The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

How Many Cozy Mysteries Do You Have in Your TBR Pile?

I know that recently I have mentioned (more than once!) that my husband thinks I have way too many ToBeRead (TBR) Cozies. He is of the mind that I should wait and purchase my next Cozy Mystery right after I finish my current Cozy. (Like that’s going to happen!) It seems that every time I read the monthly recommendations I find at least one new-to-me Cozy author who I simply feel I have to try! And then of course, my favorite authors keep releasing new Cozies…

So, this morning, since I had a doctor’s appointment which I knew would give me lots of time to sit and tally, I decided to finally answer my husband about something he has asked me over and over. I would go through my Kindle and see exactly how many books I have waiting for me to read!

In order to do this, it meant that I would have to go through the  different folders that I have created to keep my books “tidy” >>> another word for an obsessive/compulsive’s need to keep things organized.

The first folder I looked at was my Maybe Books. These are Cozy Mysteries that I have accumulated while gathering book titles for my monthly FREE and cheap lists. Let’s see, I’m embarrassed to admit that I actually had 94 books in that folder! Ninety four mysteries that I had downloaded for FREE. Yep! They weren’t authors who I had ever really wanted to read, but since they were FREE, what did I have to lose?

The reason I use the past tense about those 94 books is that after actually studying the list this morning, I pared it down to seven. That’s right! I deleted 87 FREE mysteries since I knew I had no intention of ever reading any of them. I just “bought” them, ’cause they were FREE. I decided that these authors are probably wonderful mystery authors, but I really had no intention of spending hours/days/weeks with them! I have so many favorite authors who I already follow. Too little time for quality Cozy reading!

Another folder: Funny Classics. Hmmm, if these four books are so funny, why haven’t I ever heard of them (except for the day I decided to download them for FREE!) Out they go!

Keepers. Well, yes, I have to keep those four books. They are, after all, Keepers!

Christmas. Those of you who have been following me for a while know that I absolutely love my holiday Cozies. Those five should almost be in my Keepers folder!

Favorites. I follow lots of Cozy Mystery authors, so it makes sense that I have lots in this folder. When you think of it, you would expect that I would have more than 12 in this folder. However these are not all of my favorite Cozy authors, they are only the next chronological book of 12 of my favorite authors. These books are there so that when I want to pick a book for my next read, I don’t have to scamper around trying to find one.

I then have two folders devoted to (1) Anne George‘s 8 Southern Sisters mysteries and (2) E.F. Benson‘s 6 Lucia books. Both of these folders should probably be in my Keepers folder! I don’t care how many times I read them, I’ll never tire of these books.

I have even more mysteries by my favorite authors which I have divided into two different folders. I also have a folder of Books to Try, which is where I put the Cozies that you all have talked about in your monthly recommendations. I simply can’t resist some of them! I have lots of these Cozies, and try to read about three new-to-me books between one Cozy by one of my favorite authors, with the hopes of finding even more favorite Cozy Mystery authors to follow!

I have 68 Cozies in my TBR pile! When will I possibly find the time to read them all? I had better spend less time at my computer and more time reading!

How about you? Please post a comment and let us know how many Cozy Mysteries you have in your ToBeRead pile  >>> that you know you will read!

Comments

  1. I keep a word document with ALL my books read, TBR and Iffys. I list all the Authors in alphabetical order then under each their series and then the book titles. As I read a book I strike through it. I have a color legend for Reading, Have book already, To be ordered and Date due out. I started to count my TBR list and stopped at 50 with many others to go LOL.

    I think for every book I read I add a new one. My TBR will never dwindle down as I am always adding new ones.. Oh well more reading fun for me.

    Reply

    • I keep an Excel spread sheet of the books Barb and I read. We each have a shelf in the bookcase in my scraproom of TBR. Hers is a lot larger than mine. Even though she reads faster than I do, I started reading cozies before she did, so she has more TBR. My shelf is down to 19 books, of which all but 3 are cozies.

