Denise's comments (member since Apr 28, 2009)

Denise's comments from the Cozy Mysteries group.

Erin: You mentioned getting excited finding small bits of paper and other things people tuck into books. I always like it when I get a library book and it has the receipt of the person who read it before me. (My library just uses first name on receipts.) I also like to see how long it has been since someone checked out the book (for the older books). And I know that it reduces the value of a book but I like to see "from the library of" bookplates in used books. It is nice knowing who had the book before me.

This is the 3rd time I've tried typing this, I hope I don't lose it again!

Here are a few more book blogs:

http://mayhemandmagic2.blogspot.com

http://www.janelsjumble.blogspot.com/ (loads of other blogs listed)

http://chris-book-a-rama.blogspot.com/

www.aliceteh.com/

http://www.bookgirl.net/

I have seen several people mention that they have a book blog. I can't really say that I read any blogs (I just don't know where people find the time) but I just came across a blog that was just chock full of information and I thought I would start this topic so that if/when any of us has the time to start following a blog or several blogs there would be a place we could look for ideas. This topic can be specifically for mystery blogs or for any book related blog that you want to include on the list. I'm going to start this off with the blog that gave me the idea for this thread:

www.ragingbibliomania.net (note it is .net not .com). I liked it because it has a list of "Other Noteworthy Book Blogs" and also "Other Bookish Places". I like book sites (whatever kind they are--book publishers, book sellers, authors, etc) that give you more places that you can go to feed your book addiction.

A few others to get this going are:

www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com

www.literaryfelines.com (not limited to mysteries but I love cats so I'm including it)

www.armchairinterviews.com

www.murdershewrites.com

www.mysteryloverscorner.com

www.iloveagoodmystery.com

Please, please, please check the website to make sure it is still valid (I had three that were bad as I was doing this).

I'm going to try to get this thread going again. As I was flipping through my notebooks of authors/books that I have read I came across several that we haven't mentioned--and these are series that I really liked. I haven't researched yet to see if the series are finished or if something has happened to the author.

Has anyone read:

Julie Kaewert's series with protagonist Alex Plumtree, book publisher, set in England? The last book I have listed in this series came out in 2002. At that time there were six books in the series. The books were full of political intrigue and I thought they were very good.

Karen Irving's Katy Klein series--Katy is a psychologist turned professional astrologer. When I last looked there were three books in the series and she was working on the 4th. These were also very good.

Hazel Holt had a series featuring Sheila Malory, a British Literary Critic. The last time I looked there were 15 books in the series (I have read them all) and the 15th was published in 2004.

Nancy Herndon (who also writes under the name Nancy Fairbanks) had a series "starring" Elena Jarvis, a police detective, and the series was set in the southwest. The last time I checked there were 7 books in the series and the last one was written in 1999. I also like her Carolyn Blue series written under the Fairbanks name.

Janis Harrison had a nice gardening series with Bretta Solomon as the main character. The last book that I read (#6) was written in 2005.

The last one I'm going to mention is Jacqueline Girdner (aka Claire Daniels) had a fairly long series with protagonist Kate Jasper. The last book I read was #12 in the series and it was published in 2002.

Any other authors/series that you don't find anyone writing about?

Leola wrote: "I love Carolyn Hart's cozies. I think Max is a "darling." ..."

Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand series got me started on cozies. I was really attracted to bibliomysteries. After I read all of the Death on Demand (that were written at that time) I went looking for more cozies with a protagonist that had something to do with books (bookstore owner, librarian, etc). After I ran out of those then I branched off into other topics, I think food mysteries were next. Now I read whatever comes along--because I am a true cozy addict.

But getting back to Death on Demand, I really think that Max is better at solving the crimes than Annie even though she seems to be the protagonist. What do you (all) think?

Denise wrote: "When I first started reading mysteries I used to flip to the back to see who did the dastardly deed then continue reading where I left off. I just couldn't wait,..."
Betty wrote: "Yikes, Denise, how can you do that? I can see it working for some books, but one I recently read had such a surprise ending that had I done that, there would have been no point in reading the buildup."

