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Your best & worst reads of 2011
My best reads for 2011 are:The Hunger Games - The entire series really. This series kept me entertained through a really rough time this summer. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to everyone. I can't tell if I'm a little demented for enjoying this or if the writer is a little demented for thinking it. Haha!
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - This was also another series I enjoyed. It's a bit graphic and at first I was a little turned off by it, but I pushed through. The first novel in the series the best one. The last one could have done with a bit more editing.
Madame Bovary - This book was amazing. It took me awhile to get into, but got into it, there was no putting it down. The ending shocked me for sure.
Ender's Game : I have been wanting to read this novel for a very long time as I was told it is the one sci-fi novel that needs to be read. I'm very glad I did. I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the novel and I'm even hoping to finish the rest of the series this year.
Worst reads of 2011:
Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office : A Memoir : I couldn't even finish this book. How is it possible to go on for 500+ pages about being an irresponsible person who spends money on things she can not afford after losing her job. It wasn't even her personality that bothered me at all. I like strong female characters that speak their mind, but she just bothered the crap out of me. I will not be finishing this novel.
Something Borrowed : All the characters in this book were just morally messed up. I enjoyed the movie more in this case.
Thanks for sharing your year end reviews with us, Kathy and Louise. I enjoyed reading them.
Louise wrote: "Best Reads of 2011:Atonement
A beautifully written book with a lot of nuance. I really liked the character development and thought that the book was a lot better for that than the mo..."
Louise, i really liked this book too. Over the years i've found there are many who didn't. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have you read any other McEwan novels? I've read a couple & enjoyed each but for vastly different reasons.
deb
Kathy wrote: "Ender's Game : I have been wanting to read this novel for a very long time as I was told it is the one sci-fi novel that needs to be read. I'm very glad I did. I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the novel and I'm even hoping to finish the rest of the series this year...."Kathy, like you, i was late to the novel, but really liked it. Unlike you, i decided to read no more. I thought the book was perfect and didn't want to continue, if that makes any kind of sense. I hope you find the rest of the series as rewarding.
deb
I love Ender's Game as well as The Hunger Games. Both are in the running for my all time favorite scifi novel. I read Ender's Game young and still enjoy going back and reading it again. I didn't enjoy the rest of the series as much, but I'm also planning on going back and reading it soon.
Madrano wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Ender's Game : I have been wanting to read this novel for a very long time as I was told it is the one sci-fi novel that needs to be read. I'm very glad I did. I was surprised how muc..."I felt like that after I read the first novel too! It's now that I've decided to continue with the series, but the series seems to have taken off in a bunch of different directions. I'll let you know how I feel about if after I pick another one up.
Thank you, Kathy. I read the book because my nephew kept telling me how great it was. Figuring it would get him off my back, i read it and was pleased to share with him. Like me, he's never read any of the subsequent books in the series, though.Maree, i hope you enjoy your rereading of the book as much the second time. I like that it has stood the test of time.
deborah
Madrano wrote: "Louise, i really liked this book too. Over the years i've found there are many who didn't. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have you read any other McEwan novels? I've read a couple & enjoyed each but for vastly different reasons.."
Madrano, I haven't read any other books by him. I almost picked one up the other day (can't remember which one) but didn't because it sounded more serious than I was in the mood for. Care to make any recommendations?
Atonement was my favorite McEwan novel. The first i read was also his first, The Cement Garden. Well written but also rather creepy. Next to Atonement i think Amsterdam was a good one. I'm way behind on reading him, though, so there may well be better available.deborah
The "best" is harder, the older i get. Perhaps it's because i no longer read just anything? I'm not sure but it is easier now to name the "worst", which surprises me. The first one listed in each category is my Very Favorite of 2011. ANYway,BEST FICTION:
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson An old preacher writing to his now-young son about life with religious overtones, which didn't even bother me. ;-)
Lying Awake by Mark Salzman I didn't think i much liked this one yet i keep coming back to the very things i didn't like--a convent in L.A.
Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall I liked the characterization in this novel, as well as what i think are authentic language.
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino The sadness of lonely lives was nicely depicted here.
A Reckoning: A Novel by May Sarton An older woman wants "her own" death, as she would prefer it.
