Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Level Four (Super Extra)
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Arow 2025 Cozie Challenge - Level 4
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Arow
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Nov 29, 2024 09:43AM
Looking forward to another go at this one! Going to aim for Option B from the start this year.
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- culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.)- animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
- craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
- paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
- based outside the US (example: Belinda Lawrence series (British))
- career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
- holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
- travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
- historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
- your choice! (freebie!)
Option B: Culinary:
Book 1: A Holiday Homicide
Book 2: Espresso Shots & Murder Plots: A Lila Bennett Cozy Mystery
Animal related:
Book 1: Scratched Off
Book 2: Death at Inishmore Castle
Craft related:
Book 1: Knit One, Die Two
Book 2: A Bullet in the Basement
Paranormal:
Book 1: A Poisoned Package
Book 2: A Crime in 5C
Based outside the US:
Book 1: The Last Draft
Book 2: The Plot Thickens
Career-based:
Book 1: A Murder at the Movies
Book 2: Death at the Dinner Party
Holiday based:
Book 1: Cupid and Cool Jazz
Book 2: A Victim at Valentine's
Travel mystery:
Book 1: Peril Through The Panama: Book Two: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries
Book 2: The Murder Mystery Cruise: Book Three: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries
Historical mystery:
Book 1: Summoning, Skating, and Skulls
Book 2: Apparitions, Aerobics, and Arson
Freebie:
Book 1: V in the Valentine
Book 2: A Body at the Book Fair
20 Freebie:
Book 1: The Fatal First Edition
Book 2: Millionaire's Shortbread and Murder
Book 3: Answers in the Ashes
Book 4: A Riverside Robbery
Book 5: Hostile Homecomings
Book 6: Naughty Novels
Book 7: Wallflowers in the Window
Book 8: Once Upon a Christmas
Book 9: Once Upon a Clue
Book 10: Once Upon a Harvest Moon
Book 11: Once Upon a Snowy Night
Book 12: Ravioli and Resolutions
Book 13
Book 14
Book 15
Book 16
Book 17
Book 18
Book 19
Book 20
Mod
Off to a decent start; however a few have been just shy of 150 pages or novellas. Moonlight and Broomsticks - 147 pages
Book 1: Peril Through The Panama: Book Two: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries by Lizzie JosephsonCategories
Career-based - main character owns a cruise line
Travel - takes place on a cruise
Stars 2
Book 2: Cupid and Cool Jazz by Kathi DaleyCategories
Culinary - main character owns a restaurant
Holiday - Valentines Day
Stars 3
Book 3: The Murder Mystery Cruise: Book Three: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries by Lizzie JosephsonCategories
Career-based - main character owns a cruise line
Travel - takes place on a cruise
Stars 3
Book 4: Knit One, Die Two by Peggy EhrhartCategories
Craft - main characters belong in a knit club
Stars 3
Book 5: A Murder at the Movies by Ellie AlexanderCategories
Career-based - main character works at a bookstore and runs events
Stars 4
I am loving this series, it was a great find. Looking forward to the others that are out.
Book 6: Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie AlexanderStars 4
Categories
Career-based - main character works at a bookstore and runs events
Holiday - Halloween
Book 7: A Holiday Homicide by Ellie AlexanderStars 4
Categories
Culinary - gingerbread competition
Career-based - main character works at a bookstore and runs events
Holiday - Christmas
I really want to read this series but I'm not even caught up on the Sloan Krause one yet
Sara wrote: "I really want to read this series but I'm not even caught up on the Sloan Krause one yet"I will have to look up the Sloan Krause one! I have really enjoyed the A Secret Bookcase series. It has been a nice change.
Book 8: A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander4 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character works at a bookstore and runs events
Holiday - Valentines Day
Book 9: Summoning, Skating, and Skulls by Emily Fluke4 Stars
Categories
Paranormal- takes place in a supernatural town where all forms of supernatural beings live together
Career-based - main character owns a video store
Historical mystery - Takes place in 1997
Book 10: Apparitions, Aerobics, and Arson by Emily Fluke4 Stars
Categories
Paranormal- takes place in a supernatural town where all forms of supernatural beings live together
Career-based - main character owns a video store
Holiday Based - Christmas
Historical mystery - Takes place in 1997
may I petition that we rename the historical category? while I don't disagree with your classification at all, I was not prepared to start my Monday with a year I remember well being called historical. 😭
Sara wrote: "may I petition that we rename the historical category? while I don't disagree with your classification at all, I was not prepared to start my Monday with a year I remember well being called historical..."LOL!!! I'm (almost) totally with you!
I was just talking to my brother and sister about movies we saw at a theatre 40! years ago. I'm not old enough to have done that!
Still, I'd rather feel a bit old reading a book specifically set in 1989 than to seek out something I consider "historical"--which like you I consider something set 20+ years before I was born. I'm not really an historical mystery reader, though I have found a couple cute series set in the early 20th century if I really need to hit the goal.
Most cozies, even ones written in the 60s and later, are kind of timeless (disregarding advances in technology, of course) unless given a specific era/time setting. I was so happy to find the Joanna Campbell Slan series The Friday Night Mystery Club, which give the specific setting of 1989. Modern yet "historical" at the same time. I do the "A" version of the challenge each year, but check to see if I hit the "B" version. I only made it one year reading books from that series--and yes, I thought "historical"???
