Ever since Nancy Drew roared into my first-grade life in her little blue roadster, I’ve been hooked on mystery books. And not just any mystery books—I’ve found myself particularly drawn to the paperback mysteries known as “cozies,” which means there’s little to no blood/sex/violence, and a whole lot of polite, amateur sleuthing in service of finding whodunit. Most cozy mysteries take place in a pretty contained setting—be it a small town or village, a knitting shop, a tea shop, a book shop… you get my drift. Wherever they take place, it’s where I wanna be (provided, of course, I’m not the victim).

I’m not saying I don’t read classics, contemporary literature, or a healthy dose of narrative nonfiction… I’m just saying that I also happen to read books with titles like Cloche and Dagger (A HAT SHOP MYSTERY!), Book, Line, and Sinker (A LIBRARY LOVER’S MYSTERY!), If Books Could Kill (A BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERY!), and Death with All the Trimmings (A KEY WEST FOOD CRITIC MYSTERY!). Oops?

I’m sorry, but I just cannot help myself. I love a cozy mystery! The predictable plots, the inevitable romantic twists, the spunky best friends, the omnipresent purring kitties—how are you not X-ing out of this blog and picking one up right now? They’re like delicious brain candy!

So here’s the thing: I’ve never really been ashamed of my weird paperback mystery fixation—I’m kinda proud of it. I’m all about reading whatever I want whenever I want—and owning it all. There’s no shame in picking up a book, no matter what its title or its content. Just READ!

Whew. I’ve got a sudden hankering for a book with a mild off-screen murder and a wacky-yet-determined sleuth. Off to the Free Library catalog to find my next favorite mystery!

For the entire month of November, Free Library staff will be embracing our so-called “guilty pleasures” without embarrassment! Join in and show us your pride for whatever you’re reading, watching, or listening to by snapping a photo with the hashtag #FLPNoShameNovember. We’ll feature your photos on our social media accounts and curate a list of the now-shameless titles!