BEST NONFICTION:
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood Not only did i learn much about our history but also felt the first section would have been a wonderful primer for reading many novels from the 18th & 19th centuries (both English & American). Additionally, it gave me many ideas to ponder, including whether ours was really a revolution or actually an evolution.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois His writing was strong and the ideas well presented. While there were weaknesses, i really liked his thoughts & want to read more.
The House by the Sea: A Journal by May Sarton Great description about a location i'd love to live, Maine.
The Woman Who Watches Over the World: A Native Memoir by Linda Hogan Non-linear but full of mythology, personal history and beauty.
MOST DISAPPOINTING FICTION:
Midnight Angels: A Novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra I think it was JoAnn who warned me about this stinker. It sounds good, a mystery about missing art. What's not to like? Everything!
Susan Wittig Albert's trilogy, Bleeding Hearts, Spanish Dagger], and Nightshade. I think it's just that reading three in a row really drove home how same ole, same ole her writing is. Almost the same descriptions for each of her "regulars" got to me most.
MOST DISAPPOINTING NONFICTION:
The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey. I thought i was getting a science book about the physics of ocean waves. Instead i pretty much got a surfer bunny's look at surfers. The problem is there was just enough science to hook me. WORSE, it contained THE FACT i have shared more than any other book, ever. Did you know that when you see waves you are not seeing the water moving to the shore? No, you are seeing energy moving the water up, then down. Very few water molecules move in any direction but up, then down! Wow!
The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington by Jennet Conant It appears Conant had access to the papers of a minor character in these events & tried to create a book about it. There was little about Dahl which didn't also include this fairly insignificant Texas publisher who befriended the Brit. I won't read another Conant book, even though she seems to get plenty of good material. She's not worth the effort, imo.
Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony M. Amore & Tom Mashberg. This story was just poorly presented. It could have been an alright book, not great, but they even blew that. Again, art! What's not to like? Plenty here.
deborah, the opinionated
Madrano wrote: "The "best" is harder, the older i get. Perhaps it's because i no longer read just anything? I'm not sure but it is easier now to name the "worst", which surprises me. The first one listed in each c..."----------------
I've had Gilead on my TBR stack since the book came out in hardcover. Maybe with your recommendation I'll read it this year.
The Radicalism of the American Revolution is on my TBR list because of you ! :)
I enjoyed reading your Best/Worst books of 2011 ! Thanks for sharing.
How about all the rest of you BNC members. Make a New Years resolution to share your thoughts on books with the rest of us. We'd love to hear from you and I promise we won't bite. :)
Thank you for your kind comments, Alias. For this reader there is no task to which i look more forward than studying my Books Read list from the previous year & deciding on the tops.deb
How about all the rest of you BNC members. Make a New Years resolution to share your thoughts on books with the rest of us. We'd love to hear from you and I promise we won't bite. :) (from Alias)*******************************************************
OK, Alias, I've just started to make a list of my books read in 2011. I've actually no idea of the number. Will enjoy perusing the titles and picking out the favorites (note that I did not say "the best"), and which were on the bottom of the barrel. May take me a day or two. I always love reading the lists, and did I hear JoAnn's big sigh of relief that she's not having to compile those statistics this year?
That's great, Carolyn. I look forward to reading you list.I see you set up lot of bookshelves on GR but they aren't current.
I just have currently reading and read.
Then it's easy to see what you've read during the year. It only takes 1 minute after you finish a book to put the info into GR.
What about the rest of you ?
Beginning in the middle of last year - not surprisingly at the same time I got my iPad - I started making Goodreads my first stop after finishing a book. I love checking the stats of how many books, pages and the publication year. It is also and easy way to see what books you read in a certain year.
I have currently reading, read and to be read as my exclusive shelves (you can't have one book on multiple shelves). Then I also have categorical shelves (fiction, non-fiction, etc.) which are non-exclusive. I mostly use the first three shelves, but sometimes I look at my other shelves.
I have a bunch of genre related bookshelves plus ones called read-in-2010 and read-in-2011 etc. And I just added some for group reads with various goodreads groups a few weeks ago. When I am done reading something I will move it from currently-reading to whichever shelves apply.
