Best Intentions Book Club: The Last Gifts of the Universe
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“It’s strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, either good or bad. It takes time to see the shadows as something beautiful. But of course in the present, hindsight is not possible. The presence is messy, scary, uncertain.”
“You would think that while flying against a backdrop of foreign, dying stars, the last thing I’d have to worry about would be cat vomit. But lo, Pumpkin has violently expelled his hastily eaten breakfast.”
For our second read in the Cozy Quartet, we are moving on to Science Fiction, an unlikely paring indeed.
What is a Cozy? It used to be a term only for mysteries, as Cozy Mysteries has been an acknowledged category for decades. But now we’re seeing Cozy Science Fiction, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy Lit, International Cozies, Cozy Romance, Cozy Healing, and even Cozy Horror. The publishing world is working hard to catch up to the demand in these fast growing categories. So why is the reading world needing cozies, and what exactly does “cozy” mean?
There are some common traits across cozy books. Generally, they evoke a charming atmosphere with their setting. In cozy mysteries, this is often a small town—think of a quaint village in the English countryside. Fantasy adds some magic to that quaint village; horror might add ghosts. For science fiction, coziness often manifests as a ship, space station, or colony with a tight-knit crew. Readers can expect rich descriptions of the setting and a lot of atmosphere for a fully transporting reading experience.
Another common factor in these books is the stakes of the story. Cozy mysteries are somewhat confounding because the crimes they solve are typically murders. Nevertheless, the reader is not subjected to gory details or put in a position of extreme suspense. Likewise, cozy fantasy and sci-fi novels may deal with the aftermath of a large-scale conflict, but the characters are likely to be dealing with smaller, more internal or interpersonal challenges.
Warm atmosphere, low stakes, philosophical. Often with a muffin, a puffin, or most frequently, a cat.
In this quartet, we will be looking at Cozy Healing, Cozy Science Fiction, Cozy Fantasy, and the one that started it all, Cozy Mystery.
For this second installment, we are off to far away galaxies with Humanities Archivist, Scout, their brother, and the intrepid space-faring cat, Pumpkin, who must race to save what matters most, even as they learn what matters most.
Please sign up for a seat at the table whatever way you prefer.
Call 715-425-6180, stop in, or email.
“You would think that while flying against a backdrop of foreign, dying stars, the last thing I’d have to worry about would be cat vomit. But lo, Pumpkin has violently expelled his hastily eaten breakfast.”
For our second read in the Cozy Quartet, we are moving on to Science Fiction, an unlikely paring indeed.
What is a Cozy? It used to be a term only for mysteries, as Cozy Mysteries has been an acknowledged category for decades. But now we’re seeing Cozy Science Fiction, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy Lit, International Cozies, Cozy Romance, Cozy Healing, and even Cozy Horror. The publishing world is working hard to catch up to the demand in these fast growing categories. So why is the reading world needing cozies, and what exactly does “cozy” mean?
There are some common traits across cozy books. Generally, they evoke a charming atmosphere with their setting. In cozy mysteries, this is often a small town—think of a quaint village in the English countryside. Fantasy adds some magic to that quaint village; horror might add ghosts. For science fiction, coziness often manifests as a ship, space station, or colony with a tight-knit crew. Readers can expect rich descriptions of the setting and a lot of atmosphere for a fully transporting reading experience.
Another common factor in these books is the stakes of the story. Cozy mysteries are somewhat confounding because the crimes they solve are typically murders. Nevertheless, the reader is not subjected to gory details or put in a position of extreme suspense. Likewise, cozy fantasy and sci-fi novels may deal with the aftermath of a large-scale conflict, but the characters are likely to be dealing with smaller, more internal or interpersonal challenges.
Warm atmosphere, low stakes, philosophical. Often with a muffin, a puffin, or most frequently, a cat.
In this quartet, we will be looking at Cozy Healing, Cozy Science Fiction, Cozy Fantasy, and the one that started it all, Cozy Mystery.
For this second installment, we are off to far away galaxies with Humanities Archivist, Scout, their brother, and the intrepid space-faring cat, Pumpkin, who must race to save what matters most, even as they learn what matters most.
Please sign up for a seat at the table whatever way you prefer.
Call 715-425-6180, stop in, or email.
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117 S Main St, River Falls, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54022
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Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherFox Den Books
