Cozy Mysteries discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archived
>
When you're not reading a cozy....
Denise wrote: "After reading The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, I read For the Love of Family by Kathleen O'Brien which turned out to be the 2nd in a series called The Diamon..."84 Charing Cross Road is one of my most favorite books. Beautifully written, and so poignant.
Denise wrote: "Next up is [book:A Shortcut in..."Thanks for posting about this book. It looks good, so I just grabbed it off BookMooch.
In regards to A Shortcut in Time--I am on page 94. This is different from most time travel books that I have read. Almost all have a romance angle and this one doesn't seem to. I don't want to give away the story line but I will say that this is actually a better book than what I thought it was going to be, the story is fresh, and like a mystery I'm not sure what is going to happen.
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.
Heidi wrote: "Heidi wrote: "I just started The Hunger Games and am listening to The Book Thief on CD."I finished both of these books and highly recommened them! Don't be fooled b..."
I am now almost done with the second book Catching Fire - it is excellent. Wow this series has knocked my socks off.
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.
Denise wrote: "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..." I enjoy Debbie Macombers books also! Please let me know how you like Fairy Tale Weddings!
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! :-)
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.
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!!!
Denise wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I enjoy Debbie Macombers books also! Please let me know how you like Fairy Tale Weddings! ..."I finished [book:Fairy Tale Weddings Cindy and the Prince\Some Kind of Wonderful|6..."
Thanks Denise! and thanks for the reminder about Debbie Macomber's giveaways on her website.
Im still reading The Cedar Cove Christmas, and I really like it!
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.
I finished A House Is Not a Home and then looked to see if I had any books in at the library that I needed to pick up while we were out and about today. Of course The Lost Symbol was in. It is only a 14 day loan because it is a new book so I had to bump it to the head of my TBR books. I'm 80 pages into it and I know already that I am going to have trouble doing anything else until I have it finished.
The Lost Symbolis very good. I am almost done--on page 714 (I'm reading the large print version). I was up most of last night reading. It is one of those books that sucked me in and I hate to put it down. I will have finished it by tonight. Have any of you read The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, or The Lost Symbol?
Denise wrote: "The Lost Symbolis very good. I am almost done--on page 714 (I'm reading the large print version). I was up most of last night reading. It is one of those books that sucked me in and ..."I read THE DA VINCI CODE when it first came out and really liked it. I have THE LOST SYMBOL in The Pile and should get to it soon. My niece really liked it.
Mod
Read A Cold Christmas by Charelen Weir over the weekend. It's a mystery, not sure if it qualifies as a "cozy" though. Now I am reading a historical romance, Home for the Holidays by Johanna Lindsey.
Heather L wrote: "I'm still waiting for my sister to finish The Lost Symbol. BIL breezed through it, but sister has been taking her sweet time, knowing I am waiting for it. "I picked up The Lost Symbol from the library on Friday and I will finish it tonight (I'm down to the last 30 pages or so). As far as I can see Brown could have ended the book about 50 pages ago unless something fabulous happens in the next few pages. I won't say why I think that as it would kind of ruin the book for anyone who still wants to read it!
Finished The Lost Symbol in the wee hours of this morning. I was determined to finish it before going to sleep. The last 50 pages or so were a real chore. The basic storyline was finished and Brown got rather preachy about the Bible. It was a great book till then!I have started reading The Raven's Pool by Deborah Cannon, a new author for me and also a new Goodreads friend. From my research this book is classified as a thriller. I look forward to reading it and posting my thoughts.
Just finished my cosy Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews and started The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summersgale, a major change from my cosy by the looks of it.
