Rosefolly - I read your posting with great interest. My own parents have been gone for many years, but I have a dear friend who has been in the nursing home for almost 5 years, having suffered two strokes. Her memory is very poor, and she also experiences a lot of confusion, but she still wants to read. One thing that has been rather successful are soft cover books (easier to hold and not as heavy as hardcover books) of artists, e.g. Renoir, Mary Cassatt, etc. These might be considered 'coffee table' books. They are filled with lots of examples of the artists' work and a limited amount of reading material.

Agatha Christie, maybe? Even if she has read them in the past, she might like them again. I love mysteries but don't personally care for most of the AC books. I do, however, like the ones that feature Tommy and Tuppence, a married couple who like each other. I have one titled Neither N nor M and another of short stories with them in it.

You might try Anne Perry's Victorian series with Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. The first one is Cater Street Hangman.

Mary Stewart's books are good and not complicated.

I'm sorry about your mother. Mine had macular degeneration and read with all the magnifying devices we could come up with as long as she could and then developed a similar problem to your mother's. It's so sad.

I don't know if these are too long, but the Carola Dunn mysteries might be good...set in the 1920's in England. Quick and enjoyable mysteries.

If the Brother Cadfael mysteries aren't already on your list, you might try them: mysteries set during the civil war between Stephen and Maud in 12th centry England. Straightforward plots, with quickly-drawn character portraits. The Sister Frevisse (Margaret Frazer) mysteries are also good, but generally a little longer with more interaction between characters, so i'd check one to see if your mother can get through the story without getting lost.

For more modern mysteries, I've always enjoyed the Mr & Mrs North mysteries by the Lockridges. The only difficulty is finding them these days. They take place in New York City during the 40-60's. The character of Pam North is delightful.

What about Pearl Buck's novels? Would she enjoy James Herriots books about being a vet in pre WWII England?

I cast a vote for Margaret Yorke's Mrs. Mallory mysteries. The main character is a widow in a small English town that always seems to get in the middle of something. They are considered cozies, since they are not graphic, but the characters have a certain depth and the plot is neither too simple nor too complex. Plus, they are in paperback but even the hardcovers are not too heavy, being about 200 pages long each.

PAM

Do you think your Mum would like Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexfors thrillers - UK setting and clearly stated straightforward content - easy and rewarding.

I going to meet RR on Saturday.

I read aloud each week to a group of elderly ladies in an assisted living facility here and they exclusively want the Jan Karon series. Not my cup of tea, but they love it. We're on the third book now.

Would she like the Miss Read books? Not mysteries, but simple and straightforward.

M.M. Kaye's early mystery books might fit the bill, too: Death in Cyprus, Death in Kashmir, Death in Berlin, Death in the Andamans, and Death in Kenya.

Hope this helps!

Pam, the author of the Mrs. Mallory books is Hazel Holt. They remind me of Jeanne M. Dams who also writes English cozies with a widow who later marries the local police chief as the protagonist.

How about the Diane Mott Davidson culinary mysteries, especially if she liked to cook?

Oops---- thanks Carolyn.

My mother meets quite a few of the above criteria, and she loves Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax novels. She also writes novels with a character called Madame Karitska. I've read a coiple in order to talk with her about them - they might be enjoyable for your mum.

My mother has read and enjoyed a number of the writers suggested here, and I may try some of them again. Like me, she is a re-reader, and in any case, she probably forgets them. I appreciate the suggestions made so far, and would like more! I'm especially interested in newer writers. Surely there are some writers just starting out who write books of this type, and she would have been less likely to already have encountered them.

I knew I could count on this forum! Thank you, one and all.

Rosefolly

I truly apologize and am afraid I'll be of no help, but I've been thinking about this for the past few days, and (my apologies), I've been thinking about this in the context of my own (pardon any comparison), 6-year old son; that is, finding worthy story lines that do not have difficult or complex parts but are still good books.

Now, for a 6-year old, I might first thing of serial novels for younger people; I mean, they have consistent characters and storylines...for a boy, that might mean something like the Hardy Boys. And no, I'm not suggesting that particular series, but the idea behind it; consistency in locales, people, and general storylines. I also was thinking some of the abridged versions of the classics might do very well; while I think the abrdiged Hugo and Dumas series (there are over 50 3-Musketeer adventures), would do well, being that they have a good, long plot line with action and very recognizable good and bad characters and story points, you might also consider Stevenson books. Treasure Island and Kidnapped are good, short books that carry through very well.

