A frequent commenter to the site, Alfred, just sent me a quick note wondering if the weather affects our reading? Now he has me wondering if it does!
… with the weather turning cooler and eventually colder do… [you] read more when it is that way or read the same throughout the year…
I am going to take a wild guess on this one: I am guessing that people who have four distinct seasons might have a very different reading pattern than those who are “lucky enough” to have only two (hot and hotter than blazes!)… but I might be wrong.
So, Alfred (and I!) are interested in knowing: Does the weather affect your reading pattern?
Jackie says
Since I also live where its hot and hotter year round, I tend to read more during the hot season… when I’m indoors in the air conditioning. When I lived where there were four seasons, I read more in the heat too. Hmmm, I’m seeing a pattern here…..
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jackie, it looks like you enjoy the heat just about as much as I do!
Mary Ann says
Just found your site and blog! Hurrah, I am looking forward to reading more around this topic. I love cozies, I enjoy the puzzles and want to love the characters but I want a sound plot and I hate it when the main characters do stupid things, like enter dark and scary houses alone when the murderer is out and about…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
And, Mary Ann, invariably, when they do enter dark and scary houses, they don’t have cell phones! (What am I talking about?!? Whether he/she has a cell phone or not, it still shows us that the sleuth isn’t particularly smart…)
Anna says
I read as much as possible all year round, doesn’t matter what the weather is! At various points in my career, I had jobs where I had to take public transportation–commuter bus and subway. Sometimes I had up to 2 hours a day available for reading while I was commuting. Reading helped pass the time on those long commutes, plus I went through mystery books very quickly!
This summer I’ve been reading more of the Scandinavian authors. Even in 90 degree weather here, I can still feel that Nordic cold while reading!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anna, that’s the reason I love reading seasonal mysteries that take place in cold climates. I love reading about the changing colors of the leaves in October, the sting in the November air, and the snow falling in December. I can identify with your Nordic cold sensation…
Shawn says
I never thought about this. I read in cold and hot weather. I just love to read so I do not think a particular season matters to me :).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shawn, that stands to reason. I asked my son (who is a voracious reader) and he responded pretty much like you. He simply loves to read, regardless of the weather.
Sandy says
I live in New England with the 4 seasons. I have a found a new love of reading over this summer (never read much before). With work and all. I like the cozy mysteries. Sometimes I sit on the deck outside with a cup of coffee in the sun and read, it’s so peaceful out there sometimes. That is until the sun is too hot. I also like reading before bed it sort of relaxes me. So it’s hard to say which season is better than the other, at this time. I will figure that out as time goes on and the seasons go by.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sandy, I read every night in bed. It relaxes me, as well as puts me to sleep… which isn’t so great. I wake up quite often to find my flashlight still on; my book on the floor… closed, without my bookmark in it.
linda says
During the hot summer months I tend to read the novels that take place along the coastlines. Novels such Phillip Craig’s Martha’s Vineyard stories are great reading with a cool wine cooler close by is great. In the winter time a nice big fat book by Nevada Barr taking place in a cold northern Michigan area and a pot of hot coffee is great for a long cold winter day.
I also like stories from authors such as Sue Henry with Alaska as the setting is great. Whatever has happened to Sue Henry, anyway, and also Joan Hess. I love these authors! It will be interesting when the novels with Hurricane Irene as a setting start to come out.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, about two weeks ago, I checked to see if I could find out about Joan Hess. I was a fan of both her Claire Malloy and Maggody series, although I enjoyed Claire more.
Susie says
love the blog…long time lurker, first time poster 🙂
I definitely like to cozy up to my books when it’s cold outside and have a cup of hot tea or cocoa beside me. If I had a fireplace, the fire would be roaring. However, I mainly read for pleasure in the evening, when kids are asleep, so that’s all year round. I’m not sure weather affects my overall choice of books though. Interesting question!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to posting, Susie!
I remember when I used to put off my reading until my children were asleep… I remember it well…
The more comments I read about this topic, the more I am coming to the conclusion that the weather doesn’t affect the time I spend reading, but, unlike you, the weather seems to affect my choice in books.
I agree with you… Alfred did pose an interesting question. AND Now that you have posted, don’t be a stranger!
Kristi says
Nope. I read a lot no matter what the weather is like outside.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kristi, a reader, is a reader, is a reader… My son pretty much said the same thing. He just loves to read no matter what the weather is doing.
linda says
I too love to read regardless of the weather but some different kinds of weather do influence my reading. Summer sun makes me want to read books that take place near the ocean or on an island. Dreary, rainy weather makes me want to read a spooky English mystery. Winter weather makes me want to read long, thick novels set in an ice storm! But yea, I just want to read. I love a good murder mystery any day!!!
Something I don’t like is when a prologue or the inside cover preview gives too much away. I like a suspense as to who is going to get murdered and most front cover book reviews will give that away!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
(Linda, I’ve copied down your comment about book covers giving too much information away. I think it will make a great entry!)
