I have been a little distracted the past two weeks. It seems that when I am really enjoying reading my Cozy Mystery book, I am content to simply read. But when I find myself struggling to like an author, then I find other things to occupy me while on my Kindle.
I made the mistake of buying a few games for my Kindle, thinking they would come in handy on trips. When I bought them, I had no idea that I would find myself playing them in lieu of reading! Well, maybe I thought I would occasionally, but certainly I had no idea that when I didn’t quite care for an author, I would find myself so easily distracted. (These distractions mean that it sometimes takes me a rather long time to get to my 50-page-rule cut-off!)
My very favorite distraction is Mahjong Solitaire. I don’t play regular Mahjong, but I have a feeling that this version is very different than the “real Mahjong” game. This is more of a matching game, in which you try to beat your best time. (I have actually been able to succeed “solving” the matching in a little over three minutes, but that has only happened one time.) It’s a pretty mindless game, but I enjoy it… a lot. (Not at all anything like the games either of my computer savvy children would have ever liked!)
My other game is Sudoku Works. This is just like the “real Sudoku” that you can find in most major newspapers. It’s another game that doesn’t require a lot of brain power, but I am really enjoy it, also. (There are a lot worse things to be addicted to!)
Do you have distractions that you find yourself doing when you sit down to read your mysteries? Does it matter whether you really like the author or are you like me, easily distracted when you aren’t particularly enjoying an author?
Ann Philipp says
Oh, how funny you should mention this. Yes, I turn to Sudoku when my current reading material isn’t holding my attention.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, because we are getting so many comments with suggestions, I am going to go start a list and look into the things I’ve been missing! (I wish I could say that all of the mysteries I buy will hold my interest, but a lot of them don’t!)
Renee Wamble says
I have found that the Mahjong Solitaire online is my favorite game. It has truly helped me mind, body & spirit. I play Sudoku as well but Mahjong relieves stress that I’ve dealt with for some time. So very glad I found it and I will suggest it to anyone who truly wants to use their brain.
Deb says
I have a regular routine on my NOOK every morning before I get out of bed. Instead of waking up with a cup of coffee, I have a piece of chocolate and go through a series of apps: the LA times crossword puzzle (I do the NY Times one at bedtime; both are on Crosswords Plus); Sudoku Plus; Solitaire Double Deck; Yahtzy. Then I read the mobile version of the Baltimore Sun, which comes with our print subscription, Dear Abby, and our local weather on weather.com! Then I’m ready to get dressed and start the day!
I should mention that I’m retired….
But I do read throughout the day, both mysteries and nonfiction, both on NOOK and Kindle as well as library books and ones I just have to own in print.
Did I mention that I’m retired….
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Goodness gracious, Deb. Your crossword puzzles don’t sound at all relaxing to me. Even if I used my Kindle’s dictionary function all the way through, I doubt I would be able to finish a NY Times crossword!
Retired? Doesn’t sound retiring to me!
Louis says
I have Mahjong Solitaire on my PC. Even on mysteries I really like I tend to read a screen or two on my Kindle and then turn around and play 2 or 3 games of Mahjong.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Louis, if I went back and forth between my Mahjong and reading, I doubt I’d get much reading done. Mahjong is sort of like potato chips with me. I doubt I’ve ever played just two games and then quit. I have the “just one more” mentality when it comes to this game.
Sierrapen says
Oh, I can get distracted on my Nook. Yes, Mahjong is one of my favorite distractions. Then there is a game the grandchildren recommended – “Where’s My Water”.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sierrapen, I’ve just added Where’s My Water to the list of Kindle games to go look into. Thanks to your grandchildren!
Judith says
Spider Solitaire on my laptop is my weakness. I’ll take a break from reading to check my email – and then play “just one” game of Spider Solitaire. Of course, it is almost never just one.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judith, Spider Solitaire is another game I just added to my list of games to look at. (It sounds like you have the same potato chip mentality with Spider Solitaire as I do with Mahjong!)
Jackie C says
And here I thought I was really “different” in my use of my Nook! I loved reading about all of you doing such things. I also have another guilty pleasure on my Nook – I love the old “50’s-60’s” TV shows on my Nook. I do need to use my earplugs, however. Ha! Thanks for sharing, all!
Laurel says
Jackie, we love watching the old classics on Netflix. My daughter’s always watching The Andy Griffith Show or Leave it to Beaver. We love that we can watch them on our Kindles. They don’t make shows like they used to!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laurel, you are so right! Those where different times, when they made television shows that were good for both parents and children alike. Can you imagine Opie even thinking of making a smarty-pants comment to Andy or Barney?!?