My favorite reads in 2011:The Time Machine
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Everything That Rises Must Converge
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Road
Never Let Me Go
Fahrenheit 451
My least favorite reads in 2011:
A Town Like Alice
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Girl in Translation
The Cherry Orchard
I love Fahrenheit 451. I first read it as an adult.I do enjoy Carson McCullers. Maybe you just have to be in the mood for a quiet introspective book when you read her.
Alias Reader wrote: "I do enjoy Carson McCullers. Maybe you just have to be in the mood for a quiet introspective book when you read her."I just couldn't get into it for some reason. I was never excited to pick it up and read.
It's funny that I've never looked back at my reading properly before but am glad to do it now for this discussion. All the books I'm mentioning are fiction.Best books I read this year:
Certainty
While I was reading it, I was torn between abandoning it forever and never putting it down because it moved me so much. I don't even know how to explain it really, why my reaction was so intense. It felt personal somehow despite my not having any personal connection to the events referred to in the book. The imagery and the exploration of the nature of memory and grief and of knowing a person were very poignant. The part about giving up connections was alien to me but I could still understand. It was especially surprising to me because I had picked it up while browsing at the library and didn't really know what to expect going in except from what was on the back cover.
Stone Butch Blues
This book was eye-opening and absolutely amazing but also absolutely devastating, even more so than Certainty. I can't remember where this was recommended since I had it on my to-read list for so long but just wow. If push comes to shove and I had to choose one to recommend, I'd go with Stone Butch Blues. I think it's a book that everyone should read though one should be prepared for some potentially disturbing content.
Worst and/or most disappointing:
Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch
I didn't know what to make of this book and am surprised I finished it. The quest is highly problematic and the book itself is often just ridiculous, either in situation or in the characters' actions and other times, it's almost like an encyclopedia, with the narrator explaining some aspect of Chinese culture, though when those sections come by, I feel like I'm reading a tall tale, from the tone and the parts that came before. I was not very interested/invested in the main character's problems or misadventures; I wanted to know more about the women in his life - his "sweetheart" in prison (though at times, I wasn't sure if she even existed and wondered if Muo just made her up) and the two women he tries to enlist to help him. The ending felt strange and like giving Muo too many undeserved chances.
Dahanu Road: A novel
I found this book hard to read because I found most of the characters highly unsympathetic and several of them misogynistic, violent and oppressive; also didn't like that the women were the tragic figures. I think the author was trying to write love stories but even one character alludes to the two men killing the women they love, almost like it's a pattern or meant to happen.
The Grand Sophy
I'd heard good things about Heyer's books but I couldn't get into this and found myself skipping/skimming pages.
Responses to others' posts:
Re Room:
I also read it this year and while it wasn't my favourite, I did like it. The narration/voice, yes, could be unbelievable, but I liked it as a device especially in showing not how young the boy was but his mother, especially after their rescue when she's recovering and wanting to get her life back. I also liked the transition from the boy missing the room to, ultimately, wanting to be outside of it. Neat to know different people's views though.
Re books I have to add to my to-read list (!):
Thanks to deborah and Alias Reader for putting these on my radar.
The Souls of Black Folk
A Reckoning: A Novel
Woman Who Watches Over the World: A Native Memoir
Thanks for the, new to me, titles, Sum. :)
Sumofparts wrote: "Re books I have to add to my to-read list (!):Thanks to deborah and Alias Reader for putting these on my radar...."
I hope you continue to thank us as your TBR list grows & grows over the year. It's the most frustratingly lovely part of this book group. :-)
And thank you for sharing your thoughts on Certainty. I've not heard of it but your comments have intrigued me. The like/dislike in one piece of literature is a sensation i'm still battling--do i like the very feeling or not?
deb
Best would be hard to pick, although Lucia, Lucia might be a contender because the way it evoked post-war NYC was so effective. Worst is easy-- The Other Queen -- dear god, where o where was her editor???????
Welcome to Book Nook Cafe, Jennifer ! Thanks for joining our group.I look forward to your posts.
I agree with your sentiment about editors. Unfortunately, I think they overworked or non-existent with the cutbacks at the publishing houses.
Favorite Reads in 2011The Risk PoolRichard Russo
MohawkRichard Russo
The vivid descriptions of the characters and their environs allow the reader to visualize the characters and settings. The stories are well developed and the writing so good
The Shadow of the WindCarlos Ruiz Zafón this book told parallel stories and was so well written. The author drew you in and you did not want to put the book down
My least favorite book in 2011
Knit TwoKate Jacobs
This was a sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club. However the story line was completely stupid and predictable. I kept reading as I liked several of the characters and hoped the book with get better
Meredith wrote: "Favorite Reads in 2011The Risk PoolRichard Russo
MohawkRichard Russo
The vivid descriptions of the characters and their environs allow ..."
-------------
I own some Russo books but for some reason I've never read them. I really have to read at least one this year. Thanks for reminding me!
And thanks for sharing your best/worst of 2011.
Meredith wrote: "The Shadow of the WindCarlos Ruiz Zafón this book told parallel stories and was so well written. The author drew you in and you did not want to put the book down ..."I can't believe i still haven't read this one. Everything i've heard sounds up my alley AND i own the book! What's is wrong with me? (NOTE: That is a rhetorical question & i will resent any replies. ;-/)
Re. editing of books. DH & i had a discussion in early December on the topic. During that time i mentioned many of the things people here have brought up over the years. Now he can't read a book without commenting upon the editing, particularly of facts. As noted here at other times, if you can't even get the dates right from one page to the next, how can i rely upon the info given elsewhere?
deb
Favorite reads in 2011:Nonfiction:
"Polio: An American Story" by David M. Oshinsky
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
“The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College" by Jacques Steinberg
"Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret" by Steve Luxenberg
"The Hemingses of Monticello" by Annette Gordon-Reed
"One More Theory About Happiness"—a memoir by Paul Guest
Fiction:
"Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen
"The Things That Keep Us Here" by Carla Buckley
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
"Sarah's Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay
"Caleb's Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks
“The Man From Beijing" by Henning Mankel
"The Bookman's Promise" by John Dunning
"You Know When the Men are Gone" by Siobhan Fallon
Least Favorite Reads of 2011:
"The Uncoupling"by Meg Wolitzer
"An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England" by Brock Clarke
"The Writing Class"by Jincy Willet
"Dispatches from a Not-So-Perfect Life" by Faulkner Fox
I felt the same about "The Uncoupling". I started that one twice. I think it was her writing and not the Subject. "Polio: an American Story", I may have to pick that one up. Looks good.
Amy wrote: "Favorite reads in 2011:Nonfiction:
"Polio: An American Story" by David M. Oshinsky
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
“The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process o..."
---------------
Thanks for sharing your Best/worst of 2011 with us, Amy.
You have some interesting non fiction books on your list that I want to check out.
I guess i should be relieved that, until now, i was unfamiliar with any of the least favorites you mentioned, Amy. Funny how titles sound good. Maybe that's how some books get published? ;-)deb
Well, I wouldn't want to sway anybody from reading a book just because I didn't like it. One person's least favorite is another person's most favorite--or something along those lines! ;) For instance, I might be going out on a limb in admitting this, but I hated "The DaVinci Code." I thought the writing was shallow, simplistic and ridiculous. Almost everyone else on the planet apparently loved it, however. So maybe you want to take my recommendations with a grain of salt. :)And Deb--I agree with you about the titles. If a title is good enough to catch my eye, it can suck me in. Which is what happened with "An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Home in New England." It SOUNDED good. But I lost interest about halfway through and had to force myself to finish it.
You're in good company on The DaVinci Code as I only gave it a 2* rating. While I didn't hate it the most I can say was that it was only an okay book.
I ended up reading 73 books last year. but I keep them in an Excel spreadsheet on aniother computer. I have a list of all of them dating to 2005. My problem is that my books are easy reads and silly sounding compared to most of you. This year I was in to Cozy Mysteries and have finished 1 series and have 1 left in another series. Right now I am reading the new Janet Evanovich and anoher author's book and when I finish I will read Lisa Pattons sequal to Whistlin Dixie on a Noreaster. I have already read 3 books this year and will be finished with my 4th probably tonite.
Richiesheff wrote: "I ended up reading 73 books last year. but I keep them in an Excel spreadsheet on aniother computer. I have a list of all of them dating to 2005. My problem is that my books are easy reads and si..."-----------------
Congratulations on the 73 books ! That is an awesome total. Also don't feel your reads are inferior. They give you pleasure and that's what counts the most.
I saw a "cozy" mystery at the library today that I almost picked up. I thought it might help me out of my book slump. However, I already had two big books out from the library so I decided to wait. Of course I thought I would remember the title, but now I can't. I know it had the word killer in the title and it had a Christmas scene on the cover. Maybe this was it. By chance, anyone read it?
A Killer's Christmas in Wales~~Elizabeth J. Duncan
I've read another book in Elizabeth Duncan's series. But not that one. I'm pretty sure it was the second. Thought it was kind of flat. What I remember as the biggest weakness was that it didn't have a good sense of place. It's set in Wales, yet it seemed like any non-descript vaguely British town.
Richiesheff wrote: "I ended up reading 73 books last year. but I keep them in an Excel spreadsheet on aniother computer. I have a list of all of them dating to 2005. My problem is that my books are easy reads and si..."Richiesheff, that's how i keep my list, on Excel. It is my lifetime list, so is probably unwieldy at this point, hence my numbering problem. However, there came a point, around 1750, when i noticed the list had changed the "dates completed" column & almost a decade of books were assigned to 2009! This will be one of my projects this year. It's my intention to break the list into 1000 clumps, so soon i'll have two sheets, and begin a third. (Soon, as in the year 2014 or so.) Hope this helps.
As to the quality of books i've read. Computers & book groups weren't around in the early '90s when i seemed to read mostly cozy mysteries. What's happened now is that the writers i followed then have either stopped that series &/or changed their pen names, so i have run out of the favorites.
When i'm in a slump, as Alias seems to be now, mysteries are what always get me back in the groove. Yet, i may read 5 or 6 before i find the one which really kicks me into the reading mode. I attribute this to the fact that my favorites rarely publish anymore, so i spend that time searching for new authors.
Alias, that Duncan book sounds good, reminding me of ]Dylan Thomas's book, A Child's Christmas in Wales. Shay, i'm glad for the warning, as Wales is a place i fondly recall from our brief visit in '93. I don't want to mess up those good memories, so to speak. ;-)
deb
Speaking of mysteries, I used to read an author that wrote mysteries. They were not what we now call cozy mysteries, but they weren't violent either. Many of her books would be on the style similar to Rebecca~~Daphne du MaurierThe author is Phyllis Whitney. Anyone read her books?
Here is her bio from Amazon.
Phyllis Ayame Whitney (September 9, 1903 – February 8, 2008 ) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. Often described as a Gothic novelist, a review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics", although she hated this title. She preferred to say she wrote "romantic novels of suspense". She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
I've never read anything by Whitney. Never heard of her, but her books look interesting. I added one of them and am going to see if they have any at the library. Did they rerelease any of these as ebooks? I hate getting 30-40 year old books from the library that smell like decades of dirty hands.
This is probably a dumb question, but what exactly is a "cozy mystery"? Would the books by an author like Susan Wittig Albert
qualify? I love her series of China Bayles mysteries. Mostly because I'm a frustrated gardener.
Amy wrote: "This is probably a dumb question, but what exactly is a "cozy mystery"? ------------------
"Cozy mysteries are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humourously. The term was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-creating the Golden Age of Detective Fiction."
"The crime-solver in a cozy mystery is usually a woman who is an amateur sleuth. Almost always, she has a college degree, whether she is using it or not. Her education and life’s experiences have provided her with certain skills that she will utilize in order to solve all the crimes that are “thrown her way.” The cozy mystery heroine is usually a very intuitive, bright woman. The occupations of the amateur sleuths are very diverse: caterer, bed and breakfast owner, quilter, cat fancier/owner, nun, gardener, librarian, book store owner, herbalist, florist, dog trainer, homemaker, teacher, needlepoint store owner, etc.
