Apr 2020 - Let's Get Cozy

[Janice, Moderator]

Things have been rather stressful lately with the onslaught of the Covid-19 virus. It weighs heavy on my mind as I'm sure it does on everyone's. I thought we could use some relief this month. I want to read something light, fluffy, easy, and funny. What better genre than Cozy Mysteries?

The challenge this month is simple. Read a cozy mystery.

Here is a website dedicated to cozy mysteries.

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book must have "Cozy Mystery" on the main book page.
3. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Challenge.
4. The book must be read between April 1 – April 30, 2020 (based on your local time zone).
5. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
6. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.

In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover or paperback edition to determine page length. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide. If reading an ebook and there is no paper edition, ask for a ruling. If reading an audiobook and there is no paper edition, your book must be a minimum of 6 hours long.

Scoring (based on the edition you read)

Theme:
Cozies by Theme

5 pts - Beauty Shop cozies
4 pts - Male Sleuths
3 pts - Gardening theme
2 pts - Paranormal theme (ghost, witches, vampire, etc)
1 pts - Cozies with recipes (required to share a recipe!)

Genre: In addition to Cozy Mystery, the following appears on the main book page.

5 pts - Cultural, any country
4 pts - Holiday, any holiday (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc.)
3 pts - Humor
2 pts - Historical
1 pts - Romance

Cover: (Based on the edition you read)

5 pts - Has luggage on it.
4 pts - Has a full house or manor on it (exterior view).
3 pts - Has the murder weapon on it.
2 pts - Has cat on it.
1 pts - Has curtain on it (interior view).

Title:

5 pts - Has six or more words, excluding subtitles and series names unless the series name starts the title eg. A Nancy Drew Christmas
4 pts - Has the name of a condiment in it (eg salt, butter, mustard)
3 pts - The same word(s) appears in all titles in the series. eg. In Death Series
2 pts - Is an alliteration (at least two words start with the same letter, not including articles or conjoiners) eg. Magpie Murders
1 pts - The title is a play on words (pun, simile). You are required to explain.

Pages:

5 pts - 500 +
4 pts - 400 - 499
3 pts - 300 - 399
2 pts - 200 - 299
1 pts - 175-199

Bonus points - 2 pts each
*All holidays named below have been cancelled due to Covid-19. We will celebrate them with our books.

- There is a car on the cover - Distracted Driving Month
- There is a kite or balloon on the cover - Kite Month
- There is a dancer in the story - National Dance Week
- There is an egg on the cover or cooked in the story - White House Easter Egg Roll
- There is a pie on the cover - National Pie Day.

[Jenn]

This sounds like exactly what I am in need of, thank you Janice 😃

[Sandra, Moderator]

Oh, a cozy will be perfect. Great idea.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I think I'll go with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I really wanted to try this series.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I also have Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder on my tbr, Sandra. I'll be curious to see what you think of it. I'll keep that in mind as an option, but I think I'll go with Lethal Bayou Beauty. I picked it up during a recent Audible sale. This will be the perfect opportunity to read it. I'm sure it will have the good bit of humor of it that I need.

[Janice, Moderator]

I've decided to go with the same series as Kristie but Gator Bait. These books always make me laugh, and that's what I need right now.

[Almeta]

Kristie wrote: "I..... but I think I'll go with Lethal Bayou Beauty. ..."

Janice wrote: "I've decided to go with the same series as Kristie but Gator Bait. These books always make me laugh, and that's what I need right now."

Wow! The Sinful ladies are the first people I thought of when Cozies were mentioned. I'm going to read Swamp Sniper.

Can hardly wait to see what the gals are up to now!

Good challenge choice Janice.☺

ETA Swamp Team 3 may earn higher point total.

[Janice, Moderator]

That little town of Sinful was appropriately named. :)

[Jayme, Moderator]

I don't have any cozy mysteries : ( but I saw this on amazon for .99 and it looks fun Murder in G Major.

[Janice, Moderator]

Jayme wrote: "I don't have any cozy mysteries : ( but I saw this on amazon for .99 and it looks fun Murder in G Major."