      Reply

  2. I thought I was bad, you have me beat.I probably have around 50 and that includes a 4 book special (different authors) for $1.99 (couldn’t pass that up. I think the Anne George books were my first copies. Also Carol Anne O’Marie author of the Sister Helen Mary series (set in San Francisco I believe)

    Reply

    • Rita, a few weeks ago several Cozy Mystery authors had their books on sale for $1.99 and I took advantage of that sale. Also, I have a few authors who have been recommended in the monthly recommendation entries that had their books on sale or some that were even FREE that I took advantage of, also. However, I am going to try to stop myself from downloading Cozy Mystery authors who I have never been interested in reading just because their books are cheap or free.

      Reply

    • I loved all the Anne George and Sr. Carol Anne O’Marie books!

      I don’t want to figure a count of TBRs until I’ve done some serious weeding. You’ve motivated me! 🙂

      Reply

  3. Oh, I periodically have to go through the freebie downloads and delete them. I usually do sample them, but some I just wonder “What was I thinking???”

    I try to be like your husband advises and only buy a book when I think I will read it soon. I have a HUGE wishlist that I keep up-to-date. Books may get deleted off there before I buy if I change my mind, and sometimes, believe it or not, I go through it and can’t find anything I want right at that moment!!!

    BUT, that said, I have about 50 books currently that I need to sample (some are just samples though–books I haven’t bought). Some are freebies. I do have about 100 on my Kindle because some are ones I’ve read and even though I know I can go download them again…I don’t delete them. It’s like when you stand in front of your bookcase and see a book you love and you pick it up and look at the front and back and think those fond memories! Same thing on the kindle. I see it on there and it brings a smile to my face!

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      • Ladies, I don’t have a Kindle as I am a dinosaur and prefer flipping pages. My brother who is only 2 years younger, has all the tablets, laptops, Kindles, whatever. But I’m okay with that. i love my cozies and don’t have as much tbr in my do read list but I have to get a lot of library books as I am under-employed and can’t afford to buy books like I want to. I do have about 20 that I have not read -12 of which are cozies. So by sheer dint of economics, I can’t be as accomplished in my unread file but I do what some of these ladies do and keep track of what I have read. Our library has a summer reading program where you write the titles you’ve read and put a sheet of 4 titles in a box with the gift card you want. If you get drawn, it is a $25 gift card to Schuler’s books or Amazon.com card that I can use! I hope I win!

        Rob

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  4. I have a huge amount of kindle tbr’s- I do snag them when they are free or marked down to read later, but it seems like I am finding more books faster than I can read them! I believe I have around 80 that I will be reading.

    Reply

  6. I, too, read Anne George’s books over and over — and still laugh out loud when Sister brings up the Shirley Temple doll!
    I also have a massive TBR stack on Kindle, but I refuse to count them. That way if my husband asks how many books I’ve downloaded I can honestly say, ‘I don’t know!’

    Reply

  7. I’m as bad, if not worse, about the obsessive/compulsive list keeping. I have ten pages of TBR titles (not all cozies). They are alphabetical by author and then chronological. They are color coded by red for at the library, blue on my shelf, green on my Kindle and black need to be acquired from somewhere. I use your list and others to go out as far as possible for future books coming from my favorite authors. I read according to mood and time available. Also buy mostly free or as inexpensive as I can get since I’m retired and can’t afford as many books as I read. Thank goodness my husband also likes to read so he understands/tolerates my habits.

    Reply

  8. I have 19 series (a couple by the same author) of which I’m currently reading in order (these are all paperbacks). I’ve printed up the listing for each series from the Cozy Mystery Site and keep these in tubs with the books. In a small tub I have the next book in each of the series so it’s easy to grab one.

    My kids went together and bought me a Kindle reader and am getting use to it. I have 7 authors plus miscellaneous books on it. I do have a paper list of books from recommendations to try when I finish a few of the series I’m currently reading.

    Also, I do use the library for a few authors…M.C.Beaton, Jessica Fletcher, etc.

    Happy reading to all!

    Reply

    • PamB, your small tub of books is exactly what my Favorites folder is on my Kindle. I don’t want to have to mess with looking up which book is next with my favorite authors.