Gayle says
When he did, we heard but never saw the ‘trip to the shed’!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You’re right, Gayle. Never actually did see what took place back there…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jackie C, it sounds like you have a Nook that is comparable with my husband’s Kindle Fire. We take it on vacations with us. He plugs it into the hotels’ televisions so that we can watch our own shows on the hotels’ large television screens.
Laurel says
Wow. I only wish my apps were the ones that make you really think. 🙂 I usually go for the mindless ones like Subway Surfer and Temple Run. I do enjoy the games that are stories with puzzles within the game, like the hidden object games. I’m a stay-at-home mom and we homeschool so sometimes I just need to turn the brain off and do something that doesn’t require a lot of thinking.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laurel, Subway Surfer and Temple Run are now on my list of games to look into. thanks!
(With a schedule like you have, I think I’d be sleeping every time I had some down-time!)
Lori says
I also got hooked on playing Spider Solitaire on my Kindle, but play it using two suits (diamonds and spades) so it’s a little more challenging (and frustrating). I now get torn between playing it or reading a book. I tell myself I’m only going to play one game…uh huh. It’s addicting! I think I’ll go play “just one game” right now.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lori, when you said you’d “go play ‘just one game’ right now”, it really struck a chord with me!
Kimmie says
As a full-time RN…..when not taking care of others, my reading time on my iPad Mini is my stress reliever…..which is usually done in the late hours of night. If I am reading in the mornings or weekends and I get distracted by any number of things (hard to get into the book, changing positions, refilling coffee, etc…), I am usually browsing my library’s site and adding books to my wish list. Or I browse books on B&N, adding books to my wish list, as one book leads me to another. (Curse that “others have bought” book recommendation scroll that totally adds to my never ending book list)!!
Apps that eat up some of my reading time: Bookworm, Quell games, Dabble, Bejeweled Blitz and organizing my to do lists. And once I get to browsing the web, I can pretty much kiss my reading time goodbye! I wish that I could get more focused. Sometimes, having a device that can do so many things, keeps me from doing the very thing I like most. *shrugs*
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kimmie, when I got my Kindle, I told my husband I wanted the most basic they were making at the time. Little did I know I would start accumulating games! I think that if I borrowed his Kindle Fire, I’d spend way too much time playing and surfing.
I had a list of seven games to look up, but after looking them up, I see you all are talking about “apps”, which my stripped down Kindle version doesn’t use. My games are very basic ones for my very basic Kindle. So, I guess I made the right choice when I decided to go with the most basic.
Cathy says
Facebook is my downfall, followed by Pinterest and those darn computer games with Friends!
I love to read but it seems like it’s taking me a bit longer to get through the book. I am easily distracted!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, I have said (several times before) that I don’t belong to Facebook because I KNOW I would spend way too much time talking to friends from my past (and present). I already spend too much time on my computer!
Alfred says
I have a daily routine but it refers to pogo.com I am a member on there and play my games on it. I do Trivial Pursuit and a Crossword Cove game where you get 4000 to 7000 tokens a day for doing it. Sometimes I will get burnt out on reading and work my word search puzzles. I really love doing these puzzles throughout the day they really relax me and make me calm. I also do them before bed. This way it frees my mind and makes it easier to sleep where as if your reading your mind wanders sometimes and if you get to a good part and quit your always wondering who the killer is and can’t sleep. I subscribe to 4 books and have been doing them for 15 years in April.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Alfred, I forgot to mention that I also have Word Searches that I do on my Kindle. I even bought a holiday one that I did last year during November/December. (I will probably do it again this year.) You are so right about word searches being relaxing.
Brooke B. says
I, too, succumb to the apps on my Kindle. 🙂 One of the joys of being able to have a tablet and e-reader in one. Though I do have an older Kindle, too, that I use strictly for reading.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Brooke B, your “older Kindle” sounds like it might be a lot like my only Kindle. My daughter has your type of set-up, and she loves it. Everything on one gadget…
Sharon says
I am hooked on “Word Rush” on my Kindle and Mahjong on my iPad. I have my books set up to be able to read them on either my Kindle Fire, iPad, or iPhone! This way I can catch up on reading in the doctor’s office; waiting in line; or wherever I can squeeze it in. I try to rotate reading and games. I even try to limit myself to one game (Word Rush) at bed before reading and Mahjong in the morning before journaling, plus another at tea time between the paper and the mail! Um… what does this say about me?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sharon, my daughter has an android phone and she loads everything on it, also. She used to read her Kindle books on a Kindle, but now she uses her phone for even that. It sure does make waiting a lot more pleasant, doesn’t it? Sounds like you’re pretty organized about your day… everything in its place, at its time.