Betty, I did break the habit of looking who did it. I don't know why I started doing that--I think I was so afraid that the main character would get koshed or something that I had to know who he/she (mostly she's in the books I read) was in danger from. But I did finally stop doing that--although I'm tempted at times.

I bet everyone wonders if I ever read cozies--yes I do but it seems like the books I've been drawn to lately are non-mysteries. I just finished Q's Legacy. This was more of a biography than 84, Charing Cross Road but yet kind of a continuation (I know that probably makes no sense). I enjoyed it. All bibliophiles would like her books. I am now reading A House Is Not a Home a biography of a famous (or infamous) madam from 1920's to 1940's New York City. It is very entertaining.

Okay, erase the above message, change of plans. I just looked at my library account and three books that I have checked out can't be renewed (one is a new can't be renewed since I last looked) and I now have two interlibrary loan books that are in and ready to be picked up. On the two interlibrary loan books, they have to be back to the library by Dec 30 and Jan 4. The three books I have checked out that can't be renewed are due back Dec 26, and 2 of them on Jan 2. So my game plan has changed, now I need to read Into the Wild (Warriors, #1) by Erin Hunter first because it is due back first. This is a new author and series for me. When I was visiting my grandson he was reading this series for school and my daughter was raving about it so of course I had to look into it. This is about cat clans ruling the earth. Since we are BIG cat people (my one daughter has 5 cats, the other 2 and I had 2 that died last year--I'm still in mourning for my boys). I'm looking forward to reading this whole series. Then I'll probably read the 2 interlibrary loan books (I'll let you know the titles when I pick them up). Then I'll finish up with the two library books that are due back Jan 2--Q's Legacy written by Helene Hanff who wrote the wonderful book 84, Charing Cross Road that I just finished on Nov 30th and the 2nd book The Grand Finale the Evanovich book mentioned in message 118. So that maps out my next 5 books and takes me through the end of the year--well, depends how fast I read them!!!

Do you ever read a children's book? I read Matilda by Roald Dahl. I had seen a reference to it (somewhere) and decided to read it. I had never read anything by Dahl. I don't think I would have wanted one of my children to read this book when they were young. Yes, it had funny parts but the underlying premise was that Matilda's parents were child abusers and she hated them. Not exactly the message that I would want kids to be reading.

Now I'm starting The Grand Finale, one of Janet Evanovich's early books.

Melissa wrote: "I enjoy Debbie Macombers books also! Please let me know how you like Fairy Tale Weddings! ..."

I finished Fairy Tale Weddings Cindy and the Prince\Some Kind of Wonderful last night. As I suspected I had read the 2nd story in the book but I read it again anyway. Basically Debbie modernized two fairy tales, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Both stories were good. My eyes are so swollen today and my eyes and nose are sore from wiping and blowing so that should tell you something. The silly thing was that I cried more over the story that I had already read than the one that I hadn't. I really can't get into the stories or I will give spoilers and I don't want to do that.

By the way, anyone that likes Debbie Macomber's books, if you go to her website (www.debbiemacomber.com) and sign her guestbook you will be registered to win in her monthly give-a-ways. This month her give-a-way is her new cookbook. It says that if you have signed in once that you are automatically in the drawings but I signed up again just to make sure! :-)

Heather L wrote: "I prefer print books for much the same reasons others have mentioned -- the feel of holding the actual book in your hands, and being able to easily flip back and forth between pages (tell me you don't flip back to the front to verify that you are remembering something correctly!)...."

Flip back to the front? When I first started reading mysteries I used to flip to the back to see who did the dastardly deed then continue reading where I left off. I just couldn't wait, I would get so antsy wondering who the protagonist was in danger from that I just had to know who the murderer was. I have broken myself of that but sometimes I am still tempted. And yes, I do flip back to certain things, sometimes to check the author's chronology of events.

Beth wrote: "I'm just beginning Merry, Merry Ghost by Carolyn Hart."

