A few days ago, Linda posted a comment that got me thinking about something that I have been debating (with myself!)
“… Since we are getting into the warmer sunny days I was looking for books that take place along some seashore. Anything that takes place on the American shore line or on an island appeals to me… “
I started writing my reply in the comment format, but decided this would probably make a good entry topic. My answer started out as this:
“Linda, I am having sort of the opposite problem. I have read myself up to a Christmas mystery by one of my favorite authors, and I don’t want to have to wait until December to read it. However, I have so few Christmas mysteries left by my favorite authors, that I don’t know whether to –
(A) Skip this Christmas theme mystery, read the next book in the series, and then go back to it this coming December.
(B) Put this author’s books away until this Christmas season, so you can read them in the order they are intended to be read, and enjoy the mystery during the appropriate holiday season.
(C) Read this Christmas book now, not during the holiday the book is set in.
What would you do if the next book (by one of your favorite authors) was a holiday mystery, and that particular holiday was several months away?
linda c says
Danna, I have discovered quite a few authors who have become my favorites by reading the holiday, especially Christmas books. For some reason I think that if a series has a good Christmas book, that the earlier books can’t be all bad.
Angela says
I’ve come across that same problem . Ultimately for me it’s usually more important to check the series off my list than save it for the appropriate time of year so I end up reading it. However, if the book in question is the last (or latest) in the series I will generally wait for the holiday in question.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Angela, I wonder if I am more rigid about saving Christmas books for the colder months because I live in San Antonio, Texas. The holiday theme mysteries sort of bring cold weather to me, and different seasons, which we lack down here. (Of course, I’m talking about my favorite authors who set their books in cold, snowy locations.)
Angela says
I’m in Florida so I hear what you are saying but it still wouldn’t change my approach. As a matter of fact I am about to read a Christmas book. It’s one of the Diva books by Kristen Davis. The book after it (the last as of now) is a Halloween book so if I were to stick to only reading them at appropriate times I wouldn’t catch up in that series until October 2013!! It would bother me much more to have a series on hold that long than reading them out of season, but that’s just me. Oh and reading out of order is just not an option, lol!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Angela, I have faced that exact problem! I am way behind on some of my favorite authors because I wait until the “right time of year” to read some of their mysteries. What to do?!? I probably should go ahead and do what you do, and read the books out of season. But, I hate “wasting” the seasonal books >>> reading them “out of season.”
Alexa says
I would probably do the second choice, because I would want to savor the books I have left from my favorite author. Christmas books make me want Christmas to be here, also, so I don’t like to read them before November or December.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Alexa, Christmas books make me want the holiday season to be here, also. Actually, all of the different holiday themed books make me want the particular holidays to be here…
Stephanie says
For whatever reason, I’ve never really gotten into reading seasonal books during the seasons they’re set in. So, I’d definitely stick to the chronology and read it in May…
Regardless, I really dislike reading series out of order, so I definitely would not skip the Christmas book and move on to another.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Stephanie, I’m with you on the “I really dislike reading series out of order” part. I just hate lagging behind while waiting for a particular holiday season, which is what happens if I pick option B.
Deb says
I would read the Christmas book now, continue reading the series, and then read the Christmas book again in December! It would be like reading A Christmas Carol every year.
But then, I’m blessed with an inability to remember how a book or a TV show ended, so it’s easy for me to say do it that way. I’ve watched every NCIS episode in the original and all the marathons, so I know most of the dialogue by heart, including the proper inflections, but most of the time when I start watching an episode I have only a vague idea of how it ends, and certainly not whodunnit!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Deb, you make a very valid point. Before I started keeping chronological lists of my favorite authors, I sometimes would find myself reading a book that seemed vaguely familiar… only to FINALLY come to the realization that I had already read the book… sometimes as late as one hundred pages into the book.