After finishing The Raven's Pool, the non-thriller thriller (see my review for details) I am ready to start Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield. Here is the description of the book as found on Amazon: "The Provincial Lady has a nice house, a nice husband (usually asleep behind The Times) and nice children. In fact, maintaining Niceness is the Provincial Lady’s goal in life — her raison d'être. She never raises her voice, rarely ventures outside Devon (why would she?), only occasionally allows herself to become vexed by the ongoing servant problem, and would be truly appalled by the confessional mode that has gripped the late 20th century. The Provincial Lady, after all, is part of what made Britain great." Don't know where I found a reference to it but it sounded cute so I thought I would read it.I can say, after looking at the Goodreads Polls for best books of the year that I obviously don't read what everyone else reads. And why wasn't there a Cozy Mystery division? And why did they put Janet Evanovich in the thriller category???
I just finished
- wow that was heavy, but an excellent book. Next up is a YA book
.
Just about finished with Diary of a Provincial Lady. I'd say it is just an okay read, nothing really special about it. I am getting ready to start The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich. This is one of her early romance novels. This is supposed to be light and funny. Looking forward to reading a "non-Plum" Evanovich.
After finishing The Shaman Sings, a mystery, my next two books up (based on when they are due back at the library/and if they can be renewed or not) are The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff (who wrote 84, Charing Cross Road, that I just loved), and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
I finished The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and I enjoyed it, not quite as much as 84, Charing Cross Road but it was good. I can relate to Helene's lifelong wish to see London. I am 113 pages into The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I don't know why I am being drawn to books written as letters or journal entries lately but that is what is happening. This book is set in 1946 after "The War" and is written in letter format.
I am still reading Under the Dome and have also picked up Lord Of Misrule. I love this vampire series.
Denise wrote: "I am 113 pages into The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I don't know why I am being drawn to books written as letters or journal entries lately but that is what is happening."I loved the "Guernsey" book and was as surprised as you, Denise, at how quickly I was drawn into it. Loved the characters, the bit of history I never knew, and the story.
Mary Ellen wrote: "I loved the "Guernsey" book and was as surprised as you, Denise, at how quickly I was drawn into it. Loved the characters, the bit of history I never knew, and the story. ..."
Mary Ellen, I am somewhat of a history illiterate, I wasn't really interested as a child but the older I get the more interested I am in history. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of Hitler and all of his nastiness but The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society opens my eyes to even more of the atrocities. But yet the book isn't heavy with the horrors the people faced it gives light to what they did to survive and part of that was reading. I am getting so much more out of this book than what I expected. I definitely would recommend it to everyone.
Denise wrote: "I finished The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and I enjoyed it, not quite as much as 84, Charing Cross Road but it was good. I can relate to Helene's lifelong wish to see ..."I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- it was the best book I've read in a long time! I gave it to several friends as a gift, and all of them loved it as well. People's faces light up when you mention this book. I know you are going to join the club!
Kate wrote: "I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- it was the best book I've read in a long time! I gave it to several friends as a gift, and all of them loved it as well. People's faces light up when you mention this book. I know you are going to join the club."I am almost finished with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I have 38 pages to go, will finish it tonight. I agree that it is a very good book although I have read several very good books in the last couple months (to name a few:
The Secret Life of Bees, Swan's Way, 92 Pacific Boulevard, I See You Everywhere, Trail of the Spanish Bit Spanish Bit Saga, Number 1, A Quilter's Holiday, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, 84, Charing Cross Road, The Lost Symbol...these are the really good ones). I have cried over several of the stories in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I know this is a work of fiction but all of stories represent real things that happened to real people at the hands of Hitler and his military forces. But then you also see a side of the German military that is not normally brought out (how they tried to be humane in some instances). I haven't read this book sooner because I was really put off by the title. I don't know what finally made me order it but I am glad that I did. This story will stick with me for a long time to come.
