2023 MysteryKIT Planning

Welcome to MysteryKIT planning thread. We read mysteries of all kinds. If you are interested in hosting MysteryKIT in 2023, please post in this planning thread. Months and topics are up for grabs now, I will update below. The host generally posts the new topic around the 15th of the previous month.

For those new to the idea, the host selects the mystery topic or genre for their month, such as noir/hardboiled, cozy, historical, golden age, and so on. Then the host creates the thread of the month where participants can comment or post their own reading selections, questions, or ideas. The host also posts suggestions or titles to help participants choose their reading selections.

January—TV/movie detectives—lowelibrary
February--classic settings—MissBrangwen
March--paranormal—majkia
April—tartan noir—VivienneR
May--true unsolved mysteries--mstrust
June—vintage--DeltaQueen50
July—police procedural and private detectives—LibraryCin
August--past and future—antqueen
September--college/university setting--thornton37814
October--locked room—majkia
November—senior sleuths/kid sleuths—LadyoftheLodge
December—cozy mystery—lowelibrary

How about paranormal mysteries for say March. Or is that too far out of everyone's comfort zone.

>2 majkia: I like it! I have a couple paranormal series in my stacks that are fun (Rivers of London, The Dresden Files, Charley Davidson) and that I haven't finished (or could stand to re-start) and one title that I'm curious about, The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James). I don't think that last one is "fun", but interesting nonetheless :-)

I'd like to do Tartan Noir in April.

>2 majkia: I have got the latest Rivers of London book on my treebook TBR shelf (my sister gives me the latest one each year). Now, whether I can hold off from reading it before March next year is another matter.

Thanks all, I will update the monthly topics asap. Good to have some new topics!

I will place myself into a month when we see which ones are not taken.

>2 majkia: Not a problem. I have several that will fit.

>4 VivienneR: Ooh, cool! I will look forward to suggestions.

Posting to a. follow along, and b. will sign up for a month when/if I decide on a topic. (Or if we need more hosts... then I will come up with a topic after!)

I could take June with a topic of Vintage Mysteries.

>10 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, done!

I will take January with the theme of TV/Movie detectives

I could take February with the topic of "Classic Settings" - like country house, small village,…

>12 lowelibrary: >13 MissBrangwen: Thanks! I like these new suggestions for topics. Duly noted.

>2 majkia: I definitely will not be joining in a paranormal read. That's okay though. I'll just sit out that month. I really want to spend the year reading what I want to read and not committing to any specific challenges. I'm more likely to drop in here since I read lots of mysteries.

I know most people go back to school now in August, but September is the "classic" time. How about September as a school or college/university setting? I'd offer to host.

>16 thornton37814: Thank you, done!

>15 thornton37814: I think paranormal can mean a lot of things, depending on the reader's choice. I tend to consider anything with magic to be paranormal (magical cats, magical dressmaking are two of the series I sometimes read), but I am sure others have different ideas. Anyway, good to have you here as often as you like to participate.

>18 LadyoftheLodge: Well, if the magical cats series by Sofie Kelly fits, I can handle that one during March. I don't like a lot of paranormal stuff because it's too occultic for me.

>19 thornton37814: I like the Sofie Kelly books too, and that is as far as my paranormal reading goes.

Hmmm, what do you think of true unsolved mysteries? Anything from Jack the Ripper to the Bermuda Triangle?

>21 mstrust: I do not think we have covered that topic in the past. We are always open to new ideas, right?

Great! Put me in for any month except October.

>23 mstrust: Thank you for volunteering. You are in for May.

Excellent, thanks!

How about Past and Future, for historicals or mysteries set in the future? For all of us who long to get out of the present day sometimes :) I could do August, or really anything but July.

>26 antqueen: Got it, thanks!

I'm thinking a month for police procedurals and/or private detectives? How do we feel about mixing those, or should I just pick one?

>28 LibraryCin: Dicks: Private or Otherwise.... sorry, couldn't resist.

>29 majkia: Cracking me up! We could go either way, combine or not.

>29 majkia: LOL! Oh, that's hilarious!

>29 majkia: That made me laugh! I once saw a very good documentary about transsexual men called "You Don't Know Dick." The name was appropriate, in so many ways.

Ok, put me in July for Police Procedurals & Private Detectives

If we don't get enough hosts I will take cozy mysteries in December

I'll do locked room mysteries in October if we can't find more hosts.

Thank you all. These are great topics. I will take November.

MysteryKIT wiki is here:

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2023_MysteryKIT

Thinking here about the discussion going on in the general thread for 2023 Category Challenge--if any host needs help with posting the thread, please let me know. Some monthly hosts like to include many suggestions of titles, plus graphics or book covers. I appreciate it very much when hosts do that, especially if the topics might not be familiar to all of us. However, the main idea is to get the thread posted and participants can add suggested titles or mention their own reading plans.

>39 LadyoftheLodge: Coming up with the books for that preliminary post is the fun part of hosting!

>40 thornton37814: I agree, and look forward to 2023 challenges!

January thread is up
https://www.librarything.com/topic/346532

Hi
I'd like to participate in the MysteryKIT as I read a fair amount of mysteries, but would like to branch out into different types of mysteries.

I am off to search my shelves for something that fits this first category :)

>43 beach85: Welcome! Hope you enjoy the challenge!

>43 beach85: Have fun exploring mysteries! :)

>43 beach85: We read different kinds of mysteries every month, and usually include topics for every taste. Welcome!

>38 LadyoftheLodge: Hi! I was going to add a book to the wiki but it looks a little different than others I've used. Is there any specific order to the book listings that I'm not seeing, or do you just add books as you finish them? And if you read something someone else has already entered, do you note that in some way or just enter the book a second time? Thanks. :)

>47 madhatter22: The wikis are usually in alphabetical order by the title. (If it isn't in alphabetical order, someone just probably didn't realize.) When I'm adding my book, and I notice something is out of alphabetical order, I usually move it so it is.)

Oh! Just took a look... I see it is very much out of the usual order!

Well, alphabetical by title is how we usually do it.

If someone reads the same book, it's just entered a second time.

>47 madhatter22: Hi there! As LibraryCin stated, it is usually in alpha order by title. Just enter the book a second time if there are duplicate titles. If the titles are not in alpha order, one of us usually fixes that. You can also look at some of the wikis from previous years to get ideas.
ETA--They seem to be in alpha order now.

>49 LadyoftheLodge: Oh, someone must have fixed it after I commented (or maybe they just noticed and went ahead and fixed it). :-)

The February thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347741

March thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/348603

April thread it up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349381

May's thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350254

June's thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350842#

At the moment I'm thinking of Agatha Christie's They Came To Baghdad or possibly something by Michael Innes

July's thread has been posted: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351526

August's thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/352277

Sorry for the delay in posting the September thread. I planned it, but I lost track of the days. https://www.librarything.com/topic/353050

October thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/353603

November MysteryKIT is here! https://www.librarything.com/topic/354365

Check out the 2024 MysteryKit planning thread! It is on the 2024 Challenge page.

Since I am celebrating Thanksgiving with my grandchildren this weekend. I have posted the December thread early.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/355191#n8282450