This week’s theme from That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday linkup is the books that are on your winter TBR. I don’t usually read stuff with a deliberate eye to seasonal appropriateness, but this year I did end up acquiring a bunch of seasonal mysteries all at once… so they play a big part in my upcoming choices.
- Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries, edited by Martin Edwards. This is in the British Library Crime Classics series, and is one of the older anthologies — I’ve already read this year’s, Who Killed Father Christmas?, and another from a previous year, The Christmas Card Crime. Some of them don’t feel very seasonal and obviously murder isn’t entirely cheery, but it’s fun all the same.
- Christmas: A History, by Judith Flanders. I’ve enjoyed Flanders’ work before, so this seemed both something likely to interest me and something a bit seasonal, since I appear to be getting into the mood this year. I’ve read a bit of it already, but I’m not far in.
- The White Priory Murders, by Carter Dickson (aka John Dickson Carr). I only recently found my way to enjoying John Dickson Carr’s work, so I’ve been working my way through a backlog of the British Library’s reprints. Not all of it is a hit even now, but I’m looking forward to giving this a shot. Very classic crime setup with only one set of footprints in the snow, etc (John Dickson Carr was famous for impossible mysteries, so there’s probably something especially ingenious here).
- Who Killed the Curate? by Joan Coggin. This one’s also a Christmas-themed one, so I’d better get round to this before the end of December. Otherwise it feels like singing carols in September — only appropriate if you’re in a choir and practising for performances!
- A Portrait in Shadow, by Nicole Jarvis. This is a historical fantasy novel featuring Artemisia Gentileschi, which is a choice that absolutely has my attention. I can’t remember who originally mentioned it such that I grabbed a copy — I thought it was imyril, but her review only went up recently… In any case, I’m intrigued.
- Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close, by Hannah Carlson. This is a bit of change of pace from the others! In the last few years, perhaps due to the influence of the Great British Sewing Bee, I’ve developed a bit of an interest in the history of clothes. I’ve read a book about pockets before, so I’m not sure how much this one will add, but someone at Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights said he’s listening to the audiobook and finding it fascinating, so… that seems like a solid recommendation.
- Unnatural Magic, by C.M. Waggoner. Over the course of the last six months or so, I’ve been meeting up with a friend to go to bookshops every so often. On our very first trip he got this book, and on our most recent one he recommended it to me very highly. He’s said some interesting things about it, so I’m definitely ready to give it a shot!
- The Bone Chests, by Cat Jarman. This is another non-fiction book from a recent haul, but I’ve had my eye on it for a while. I think I enjoyed Jarman’s previous book, and I was just intrigued by the idea of understanding the context around the chests of royal bones in Winchester Cathedral. Here’s hoping it’s as interesting as it looks!
- A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel, by KJ Charles. I know, I know, I’m late to read this — but I was late about the first book too, so I’m just running to my own clock here. I always read everything KJ Charles writes, so I’ll get there soon. In part, I needed to shake off the characters of the previous book to be ready to embrace a different pair of leads.
- A River Enchanted, by Rebecca Ross. I started this a while ago and then sort of got distracted, but not for lack of interest. It was actually a random pick at the bookshop that I hadn’t heard anything about, where reading the first couple of pages intrigued me enough that I decided to give it a go. I think I’m still finding my footing with the book, but I do want to finish it. I’m a little annoyed, though; the cover copy did not make it obvious that it’s a duology and not complete in itself. Oh well!
So that’s a rather random grab bag of potential wintery reads for me. How about everyone else? Do you expect to read all of yours? I expect I’ll get to some of mine… eventually, maybe not this winter.
I’d never thought about seasonal mysteries before! But if there was ever a time for murder, it’s winter.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
It’s true that I can think of a lot of wintery mysteries, not just Christmas ones! In the summer it’s too hot to murder, ha.
Looks like you have some fun reads ahead of you.
I think so! I’m definitely curious about them, in any case.
I always want to read a holiday themed book but then I never do. I hope you enjoy reading these!
It’s usually not my thing, but apparently I’m going all-out this year, haha!
Do I detect a theme — murder in the church? Enjoy!
Thanks for visiting.
Haha, maybe a little! Thanks for dropping by in return.
Silent Nights and Christmas card are both on my list. I read The Santa Klaus Murder and thought that was fun. I love the British Classics but for some reason the christmas one jump out at me the most!
I think I didn’t 100% love The Santa Klaus Murder, if I remember rightly. But these Christmas-themed ones definitely seem to be my cup of tea this year!
Hi! I haven’t heard of any of these. I hope you are able to read them all and you enjoy them.
Haha, thanks! And thanks for dropping by. 🙂
I read A River Enchanted a little while ago and enjoyed it! Still have to read the second book though.
Ah, good to hear! I was intrigued by the first couple of chapters, but… so many books, so little time; I got distracted.
May you have a wonderful winter of reading!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/winter-2024-tbr-ten-books-i-hope-to-read/
Thank you; you too!
I’m a very moody reader so there’s no way I’ll get to my TBR. Hope you are able to tackle yours!
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday
Heh, yeah, I tend to end up just following my whim. I’ll probably read some of them, but not all!
I like the cover of Who Killed the Curate? Hope it’s a good mystery. Yes, those Christmas themed books just don’t feel right in September! I never get the whole “Christmas in July”. It’s hard for me to read about festive, snowy stories when it’s blazing hot outside. Hope you enjoy your selection!
It looks very nice and wintery! I haven’t read anything from this author before, so I’m very curious. Thanks for dropping by!
I like the sound of so many of those! I hope you enjoy them.
Here’s hoping! Thanks for dropping by.
Funny enough, I just received a copy of THE WHITE PRIORY MURDERS for review the other day. It sounds like a great mystery! I’d never heard of the author before.
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Huh, interesting! It’s been reissued by the British Library Crime Classics faaairly recently, in 2022, so I’m surprised it’s being sent out to reviewers. John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson was an author I didn’t love right away, but I’ve enjoyed quite a few of his novels now.
I was going to say, “Wow! An entire book about pockets!” and then I was further astonished to hear you’ve /already/ read a book about pockets. Haha, I did not know there was so much to explore on the subject… on the topic of history of clothes, have you read anything about different types of textiles/fabrics? That is a subject I recently decided I would like to read more about.
Yeah, I was kind of surprised! But it makes sense. It’s a bit of an academic subject, though.
Re: fabric, hmmmm. The Fabric of Civilization leaps to mind, and Kassia St Clair’s The Golden Thread. For denim specifically, there’s Blue Jeans by Carolyn Purnell.
Unnatural Magic looks really good. I hope you enjoy all of these.
The friend who recommended it to me reaaally loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it, so I’m hopeful!