Cozy Mysteries discussion

I have noticed that I tend to get bored or burned out when I try to read only a certain series all the way through without a break. I tend to get more enjoyment when I switch up a little; read a few of series A, read a few of series B, go back to series A. However, the list-maker that I am REALLY wants to start at book 1 and read through series A before reading any other cozies. Just curious if everyone else does this, too.

I do that as well. I get bored if I read the same author for several books in a row. I'm ADD so I'm always grabbing another book to read ... am at 6 now and trying to avoid starting another one. They are all by different authors. There are so many great books out there! LOL

I do the same thing, Martha. I'm not always in the mood for the book I've got in progress, so I tend to have at least four or five going at once-different genres, too. I've tried reading one series from start to finish before and found that my interest waned around book four. That wasn't a big surprise though. Many series lose my interest after the third or fourth book. However, I stand a better shot of continuing enjoyment if I mix things up with other authors.

Definitely need to have some varied reading - I get bored with the same series if I read too many in a row.

It depends on the series. I read the first seven Sookie books by Charlaine Harris and the first few Undead books by MaryJanice Davidson back-to-back and was ready for more, but usually I can only read one or two books by the same author before I need something different.

I rarely have more than one book going at a time, and then it's usually one fiction and one nonfiction or - as is the case now - an anthology of short stories.

Normally I switch around between different genres and series.

I usually have 3 books going at once and I don't read all the books in a series back to back to back. I did do that some years ago with the Spenser books. At that time there were probably about 11 or 12 of them and I started with whatever the newest one was at the time. Then I went out and got the rest of them and stuck with them until I finished them all. When I discovered the Benni Harper books about 8 years ago I did start them from the beginning, but I read lots of other stuff while catching up with that series. If I get started with a series that has a bunch of books in it I don't worry about starting at the beginning. If the book I pick up happens to be the first in the series that's fine, but it it's the 10th that's okay, too, and I feel no great need to go back and read all the ones that came before.

I mix up my reading between different series and genres and mix in some stand alone books too. I just can't read more than a couple of books in a series before I want to read something different.

I tend to glom when I can, but it isn't always possible. The exception is around the holidays when I like to read themed books and will take things out of order to sustain a holiday mood.

Since joining this group I have added so many new cozies I got overwhelmed at first. For the past few months I have been trying to read the first one in each cozy series in my tbr pile and then I plan to go back and read more in each series after my tbr pile is lower. I also read a lot of YA books and general fiction so I tend to mix them all up so I don't get bored with one genre.

Depends on the series for me. Some, like Sookie Stackhouse I loved reading straight through. Others, like Tamar Myers Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries I was reading straight through and after the 9th or 10th book in the series I was so fed up I've never gone back.

I used to look for series books, try one, and if I liked it, go straight through the series. I tend to enjoy seeing what will come next for a group of people. Since I joined this group, I have discovered many new authors and series. So far, I have read one book in several new to me series, and have only found a few I would like to go back and read more of. I guess at my age, I tend to be pretty picky about character development and sense of place, as well as a good plot and story.

It has been interesting the past year or 2 with all the new cozy series that have started. Weeding out the good from the bad has been quite a process. Seems the really outstanding ones have been fewer and farther between, with just so-so and downright bad ones being more the norm.

I usually have 2-4 books going at a time--a couple of cozies then other genres. I do like to read books in order..but I've learned not to read too many in a row or I get sick of the people in the book...like they came to my house for a week and stayed 2 months..LOL I did this with the Lucy Stone books this summer. I read almost all 17 or so in a row. I was so sick of the whole lot of them! I have a lot of "first in series" books in my TBR pile..but if I like the first book I do try to obtain the rest in the series I just don't read them all at once.

I have to agree with you, Melodie. I am finding so many of the main characters to be unappealing. Many are very shallow and self-centered, and so very dumb. Relationships are grating, especially between mothers and daughters. There is not enough depth to most of the other characters. I would really like to see more Benni Harper's out there. I will keep trying the new ones, but there are still oldies but goodies I haven't read.

Melodie wrote: "It has been interesting the past year or 2 with all the new cozy series that have started. Weeding out the good from the bad has been quite a process. Seems the really outstanding ones have been ..."

I agree too, Melodie. There have been a huge amount of new series just in the last couple of years. I've enjoyed some..but others are excruciating to get through. Then of course there are the ones that are in between and I want to try the next one.