Mod
Finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and will probably have to give it 5 stars. It was excellent and I would encourage everyone to read it.I am getting ready to start Steinbeck's Ghost. It is actually a children's book. Here is a review from School Library Journal:
"Grade 5–7—Travis, 13, is trying to adjust to his family's move from Salinas, CA, to a brand-new development. To him, his new home and neighborhood are like Camazotz, the planet from A Wrinkle in Time where everything is the same. His parents seem to work all the time to support their current lifestyle, leaving him on his own. An almost magnetic pull draws him back to his old neighborhood and his favorite place, the John Steinbeck Library, only to discover that it is in jeopardy of being closed. The focus of the novel changes as Travis becomes immersed in the campaign to save it. His friend, Hilario, becomes involved as well. The mysterious underpinnings of the story begin when Travis cycles by Steinbeck's house and sees a boy writing in the attic window. Steinbeck's stories haunt him, and he starts to see characters from them. The second half of the book is the most absorbing. When he, Hil, and an elderly author go into the hills of Corral de Tierra, they have magical experiences that bring them closer to Steinbeck's world. There are some convenient plot twists and stereotypical characters. The protagonist, however, is well drawn. This novel would have greatest appeal to readers familiar with Steinbeck's works.—Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ"
Sounds good doesn't it? I am reading it because I enjoyed the author's (Lewis Buzbee) book The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. I have not read much Steinbeck at all so I'm hoping that the above reviewer is wrong in that it appeals most to Steinbeck aficionados. However since it is for ages 9-12, how many of those would be well versed in Steinbeck????
Mod
It does sound good! I think I'll get it for my 9 yo grandson.
I'm reading Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid by Denis Leary. Quite entertaining, but if you don't care for Leary's type of humor you won't like it.
I'm reading a cozy and The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. So far, it's a very good read and I am hoping it gets to the ghost story part of the book soon! I am recommending it as of now for anyone interested. Next up will be Prima Donna by Megan Chance. Or The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister.
Melodie wrote: "I'm reading Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid by Denis Leary. Quite entertaining, but if you don't care for Leary's type of humor you won't like it."I read most of Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid. Toward the end I just felt that he was going on too long and didn't finish it.
Heather L wrote: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was one of the best books I read in 2008. I finished it over a weekend and immediately loaned it to a neighbor. It also had me googl..."I also really enjoyed this book a lot. Glad to see someone else gave it their vote also!
Mod
Heather L wrote: "I set aside Mistletoe Murder for the time being and am a bit over a hundred pages into The Hunger Games. Pretty good so far. Different."The LOVED the Hunger Games and the sequel!
I'm reading the BEACH TRIP by Cathy Holton. Beach Trip: A Novel Love, love love books about the Carolinas.
Diane wrote: "I'm reading the BEACH TRIP by Cathy Holton. Beach Trip: A Novel Love, love love books about the Carolinas. "I've been wondering lately why so many book titles say _________ (the name) and then : A Novel
well yeah, we know it is a novel. This is beginning to really annoy me as every other book it seems has "A Novel" in the title.
Mod
I have the sequel as well. Doubleday had a great deal if you bought both together. Love those kind of specials!
I'm listening to A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton. Brrrr.....
Susie in KS wrote: "I'm listening to A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton. Brrrr....."That's one of the things I love Steve Hamilton's books, Susie. He sets the place so well you'll be freezing even if it's the middle of summer when you read them.
I'm currently reading A Daughter's Trust by Tara Taylor Quinn. It is the 1st book in The Diamond Legacy. I had (by mistake) read book two so I had to go back and pick up the first one to read.
I am reading Yellowthread Street by William Marshall.
Heather, I loved those two!! Now we have to wait until August for the next one to come out!! GRRRRR-I cant wait to see how it turns out!!
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Cozy Mysteries
Books mentioned in this topic
A Multitude of Monsters (other topics)Alibi in High Heels (other topics)
The Second Life of Nick Mason (other topics)
Torch Ginger (other topics)
The Good Girl (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gemma Halliday (other topics)Craig Shaw Gardner (other topics)
Kristi Charish (other topics)
Sharon J. Bolton (other topics)
Gemma Halliday (other topics)
More...
Next up is A Shortcut in Time by Charles Dickinson. This is a time travel book, not sure if it is a romance. I have always had an interest in time travel, ever since reading Time Enough for Love by my favorite sci fi guy, Robert A. Heinlein. I have just recently started reading time travel romance.