Julia says
If it makes you feel any better, I once bought the same book twice…and almost bought it a third time…and I didn’t even like it! It was one of those that sounded a lot better (to me) in a book jacket summary than in detailed execution.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, I have to admit, your comment did make me feel a little better! (Might be a case of “Misery loves company”?!?)
linda c says
Danna, Sometimes I wonder if I would do better by keeping a list of authors that I DON’T like!! This list would be a lot smaller and I could carry this list easier. When I come across book list all I would have to do is look to see if I liked this author in the past. Seems a lot less complicated, to me anyway!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I keep many lists. One has the authors who I follow, with their chronological book lists. Then I have a folder on my computer’s desktop with lists for every alphabet letter. Those lists are the ones I write “*****YUCK” on, and recently, I have been adding why I don’t like the authors. Without those individual lists, I would not be able to remember who I really do NOT like.
Julia says
I’m with you, Deb; I would read it twice, especially if it was by one of my favorite authors (basically because authors get to be my favorites by writing books I can read more than once).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, I just bought all of Anne George’s Southern Sisters books for my Kindle, and I have read them before. Also, I am currently listening to E. F. Benson’s third book in the Lucia series (Miss Mapp) – which I have read at least once. You’re right about favorite authors being those we wish to read more than once.
Deahna says
It does need a lot of self-control, but… Option B, mostly. There are some mysteries set around Christmas that hardly deal with the season though, so there’s no need to wait then. Sometimes I also like reading “cold” books on hot summer days.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I know, Deahna. I wish authors who set their mysteries during particular holidays would not just mention the holiday once or twice. Since I particularly enjoy holiday-themed mysteries, I like reading about the sleuth doing a few seasonal activities… while sleuthing, of course!
Joanne says
I recently had this exact problem with the Sally Goldenbaum Seaside Knitters series. I came to “A Holiday Yarn” which is a Christmas book. I have decided to choose Option “B” and set the series aside until late next fall. Only after I finish the Christmas book will I continue with “The Wedding Shawl” and “A Fatal Fleece”. I have always preferred to read a series in order. This is particularly important to me where the books are very character driven. I don’t want to miss any of the events in the protagonist’s lives as they happen.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joanne, since we Cozy Mystery readers prefer character driven series, this does create a particular problem.
Crewel Yule (by Monica Ferris) is right in the middle of the Needlecraft Mystery Series, so it is another “bottle neck” mystery… like A Holiday Yarn is for Sally Goldenbaum’s Seaside Knitters series.
linda c says
I just this week picked up Monica Ferris’ “Crewel Yule” to read along with her “Threadbare.” I am going to try to find the book that was written just before the Christmas book just to test my theory of the Christmas book not really changing the series very much. I’ll let you know what I discover. Maybe this might be another time that my assumptions are wrong!! It’s been known to happen!!
Here I go again! The book released just before “Crewel Yule” was ( I think) was “Cut Work” right?? The one after is listed as being “Embroidered Truths.” I am going by the listing of other books by this author on an inside page of the book. I guess I will have to get those two books to test my theory.
Sorry, just gabby tonight. I am between books. I just finished Veronica Heley’s two latest books as well as Rhys Bowens “Hush Now, Don’t You Cry.” All three of these were really good books. Sometimes when I finish reading really good books like this I have a hard time trying to find another book that interests me.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You’re correct on the sequence of the Monica Ferris mysteries, Linda C.
I feel a little like you do after I finish a mystery that I really enjoyed. I try to come up with another mystery book that I think might be as good, which sometimes takes me a little while. I try to intersperse my favorite authors’ books with new-to-me authors, which means I am way behind with my favorite authors. It also means that the new-to-me authors need to be so good that they can “follow” one of my favorites. (Yes, I am a difficult reader to please!)
