Cozy Mysteries discussion
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When you're not reading a cozy....
MaryJo wrote: "Karen M wrote: "I'm reading a favorite author of my late Dad, Zane Grey, 
"Karen, my dad loved Zane Grey, too! when he became an invalid he finally had ..."
Oh gosh, I forgot all about Louis L'amour who was another favorite of my Dad's along with Max Brand. Glad my reading has brought back memories for some of you.
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Heather L wrote: "I learned yesterday that author E L Konigsburg passed last Friday -- which had me reaching for my copy of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler after finishing my previous book. Have..."I'm almost 100% certain I read this book as a kid - your mentioning it triggered a memory of the cover. I'll have to dig up a copy and give it a re-read. Thanks! :)
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I remember that one too! Where the mannequins come alive??? I think it was called "Secrets of the Shopping Mall"....ETA: Secrets of the Shopping Mall
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I finished Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh this morning. I believe this was her last Inspector Alleynmystery, and it was a very enjoyable read. keep in mind, though, this is a cozy of many decades past. some cozy readers may not care for that, I love it.
Just started Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C Hines
Mid way through
, a good mystery but gritty in places.
I'm currently reading The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning. It's book 5 in the Highlander series. I can't say I like it as well as some of the others (I'm about half way through) but it is getting better as I go along. I also have book 6 The Immortal Highlander in my TBR Library stack (means I will be reading it really soon).
Heather L wrote: "I learned yesterday that author E L Konigsburg passed last Friday -- which had me reaching for my copy of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler after finishing my previous book. Have..."I did not know that. The View from Saturday and A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver are my favourites. I shall have to dig them out for my next books.
Melodie wrote: "I read LOTS of UF, which I mentioned here in another thread. Also really enjoy Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and am a sucker for pop culture bios, The Dirt Confess..."I had to google UF to figure out what that means, I think it's urban fantasy? If so, I am also a fan of the Anita Blake series. I think I'm a little over halfway though it. I picked up a bunch when Borders was closing.
I also read non-cozy mysteries. I just finished Hermit's Peak and am really enjoying the Kevin Kerney police series. I tore through that book in about one day.Then I also read Christian fiction, especially Amish fiction. I think the Amish and historical is my favorite in that genre.
I happily discovered that I have all three of the books in the Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts. I'm well into Knight's Acre which, longtime book addicted me, purchased in 1975 along with The Homecoming and years later picked up The Lonely Furrow in paperback. I forgot how much I enjoyed her books!
Melissa wrote: "Melodie wrote: "I read LOTS of UF, which I mentioned here in another thread. Also really enjoy Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and am a sucker for pop culture bios, T..."Yep, it's urban fantasy. I used to read the Anita Blake books, back before they started reading like so much really bad Penthouse Forum letters! They started going downhill for me with OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY and then I quit with MICAH. Gave them a shot again with SKIN TRADE and learned my lesson with that one and won't go back again. A lot of the UF I read is YA (young adult), as some of the best, for me anyway, comes from there.
Melissa wrote: "I also read non-cozy mysteries. I just finished Hermit's Peak and am really enjoying the Kevin Kerney police series. I tore through that book in about one day.Then I also read Christian fiction,..."
I used to really enjoy the Kevin Kerney books. The last one I read was THE BIG GAMBLE. I picked up the first one because we used to live in Alamogordo, NM, which is near Tularosa and that was the title of the first book.
I've read three books this year by an author that's new to me: Susanna Kearsley. She writes historical romance novels where the characters travel through time, sometimes just in their mind, sometimes physically. I've read Mariana, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden. They're not heavy reads, and so far everything has ended happily. A nice change from mysteries.
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Melodie I don't think I'm that far in the Anita Blake series yet. I can't remember which one I read last.
on the recommendation of two friends, I've been reading some books on the travels of Irish woman Dervla Murphy. Eight Feet in the Andes, her 3 1/2 months of treking through the mountains of Peru with her 9 year old daughter and a mule, and now Through Siberia by Accident, a trip she took much later, by herself. There are hardly two trip that could be more different! This is a very interesting change from mysteries, and I find it very interesting.
Haven't read that much so far this year for some reason but the last cozy I read was Fonduing Fathers by Hyzy
Since then I've been all over the place in books--Michael Vick's Dogs
While on our annual cross country trip I picked up Letters from Wupatki
The Good Sister
, A Jane Fonda biography
Now I'm in the midst of The Last Will of Moira Leahy
and am going to start A Long Way Gone
Oh, and I also read The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots
I'm getting ready to dig out the cozies on my bookstand--it is getting to be summer and it is time for lighter stuff--LOL
That is a lot of different types of books there Katherine (love the White House Chef series too btw)I am listening to Necromancing the Stone
and reading The Sun Dwellers
Katherine, thanks so much for telling us about the Memoires of Mary, Queen of Scots. I have read some on her life and want to continue reading, but had not heard about this book. It is amazing to me how during the same timeframe, and among two cousins, lives can be so very different based on personal life choices and how various people react to the influence of others.