Angela says
Well being in Florida we have four seasons… wet, dry, hot and less hot 🙂 I read equally through all of them. Our summer afternoon thunderstorms are a particularly good time for reading, or napping! So no I can’t say weather effects me any.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh, Angela, I remember the Florida four seasons! You described them well!!! We lived in Florida while I was in the third and fourth grades, but back then, “wet, dry, hot and less hot” simply translated into fun!
linda says
Just an added thought for topic: maybe a ” What ever has happened to” topic. Sometimes it would be nice to know if a favorite author is still writing, retired or maybe just changed pen names.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Love the topic idea, Linda. I’ll go add it to my “Blog Entries” list. Thanks!
Andie says
I read a significant amount all year. There are times when I read a bit less – when I am doing my holiday cooking prep, drying and candying citrus peel, ginger and fruits that will go into fruitcakes, cookies and puddings. Then measuring and weighing the dry ingredients &etc., ahead of time so the baking sessions will be quicker and easier.
I go through phases in my reading. If I “discover” a new-to-me author that I really like, I will get all the available books and read them in order, if a series.
Right now I have “rediscovered” the Georgette Heyer mysteries and am reading them as I find them. They are not series, although there are one or two characters that appear in more than one book.
Some stories do appeal to me more in a certain season. I recently read “The Pumpkin Thief” by Melanie Jackson and that prompted me to look for other seasonal mysteries set around Halloween and Thanksgiving. I’m saving them to read when that time rolls around.
I do the same with mysteries set in the Christmas holidays.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Andie, the people on your holiday gift list must love getting packages from you! It sounds like you really put a lot of care and attention into your gifts.
Every once in a (great) while I will start a new author (to me) and want to read right through the series. But I have found that I sometimes just get tired of the series and need to take a little break. That’s when I put the author on my TBR back-burner (To Be Read), and proceed to forget about him/her until I go through all of my bookshelf books.
I would definitely save my holiday books for the season, but that poses another problem for me: A lot of the time I’m not caught up enough so that I can actually read the holiday mystery during the correct time of year. This means I have to play “reading catch-up” and then save the holiday mystery until the next year’s season. Just too many books!!!
Laura says
We have four seasons in California: earthquake, mudslide, drought and fire. Seriously, I read more in the afternoons when the weather is chilly or rainy, but the same at night year round. Ever since I was a child, I have found reading for 30 minutes before bedtime helps me sleep better. My son told me that he reads more now than ever, because he reads while commuting on the subway. I would love to read while traveling, but it makes me car sick.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, I thought “it never rains in California!”
My daughter reads while riding the “T” train>>> even though I have told her I’d rather she paid attention to what is going on around her. You sound like a perfect candidate for books on tape…
Carrie says
Where I live there are four distinct seasons and I can’t say that they make any significant differences to my reading habits. I read a lot constantly throughout the year. I’m usually reading three books at a time. One that I read on my daily commute, one that I keep by my bedside and one that I read at other times (weekend afternoons, evenings, etc.). I’ll read cozy mystery books on my daily commute or during the day/evening but I have found through bleary eyed experience that I really can’t read them in bed before going to sleep because I just keep reading one more chapter until I realise that it is the early hours and I have to get up at 6.30!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carrie, I can barely keep track of the two books I have going at the same time. (I actually try to make sure I am reading different authors for that very same reason.) I can’t imagine keeping track of three books.
I wish I could stay up while reading… I know what you mean about wanting to keep on reading just one more chapter, though. When I get to the end of a mystery while reading at night, I invariably fall asleep, and then end up somehow waking myself up during the night so that I can first find my place in the book, and then try to read until the end of the book. This can sometimes keep happening every few hours until I finally finish the book. It makes for a very grumpy next day…
Carrie says
Other people have also commented on the fact that I can read three books at once and keep three different plot lines separate in my head. I don’t see the problem. After all, people watch at least three different shows or series on TV at the same time and don’t get the plot lines confused. Why should it be different with books?
Does anyone have an answer?
linda says
Sometimes I don’t know what book I want to read next so I will have 4 or 5 books going at the same time. I will read at least 2 chapters of each book, then move on to the next until I get involved with one. If I get to chapter 4 and the book hasn’t interested me at all, I give up on that book. This drives my husband nuts. But I tell him when you were in school a person had to read more than one book! Why would this be any different?
Dayna says
I read in all kinds of weather but the way I read is different. When it is warm and sunny, I like reading outside with a cold glass of somthin’ somthin. When it is cold, I snuggle on the couch with my coffee and my dog in my lap (although I know to be truly cozy it is should be tea and a cat!) I just returned from a Hawaiian vacation where I got to read stretched out on a beach chair on the beach, listening to the ocean and sipping on a Pina Colada. THAT has to be one of my favorite ways to read.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You’re right aqbout the tea and the cat, Dayna, although the beach chair and ocean sound like a whole lot more fun!
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
I don’t know. I read pretty much all the time although I go through phases where I’m just gobbling up books. I don’t think it’s weather related. It has more to do with new releases coming out that I’ve been looking forward to! Sometimes they just all seem to come at the same time.
Re: Reading in bed. I just won a huglight a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know if I can use it in bed because it kind of sits around your neck or you set it to focus on the book. It’s like a mini-snakelight kind of thing for reading. Really good for armchair reading for sure.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, I just looked up a Hug Light to take a look at it. Sort of reminds me of those neon cords people used to buy at concerts. I use mini flashlights and prop them between my bed and my pillow. Not that ingenious, but the work.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
The cord part is stiff though. You can set it on the counter and have it “stand” there. It works pretty well and has about 4 settings. So far I’ve only used the brightest, but I like LIGHT!
It’s pretty nifty so far. But lately, I can’t stay awake much past 8 so who needs lights at all???
Carly says
I live in Northern Maryland and have 4 distinct seasons. My favorite place to read is in the bath at the end of the day! So, I definitely read more in the cold winter months. I have the same desire to read in the warmer months, and do, but much less. When it stays light later it seems there is just too much to get done, be it chores or something fun.
I don’t make a big point to change the type of setting with the change of season but am definitely drawn to a book set in the current season. Although, sometimes it’s fun to read something set in the exact opposite season! A cup of hot chocolate and a Christmas cozy might be just what I need to get through a humid August day!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carly, when I asked my husband this question he thought that the answer would depend on the level of a person’s activity. I have to admit to living a rather sedentary lifestyle. I make sure to get my daily 10,000 steps in, but after that, I’m happy just taking it easy at the computer. People who live really active lifestyles probably have a more difficult time getting a lot of reading in when the weather is good.
I also enjoy books that are set in the current season… even though we don’t have four distinct seasons. It sort of gets me in the mood for what should be going on outside.
Dru says
I read equally through all four seasons.
linda says
In the summertime I tend to read the shorter novels but during the winter I tend to read the thicker novels, ones that I can stay on the couch for a longer period of time. I try to save novels by authors like John Grissom for those long dark winter months.
Patti says
I live in Pittsburgh, PA, so I have to admit I am a seasonal reader, by this I mean, I read more in the winter than the other three seasons. I tend to be outdoors when possible during the nice months, but in the winter when it gets dark at 4:30 and I get home from work, I just want to sit down and read! Reading is and always will be my first love, so I read everyday, just my heavy reading comes during the winter months!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you all for your responses. I have a feeling Alfred didn’t expect this many! It looks like we all are a VERY varied group of readers… with one thing in common: We all love our mysteries!!!
Thanks, again!
Sandy says
Very interesting topic. I have to say I read pretty much every day and always at night. I like to read seasonal books during the appropriate season but it’s not a hard and fast rule and will not determine whether or not I read a book.
I live in Florida like another of the readers and I would describe our “seasons” as hot, hotter and hottest. We only get decent (cool) weather about 6-8 total weeks per year and not in one stretch. As you might guess it’s almost always too hot for me but it’s home and we will (hopefully) become reverse “snowbirds” when we retire in about 9 years. But over all the weather does not have any effect on what I read.
As others have mentioned above, I am usually reading at least 2 books at a time and often more. I always have a book in my purse to read at lunchtime and that book is often the slower (harder to get into, not as compelling) read than the nightime book. I’ll have more books going if one of my authors has a book come out and I put whatever I’m reading at the time back on the shelf (or in the bathroom) until I finish the new book.
I also want to comment on the myteries with the “caterer” that were talked about in another post. I agree that they are not what they use to be and I have bought the last two out of habit more than anything. Same as the alphabet letter books. The “U” is still sitting on my TBR shelf and I bought it when it came out.
Thanks for a place to talk to others with my same addiction.
Arlene says
Great topic, love it even if I am late. I read all the time – isn’t that what retirement is for? I also read seasonally – when we are snowed in I read Arthur Upfield and pretend I am in the Australia outback and swealtering. In winter I love the stories about snowstorms.
linda says
It is raining, FINALLY, here in my part of Ohio. Looks like this might be an all day rain. We need rain here so badly!! I have just started an Ann Rivers Siddon novel, “Sweetwater Creek.” Looks like this might be a good book for this kind of day. I haven’t read any other books by this author. I don’t know if her books are mysteries. Have a good holiday everyone.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, red rover, red rover, please send it on over!
We could really use some rain! Congratulations to all of you in your neck of the Ohio woods>>> finally, some rain!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I totally agree with all of you who said Alfred had a great topic idea. Thanks, Alfred!!!
linda says
Has anyone ever noticed that in most cases the sleuth has some kind of pet? Kinsey Millhone being an exception!