Regina says
Danna, I can’t help but think that on a hot summer day reading about a snowy Christmas might be very refreshing and the reverse would be true. That said I can remember when I would go to THE CAPE every year I would buy another Asey Mayo mystery. Like an idiot, I gave them all away. I am planning on adding the remainder of Anne George’s books to my Nook after Mothers Day so I can use the BN gift cards I know I will be receiving.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, your BN gift cards sound very similar to my Michael’s gift cards. (Both of my children know that I LOVE to get those, since I really enjoy browsing through Michael’s, but won’t spend any of my “own money” there.)
Larraine L. F says
I recently read a holiday mystery “off season” and didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have at Christmas. I don’t understand why publishers don’t put these holiday themed books out at the appropriate holiday.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Larraine, sometimes it seems like the publishers actually do try to gauge the Christmas books for October releases, but then you’ll find a few Christmas books that slip in during the wrong season. I wonder if this is because some authors are now publishing up to four books in one year.
linda c says
I am begining to wonder about the schedule that some books are released too, Danna. I start to read certain series in order but I try to use the year date that is printed on the inside page, the page that has all the info on. I don’t know what this page is really called. I have started to read Sherryl Woods’ Chesapeake shore novels but so many have the same year date, I can’t tell which book came 1st. hate to read books out of order.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, that’s because so many authors are currently releasing way more than one book a year.
linda c says
Danna, This makes me wonder how the writers do this, write so many books in one year. Makes me wonder if the writer listed on the front of the book really did write the book or if the writer had help!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, my guess is that they just write, write, and then write some more.
linda c says
Danna, I just discoverred something new to me. I looked to see if Sherryl Woods was on any of your list. Couldn’t find her. So I tried Yahoo, then Google. Google had a better chronological listing for this author. I wasn’t aware that search sites can be different. I’ll have to remember that in the future.
I realize that since this author isn’t a Cozy mystery writer is more than likely the reason she is not on your list.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, here is the list Sherryl Woods‘ Sweet Magnolia Series:
Stealing Home
A Slice of Heaven
Feels Like Family
Welcome to Serenity
Home in Carolina
Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Honeysuckle Summer
Midnight Promises
Catching Fireflies
Where Azaleas Bloom
She also wrote an accompanying cookbook – The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook.
Here is the list of Sherryl Woods‘ Chesapeake Shores Series:
The Inn at Eagle Point
Flowers on Main
Harbor Lights
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
Driftwood Cottage
Moonlight Cove
Beach Lane
An O’Brien Family Christmas
The Summer Garden
(She has written an incredible amount of books!)
linda c says
You are a sweetheart Danna!! Thank you very much for this list.
Ann Philipp says
I’d pick C, and read it now. My preference is to read books in order, if possible. And if I’m enjoying an author, I like to read them until I want a change.
And if the book puts you in the mood to make hot tea, do so, then pour it over ice and drink it that way.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, I love your idea about the hot tea over ice… That’s truly making lemonade!
Nancy says
I would choose option B. I am a little compulsive about reading books in order. I sometimes wish I could do things differently but at this time I can’t seem to read them out of order. I do sometimes read Christmas books as early as October or even into January, but by this time of year I wouldn’t enjoy a Christmas book. I would find another author for now then come back to it, especially if you are low on Christmas mysteries by your favorite authors.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nancy, don’t say your “a little compulsive about reading books in order”!!! That’s makes me “a little compulsive about reading books in order” also! (I don’t mind reading Christmas books in October, either.)
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
I’d read it without thinking twice about it! :>)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I wish I could, Maria!
Isabelle says
I love reading Christmas mysteries in summer. It is so hot here in South Africa that anything mentioning snow cools you down one or two degrees!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Isabelle, it’s pretty hot here in San Antonio, although probably not as hot as in South Africa. I am gueeisng that our average in the summer is (+/-) 95*, which translates to 35 Celsius.
linda c says
Isabelle, Wouldn’t you be having your summer at Christmas time? I have often wondered about the countries below the equator celebrating Christmas in the summertime?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, when we lived in Santiago, Chile, that’s exactly what we did. Pretty different for those of us who were used to winter Christmas.
linda c says
It is sometimes very cold and nasty here in Ohio at Christmas time Danna. Quite often when I am out shopping, going here and there, I say Christmas should be celebrated in July, a warmer month. Maybe those countries below the equator do have an advantage!!
