The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Let's Go to the Bookstore for a Croissant and an Espresso…

We are lucky to live in a city that has a lot of books stores. I have to admit that I usually do all of my book-purchasing through Amazon’s site, but occasionally I break down and buy a book at an actual store. We have five Barnes and Nobles and seven Borders books stores within a 25 mile radius! That’s a lot of books stores!

Recently, though, I have not really enjoyed my visits to these bookstores. On one occasion, two teenagers were seated (plopped) right in front of the area (mysteries, of course!) that I wanted to look at… They didn’t budge, even with me towering over them trying to find my author of choice. On another occasion, people on the couches near my area were talking loudly on their cell phones while I was trying to peruse the books (mysteries… again!)

I have noticed a trend in the bookstores near our home… they seem to want to make the store have the feeling of a lounge… where people can sit and talk, eat, drink, and even LAY on the floor !!!!! It appears that some people go early so that they can stake out a favorite couch to call their own while they read magazines and drink their morning coffee… before reading more magazines while sipping their fruit shakes in the afternoon.

When I go to a bookstore, I am there with a purpose…. I always take my list of books… I go in, find my book, do a little browsing, and then leave. Well, that’s what I used to do. Now I go in, carefully walk around, step over, peer over, or try to phase out people’s chatter.

Years ago, when our children were young, we had access to a wonderful branch of bookstores called Book Stop. Each trip to Book Stop would last at least an hour…. but it was an hour that was spent on our feet, combing through the children’s’ aisles, discovering the latest Bruce Coville, Daniel Pinkwater, Roald Dahl, or  Klutz books. Certainly, we were not having lunch on one of the store’s couches… while talking on our cell phones… while paging through the latest magazines!  Come to think of it, they didn’t have couches, nor did they sell café latté/caffè latte! 

The Pallisers… OR… When Plantagenet Met Glencora…

There once was a Victorian author by the name of Anthony Trollope…

The Pallisers, like the Barchester Chronicles, is based on the works of Anthony Trollope. The Pallisers is a BBC production from the 1970s, so don’t be surprised when you see and hear just that…. 1970s technology. But, you will  not be surprised to see absolutely beautiful costumes and sets.  And the acting is without fault (anyway, to me!)

Lady Glencora is played beautifully by Susan Hampshire (Monarch of the Glen, Barchester Chronicles). Philip Lathan plays her doting husband, Plantagenet Palliser (thus the name for the series). Don’t be surprised to see many other faces we have grown to love….. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius and Brother Cadfael), Penelope Keith (To the Manor Born), Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews (both from Brideshead Revisited), just to name a few.

The saga follows the Palliser family as they work their way up the political ladder. It also answers the age old question…. what’s a girl with money to do!?!

I don’t want to reveal too much, but I must say that watching the series (which consists of 26 episodes) was almost like watching several different miniseries. The Pallisers is based on six of Anthony Trollope’s novels, which is why there are definite changes in the story line. It’s not that it is difficult to follow, but you will be aware of definite shifts that take place with the plots and characters.

Although it is not a mystery, it is a very enjoyable British series… which apparently was shown on Masterpiece Theatre many years ago… unbeknownst to me! 

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

I have looked at many…. MANY…. authors’ sites in order to get this website put together. The websites that I enjoy looking at are the informative ones, not the cutesy ones.

What do I want when I look at an author’s website? I want a little "blip" about the author’s qualifications as a writer. I would like some information about the author’s "previous life"…. Did the author study writing in college? Did the author hone his/her skills as a journalist? Did the author write a different type of book before deciding that cozies (mysteries) were what he/she is passionate about? If the author had a previous occupation, did he/she write as part of his/her duties?

I cannot tell you how many websites I have gone to that do not offer a decent biography…. in which case I have to go to places like Amazon, and try to scrounge up some information about the author. (Amazon sometimes has a little "blip" about the author under the book’s description.)

Another important thing that I am looking for is a list of the author’s books. I want the list to be a chronological list for each of the author’s series… not a mish-mash of chronological publishing dates, regardless of what series the books belong to. I want the lists to be similar to the lists that I try to offer… easy, concise lists that will help me when I go to either purchase or check out the book.

What I really dislike is when I get to an author’s website and see the "BIOGRAPHY" as just a paragraph of "I have always loved writing…" (Do you know many writers who don’t enjoy writing? Well, maybe there are a lot out there…. but take a look at the internet…. there is a reason there are so many blogs floating around…)

Fortunately, most of the websites that I have found have been informative… AND, to top that… a lot of the really informative websites have also been fun … almost cutesy!

Is There A Doctor In The House… Or How About A Book?!?

I have been in and out of doctors offices this past week, and I am here to tell you about an observation I have made… and, as my family will attest to, I have made (and made and made and made, ETC) this observation "a few times" before. (They would probably tell you that I make the same observation… almost verbatim, every time I return from visiting any type of office where I am required to sit in a waiting room…)

Let me preface this blog by saying that I NEVER go to any type of waiting room without my current book…. and, I mean NEVER… As a matter of fact, I think that I would be very safe in saying that neither of my children nor my husband ever go anywhere without their current books… either a "real" book, or an audio book. So, enough about us!

I am always amazed, while sitting in a waiting room, at just how few people take a book to read. I guess that a lot of people really want to read golf magazines that are so outdated that Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are the big stars, or basketball magazines that feature the dazzling new young players… Larry Byrd or Wilt Chamberlain.

What are these people thinking?!? I just cannot imagine going somewhere that might require an hour (or longer in some cases) wait, and not having something to read… of MY choice!

I remember back to the time when my children were young. Any time there was an expectation of sitting in a waiting room, there was a tote bag with several books in it that came with us. Apparently, doctors’ offices are now aware that the majority of people who bring their children for doctors’ appointments do not bring books, because now there are actually little play areas for all of the sick children to congregate and share germs while handling the toys.

Whatever happened to children sitting quietly while their mother or father simply read to them? When did it become necessary for doctors’ offices to have play areas, or loud videos on over-head plasma  televisions in their waiting rooms? I guess a better question would be WHY is it necessary for the people who are going to keep us waiting to provide entertainment for us…. wouldn’t a better idea be for us to simply BRING A BOOK?

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