So, I like mysteries. I like them in book form, tv form, and movie form. But I also like other types of books - science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy - pretty much everything except horror. Sorry, no zombies for me. So how to explain my almost exclusive literary diet of whodunnits this summer? Well, as I told the students on Friday, you have to know what you want, and what you can handle. And there was a bunch of going on this summer that I just needed a break from, and it seemed like only mysteries were going to do it for me. Maybe it was the fact that my brain needed something other than real life to obsess over - puzzle after puzzle to solve. Maybe it was that I knew the bad guy - or girl - was going to get what he - or she - deserved, when my own life felt frustratingly unfinishable. Maybe it was that mysteries did not tap into my emotions the way a drama, or romance, or even true crime might. I knew it wasn't real, nobody actually got hurt, but I got to get away from things for a while knowing everything would be resolved by the last page. Whatever it actually was, I spent the summer hopping from one case to another, some of them of the murder variety, some of them a bit more cozy. But maybe I'm ready for something different. In fact, the one I just finished was a mixture of mystery, comedy, historical, and a dash of romance, so maybe I will transition to one of those genres next. Or maybe I will read book two of that series, since, ya know, I can.
But if you are in the mood for some vicarious sleuthing, check out these books available in our library, all of which I give rave reviews to:
And, although I haven't read them yet, here are some recent additions that look absolutely fabulous:
If you read any of these and love them, let me know!