to something sinister going on.
• #4 Five Go to Smuggler’s Top – The Five find adventure, when they spend Easter vacation at Mr. Lenoir’s sinister house Smuggler’s Top. Set high above an eerie marsh, the house is honeycombed with hidden staircases and tunnels that once served as a hideaway for smugglers. When strange lights begin to appear, the Five suspect that the tunnels are once more in use.
• #5 Five Go Off in a Caravan – A caravan holiday for the Famous Five is bound to be an adventure! And when they stumble across a circus troupe, the gang are thrilled. But some of the circus people have more sinister plans than just clowning around…
• #6 Five on Kirrin Island Again – What can Uncle Quentin be up to – all alone – on Kirrin Island. He won’t let anyone visit – not even George and the rest of the Famous Five. But Quentin isn’t really all alone on the island – somebody is watching his every move.
• #7 Five Go Off to Camp – Spook trains in the dead of night! And they seem to vanish into thin air – but where do they go? The Famous Five are on to it! But discovery of an unusual underground tunnel system, and a secret train-service, has them puzzled. If they follow the tracks, will they solve the mystery?
• #8 Five Get into Trouble – Dick’s been kidnapped, mistaken for someone else, and the Famous Five are frantic! Desperately, they track him down to a sinister old house in the middle of nowhere – and he’s safe and well! But just when they thought their troubles were over, the gang find themselves held captive and in terrible danger! Who will come for them now…?
• #9 Five Fall into Adventure – When George and Timmy go missing, Julian, Dick and Anne are frantic — what can have happened to them? Then somebody breaks into Kirrin Cottage — there must be a connection! The Famous Five are ready to solve the mystery, but can they do it without George and Timmy?
• #10 Five on a Hike Together – Dick is awoken by a light flashing through his window – is someone trying to send him a coded message?
• #11 Five Have a Wonderful Time – The Famous Five are having a brilliant time – on holiday in horse-drawn caravans – and they’ve discovered a ruined castle nearby! The castle looked deserted from a distance – but is that a face at the window? Or is it a trick of the light? The Famous Five just have to find out! Just who is hiding in the castle? 
• #12 Five Go Down to the Sea – Who would deliberately lure somebody on to treacherous rocks on the Cornish coast? Somebody is flashing lights from the old tower on stormy nights – and the Famous Five sense danger. But can they solve this mystery safely?
• #13 Five Go to Mystery Moor – Bleak and eerie, Mystery Moor is well-known for its spooky atmosphere, but is there something really scary out there? The Famous Five are intrigued, but the unfriendly travelers camped on the moor aren’t letting on. The gang risk treacherous conditions to follow them over the moor — but what danger will they find at the end of their trail?
• #14 Five Have Plenty of Fun – George is not pleased when Berta, a spoilt American girl, turns up at Kirrin Cottage in the dead of night. But George hasn’t got time to be jealous, Berta is in hiding from kidnappers. The Famous Five are the only ones who can protect her – but will they take on dangerous criminals to help out a stranger?
• #15 Five on a Secret Trail – The Famous Five are camping out near an old ruined cottage — but is the cottage really abandoned? Anne hears strange noises at night, but the others don’t believe her. Then they see the ghostly lights…
• #16 Five Go to Billycock Hill – It’s holiday time at Billycock Hill and the Famous Five make new friend – a real pilot! But when he disappears with top secret equipment, the Five begin to wonder if their new friend could be a spy, or worse, a traitor.
• #17 Five Get into a Fix – The Famous Five are ski-ing and having a brilliant time! But there’s always a mystery to solve: such as who is living in the mysterious house near their chalet? The caretaker says the house is empty…but the Five have seen a terrified face at the window…
• #18 Five on Finniston Farm – There’s a ruined castle on Finniston Farm, but only the dungeons remain – and nobody knows where they are! The Famous Five are determined to find them – and whatever is hidden in them – but they are not alone. Someone else wants to know, too. The question is: can the Five get there first?
• #19 Five Go to Demon’s Rock – The Famous Five have heard the stories about treasure on Demon’s Rocks – bu they never thought they were really true! But then they discover a very old and valuable gold coin and what was a myth becomes real! Who does the treasure belong to? The gang are determined to find out, but first they need to know who else is exploring Demon’s Rocks for the Treasure – just like they are . .
• #20 Five Have a Mystery to Solve – Whispering Island – another mysterious place, with a million stories surrounding it . . . Is it haunted? The Five are intrigued, but scared, too. Are they brave enough to go there and find out.
• #21 Five Are Together Again – The Famous Five are camping out near the home of a famous scientist. But when his important research papers go missing, he needs the gang’s help to get them back. Can the Five work out who took them? And why?
• #22 – Short Story Collection – I actually can’t find out any information about this final book, so we’ll see what it’s actually like when it comes!

Would you read these books? Or, have you read these books? Let me know!