The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Summer Cozy Mystery Book Selection….

I was just thinking about my next book selection, and couldn’t quite make up my mind on what I would pick to read. I have been enjoying the audio versions of Alexander McCall Smith’s books so much that I am not sure if I should also start reading his "real books" during the times that I actually read, instead of listen to my books…. times when I am not in my car, or am not doing housework.

There are so many considerations that I take into account when I am picking my next cozy mystery book to read. My current mood usually has the final word about my selection. My husband and I belong to audible.com, so we have access to many books on tape. Actually, we download the books, so they aren’t really in a cassette or CD form. I hadn’t looked at our "library list" on audible.com for quite a while, since I have  recently been relying on my local library for my audio books.

My husband and I have such different tastes in the books we select to read. I usually don’t ever listen to my husband’s selections, which are mostly non-fiction selections, with a heavy emphasis on science and historical events. I just prefer to stick with my very "limited view" that, if it’s not a mystery, I probably won’t want to read it (or in the case of audible.com, listen to it.) At least I have a varied taste in mysteries! I prefer my cozy mysteries, but I also enjoy a good police procedural, and I even toss in thriller mysteries from time to time.

Anyway, my husband hadn’t selected our monthly five book limit, and said that I could go ahead and use all of the selections on myself.  (He is always too good to me!) Of course, picking our five monthly books was difficult  (What a little piggy-wiggy I must sound like!) but I managed to do it rather quickly…

Fortunately for me, audible.com has recently added a lot of books by some of my favorite authors, so I was quite pleased with my selections.

Now I have another book choice to make, since I have just finished my "hard copy book." I know I have said this before, but……… so many books, too little time!

So Many Cozy Mystery Authors, and simply not enough time!

As I have been compiling the lists of cozy mystery book authors, I have included several authors who I have not yet read. It’s not because I don’t want to read them, it’s simply that I haven’t had the time or opportunity to read every one of these authors.

Among all of the authors I have listed, the majority of them are authors who I have tried. My problem is that once I find that I like an author, I tend to want to continue reading all of the books the author has written until I catch up to the current published book of the author. When you look at the lists of series, you can see that this can be very  time consuming.

I remember when I discovered the Hamish Macbeth series by M. C. Beaton. I started the series at the beginning (as I like to do) and it took me a while to get myself "all caught up." Unfortunately, I had to put a lot of my other favorite authors "on hold."

Of course, once I "catch up" with the author, then I am disappointed that I have to wait for the publication of the next book of the series.  It seems like I am happiest when I have the luxury of simply starting the next book of the series, and not when I have to wait for the author to finish up a book.

I also have included many authors who my friends strongly recommend. Since I have friends who love to read mysteries as much as I do, I anticipate reading some of their favorite authors, knowing that I will soon have more wonderful books to add to my "catch up" pile.

 I am at the "end of the line" with several of my favorite authors, and sure do wish that they would hurry up and publish their next books!

Alexander McCall Smith's Books on Tape…… I love them!

I am currently listening to one of Alexander McCall Smith’s mystery books on tape, and am enjoying it so much that I cannot wait to find more time to listen to it. I am “reading” the second book in the Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency series which features Precious Ramotswe, as she goes through life, solving other people’s problems. I love this series! Mma Ramotswe is a very independent woman, and through her, we see Botswana, and the daily conditions that these African people experience. Truly a wonderful series.

Alexander McCall Smith has written many books, of which I am just being introduced to… The other series that I follow is his series revolving around Isabel Dalhousie, who happens to be a philosopher, thus the series name: the Sunday Philosophy Club. Isabel is another very strong and independent woman.  Although both women are intelligent, strong and self-reliant, the environments that they find themselves in couldn’t be any more different than they are.

When trying to find the chronological listings for these two series, I stumbled across a trilogy that Alexander McCall Smith has written concerning Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. I cannot wait to track these books down! They are not mysteries, but are reviewed as being full of very dry humor, which I happen to enjoy. I have read some reviews about this trilogy  that liken it with my very favorite author’s Lucia series (E. F. Benson).  And as if that isn’t a big enough endorsement, I have also read that Alexander McCall Smith is an E. F. Benson fan.

No wonder I am an Alexander McCall Smith fan!

More information about Alexander McCall Smith‘s four (currently!) series.

Mystery Books on Tape

I just had to look up another narrator who I really enjoy…. I remember him from the old television show "One Day at a Time." I first listened to Boyd Gaines read a Caleb Carr novel, and I have been a fan of his narrations since then.

Also, another narrator I enjoy listening to is John McDonough. He reads the Jan Karon books (Mitford series) which are definitely NOT mysteries!  A very good friend of mine first introduced me to the Mitford series, and I have spent many hours listening to John McDonough’s almost-entrancing voice.

I have not actually "read" any of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, which another very good friend introduced me to. Thanks to Len Cariou’s narration, I have become an "avid reader" of the Bosch series. (I have also "read" at least one James Patterson book by enjoying Len Cariou’s narration.)

I love listening to books on tape while driving my car and also while doing housework. When I am listening to a particularly good mystery book on tape, I almost look forward to tedious dusting and vacuuming………. almost!

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