The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Starting My Christmas Reading Way Too Early…

October 21, 2011

I have decided to start reading my Christmas mystery books early. I want to make it through a few of my Christmas theme mysteries this year, and as I have said before, I am finding less and less of my time is spent reading. Also, I am in the mood for frost on the windows, hot coco, and cold weather, and bodies >>> which can usually be found in mystery books.

When I start a new mystery, I usually have a “back-up book” sitting on my night table. If the author is someone who I consider a favorite author, I don’t need the back-up… but if I am trying a new-to-me author I always have a “spare mystery” ready to grab in the middle of the night.

I am going to begin reading a Christmas anthology tonight. One of the things that I really like about anthologies is that I can “try” new authors and decide if I want to add them to my list of authors who I read… I get to sample their writing by reading a mystery novella rather than a whole book.

I am not familiar with any of the authors in the book I have chosen to start with, so I have my “spare” ready to grab… just in case. The mystery book is called The Last Noel, and the authors are: Steve Brewer, Catherine Dain, Mat Coward, and Linda Berry. I am really looking forward to reading it, so that I can try out all of these new-to-me authors.

Next on the agenda: Mistletoe and Mayhem. This is another anthology, but with this one, I am already familiar with (and enjoy!) some of the authors. The authors include Katherine Hall Page, Christie Ridgway, Judi McCoy, and Joanne Pence. I’m looking forward to reading this mystery anthology right after I finish the first one… and then I’m on to a Kate Kingsbury Christmas mystery.

Enough about me! Are any of you reading a mystery book that you wouldn’t mind telling us about? (I’m always nosy and want to know what you all are reading!)

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Breaking a (Reading) Habit Isn’t Always Easy…

October 19, 2011

I decided that I was becoming rather repetitive with my answers to your comments from yesterday’s post, so I’m going to answer all of them collectively in this entry… sort of a second part to yesterday’s “dilemma” …

If this author had filled her books with regularly-participating secondary characters who I really enjoyed learning about and befriending (so to speak), I would have probably had more of an inclination to stay with the author.

You all were a tremendous help to me. I have been deliberating about dropping this author for a while. There have been times when my family would be out to dinner, and I would actually talk about this “to drop, or not to drop” “dilemma” of mine. And, let’s face it, I have a lot more worries than whether or not I should continue reading a favorite author of mine!!! Trust me!

As for “formulaic mysteries”>>> I totally agree… There are a lot of authors who may not start out that way, but who end up being just that… same old/same old types of plots, and characters who don’t seem to ever grow.

I think you all are correct in saying that if you keep putting off reading a favorite author’s mysteries, then you really shouldn’t consider that author a favorite any longer. I have a lot of other books and authors in my TBR bookshelf, why should I feel obligated to continue with this author – who I have almost started dreading?!? Good grief!

So, I just got back from donating her paperback mysteries to the library. They will either keep them or sell them (if they already have too many copies), which is a win/win for the books. And, I already have a new mystery book started, which I am enjoying. Now if I could just: Guilt Be Gone!

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Do You Read Mystery Books for the Mystery?

October 18, 2011

I just finished a mystery by a favorite author of mine, but I am not sure I am going to continue with her. My problem is that this was her third consecutive mystery book that I have read where I absolutely knew the mystery solution by at least page fifty.

I have all of the rest of her books in my TBR bookshelf, which shows you just how committed I am to her. But, I have been toying with dropping her. I read mysteries for the mystery factor, along with all of the other ingredients it takes to make up a good mystery novel. I mean, if I want to read great NON-mystery fiction, I could spend my time reading Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. (Both my husband and my daughter love that novel, and have been trying to get me to read it for… forever!)

I actually pulled my remaining mysteries by this favorite author of mine from my TBR bookshelf. But then I felt the same feeling I have felt in the past when I dropped one of my favorite authors: DISLOYAL!!! She had given me so many hours of very enjoyable reading, but lately, she was starting to get on my nerves! “Come on” I would mentally urge, “don’t let the solution of this mystery be this obvious. Get with it!” I would coax…

I have spoken before about going to the end of a mystery book when I am absolutely sure I know the culprit, and then being annoyed if I am correct. Well, with this author’s last book I didn’t pull that trick. Sure, I wanted to, but I held myself back. I KNEW she wouldn’t let me down… not after the last two mysteries let me down. Surely she was back on her game. NOPE!!!

I want to drop this author, but just can’t seem to do just that. I feel like I enjoy her writing, but I find myself truly annoyed that her crimes are so obvious. There’s a lot of really great fiction out there, why should I continue with an author just because she writes mysteries? Perhaps it’s time for me to take a break from mysteries… but mysteries are what I enjoy reading…

Have any of you found yourself in this position? To drop or not to drop, that is the question!

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Mystery Book with Alice in Wonderland Party…

October 17, 2011

I am trying to make my way through the questions that several of you have asked, but which I couldn’t help you with. Here is Gayle’s question:

I read a cozy mystery in which the main character was doing an “Alice in Wonderland” party at either a library or a bookstore. Do you have any ideas?

No, Gayle, I don’t… but I am hoping that one of the Cozy Mystery site readers does.

If you think you might know the author of this book, please post a comment. Thank you!

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