CRIME ON MY MIND

Reading matters!

Of course, we all know that reading matters. You wouldn't be reading this if that wasn't so. What we read reflects our lifestyle and interests but also can influence what we write.

I know of some mystery writers who won't read a mystery while they're writing their own books. That's to ensure nothing bleeds into their writing, be it the other author's style or information.

While I do agree with that premise, I've found myself reading the latest cosies from Berkley Prime Crime as quickly as they're hitting the shelves (in the Independent bookstores, I might add). Since that's my publisher, I feel I need to stay on top of what they're looking for and where their line is heading. Publishing trends change so quickly and by the time mine is published (2012), I may already be lagging.

Of course, cosies have been around as a sub-genre for a long time and I feel confident in saying, will stay around for some time to come. Witness the number of brand new series put out by Berkley each publishing season. And while some may find it convenient to group them as being all the same, there are sub-sections within the cosy, too. But I'll leave all that for another blog.

Back to reading. Along with these new cosies, I'm also reading Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris for my book club. This was my suggestion for this month as I found it to be a fascinating look at cultural practices in the Arab world, along with being a riveting mystery. Also on the book club pile are Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, that's last month's title which I'm, embarrassingly, slow to finish.

Also, in various stages of being read are Brenda Chapman's new adult mystery, In Winter's Grip which will appear as a review on this site, as will Vicki Delany's Negative Image and Barbara Fradkin's Beautiful Lie the Dead.

On the lighter side, and I always like to have something lighter on the go, I'm laughing my way through Nora Ephron's I Remember Nothing, which is eerily striking a chord (if I remember correctly).

I'm not at a loss for books to read, as my TBR pile now spills onto the floor. How these will influence my writing remains to be seen because even though we try to remain a unique voice in the writing world, all things that touch our lives end up influencing what we write.

I think I've made some good choices here and I welcome what they have to show me. Why do you read? And, what are you reading right now?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase