First of all I am sitting here laughing. My dear friend Katya texted me and I told her I had been a vegetable all day, that all I could do was read. She texted back that “Reading is not being a vegetable.” to which I replied, “It is when you can’t make yourself do a single solitary thing except read read read! And I don’t mean that in a bad way, kind of, you know, ‘vegging out.’ ” So I suppose that is what I’m writing about. Summer days when you just can’t get motivated to do anything. And then, well, there is the pull of the “cozy mystery.” There is actually a whole website dedicated to the cozies which is wonderful!
This started for me early in life. I spent my childhood with my nose in a book but most especially — other than anything about horses! — Nancy Drew books! I loved them, it’s what I spent my allowance on, the next Nancy Drew! I read and reread them. And oh I still remember my favorite one, The Moonstone Castle Mystery. These days for me my favorite series are those like the series I am finishing now, The Seaside Knitter’s by Sally Goldenbaum. The cozies I am mostly drawn to are centered around, much like the knitting friends in Goldenbaum’s, food, tea, herbs, gardens, etc. I also passionately loved for many years Sue Grafton’s alphabet series with her character Kinsey Millhone. I stopped reading them years ago but want to go back and read them again and read my way through the series. I was so sad to read that Grafton had died last December just months after publishing “Y is for Yesterday.” She was one letter short of finishing her long series. And of course Agatha Christie is classic cozy!
Long hot summer days are made for staying inside where it’s cool and reading and it helps me so much. It’s hard to get depressed and anxious when you are completely absorbed in your latest cozy mystery! I think these days it is most likely where you’ll find me.
Are you a cozy mystery lover? If so will you share the series you love here with me? I’m up for some good suggestions!
The Experiment ~A 365 Day Search For Truth, Beauty &
Happiness: Day 1 ~ Introduction To The Project
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda
there are a number of mysteries that have to do with books. i’m not sure they would be classified as cozies, but i love them nonetheless. the one i just finished is one of a series by Jenn McKinley. they are easy reads but very engaging. there is another series that takes place in a library in an old light house on the coast of N Carolina (Lighthouse Mysteries) by Eva Gates. Sometimes when the real world is too much, i love to pick these books up!
ps jenn mckinley has LOTS in her series, so you can”veg” to your heart’s content. only, as i said earlier, i don’t consider reading vegging! unless you are eating sliced cucumber and carrot sticks dipped in yogurt dill sauce while reading!
xo
ka
Oh Katya these sound wonderful! I will add them to my list! Thank you! 🙂
Ha ha ha, I may just have to cut up some veggies and make some yogurt dill dip then cause I surely felt like I was vegging out! 😀
Big hugs to you honey. Keep me posted as to what you’re reading!
M. xoxox
Oh man it was 103 degrees here today sunny and very humid so I was told to stay inside, even now at 9:45 pm it is 89… oi
I have had a veggie reading day and I watched Croatia beat Denmark in the soccer world cup.. my daughter and son in-law got me hooked and it was so exciting.. the only thing better if it could be we could all be in the same room as we were last weekend and watching my grandson Ollie who will be 2 in a month .. he loves his trucks and ducks … lol
anyway after that I read my mystery book Plum love and then got tired and fell asleep with my petie and hubby next to me snoring softly …
I have my great gran dad’s baked beans coolin down and we will eat them in a bit. and if it ever gets below 80 and the humidity goes down i would love a midnight walk …
My mom who is 83 calls these day PJ days.. as kids we would stay in our PJ’s on a rainy day and read, play cards and board games sometimes puzzles … so today my veggie day was a pj day 🙂 we deserve it after the week we both just had and others in here also!!!!
and who knows maybe tomorrow will be 70’s music and dance and sing along day .. and maybe clean the kitchen lol
May the Joy of vegging out be with us all … can I get an AMEN!
PS:
lol I just phoned my Mom and told her what I was writing .. and the Amen part and she said and I quote” you crazy smart ass kid!” end quote yupper I can still get her to say it in under a minute …
Ha Julia I loved hearing all about your PJ day and gracious, your mother is a pistol! 😀 It sounds like you had a great day. And I could almost smell your grandad’s baked beans! Yum! I hope you have a wonderful day today, pj’s or not!
Sending you a big hug…
Try the Bellingwood series by Diane Greenwood Muir! Very cosy.
Thanks Sandra honey, I’ll check them out! 🙂
Oh how I loved my Nancy Drew books. I would get books for Christmas and I loved sitting up in bed reading my newest ones. I also loved the Sue Barton and Cherry Ames books about nursing. I still have some of the Cherry Ames books.
What a wonderful way to spend the day for you Maitri.
I can’t seem to follow mysteries. I know that sounds really stupid of me but is there a way that maybe I am missing? Plus I don’t like being scared. I’m open to suggestions.
We went to the Farmers Market yesterday and got some yummy vegetables. I’m looking forward to vegging out on Stir fries and salads.
Love, Jean
We had a bookmobile. it would come every saturday at 3pm. I would ask for Nancy drew and she would always have one for me and a classic book . Alice in wonderland, sherlock holmes.. oh and the first time i read TO Kill a Mockingbird.. that book so changed me.
I am hoping next saturday will be cooler so I can go to the farmers market.
almost time to start my jams
Julia I love how the book mobile lady saved a book for you. And all those other books, yes. Enjoy your jam-making, I’m sure you’ll make it out to get what you need one way or t’other! 🙂
Jean, yes, Nancy Drew mysteries are some of the happiest memories of my childhood.
And the thing about the “cozy mysteries” is that they are not scary like other mysteries. There is a murder to solve of course but it is more about the friendship of the characters and the cozy atmospheres. I love them. But of course it’s not stupid of you! We like what we like and that’s different for all of us. For me cozies are the best escapist fare there is. I’ve spent so many years reading non-fiction I need a break!
Enjoy your vegetables, sounds lovely!
Oooh, I love a good series! I have all the books in the Monica Ferris Needlecraft Mystery Series. They knit also, it’s not just needlecraft. It should be on the Cozy List you mentioned. There’s another cozy mystery series that I looooove and have all the books to A Jean Fairburn/Alisdair Cameron Mystery by Lillian Stewart Carl. She’s an American and he’s a Scotsman. I have more suggestions when you are ready.
Thank you Marge! I will check them out! And you can share suggestions any time! I will jot them down… 🙂
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! I’ve made a note too.
Maitri, the Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith has a number of series. His Isabel Dalhousie series do have a mystery component and I enjoy them a lot.
Hi Joan!
I have a couple of his books and I’ve watched a few episodes of the show they made about the Isabel Dalhousie character. That was years ago, I wonder if they are on Netflix now? So many cozies, far too little time to read them all if I start now and go on forever! What are you reading right now?
Happy Summer vegging and reading! 🙂