It looks like it might garner you a few points. :)

[Renee]

I may join. I love cozy mysteries I need to see what I have

[uncomfytomato]

I've never heard of cozy mysteries! Thats very interesting~

[Peggy]

Sandra wrote: "I think I'll go with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I really wanted to try this series."

This series is my guilty pleasure. I'm at book 13. You shouldn't have too high expectations, but they're quick, light and fluffy and fun enough for me to read one every now and then. Plus, as soon as you start it for basically every toppler and year long challenge, you're set ;-)

I might read the next in the series, or try another cozy mystery. I think I have a few where I read the first book. Or I'll start a new series.

Thanks for this Janice. Just what I needed!

[Sandra, Moderator]

@Peggy, good to know. :)

[Cherie]

I'm was hoping to finally get to listen to Dog on It but I do not see it listed as Cozy Mystery on the main book page. back to the series list....

[Peggy]

I have a few series that I thought might be cozies, but they're not.

I think I'll continue with a series I've already started. I'll either read Death of a Crafty Knitter or Apple Turnover Murder. Maybe I'll even read both. Neither seems to be made for the high score though..

[Kristie, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "I'm was hoping to finally get to listen to Dog on It but I do not see it listed as Cozy Mystery on the main book page. back to the series list...."

I don't know if this actually is a cozy, Cherie. It seems similar, but I think it being narrated by a dog gives it the feel of a cozy without actually being one.

I have Dog On It on my TBR too. Although, I have to admit that the idea of it not being a cozy makes me think that I may enjoy it even more than I first thought.

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "I have a few series that I thought might be cozies, but they're not. .."

Does Apple Turnover Murder have a recipe in it?

[Peggy]

Very likely. All the 12 books in the series before this one had recipes :)

[Renee]

I read a lot of cat mystery series. I am going to have my husb get a box out for me. I hope one of the ones I have not read is a cozy. I used to co lead a group that read cat mysteries. It was a fun group that had many authors in it. I miss it.

[Lucy]

Looks like a good time for me to read For Cheddar or Worse to get caught up on the Cheese Shop Mysteries series as it stands.

[Niloofar]

I'm currently on day 22 of social distancing and this is just what I needed!! Thank you Janice :)

[Niloofar]

I have the audiobook for A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder, Sweet Revenge and A Quiet Life In The Country on scribd so i'll probably read one of those. Historical cozy mysteries are one of my favorites.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Niloo wrote: "I'm currently on day 22 of social distancing"

Niloo, 22 days is a lot. Where do you live?

[Leslie]

I'm going to read Cast, in Order of Disappearance. One of the MPG is European Literature > British Literature. Would that qualify for Cultural, any country or does it actually have to say Cultural, England?

[Roz]

I'm compiling a list of possibilities based on what's available for ebook borrowing through my library. I'd probably have a lot more but the library (for print books) is closed.

Out of the ones that are available now, I've decided to read The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree.

[Cherie]

I removed my sour grapes post about Cozy Mysteries.

If my library has it available, I may have found one I want to read or listen to, thanks to the narrator of my current audiobook, Graeme Malcolm. I was searching for his name and found a list of books he has narrated (I thought his voice was familiar. Hopefully, I will be reading Death of a Gossip.

[Ayacchi]

Beauty shop is like the (main) character has dress shop, flower shop, and the kind?

[Janice, Moderator]

Ayacchi wrote: "Beauty shop is like the (main) character has dress shop, flower shop, and the kind?"

Beauty shop is generally where you go to get your hair done, waxed, nails done, etc.

[Ashley]

This challenge sounds like fun. I don’t think I have ever read a ‘cozy mystery’. I think I’ll read Murder on a Girls' Night Out.

[Ayacchi]

Janice wrote: "Beauty shop is generally where you go to get your hair done, waxed, nails done, etc."

Thanks Janice! I got it now. I'll take my time to look for book that fits the challenge since it's a new genre for me

[Janice, Moderator]

Ayacchi wrote: "Janice wrote: "Beauty shop is generally where you go to get your hair done, waxed, nails done, etc."

Thanks Janice! I got it now. I'll take my time to look for book that fits the challenge since i..."

There are a couple of links in the first message that might help you.

