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book ideas for my mom and mother in law

kfeusse

By kfeusse,
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kfeusse

kfeusse

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I want to get some books for these 2 dear ladies in my life for Christmas.  They are both Christian ladies and do not like books with inappropriate things in them, but they are also not a huge fan of the Christian stories out there that are as predictable as a Hallmark movie. 

Mother in law is a huge mystery fan.  So, that would probably be the best direction to go.  But also any nice story with some humor tossed in would be fun too. 

Mom would probably like more of just a nice story with some humor, but nothing too deep.  

Both would be interested in books that are part of a series. 

Any thoughts for me would be great. Thanks. 

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Katy

Katy

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You might check out Hallmark publishing. I know they were planning to print some mystery series, though I haven’t read them. I did try a few of their audiobooks (romance), and there was nothing inappropriate in them. The conflicts were believeable, nothing too dramatic. 

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Ema

Ema

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How does their humor tend to run? Normal or quirky? If they don’t mind books that are not blatantly Christian, though that do not have inappropriate or crude things, you may look at Alexander McCall Smith’s books. He has a number of series. My mother likes the Number One Ladies Detective Agency. My favorite of his are the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, though that humor is a bit more quirky and you *may* have to either be German or love someone who is German to truly appreciate it.  Jan Karon is also a good option—clearly Christian. 

I would also be remiss not to mention one of my favorite authors of all time, Thomas Eidson. He does write Christ-friendly books, but you would not find them in the “Christian” section of the book store. Though there is a strong Christian message, and strong Christian characters, life is messy and he writes about people who do not necessarily know Christ and His peace. So there are hard things in the books, like real life and the pain and hardships of real life, but I have been blown away by all of them. All his books are set in the old west. Like I said, maybe not for your mom and MIL, but there is a lot of meat in the books and I love Eidson.

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Ema

Ema

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Also Tony Hillerman for a mystery series. My mother really liked his books, and there are a lot. I have never read any of him so I cannot say 100%,  but my mom is a gentle soul who would not enjoy crude or inappropriate books. Could check them out at least.

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J-rap

J-rap

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For your mother-in-law, I'd recommend The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which takes place in Botswana.  (I see @Ema recommended that series too.)  I think she'd love it!   Or another option would be the Mrs. Pollifax Series.  (About an elderly woman who joins the CIA.)

For your mother, I'd recommend the Fairacre series with Miss Read.  I think the first book in that series is Village School.  (Takes place in a small village in England.)  I think the first ones take place in the 1950's.

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MercyA

MercyA

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My mom loves The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and the Miss Read books.

She is also recently a fan of the Gervase Phinn series beginning with The Other Side of the Dale (recommended here; thank you, whoever you were!).

And of course I would be remiss not to mention, as I always do in threads like these, the James Herriot series beginning with All Creatures Great and Small. 🙂 

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DoraBora

DoraBora

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For your mother:  What about the Miss Read books?  They feel like the Mitford series, but they're set in the fictional English villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green.

The Mitford books would also be great, particularly Shepards Abiding for the Christmas season.

Edited by DoraBora
typo
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Lori D.

Lori D.

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squeaky clean "cozy" mysteries
- The Club of Queer Trades (Chesterton) -- collection of short stories with an overarching thread; with a healthy dose of humor
- The Complete Father Brown Mysteries (Chesterton) -- collections of short stories that are "paradox" based
- Daisy Dalrymple series -- 1920s England
- No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series (Smith) -- note: the first book is rough in writing and a bit harsher in tone than the rest of the series, as the author was just getting started; maybe start with a later book, OR, give the first 5 books and encourage reading past the first book; otherwise, these are so charming and encouraging with gentle humor, and the mysteries are almost never a murder, which is such a delightful difference
- Wodehouse on Crime (Wodehouse) -- light humorous collection of short stories; 1920s/30s England; by the author of the Wooster & Jeeves stories, but about a variety of characters doing "crimes" (like, stealing the future mother-in-law's copy of the "ripping good" murder mystery novel because the character left his copy on the train -- hilarity ensues)