Thanks again for the information.
A friend and I are doing a buddy read of Shades of Gray. This is what is taking up my reading time right now.
I like to read history. Especially English history from way, way back. I also like any European history and have recently become interested in Egyptian happenings in the past. Actually I will read fiction and non-fiction depending on what is good. It has to move along for me and sometimes I pick the wrong books or authors so I have to keep searching. I like Alison Weir.
I also read old English mysteries. Like Dorothy Sayers and of course Agatha Christie.
And thanks for the suggestions on what to read. Have put quite a few of these on my to be read list.
I'm usually reading a suspense when I'm not reading a cozy. And sometimes a lighter romance!
I just finished No Angel
which is the first book in a trilogy and takes place in the years just before, during and after WWI. I was enthralled!
Jennifer wrote: "I just finished No Angel which is the first book in a trilogy and takes place in the years just before, during and after WWI. I was enthralled!"Jennifer, if this appealed to you you might also like the Bess Crawford series written by Charles Todd. there are about 4 now, I think. Bess is a British nurse out there on the lines. these are good mysteries, but a little too intense to be considered cozies by most.
I just finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas which was very good and am still reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan which is also a good read. I know I'm reading them a little late but good books are good books.
I just started reading memoir, which is not at ALL something I thought I'd like. I met Wade Rouse and his partner at the High Country Book Festival last year, and they were both so funny and charming I bought two of Wade's books: It's All Relative: 2 Families, 3 Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine and, my personal favorite: At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life. Lots of good-natured humor as two gay men try to find their way in rural Michigan.
I am reading
byJoyce Carol Oates,
by W.B. Yeats,
bySusan G. Wooldridge, and just starting
byTim Lilburn. I think that's it for now.
I'm currently in the middle of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks, and I'm loving this book! Incredibly interesting.
MaryJo wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I just finished No Angel which is the first book in a trilogy and takes place in the years just before, during and after WWI. I was enthralled!"Jennif..."
I like Charles Todd but haven't tried this series-- thanks!!!
Finished Third Grave Dead Ahead
. I love the Charley Davidson series and this was my favorite so far.
When I'm not reading cozies I am usually reading Detective Mysteries (like Jonathan Kellerman or Stephen White)or Thrillers (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc...) I read a little of everything but those are the ones I read most :)
I cracked open Garden Spells last night and boy did I want to stay up late and read and read. I've only read a few chapters so far but I'm enjoying the writing quite a bit.
❂ Jennifer wrote: "I cracked open Garden Spells last night and boy did I want to stay up late and read and read. I've only read a few chapters so far but I'm enjoying the writing quite a bit."Woot woot!!!! Yay!
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One of these days I'm going to have to pull that off of my own TBR pile. Sigh...so many books I want to read right now. . . :-\
Heather L wrote: "One of these days I'm going to have to pull that off of my own TBR pile. Sigh...so many books I want to read right now. . . :-\ "I know the feeling. :)
I tend to switch around quite a bit, but really enjoy classic mysteries. I just got done with P. G. Wodehouse's My Man Jeeves, which is a group of short stories about Jeeves and Wooster, one of his series. Before that I read Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers. I also wait eagerly for Anne Perry's books to come out.
Ever since I found out that Anne Perry and a friend murdered the friend's mother when they were in their late teens just to see what it felt like, she has been off my reading list. They knew that even if they got caught they would not have a severe punishment because of their ages.
Jeanie wrote: "Ever since I found out that Anne Perry and a friend murdered the friend's mother when they were in their late teens just to see what it felt like, she has been off my reading list. They knew that ..."Yes, that was a terrible thing for them to do, and nothing will ever bring this woman back to the living. But she did serve time for what she did. It often happens that the gang mentality kicks in and especially where young people are involved it is not a pretty picture.
What we see today; young people killing their parents, grandparents, siblings, etc., for nothing when what we would have done at a younger age is perhaps sulk in our rooms, or pout.....well it is beyond understanding for me. In fact, there is a great deal of real crime literature out there about just that.
It is not my place to forgive, but I read her books for enjoyment and know that whatever she has done she will be judged by someone higher up the food chain than me.
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Cozy Mysteries
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My grandpa was a huge Zane Grey fan. He was reading one of his books when my mom was born. There was a character in the book called Fay Larkin, the Sego Lily. They hadn't picked a name for a girl, so Mom became Fay thanks to Zane Grey.