The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or village (click here to read more on the village setting). The small size of the setting makes it believable that all the suspects know each other. The amateur sleuth is usually a very likeable person who is able to get the community members to talk freely (i.e. gossip) about each other. There is usually at least one very knowledgeable and nosy (and of course, very reliable!) character in the book who is able to fill in all of the blanks, thus enabling the amateur sleuth to solve the case.
Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend, husband, or significant other is. This makes a very convenient way for her to find out things that she would otherwise not have access to… Do you know any caterers or dog trainers who have access to autopsy reports? I don’t! (Unless you count some of my favorite cozy characters…)
At the same time, it is probably safe to say that the local police force doesn’t take the amateur sleuth very seriously. They dismiss her presence, almost as if she doesn’t exist. This of course, makes it convenient for her to “casually overhear” things at the scene of a crime.
More and more, cozy mystery books are being written as parts of a series. The reader becomes emotionally involved and connected with the reoccurring characters. It’s almost as if the reader is “going home” to a familiar place when she reads her next cozy mystery book in a series. (Of course, publishers of these series must enjoy knowing that fans of a series guarantee the success of each book in the series. It’s not uncommon for fans of a cozy mystery series to pre-order a book before it is available at the stores.)
In a series, it is important that the characters are likeable, so that the reader will want to visit them again. The supporting characters are equally important to the reader. It is for his reason that there are so many funny, eccentric, and entertaining secondary characters. Can you imagine wanting to read the second book in a series that has all of it’s characters as scummy, low-life people, perpetrating evil deeds and being downright mean all of the time?
*** Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place “off stage” and death is usually very quick. Prolonged torture is not a staple in cozy mysteries! The victim is usually a character who had terrible vices or who treated others very badly. Dare I say…. the victim “deserved to die?” And, there are usually connections between the victims (if indeed there are multiple victims… which usually, in a cozy mystery, there are!), even though the reader is not aware of the obvious connections until the amateur sleuth solves the crimes.
*** Sex (if there is any) is always behind closed doors. It is implied…. at most! Two characters may go from having a late-night, romantic dinner to----fast forward----one person taking a cup of coffee up to their partner, who is enjoying the delicious luxury of sleeping in. Enough said!
Cozy mysteries tend to be fast-paced, with several twists and turns throughout each book. There are usually several red herrings to provide distracting clues to the reader. The amateur sleuth is able to sift through the clues, tossing the useless information out while analyzing the good clues. There is a lot of puzzle solving involved in a cozy mystery.
The cozy mystery puts an emphasis on plots and character development. You definitely could not convert a cozy mystery novel into an “action movie” with a lot of car chases and young, gratuitously topless actresses! An expression comes to mind that could easily differentiate the cozy mystery from other types of mysteries…………. “Brains over Brawn” every time."
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Definitio...
A few examples are:
Dead as a Scone
Recipe for Murder
Dying to Decorate
Baker's Fatal Dozen
Murder Makes Waves
Slow Cooked Murder
Knit One, Kill Two
Sprinkle with Murder
Murder Past DueIf you go to amazon and put in a search for:
"cozy mysteries series"
you will find a bunch of them.
Thank you very much, Alias! Apparently I've been a fan of cozy mysteries without knowing it. :) Besides the China Bayles books by Susan Wittig Albert
, I've also enjoyed the Goldy Schulz books by Diane Mott Davidson
over the years. To my mind, both series fits the description.
A few of my favorite "cozies" are/were by Joan E. Hess. She writes two series, one is outrageous with inbred cousins populating the novels and the MC is sherif in the town. It can be funny but also just plain silly, at which point i'm a bit disappointed.The other series features Claire Malloy, a small town bookseller. Her teenaged daughter is part of the series at times, which are the ones i most enjoy. Both are set in Arkansas, btw.
I like my cozy mysteries to also be a bit amusing, which is one reason i like the above. Others which have qualified for me are the Jill Churchill mysteries, which have a twist on well known expressions in the title. For example, The Class Menagerie and A Knife to Remember. Homey stories, imo, which i appreciate as much for the theme in the title as anything else.
deb
madrano wrote: The other series features Claire Malloy, a small town bookseller. Her teenaged daughter is part of the series at times, which are the ones i most enjoy. Both are set in Arkansas, btw.-----------
I like the idea of a bookseller mystery.
Maybe I'll give them a try.
A Claire Malloy Mystery
Order of the series
1 Strangled Prose
2 The Murder at the Murder at the Mimosa Inn
3 Dear Miss Demeanor
4 A Really Cute Corpse
5 A Diet to Die For
6 Roll over and Play Dead
7 Death by the Light of the Moon
8 Poisoned Pins
9 Tickled to Death
10 Busy Bodies
11 Closely Akin to Murder
12 A Holly, Jolly Murder
13 A Conventional Corpse
14 Out on a Limb
15 The Goodbye Body
16 Damsels in Distress
17 Mummy Dearest
18 Deader Homes and Gardens
http://www.fictiondb.com/author/joan-...
madrano wrote: like my cozy mysteries to also be a bit amusing, which is one reason i like the above. Others which have qualified for me are the Jill Churchill mysteries, which have a twist on well known expressions in the title. For example, The Class Menagerie and A Knife to Remember. Homey stories, imo, which i appreciate as much for the theme in the title as anything else.------------------------
Jill Churchill has 2 series. Grace & Favor and Jane Jeffry
Anything Goes (Grace & Favor, #1)
In the Still of the Night (Grace & Favor, #2)
Someone to Watch Over Me (Grace & Favor, #3)
Love for Sale (Grace & Favor, #4)
It Had to Be You (Grace & Favor, #5)
Who's Sorry Now? (Grace & Favor, #6)
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Grace & Favor, #7)
Grime and Punishment (Jane Jeffry, #1)
A Farewell to Yarns (Jane Jeffry, #2)
A Quiche Before Dying (Jane Jeffry, #3)
The Class Menagerie (Jane Jeffry, #4)
A Knife to Remember (Jane Jeffry, #5)
*There are 16 in this series. Here is a link to the rest of the titles.
http://www.goodreads.com/series/41263...
Ah, thanks for the titles. It's like walking a library Memory Lane. :-) My first Claire Malloy book was A Really Cute Corpse which was amusing and featured the teenager. Since DD was 14 then, it fit us both. For a few books DD read the series with me but then she became immersed in being a Freshman.I didn't care for Churchill's Grace & Favor series but the Jane Jeffry worked for me. As usual, the mysteries are usually tidy and the developing relationship between neighbors and the local detective are predictable. Nonetheless, the series suited me and i was sorry to see the author's focus switch more to her other series.
deborah
My favorites for 2011 in no particular order:A Pearl In the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean non-fiction
Mudbound
Making Toast: A Family Story non-fiction
Stoner
Someone Knows My Name
The Old Man and the Sea
Least favorite/Disappointing:
The Postmistress
The Book Club
Twilight
As usual, I read less non-fiction that I intended, but two in my favorites list are indeed non-fiction. That should tell me something!
THE BEST OF 2011War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
(I fell in love with Tolstoy in 2011!)
THE WORST OF 2011
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
{I really didn't like the title character at all! Not that Flaubert intended her to be likable, but ... ugh!}
Book Nook Cafe
Books mentioned in this topic
Pride and Prejudice (other topics)Shadowed in Silk (other topics)
Pattern of Wounds (other topics)
People of the Book (other topics)
Year of Wonders (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jane Austen (other topics)Mark Twain (other topics)
Julie Smith (other topics)
John Dunning (other topics)
Alessandro Manzoni (other topics)
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Atonement
A beautifully written book with a lot of nuance. I really liked the character development and thought that the book was a lot better for that than the movie.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
There were parts of this book where I wasn't sure I would really like it, but the end really "made" the book for me. Even though I knew what was going to happen (both because of the foreshadowing and because I'm horrible about reading ahead), I found myself holding my breath on the train as I read the last few pages. That does not happen often for me.
Worst Read of 2011:
A Star Called Henry
I couldn't even finish this, so it won "worst read of 2011" hands down. Very repetitive and boring. In fact, my husband and I still joke about the writing style. "They were hungry. They were always hungry. They never ate. Their stomachs were rumbling and in their never eating, they were hungry. Hungriness pervaded their lives." (Not a direct quote, but you get my drift).