Marla says
one of the games my grandkids are obsessed with is Minecraft. I teach and that is all the kids talk about! I have not tried it, for the same reasons I don’t try Pinterest – too addictive!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marla, Minecraft doesn’t look at all relaxing! I can see where it would be addictive.
Petie O says
I got ‘hooked’ on Mahjong years ago on my computer too. Billy, my son, ‘created’ tiles for me using the covers of “THE CAT WHO …” books and Texas A&M scenes. I am tempted to actually buy a Mahjong set since a girl here at my office is from China and wants to teach me how to play. But there’s the problem of finding 2 more people who want to learn. Anyway glad others are as in love with it as me!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Petie, how clever of your son to create Mahjong tiles for you. I would jump at the chance to learn how to play “real” Mahjong. Of course, coming up with two others who want to learn it might not be so easy.
reginav says
I have a morning routine also, but it does not involve playing games. I start by reading the “Hartford Courant” in my sunny family room while eating breakfast. My husband and I split the paper. He takes the front section while I read the rest, then we exchange. Next comes time for the computer. All e-mails will be read and noted. On to my perusal of the “The Boston Globe”. The Red Sox are doing fine and Brady had a good day. I will then check out Cozy Mysteries for updates and insights. I belong to face book but seldom post anything. I read about my friends and grandkids. My CO daughter says I am a stalker. Zap2it provides me with some ideas about the evening TV shows. Now that TV Land no longer has “Mash”, I am not interested in much else. Finally it behooves me to look at BN.Com to see what specials might be offered. Now it is time for my shower and to do some serious reading for the day. In between times I clean and make meals. Another day for this retiree.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, I don’t know how you can hold yourself back from writing to your friends and family when you are on Facebook. I’m sort of the same way you are about television. I don’t watch any of the major networks anymore, but have somehow accrued quite a list of shows I watch on the real crime network (ID channel) – There are some ID shows that I avoid, since they seem a little “soft porn” for my taste, but love the Paula Zahn show (On the Case with Paula Zahn), amongst some others. Also, we get the Smithsonian channel, which we like a lot.
I used to try all of the new shows on the major networks during their pilot seasons, but I don’t even bother anymore. “Meh” is about all I can muster for them.
Kalena says
I love playing “4 pictures, 1 word” when I need a break from reading on my Ipad. I also love Spyder Solitaire and Bejeweled but find that once I start playing I can’t seem to stop. I work full-time and am taking care of my Dad who has Alzheimer’s so I don’t have a lot of free time. My cozies and occasional games are a welcome treat!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kalena, I just looked up “4 pictures, 1 word”. I did really well on the three and four letter words, but am not sure how I’d do on the more complicated ones.
I remember when MSN used to have Bejeweled games for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s. Actually, I just checked, and here is their FREE Autumn Bejeweled link:
http://zone.msn.com/gameplayer/gameplayer.aspx?game=bejeweled&instance=autumn
(I don’t know how long this link will be good, since some of the other links I had on my desktop no longer work.)
Gayle says
Danna, I know this has nothing to do with games and you probably have heard about. I was a bit surprised that a whole week is set aside. Mystery Series Week – October 6 – 12 (first full week)
Kimmie says
That’s pretty cool, Gayle! When I looked it up, there are some pretty interesting facts surrounding the number of series and characters involved. I like reading about those kinds of things! Maybe B&N or Amazon will offer some sweet deals during that week. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks for the information about Mystery Series Week, Gayle. I had never heard of it before.
Karen says
I don’t think anyone has mentioned free online games. I am addicted. Yes, I said addicted to 3 games on this site. Fishdom, Connect 2, and Harvest Day. These are matching games and just like a potato chip, one is not enough. I find myself playing on the laptop when I check e-mail and then when my husband is watching TV at night. My Kindle is just a read only and to be honest, I am afraid to get one with games because then I know that I would never get anything done.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, I just looked up the games you mentioned. Connect 2 reminds me a lot of a game I used to play: Collapse! As a matter of fact, I probably shouldn’t be thinking about it right now since, when I start a game, I eat the whole bag of potato chips! Very addictive for me.
(My Kindle is a basic black and white, although it does have a touch screen, which is why I can play the games I do on it.)
Laurel says
Danna, if you’re a Bejeweled fan, I bet you’d like Dragon Gem. It’s really fun and has become my go-to game. Tons of levels to keep you busy (first world has 99 levels!). You should check it out.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laurel, I tried to find Dragon Gem, but I could only find an App for it, which leaves me out.
My Kindle is very basic, and as for my cell phone, I actually prefer a very old model (I bought three of them at Best Buy for future use) that allows me to plug an ear phone/microphone into it. That way, I can walk and talk. (I tried a more “modern” cell phone with a Bluetooth, but that was totally worthless.)