Shawn says
I have come across this on several occasions and I find that I like to read the series in the order in which it was written and from book #1 to the last. So to answer you, I would read the holiday book no matter the season.
Now, the only exception to this would be… if I had read all the books in the series and then a new holiday book came out while I was in the middle of a different series, then the new book would be placed on my TBR list until I was done with the current series or when I was ready to read it.
I hope I made sense.
Thank you 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shawn, after reading your comment (and a few others) I see that it’s not uncommon for people to read right through a series, before going on to another author’s series. I sp from one author to the next, but seem to get into moods that dictate my next mystery book pick.
Yes, you made a lot of sense!
Dru says
I would still read it in the order that it was published.
Regina says
Danna, I like to read books in a series in order. What annoys me is to read a book and find it is the middle of a series. I try to stop and then go back and read the whole series in order. I am enjoying Nicola Upson’s books, but if I stop for a time I lose track of the characters. I wish authors who have many characters in their books and with similar names would provide a list of characters. I won’t be blogging for a few days as we are taking a mini- vacation in the Berkshires. Accompanied by my Nook, some library books, the DVD of Season 2 of Downton Abbey, and of course, my husband,
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, I hope you have a great time in the Berkshires.
Some of the older mysteries I have read have wonderful indexes at the beginning of the books with all of the characters and their descriptions. I find that I use those indexes whenever they are available.
Lexie says
For me I detest all holidays but Xmas is the holiday I hate the most. I can not stand any themed holiday books and give them all away. My parents are dead and I have no family so I do not celebrate any holiday. Just having them in my house makes me upset so my friends are the lucky recipients. In my mystery series, you can easily figure out what happened in the first 3 chapters of the next book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lexie, I’m really sorry to hear that the holidays are a bad time for you.
linda c says
I am sorry Lexie. Sometimes some of the holidays are rough for me, too. Since I lost my son a few years ago, Mother’s Day is a hard one for me. But just remember those days only last 24 hours, then they are gone. Take care Lexie. I do feel for you.
ginger says
I would go ahead and read it. I like to read the series in order too.
Danna , we are one win away from the semi-finals in state baseball. we play tomorrow. I will be sitting at the gate with a book in hand. I went yesterday to the bookstore and bought April books and some May books that are out. I have 7 days of school left. I am so ready to sit in my backyard and read.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, I hope your baseball team wins their semi-finals game tomorrow. Sounds like you will be ready for your backyard reading, with all of your bookstore’s books!
Annette says
I read them when I can get them from the library! So if I get a Christmas in March so be it I read it. Annette
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Annette, that’s a great system!
Francy says
skip the Christmas book until November and keep on reading the rest :o)
I just can’t see to read about snow when it is over a hundred degrees out and the cool air is from a machine.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Francy, our Decembers are so doggone warm that sometimes I just feel like I “need” winter settings in my mystery books.
ginger says
danna, we won. now on to the semi-final game on friday.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
This is terrific, Ginger! I bet you’re excited about making it to the semi-finals!
ginger says
yes we are since our coach is at md anderson for treament and got to come in for the game.
Margaret says
I have been in this situation recently. I wanted to complete what I had in the Cheese Shoppe Mystery but it takes place in winter, so I put it aside. I received the newest Regan Riley Mystery and saw it starts in October, so I put it aside for later. Then I started the newest Death on Demand but again it starts in January. I figured oh well just keep reading, it should end close to spring anyway :). I had just finished Jessica Fletcher-A SLAYING IN SAVANNAH and that took place in spring hooray! I guess it would be helpful if the books were released in accordance with the seasons but I am just happy to have all my favorite series continued. So I try not to look a “gift horse in the mouth” 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Good grief, Margaret. You really had a string of seasonal mysteries outside of their seasons!
