Fireside Reading

Many of us read for pleasure. I read so much financial and technical material every day that when I’m finally able to sit down and read on the weekends or late at night, I want something that takes me away from my everyday stress.

Not for me the dark, gruesome, depressing, gory, or disease-of-the-week books. I crave something that makes me laugh or brings back pleasant memories. Something that relaxes my mind and entertains me at the same time. In short, something that doesn’t make me think too hard.

Some may label my choice of reading material trite, superficial, or non-challenging. That may be true, but for some of us die-hard mystery or comedy readers, it helps keep us sane, and that’s a very important attribute in my household.

Many years ago, I became addicted to what many readers call “cozies”, which I describe as genteel mysteries. Sure, there are murders – sometimes in duplicate or triplicate – but the narratives don’t dwell on the blood and guts. Cozies are “feel good” mysteries with interesting characters, and usually a twist or two. There’s nothing I like better after a 12-hour day than to sit down in front of the fire with a glass of wine, a box of dark chocolate bonbons, and a book that’s going to lift my spirits and elicit a few giggles.

To start off my list of cozies, I’d like to introduce readers to Augusta Trobaugh’s book, The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society. Trobaugh’s portrait of a small southern town is as enchanting as her four heroines – all truly southern ladies, and all named after hymns. When one member of their sisterhood falls victim to a Yankee with questionable motives, these ladies decide that something must be done, and they come to the rescue. They decide to murder him – in a truly non-offensive and proper way, of course.

This hilarious escapade involves a number of bumbling miscues and a laugh-out-loud segment about a turtle. I was so impressed with this book that I gave it to my mother to read. She loved it, and promptly went to her library and checked out every one of Trobaugh’s previous books, as well – and loved them all.

Trobaugh earned a Masters of Arts in English at UGA and has been awarded several grants from the Georgia Council of the Arts.