      That’s really nice that your children gave you a Kindle. I absolutely love mine. Also, if you like games like Sudoku or MahJong, they have some really cheap versions of those games. My Kindle is a very basic, black and white model, so I don’t play anything elaborate on it. It’s sort of confusing to buy the games for my Kindle since it won’t play the more zooped-up versions…

      Reply

      • Danna, I have the Kindle Paperwhite and I’ll check to see if I can load games (will probably wait until my daughter comes over as I’m not techy in the least). I really like to hold ‘real’ books but have found I’m getting more attached to the Kindle. It’s been nice for a couple of authors as I’ve been able to get all their books (Conrad Allen, Edie Claire) on the Kindle. When I like the first book of a series I just ‘have to have’ all the books in that series. Then after reading I put in the ‘cloud’ on the Kindle as I just can’t delete them. Also, I’ve noticed some authors (like Spencer Quinn) has published short E-books to go with their series. I feel I’m in quite good company after reading all the comments.

        Reply

        • PamB, it looks like we all have benefited by finding out that we are not quite as obsessive about our books as we thought we were. (I love Conrad Allen’s and Edie Claire’s mysteries! At the risk of sounding really showy-offy >>> you have great taste in authors!)

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    • Pam B: what MC Beaton series do you like best? I like the Hamish McBeth books. I’ve read Agatha Raisin but for some reason, I just prefer the Hamish books. BBC television put out a series on TV (or the telly as they call it over there) of Hamish mysteries. The actor’s name starts with Robert but he was on “the Full Monty” if you trivia experts can chime in and report. The Hamish series on TV was excellent-very enjoyable. Rather brought MC Beaton’s books to life. By the way, her other name is Marion Chesney and she also writes Regency Romances that were very good as well.

      Reply

      • Rob, have been trying to decide who I like best – Agatha or Hamish. Sometimes I wish Agatha made better decisions, however, that is what makes Agatha Agatha. I enjoy Hamish’s low key approach. I seem to laugh more in Agatha books but if I ‘had to pick one’ I would probably choose Hamish. I usually read them both when wanting a light, fast cozy read. Happy reading to you.

        Reply

  9. I have 110 on Kindle and 60 books on my TBR. Which sounds like a great deal. But, I joined a swap site in 2008. When I joined I had more than 500 books in the house to read. I made the discovery that I don’t need to have every book in a series before I start to read it.

    I get the first book and if I find that I like the series/author I’ll order the next to have on hand when I finish the first but no more than that. Keeps the pile down. If there is no next book published yet I have a list of authors and when the book I read was published so I can watch for forthcoming books by favorite authors.

    Reply

  10. I love this website. I try to Pin as much as possible but will eventually probably start doing a spreadsheet to keep up with all I want to read. Just a quick question. Have you ever read any of Alan Bradley? I just finished “The Sweetness at the bottom of the Pie”.

    Reply

  11. I visit Friends of the Library once a month to shop for books to fill in all my series I’ve started. Well I can’t count how many books I have but once I start a series I usually read pretty fast. At fifty cents a book I can afford to stock up so I don’t feel guilty!

    I trade books with a few other friends.

    Reply

  12. I have 214 books in my TBR pile, and about 3/4 are cozies. So I’m guessing about 160 or so. Yes, I have a problem. 😉

    Reply

    • Ana dear, you don’t have a problem. You have a gift! The rest of us voracious readers wouldn’t consider it a problem. You sound delightful as the other ladies on this site. I’d love to meet you all. We have so much in common.

      Rob

      Reply

  13. I have 32 TBRs on my nook and, thanks to various used book sales 100+ on my bookshelf. I prefer to think of them as book adoptions.

    Reply

  14. I’m not as organized as you all, and, though I’m curious, I’m not going to take my bookcase apart to count (they’re stacked three deep on most shelves). Like many of you, my kindle is also laden with mostly free books. I’m afraid if I had a number to tell my husband I would be cut off.

    Reply

    • Daniele K, then I don’t blame you one bit for not counting your books! (Before I had my Kindle, I also stacked my books three deep in my book shelf. It was tough to keep reorganizing them alphabetically and chronologically when I brought a new book to the shelf!)

      Reply

  15. Thank goodness I am not the only one . Currently I have 142 books in /on my TBR shelves ( all cozies) and that’s not counting the 6 books I have checked out from the library on Saturday .I came home from to find a box of books from Amazon . All my sister could say was “And you went to the library because ?” Maybe I need a 12 step program? NOT it appears I am in excellent company .

    Reply

  16. I wouldn’t even know where to start counting. I have several paperbacks in a stack by my bed and I recently discovered Kindle and all the free and cheap books you can get on it. I seem to be obsessed with books but it looks like I am in good company. I would say less than 100 and growing.

    Reply

    • Donna V, I can’t get over how many of us seem to have the same number of TBR books in our ever-growing piles! (Reading your comment reminded me that I have to go work on my monthly FREE and cheap Kindle Cozy Mysteries list this afternoon. Thanks for the reminder!)

      Reply

  17. Since I am primarily a warm weather reader (Spring, Summer, Fall) I start accumulating books for the next “reading season” when I have finished my last book of the year. As I accumulate them I try to organize them in order of “a to be read pile.” Right know they are in a handled paper bag in a corner of my guest room. There is probably at least a baker’s dozen ready to go. I got to a late start this year and had a few (too many) distractions, so I’m only three books into the pile. But, I am into the full swing now.
    After they are all read, I will decide what to keep or what to donate and the books I keep will get added to the shelves.

    Reply

    • Margaret M, you sound really organized! (As an aside, is there something about the winter months that keep you from wanting to read, or is it just the warm weather than induces you to read? Just call me a nosy-nancy!)

      Reply

      • It just seems to work out that way. I don’t stop reading all together in the Winter, I usually read short stories. I love to read sitting outside. I need some distraction when I read, but can’t read with the T.V. or radio on. When I sit outside I have the birds, critters, distant voices, traffic noises, the sounds of trains and church bells. If I am inside with the house closed up it is too quiet, my mind wanders.

        And, I think habit has a lot to do with it. When I was younger I was a big Summer break reader, so I guess it just stuck. As soon as the front porch and back patio furniture are out The books come out. When they go in, so do the books.

        Reply

        • Margaret M, I wish our weather was nice enough that we could sit outside. About the only time it’s cool enough (for me) to want to sit outside is March, and early April. After that the humidity mixed with the heat is not at all pleasant. Your weather sounds really beautiful.

          Reply

  18. Four. Only one is a cozy, Simon Brett. But, I get my books, all of them, from the library. My request list IS as long as the library allows! Not quite the same as all of you, LOL.

    Reply

  19. A few years ago I discovered an online paperback swapping site, this allowed me to re-home books I had read that were not keepers in exchange for the first books of series I was interested in reading. This was around the same time I discovered your site Danna so coupled with the free swappng site it meant trouble for my TBR pile. So with all that in mind, I don’t actually have a TBR pile, I have a TBR bookcase! Seriously, I have a three shelf, 4 foot tall bookcase that holds all my TBR titles, mind you they are only first in series so if I like them I’ll add the rest of the series to the shelf. Of course I have the same, “it’s free so why not” problem with the Kindle that you do so I’d guess I have around 50 Kindle books waiting to be read as well…I think I might have a problem! 🙂

    Reply

  20. Hi, currently I have 3 TBR and 2 paperbacks of mine that I started to reread before this group came into the library. I am currently enjoying books by Cynthia Riggs and Vicki Delany. I have become a FB friend with Emma J. Lane or Janis Lane, but can’t seem to find hers on the library reserve system. I am waiting patiently for the new Carola Dunn. Oh and have Better Read Than Dead on the reserve list as well as several others that I can’t think of the titles right now, but they are from the “Annie” series (as recommended by you, there are 4 different ones and I have 3 on reserve) Hurriedly and have a good day.

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  21. Love your post, Danna. I was laughing and nodding my head while I read it. So…TBR books: I have 106 paperbacks in my TBR bin, 138 on Kindle, 21 hardcovers, and 13 on Nook–and I’m not counting the ones I have on order from the library. Almost all of these are cozies. I keep a notebook/binder (printed from computer list) with author name, series title, books listed in order with release dates, character names, location, etc. On release day, I run to the store to get my books. However, I soon realized that, at times, I would be 2 or 3 books behind in a series because I had so many books to read!! What’s a person to do? I needed to fix this because it was making me crazy–so now I make a list a few months ahead of release dates and make certain that I pull previous books in those series out to read before the next one is released. I call my book obsession a hobby–makes me feel a little bit better!! LOL

    Reply

  22. I keep a document of all the authors and list all their books I’ve read and make a note of the new ones coming up. I get them through the library and also inform the library of upcoming new releases and new cozy authors. I had so many books that I ran out of room to keep them but I do buy my favorite authors.

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      • Danna: I have an option that I can exercise a few times a year where I can request the library order a book (and they are always cozies) and I can also participate in a reading program where I can be drawn for a gift card to a local bookstore as one of the prizes (which I have yet to win) not really lucky with drawing type things. But to be able to ask the library to buy books and recommend that they carry books gives me some leverage in what my library carries as to cozies.

        Rob

        Reply

  23. I have at least 100 or more in tbr pile. At 60 on the my kindle. I am reading 2 at the same time. A western and cozy. And have not been to the bookstore in months. There is a local book fair on Friday that I will go to and the bookstore too. I have 2 amazon cards and barnes and Noble card to spend.

    Reply

    • I have a monthly list of books to buy. I have an authors list of what I have and need to buy. I use excel. On my month list I mark paperbacks in orange and hardbacks in pink. When I buy it, I mark it in blue. I use excel notebooks and index cards as I am doing inventory.

      Reply

    • Ginger G, when I read your comment about the 2 Amazon and 1 B&N cards, I thought of my Michael’s gift cards. My son and daughter make it super easy for me to while away the hours in Michael’s, shopping for yarns, DMC floss, or even puzzles. I love using those gift cards!

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      • Danna;: I know what you are talking about with the yarns. I am really a serious Yarn addict and COZY addict as well. The best of both worlds except that when I am supposed to be knitting, I read! Sometimes all night. What a difficult dilema. Does anyone else have that problem?
        Or challenge.

        Rob

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    • Ginger, you are so lucky. I can’t get family to give me gift cards like that> I wish I could. It is all I would request.

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  24. I too keep word doc files of my TBR pile, the books I’ve read, and a listing of upcoming book releases. My TBR pile is paperbacks, and LOL, I’m afraid to count the total. It must be over 100. I don’t watch very much tv, so I typically do a fair amount of reading. But I buy new releases at the local bookstores each month and occasionally buy from the ongoing Friends of the Library book sale, so my TBR doesn’t shrink.

    I have the Kindle and Nook apps on my iPad and do have a handful of free cozies I haven’t read yet. But only one of them appeals, so I’ll probably delete the rest. I don’t read many ebooks, I prefer paper books.

    Reply

    • Hilary, I have to admit to being an I.D. channel junkie! I’m sure that between my computer use and my true crime shows while doing my cross stitching or (recently) making puzzles, I would get a whole lot more reading done!

      Reply

      • Danna, I, also, like puzzles. I have Springbok jigsaw puzzles
        (only 500 pieces) from the 1980/1990′ s and am currently working through them all (except saving the 7 Christmas ones to work in the fall). I ‘have to have’ (OCD!) all the outside edges together before starting any other part of the puzzle. When finished I am now putting all the outside edges in a ziplock bag so if put together again I won’t have to hunt for the straight edges. I was intrigued that you are making puzzles. Happy puzzle making and reading to you.

        Reply

        • PamB, I love my puzzles! I don’t think having to have the outside edges together first sounds at all OCD >>> however, I’m saying this as an OCD person! I love your idea about putting the outside edges in a ziplock bag. I just don’t know if I have the patience to do that when I break them up! I usually fold them in half, and then keep trying to fold the puzzles in half until they all come lose. Of course, that sounds pretty OCD, doesn’t it? 😉

          I’m with you! I would never think of making a Christmas puzzle during the summer! (That just goes against nature!) I have my puzzles separated into the different seasons, also.

          The only thing I don’t like about making my puzzles is that they keep me away from my needleworking and my reading… not to mention my time at the computer!

          Reply

          • Danna, when I read how you put your pieces back in the box I started smiling real big…that is exactly what I do after putting the edge pieces in a bag. I have been known to not completely break them up so to have a start when working again! Yes, they cut into reading time and sometimes I catch myself saying…find just one more piece and twenty pieces later I’m saying the same thing! I’m so glad you still find time to do computer work as you furnish us all so much good book reading info.

            You can delete this comment (or this sentence) as I’m still smiling when I think of both of us ‘folding and folding’ our puzzles. I do wonder tho, how many piece puzzles you work.

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            • PamB, my “collection” includes 500 and 1,000 piece puzzles. I am not crazy about really difficult puzzles >>> you know the ones >>> all of the colors are sort of similar (like a white horse in a snowstorm type). I enjoy the Charles Wysocki 1,000 piece puzzles a lot because there is usually a building that is very distinct, which makes it easy to fill in the background.

              It sounds like we both have a few puzzle issues! I do the same thing as you do >>> It’s sort of like just eating one potato chip!

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              • Oh there are more puzzle junkies out there??? We’ve got many 1000 & larger but the only place to do them is on the dining room table.. which became problematic cuz that’s also the homework table, my sewing table, etc. — not to mention — the *dining room* table — so.. we eat there a few times a week too…

                And my kids love puzzles too — so sometimes a jumbo one being done by the whole family will take up the table — or sometimes ppl would want to do two different ones at the same time— problem there!

                Finally discovered a really cool jigsaw puzzle game to play on the computer & I opted for the full program because it allows you to make a puzzle from any image on your computer (searching google images for whatever subject interests you is a great way to get more “puzzles”!) — I love it cuz you can program a lot of different variables & difficulty levels (how many pieces, shapes of pieces, novelty pieces, pieces rotated or not, edges of pieces, etc.) — and best of all — now every member of the family can be working on a different puzzle & nobody is fighting for the table! (They’re just fighting for the computer LOL!)

                I originally bought a starter version of the program at Amazon (included a whole bunch of puzzles) but then found the full version at their website http://www.jigsawsgalore.com/ which allows me to make my own puzzles using my own pictures. (the full program is only $29, best money I ever spent on a game!)

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  25. I would like to suggest that Charles O’Brien be added to your list. He writes mysteries about the Gilded Age. I’ve read his first 2 books and thoroughly enjoyed them. Thank you.

    Reply

  26. Well since my first comment on this thread disappeared w/o a trace last week, I’ll start over & hope for better luck this time (though I don’t recall exactly what I said..!)

    My question was — how do you define “TBR pile”?

    I’ve got physical library books checked out, library e-books on my Kindle, paperbacks that I’ve bought (to fill out those missing from series that my library doesn’t own) & not yet read — plus a whole bunch on Kindle that I’ve not yet read (many of them freebies, but some purchased as well).

    So best guess — about 65-70 physical books purchased, but not yet read, about 42 library books checked out (including ebooks), and about 480 on Kindle (purchased or freebies), not yet read (number I’m not so sure of because some are sets of multiples & if I open them to see if there are any duplicates, I have to start scrolling & counting from the beginning again!) — so — in the vicinity of 585 or so total???

    You know they don’t call me Stash Empress for nothing!!!
    😉

    Reply

    • (and of course because I forgot what I wrote the first time & lost my train of thought!) —

      But my question is — besides those 585 or so books (physical or digital) currently in my actual possession — what about the many on my Amazon Wish List (many not yet released) or on my library’s “For Later” list — that is — books I definitely want to read, but don’t actually have in my hot little hands yet????

      Are those counted as part of the “TBR pile”???

      Reply

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