[Carrie]

Oooh ... I got my heart set on reading an Agatha Christie before I realized she isn't considered 'cozy mystery' - oh well. I'll cheer y'all on from the sidelines this time. My local libraries are all closed for the month and anyway I've got this big old Agatha collection just sitting here begging for attention!

[Anne ✨]

Oh, this is perfect, just what I'm in the mood for - light and easy!

I too have Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder on my TBR, but I'm using it for Twisted Trivia task ( word cookie in the title)..

.... this will be fun to explore the genre, because I haven't read many!
I do have The Secret, Book & Scone Society on my TBR, and the audiobook is available on hoopla

[Margo]

Just what I'm in the mood for! I'll go search my shelves.

[Renee]

I never understood why Agatha Christie isn't a cozy. I use any excuse to read her.



Carrie wrote: "Oooh ... I got my heart set on reading an Agatha Christie before I realized she isn't considered 'cozy mystery' - oh well. I'll cheer y'all on from the sidelines this time. My local libraries are a..."

[Ayacchi]

Renee wrote: "I never understood why Agatha Christie isn't a cozy. I use any excuse to read her.



Carrie wrote: "Oooh ... I got my heart set on reading an Agatha Christie before I realized she isn't considered..."

Some of her books are included in goodreads cozy mystery's page but not in the book page. Too bad

[uncomfytomato]

I found this book on my to-read-list that's a cozy mystery! and its free on iBook!, so I'll probably read it

The Ghost of Marlow House

[Annerlee]

I'm half way through Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials, which I started as part of the toppler. It's set in Singapore and is full of delicious sounding food I've never heard of. Will need to educate myself and try some. No complete recipes so far unfortunately

[Annerlee]

ʙᴀsʜ wrote: "I found this book on my to-read-list that's a cozy mystery! and its free on iBook!, so I'll probably read it

The Ghost of Marlow House"

It's free for Kindle just now too

[Annerlee]

Just rechecked the scoring. I think I'm a glue stick contender again (sigh), but I don't normally read cozy mysteries so my choice was somewhat limited. Oh well. Hoping there's a boiled egg or a dancer soon ..

[Sharon]

I think I will read The Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton. This is my first time participating. Do I list my score and if so, where? A bit of a novice here...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Great to see you jumping in, Sharon! When you've finished, head over to the reporting thread here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... and tally up you score. Enjoy!!

[Ayacchi]

Is this considered as a full house/manor? I'm not sure but maybe not?

[Janice, Moderator]

Ayacchi wrote: "Is this considered as a full house/manor? I'm not sure but maybe not?"

You can't see the roof, so I would say no to that being a full house/manor.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sharon wrote: "I think I will read The Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton. This is my first time participating. Do I list my score and if so, where? A bit of a novice here..."

You'll also need a "Wall of Fame" name. Pop over here and request a name so that when you report your book, I can give you a badge in May.

[Ayacchi]

Janice wrote: "You can't see the roof, so I would say no to that being a full..."

Got it! The title (digs up the dirt) has 2 meanings (one is idiom). Is idiom counted as wordplay?

[Janice, Moderator]

Ayacchi wrote: "Janice wrote: "You can't see the roof, so I would say no to that being a full..."

Got it! The title (digs up the dirt) has 2 meanings (one is idiom). Is idiom counted as wordplay?"

Digs up the dirt means getting the juicy gossip on someone, and it could mean literally digging dirt, so like grave digging. I would call it a play on words.

[Annerlee]

Sharon wrote: "I think I will read The Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton. This is my first time participating. Do I list my score and if so, where? A bit of a novice here..."

Welcome to the fun Sharon 😁

[Naomi]

I will be going with The Circus Train Conspiracy by Edward Marston.

Will be reading in paperback.
Not sure if is classed as cozy mystery to fit with the rules. Is listed in the website mentioned (cozy-mystery.com) but cannot see that cozy mystery is mentioned on the main book page (but then not sure where I should be looking).
Meets all other requirements.

If allowed, before reading the points seem to be as follows:

Theme: 4 points (male sleuth)
Genre: 2 points (historical)
Cover: 0 points
Title: 2 points (alliteration - Circus & Conspiracy)
Pages: 3 points (352 pages)