BTW... I added your "historicals" to my TBR! =o)
Sara wrote: "may I petition that we rename the historical category? while I don't disagree with your classification at all, I was not prepared to start my Monday with a year I remember well being called histori..."LOL I am with you; I remember the 90's like they were yesterday so to me, definitely not historical but I really struggle with historical cozy's so this is my loop hole :-)
What I do like about this series in particular is the references to technology (cellphones, computers, etc) are not here so me they are not "modern".
But yes, I am stretching it and goin by the word of the description lol
Karen wrote: "Sara wrote: "may I petition that we rename the historical category? while I don't disagree with your classification at all, I was not prepared to start my Monday with a year I remember well being c..."lol I hear you Karen; I find this category the hardest to fill each year when I do the challenge. When I came across this series I was like "win" lol
My response above covers my view point which is similar to yours.
I will take a look at your suggestion "The Friday Night Mystery Club" as I will need a new one soon.
I would go for a rename of this section as well; even if it was just read a book written prior to 2000 (or prior 1990) whatever year we are picking as the cutoff.
Book 11: V in the Valentine by Kathi Daley3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a BnB
Holiday Based - Valentines Day
Decent; if you like the series you will enjoy this one.
Book 12: Scratched Off by Eryn Scott4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a Bookstore / Cat Adaptation
animal related - main character owns a Bookstore / Cat Adaptation
Craft related - large portion of this book happens at a weekly craft fair prep where everyone is crafting
Book 13: A Poisoned Package by Eryn Scott4 stars
Categories
Paranormal: Main character can speak and see ghosts
Craft related: Main character is a painter
Holiday: Takes place at Thanksgiving
Book 14: A Crime in 5C by Eryn Scott4 Stars
Categories
Paranormal: Main character can speak and see ghosts
Craft related: Main character is a painter
Book 15: A Bullet in the Basement by Eryn Scott4 Stars
Categories
Paranormal: Main character can speak and see ghosts
Craft related: Main character is a painter
Book 16: Espresso Shots & Murder Plots: A Lila Bennett Cozy Mystery by Audrey Alden3 Stars
Categories
Culinary - main character owns a Bookstore / coffee shop
Animal - main character's dog is a key side kick
Career-based - main character owns a Bookstore / coffee shop
A decent start to a series; I don't know if I will read more but it was okay.
Book 17: A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a Bookstore
Travel - the main characters take a trip out of town to a bookfair
Book 18: The Last Draft by Agatha Frost4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character loses job and goes back home to support her grandmother & the family bookstore
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Book 19: The Plot Thickens by Agatha Frost4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character supports the family bookstore
Paranormal - ghosts & hauntings play a big part
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Book 20: The Fatal First Edition by Agatha Frost4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character supports the family bookstore
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Book 21: Millionaire's Shortbread and Murder by Agatha Frost4 stars
Categories
Culinary - Main character owns a bakery
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Book 22: Answers in the Ashes by Kathi Daley4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a B & B
Holiday based - takes place over July 4th
Book 23: Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character co-owns a bookshop and is an author
Animal related - main characters pet, Mr. Poe is a key part in the discovering and solving of the mystery
based outside the US - Ireland
Travel - the main characters & friends are at a weekend getaway at a castle
Book 24: A Riverside Robbery by Eryn Scott4 stars
Categories
Culinary - Main character owns a jam shop & murder is at a food truck
Career-based - main character owns a jam shop
Animal related - main character saves cats and this series the cat leads to information & side - development
Book 25: Hostile Homecomings by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Categories
Culinary - Main character owns a bookstore/bakery
Career-based - Main character owns a bookstore/bakery
Animal related - Watson, the corgi is crucial in this story
Book 26: Naughty Novels by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Categories
Culinary - Main character owns a bookstore/bakery
Career-based - Main character owns a bookstore/bakery
Animal related - Watson, is front and center as always
Holiday - story takes place during Valentines Day
Book 27: Wallflowers in the Window by Kathi Daley3 stars
Categories
Career-based - Main character owns an Inn
Animal related - one of the main storylines is the future of one of the characters and their new relationship with a dog
Not enough pages to count but showing here anyways as the rest of the series will apply. Once Upon a Mystery by Kathi Daley
Once Upon a Haunting by Kathi Daley
Book 28: Once Upon a Christmas by Kathi Daley3 stars
Categories
Career-based - Main character owns bookstore with bakery
Animal related - book store has as section for a cat rescue
Holiday - Christmas
Book 29: Once Upon a Clue by Kathi DaleyStars 4
Categories
Career-based - Main character owns bookstore with bakery
Animal related - book store has as section for a cat rescue
Book 30: Once Upon a Harvest Moon by Kathi DaleyStars 3
Categories
Career-based - Main character owns bookstore with bakery
Animal related - book store has as section for a cat rescue
Book 31: Once Upon a Snowy Night by Kathi DaleyStars 3
Categories
Career-based - Main character owns bookstore with bakery
Holiday - the main characters take part / help host a writers retreat in a resort in a remote area
Book 32: Ravioli and Resolutions by Kathi DaleyStars 4
Categories
Culinary - Main character owns a restaurant
Holiday - New Years
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Ravioli and Resolutions (other topics)Ravioli and Resolutions (other topics)
Once Upon a Christmas (other topics)
Once Upon a Clue (other topics)
Once Upon a Harvest Moon (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kathi Daley (other topics)Kathi Daley (other topics)
Kathi Daley (other topics)
Kathi Daley (other topics)
Kathi Daley (other topics)
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