It depends on the series for me also. I'm another one who had to read the sookie stackhouse series one after the other until I finished. I was the same with the death on demand series. But I think it's only the truly exceptional series that I can do that with and the truly exceptional series are few and far between. Most of the rest I can take or leave. Good enough to read the next one, but with no real sense of anticipation.

I learned a long time ago to bounce around, or I get burned out on an author. I also read a bunch of suspense thrillers or murder and mayhem, then read a cozy in between to take a break. If I read cozies back-to-back, I'll get tired of them real fast, and I don't want to do that!

Because of this bouncing, I never read a series in order because I usually don't remember what happened in the last book, anyways. lol

That's one thing that I'm pretty anal about. lol I have to read a series in order, if I plan on reading the entire series. The only way I'll read a book in a series out of order, is if I've gotten it for a quarter or fifty cents at a thrift shop/garage sale/annual library sale and it's the only one of the series I have and probably don't plan on buying more of it.

I switch around between series, too, and often will read a romance or two in between bouts of mystery-reading to get a change of pace. If I can, however, I like to read series in order.

If I'm all caught up with a series (like I am with, say, Dog Days series by John Levitt) I immediately read the next one as sooooon as I can get my hands on it! But if I find a series after it has three or more...I do try to pace myself. Otherwise, I get a bit burned out.

But...I will read two or three in a row if I'm really enjoying the books. I was certainly that way with some favorite authors like Elizabeth Peters (I think I read the Vicky Bliss series four in a row and pouted when the next one wasn't out...then it took her years to put the final one out!!!)

I guess it varies with me. Some of it is mood, but some of it also depends on whether the books are actually available!!!

I have to switch around. However, I have some old favorite standbys that I always come back to.

Interspersed with other books I have three cozy series that I am going through in order--China Bayles ( about to start ), Robin Paige's Victorians ( almost finished ),and the Aurora Teagardens ( just finished )I order these series two at a time from Amazon along with others from my wish list--saves shipping and handling which I HATE paying!

Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven't read another since! I'll have to check them out again--LOL

It depends on my mood and how many are in the series. If it's a long one then I need to read other stuff in between. If i'm really enjoying the characters alot though i will read them all in a row. I did that with the wine lovers by Michele Scott.

Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven't read another since! I'll have to check them out again--LOL"

Katherine, Have you tried some of Janet Evanovich stand alone books? they are also cute! and a fast read..

I find myself switching books quite a bit..I usually have 2 cozies that Im reading at a time, and usually 2 Romance books also. Its not that I dont like a particular book..it just seems that so many books sound good, that I cant resist! =)

When I discovered the Southern Sisters series, I went out and got them all and read them in order. I like doing that with series that I "discover" after there are already a lot of books written because I keep current on the authors whose series I've enjoyed from the beginning so after reading one, usually have to wait another year for the next in the series. I'm always pleased to discover an author whose books I enjoy that has a lot of them already out. : )

Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven't read another since! I'll have to check them ou..."

No Melissa I haven't read them though I've been meaning to---since I left Stephanie at least six more books have come out. I get Evanovich's hard copy newsletter and have friended her on Facebook so I usually know what is happening in her writings. She used to live across the river from my town but now has moved to warmer climes--something with which I can relate--especially the last few days! Winter is coming six weeks too soon. :(

I started with Margaret Maron's series featuring Deborah Knott partway through, then went back and read all but the first couple, which my library didn't have, in order. By then, I felt the series had advanced far enough that I didn't need those for backstory.

Katherine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven't read another since! I'll have ..."

Hey, you keep that cold weather at least through Thanksgiving! We're trying to smoke a turkey outside in the BBQ pit (we do every year) and they are threatening COLD. What is up with that????

Maria wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven't read another..."

Where the heck are you that it ISN'T cold??? I've never had smoked turkey though my SIL and family do it a lot and one has even deep fried a turkey in this family--we affectionately refer to him as our very own Family Turkey. Oven roasted for us thank you! LOL

Katherine wrote: "Maria wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven'..."
It's warm here in Texas, but there is huge cold front coming our way just in time for Turkey day :) wishing we had a fireplace!

Kelley wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Maria wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but inte..."

I'm in Texas too! We have a fireplace. Too messy to use! You can have it!

And yes, I keep hearing about the cold front. I keep hoping at least the morning is nice so I can go out and cover the plants and get some of the cooking started, take a walk before it gets cold...

Ladies, ladies! How cold does it get in Texas???? Daughter had -4 in Bozeman the other morning and it has been in the low 30's with frost here in Vt! We are to have snow flurries on T-day and had an inch on the ground last Sat morning--gone by noon, thank goodness.

