From Nurturing School Sleuths to Admiring Book Nooks
Plus keeping it cozy amid chaos
This post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.
Hello fellow readers!
September is barreling toward us. How did your summer go? I never made it to the beach or pool because I was taking developmental editing courses and working on art projects in my spare time. And catching up on reading after my months-long dry spell, of course! My most recent read was Thirteen Months Haunted, a light horror novel by Jimmy Juliano. I enjoyed it, but not as much as his debut novel, Dead Eleven. I do recommend you give Thirteen Months Haunted a try if you’re a fan of series like The Exorcist or The Conjuring.
And now, your regularly scheduled links…
It’s Back to School Time
For fun, here are a few articles for teachers about incorporating mystery into lessons.
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has a page devoted to helping educators teach the mystery genre to students.
Amanda at Engaging and Effective Teaching has tips on hooking older students on mystery (without a murder).
PBS Learning Media is a wealth of crime information and lessons for teachers (but be warned sensitive topics may be addressed).
And, at Edutopia, Andrew Mills has advice specifically for Using a Murder Mystery Game in History Class to Kick Off the Year. He even offers a lesson planning guide to get other teachers started.
Want to read school mysteries instead of teach them? Check out Vera Kurian’s article about The Dark Pleasures of School-Based Mysteries on CrimeReads or the list of Dark Academia: Mysteries Happening at Elite Prep and Boarding Schools created by the staff at Arapahoe Libraries. Or try out one of the books on Sara Farmer’s list of Cozy to Cold-blooded: Boarding School Mysteries at DIY MFA.
Finally, on Thriller Thursday, Lauren Nossett interviews Amie Schaumberg about The Campus as Crime Scene: Amie Schaumberg on Murder, Myth, and the Death of a Beautiful Woman.
Cozy, Cozy…Gothic!
EA Mayes’ Mysteriousitites wonders: Is Cozy a Genre or a Growing Quiet Revolt?
On BookTrib, Valerie Burns examines The Comfort of Chaos: Why Cozy Mysteries Matter in a Violent World.
Julie K discusses An Easy Introduction to a “Gothic” Mystery over at Mystery Minutes.
Up Your Book Cred
Lucy Knight of The Guardian delves into How ‘books by the metre’ add the final touch to your home – or your image.
At Mental Floss, Chason Gordon explains How Book Nooks Bring Magic Little Worlds to Your Bookshelves.
It’s History
Dr. Nell Darby of Secret Sleuths spins the true tale of The female detective who caught a Lady.
At CrimeReads, Sulari Gentill recounts her experience on the famous train in The History of the Orient Express.
Dr. Angela Buckley of The Detective’s Notebook reveals The Science of Sleuthing in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
And, last but not least, Adam Thomas at Murder at the Manse provides a thorough review of both Dorothy L. Sayers and the book The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers.
I’m closing out this edition with something very off-topic: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement news. Of all the articles that have popped up about this announcement, the BBC’s take is too inventive and unexpectedly refreshing to not share.
Thanks for reading!