I love Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand series. I haven't started her Bailey Raeburn Ghost series yet. Merry, Merry Ghost is the 2nd book in the series. Did you read Ghost at Work, the 1st in the series or is Merry, Merry Ghost going to be your first? Please let me know what you think after you read it. (Although I'm sure that it will be grand--all the books that I have read of hers have been.)

I finished The Outlander by Gil Adamson (who I thought was a man but I finally read her bio in the back of the book-duh!). I liked it. It takes place in the early 1900's, Mary (the main character) kills her husband and is pursued by his two brothers bent on revenging their brother's death. She endures much...but I won't tell you the end.

After finishing The Outlander, I started and finished The Sound of Sleigh Bells in just a few hours. It was (obviously) a quick read. An Amish story by Cindy Woodsmall. I really like her books. This one made me cry quite a bit toward the end.

Next up is Fairy Tale Weddings Cindy and the Prince\Some Kind of Wonderful two old Debbie Macomber books reissued in a new edition. Debbie is one of my favorite authors.

Beth wrote: "I prefer regular printed books. Since I spend so many hours of every day on the computer, writing and doing writing-related business, I don't want to read from a screen, too. I'll occasionally get ..."

You know, Beth, that might be why I haven't any desire to us an ereader. I spend almost all of my working day using the computer. Even when I want to read an article on the internet I often print it out. That way I can underline, highlight, make notes, etc.

Heidi wrote: "As I drive about almost 80 miles per day to work/back I love listening to audiobooks - especially mysteries and YA books as they hold my attention the most. I think audiobooks are best on long driv..."

I can see why a long commute would make one use audiobooks. Since I work out of my home the commute from bedroom to livingroom isn't really worth trying it out LOL!!!

I don't think I would like an audio book. I would almost have to have the book in my hands and follow along and I think that defeats the purpose of an audio book don't you? My mind wanders when I listen to someone read out loud.

Kathie: I think you will get so much more out of Elm Creek Quilts series if you go back and start at #1. Although the stories jump back and forth in time. I know at one point I got confused and wrote to Jennifer Chiaverini. She very nicely wrote back and pointed out the error in my thinking.

I thought this was an odd topic at first glance but then it made me think. I mostly think of cozy mysteries as a story where there is a murder but you really don't focus on the dead body but the process of how the body "became dead" and then figuring out the who (done it) and why. I have always thought a mystery had to have a dead body. I guess I would have to throw in the hat some of the Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini as mysteries without a dead body. In several of the books there have been a mystery of sorts (one was looking for some quilts that had been sold and now Sylvia was trying to recover them--see The Quilter's Legacy).

The Runaway Quilt explores the use of quilts in the Underground Railroad during slave times.

I have noticed that some readers are now specifically mentioning audio books and Kindles. I thought it would be fun to see who reads/listens and why.

I personally like the "old fashioned" printed book. I love old books, used books because they have a history. Someone else has held them and read the pages that I am now reading. I like new books because I may be starting that books history by reading it. I'm starting to order Large Print books when I can (it saves my poor eyes a little bit) but I still prefer reading a paper book. I actually have never experienced an audio book and would be interested in hearing from those that like their books that way. I am dragging my feet about the Kindle. Again, I like a paper book but would like to hear why some have changed over.

Finished A Shortcut in Time last night. I really liked the book clear up to the end and then I didn't like the ending. I don't want to give the story away but the ending does not have a logical ending based on the whole story line. It left me feeling very unsatisfied (if that makes any sense).

Next book up is The Outlander by Gil Adamson. Note, this book has the word "The" in front of Outlander so it is not the book most people have read. I'm about 50 pages into it and it isn't too bad.

It looks like most of my reading between now and Christmas will not be cozies. I have three left in my stack from the library and we just went and picked up my next stack from the library--there were 8 books in and none of them are cozies. There is one of Janet Evanovich's early books, but it is a romance (The Grand Finale. So it looks like most of my posts in this group will be here in this thread.