Katherine wrote: "Ladies, ladies! How cold does it get in Texas???? Daughter had -4 in Bozeman the other morning and it has been in the low 30's with frost here in Vt! We are to have snow flurries on T-day and had ..."

Snow???

We have had snow...twice...maybe three times in my 20 years in Texas...

It does get quite cold (sometimes down around 17) but not every year and not more for more than 3 or so nights. BUT they are threatening our first freeze on Thanksgiving night--and maybe a high of 50s for the DAY. I tell you, for us, that is COLD!!! (Especially if you are trying to smoke a turkey outside. It doesn't work well when the wind blows and the smoker gets rained on...)

Katherine wrote: "Maria wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Evanovich was an exception--I read her books from One to Twelve one right after the other and loved them but interestingly I haven'..."

My parents & youngest brother are in KY and it's been really warm there. My brother said it was 70 yesterday. A bit chilly here in CO!

Shoot, it's almost too hot here. We just took our walk and I'm sweating like a...well, not like the heroines because they never sweat!!! It must be at least 80 out. We always get a bit of hot air when there is cold air pushing in behind. Good time to air the place out for guests!

Well, here in opposite land (AU) it's spring and today is to be a lovely (not) mid to high 90's. Talk about Christmas just NOT being the same - and I'm a Florida girl! but at least in Florida at xmas it's um.. cool. ;)

;) is right ! Jennifer in Oz!!! LOL

Perfect temperature. Kari! I'd like to live where the temp goes from a cold 70 to a warm 75 all year round except Christmas week--then snow, snow, snow --to melt away by New Year's. I used to love shopping in NYC with the lights and the snow when I was growing up--into my late 20's when I left the City. It was everything the movies and songs talk about--fantasy land and cheerful and fun. Then about 8 years ago I took my daughter for her first trip to NYC and we saw the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center--it was so warm we were in shirtsleeves--it is the only time I really bought into global warming as a possibility.

Kari wrote: "I grew up in the islands so I always had a green Christmas. We would decorate an aloe Cactus and Santa came in on a speed boat. One year he arrived on water skies. We even sang a Caribbean Christm..."

Snow is nice when you're inside with an nice warm furnace. It's even okay if you're bundled up skiing. That's pretty much it. The rest of the time, it kinda stinks.

Look out all of you in Texas. I'm in Utah and the blizzard is just beginning for us. You can hardly get into the grocery stores as everyone is buying already cooked food (fried chicken) and canned food that can be eaten cold like it will never be there again. We're all ready for Thanksgiving. The storm should be past us by then. I'll turn the gas fireplace on and cook and read until I pick up my mom about 15 miles north. As long as the gas and electricity stay on, anyway. Good luck

No, no, keep it!!!! I've seen it bearing down on us...brrr. Where are my warm woolies????

Please think of my daughter and her two friends driving from Bozeman to Boulder today. I'm trying not to think about the weather out there, though the Utah blizzard was in our paper this morning. I know the two interstates they closed well--we had whiteouts in Utah three years ago in Feb--scary!

Katherine wrote: "Please think of my daughter and her two friends driving from Bozeman to Boulder today. I'm trying not to think about the weather out there, though the Utah blizzard was in our paper this morning. I..."

Will do! Early cold weather (well more snow anyway) than normal. Hope they make it safe and sound and if it gets to bad are able to find a snug hotel!

Katherine wrote: "Please think of my daughter and her two friends driving from Bozeman to Boulder today. I'm trying not to think about the weather out there, though the Utah blizzard was in our paper this morning. I..."

It's not bad here in CO right now. A bit cold, but here in the metro area it's not snowing or anything, not even in Boulder. They should do okay.

Here in the PNW, we have swnow on the ground and the temp is in the 20s. This is pretty unusual for the Seattle area. I love to curl up with a good book when it is snowing. Just seems right.

I'm finding that with all of my series books, not just cozies, that I have to break them up. If I don't, I get tired of them and drop them. At least this way I still have some anticipation of the next book in the serie.

Valerie wrote: "I'm finding that with all of my series books, not just cozies, that I have to break them up. If I don't, I get tired of them and drop them. At least this way I still have some anticipation of the n..."

Most of the time they don't get published fast enough to be a problem, but I know what you mean. If three of the books are out, I'll read two in a row, but then I have to pace myself or I get bored with the series in most cases.