I agree with you about not being too upset when we get to one of our favorite authors’ books and they aren’t in the correct season. With so many authors being cut by their publishers, it’s great when we see our favorites are still putting out books.
linda c says
From reading the comments here one thing that I have picked up on while I am reading books that are set around Christmas is that a lot of time, especially the series’ type, the Chritmas book doesn’t always carry on with the series. This is hard for me to explain. A lot of times the books just before and after the Christmas book doesn’t relate to Christmas book. Make sense!! No, of course not!
I think what I am trying to get to is that we can read the books before and after the Christmas book and not really miss any important parts of the series. Nothing seems to happen to any of our favorite characters. Everything seems to come out okay at the end of the Christmas book. The book after the Christmas book, except as an after thought, seldom mentions what happened during Christmas. So, I guess, unless the storyline just takes place during the Christmas season, by reading that one out of order, really doesn’t make much of a difference.
I sure I hope I explained this enough that some of you understand what I am trying to say.
Sometimes I think a reader can figure out if the story is really about Christmas, or any other holiday, by the title of the book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hmmm, Linda C >>> I’m going to make a point to notice if much action other than Christmas-related-events take place during the holiday themed books in a series.
linda c says
Danna, I will be most interested in seeing if any of the other responders to this forum have the same thoughts that I do. If they do, I sure hope they can explain better than I did.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I think your explanation says it all!
Regina says
Danna, We are back early because it would not stop raining. I put a dent in my reading supplies. I finished “Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch”. It was light reading. Atherton’s characters are soooo good even the evil ones have a good streak. Fanciful but fun to read. Also on my Nook, I completed Ann Purser’s new one. It had a different twist but very enjoyable. BN has placed on the Nook all of James Herriot’s books so I reread the 1st one, I love to read about Tricky Woo. No DVD so no Downton Abbey. I started the last book I have by Nicola Upson. It seems to be fascinating.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, what a drag that it was raining >>> spoiled your mini vacation. At least you got a lot of reading done.
Thanks for mentioning James Herriot. I just checked and see that his books are now available on the Kindle, also.
linda c says
I suppose you are right Danna, about the writers getting into the groove of writing so they will just continue. I would think this would be better than having writers’ block, huh? I guess I will just have to find another method of finding what books came in what order!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Or you can visit my Cozy Mystery website, Linda C… at least for the authors I have listed…
Regina says
Danna, I am on the horns of a dilemma. I have been reading Nicole Upson’s books with Josephine Tey as the chief character. In book 3, she opens with a graphic description of the hanging of 2 British women murderers in the early 1900s. I found the whole chapter disturbing to say the least and depressing. Now I do not want to finish the book because I can’t forget that scene. How do the other bloggers feel? Has it ever happened to them?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, that really is a dilemma. I guess, for me, I would continue reading an author who I enjoy even if there is a disturbing scene. But, I often times read true crime novels, which are, of course, VERY depressing. What a shame that you feel you can’t continue reading her books… I am guessing that the scene you read is not based on a real life occurrence, rather it is a fictional scene.
Regina, this exact thing happened to me (years ago). I finally had to stop reading Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series. I knew it was fiction, but I just couldn’t get over some of the VERY graphic scenes.
Regina says
Danna Thanks for your insight. I know that Nicole Upson has a new book due to be published soon and I will try to read it. I just finished “Elegy for Eddie”. It was another well written book with some unique twists. Also I finished “Driving Mr Yogi”. Not a mystery but a fascinating account of the relationship between Ron Guidry and Yogi Berra and eventually the Yankees. I am a died in the wool Red Socks Fan (For my sins God forgive me) but I did enjoy that book. I guess no matter what team you root for you still can like Yogi.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, every once in a while we need a NON mystery book, don’t we?
(I am currently listening to Miss Mapp by E. F. Benson >>> which I have read and listened to several times before.)