Also, this page of the Cozy Mystery website lists mysteries with "No Profanity and/or Faith-Based"


squeaky clean nice stories with humor
- Life With Jeeves (Wodehouse)
- trilogy: Miss Buncle; Miss Buncle Married; The Two Mrs. Abbotts (Stevenson)
- Anne of Green Gables + Anne of Avonlea (Montgomery) -- plus the rest of the series, if interested
- Enchanted April (Von Armin)
- The Great Wheel (Lawson) -- upper elementary level book, but SO fun and interesting

I don't remember anything inappropriate in these, but it's been awhile since reading: 
- Cold Comfort Farm (Gibbons) -- humorous; 1920s/30s England
- Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Wrede) -- a light, humorous, short work that is like Jane Austen meets Harry Potter; a bit of a mystery as well, so it might go to either Mom or MIL

Edited by Lori D.
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Lori D.

Lori D.

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3 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

When you say that they "do not like books with inappropriate things in them", is that code for "no gays" or not?

I don't know the OP well enough to know what she means by that, but no, usually on these boards I have NOT seen "inappropriate" used as code for "no gays".

Usually it means "no graphic s*x" and also usually means no r*pe or inc*st or p*dophili*, no affairs or living together, as well as no same-s*x relationships. It also usually means no graphic violence, doing or selling drugs, or other violent crimes esp. when graphically described or "condoned" (or explored) by the author as part of a main character's personality qualities. And probably also means no swearing, or at least no really bad profanity.

Yes, most mystery books are about murder, and murder is inappropriate (lol, what a polite euphemism), but I think what is meant here in the original post is the "cozy mystery" book variety, that is a bit like playing the board game of Clue -- a body has been found (not graphically described or dwelt on), and the book is about solving the mystery of "whodunnit", which has the underlying theme of restoring the moral order and bringing to justice the person who has transgressed.

At least that is how I see "inappropriate" used in other threads on these boards. 😉

Edited by Lori D.
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marbel

marbel

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I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series by Laurie R King. It's a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, with Mary Russell as Holmes's very much younger wife, who sleuths in partnership with him. They are pretty light mysteries, not thrillers; I can't think of any sex or language in them. (Maybe a mention of sex as part of the marriage?) The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first one.

The Jeeves and Wooster stories and novels mentioned above are hilarious and clean, very fun reading!

The Enchanted April is lovely too. There is a slight hint of possible adultery in it but definitely not a major theme and nothing actually happens. 

Georgette Heyer's Regency romances are great fun; my favorites are Cotillion and The Grand Sophy. Heyer also wrote some mysteries which are not as good in my view, though every December I read A Christmas Party. 

The Amelia Peabody mystery series by Elizabeth Peters is very popular. I read a couple and tired of them, but I know a lost of people love them. Set in Victorian England and Egypt. 

None of these is a Christian book, but I didn't notice any anti-Christian themes in them that I recall. 

 

 

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lanabug

lanabug

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You can't go wrong with anything by Regina Jennings. She is a homeschool mom friend of mine and has written around 16 or so books. Hers are historical Christian fiction, but not overly heavy on the cheesy Christian stuff like a lot of authors are. I've read several and they are all very good quality writing, clean and lighthearted, but always with an element of light romance and mystery.

Lana

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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7 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

When you say that they "do not like books with inappropriate things in them", is that code for "no gays" or not?

 

4 hours ago, kfeusse said:

yes.  Please not. 

ANNDDDD... I was mistaken @Tanaqui. I guess OP did specifically mean "no gays", and not "no graphic-ness". Sorry. I have just not seen that as such a specific euphemism on these boards before.

Edited by Lori D.
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Kareni

Kareni

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An older series with some humor ~

I'll recommend the Don Camillo books by Giovanni Guareschi.  It is a series of some six books about an Italian priest and his nemesis the Communist mayor; the books are set in the 1950s in Italy. The priest sometimes talks to Christ on the cross who talks back to him.  The wikipedia entry will give you a good idea of the content of the series.  The first book is  The Little World of Don Camillo; the stories were originally written in Italian in the fifties and sixties.

Regards,

Kareni

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