I might also recommend a number of semi-contemporary writers; Bradbury is good and easy to follow while being very meaningful, or perhaps Charles Baldwin. Stienbecks 'Travels with Charlie' is another.

Again; I apologize. I'm not as well read as most here, but in reading your post, I continually think of good, straight storylines that are carried through to their conclusion. Not Pynchon or Barth or something like that.

Paula, rather as Jason (above) suggests. I was wondering if you have in the US, as we do in the UK, a series of 're-writes' aimed at adults who have come late to reading? They are taken from 'classic' novels but concentrate on the main theme of the book and leave out many of the 'frill's'.
Of course your Mother would probably have read most of the full text editions anyway but they might be short enough to hold her attention.

How about short stories? If she is past the blood-and-guts or graphic sex scenes and enjoys a gentle read some of the early Maeve Binchy stuff Central Line, Victoria Line, The Lilac Bus are very enjoyable. She has just brought out a Christmas collection This Year it Will be Different.
The very English writer Rosamunde Pilcher has good collections of short stories, often set in her native Cornwall.
Jigs and Reels is a collection of short stories by Joanne Harris.
I would second the recommendations for Mary Stewart and Miss Read.
These are rather UK based but the Canadian writer Alice Monroe is excellent, although some of her tales can be rather bleak.
Sorry I can't think off-hand of any young writers who an elderly person might find enjoyable . . . usually too much angst and sex.

And Jason; stop apologising. ;-) All RP'ers are open to everyone's ideas and contributions.

Rosefolly,

I gave her some books the last time I was home to visit. When I asked her what she was reading (she mentioned that she had just finished a book when I spoke with her last), she said she had sort of liked Maisie Dobbs, one of the books I took for her. You might want to look for the others in that series (I think there are 3 or 4 more). Unfortunately, I can't remember just now what else I took her. I thought I'd try to find some Essie Summers books for her, but they are not easy to find. I remember that she liked her as an author.

Laura Childs writes two series-one about a scrapbooking shop in New Orleans, the other about a tea shop in Charleston. They aren't complicated, but the characters are attractive and pleasant and there is some development.

Patricia Wentworth wrote a series about Miss Silver, a governess turned detective-first one published in 1928, last in the 1960s, but they have been reprinted.

Elizabeth Lemarchand wrote a series about a Scotland Yard detective, Tom Pollard.

Catherine Aird has a series featuring C.D. Sloan, a British police officer.

Elliot Roosevelt wrote a charming if improbable series about his mother, Eleanor, as a detective.

John Sherwood has a series about a landscape gardener who keeps finding bodies in the garden...

You can use stopyourekillingme.com to search out series titles as well as "if you liked..." comparisons.

you might try paperbackswap.com to get copies of these and then send them out again after your mother has read them.

I wanted to thank everyone for their generous help. Many of the suggestions made were for books she already had and loved, so you were right on target as to the kind of books I wanted.

In the end, I wandered up and down the bookstore shelves picking off cozy-looking mysteries at random. Several had Christmas themes, which I thought she might enjoy, perhaps even extending her holiday enjoyment. Surely she will like some of them. In case anyone else is interested, I am providing a list of the ones I bought for her.

Mistletoe Murder (a Lucy Stone mystery) by Leslie Meier
Mrs. Malory and No Cure for Death by Hazel Holt
Secrets on Saturday (a Lois Meade mystery) by Ann Purser
Mrs. Jeffries and the Silent Knight by Emily Brightwell
Not a Girl Detective (a Cece Caruso mystery) by Susan Kandel
Dead Guy's Stuff (a Jane Wheel mystery) by Sharon Fiffer
Mum's the Word (a Flower Shop mystery) by Kate Collins
Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini
Sit, Stay, Slay (a Kendra Ballantyne Pet-Sitter mystery) by Linda O. Johnston
Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs) by Jacqueline Winspear

I may look around for one or two more, since the box I bought will nicely hold two more paperbacks. It was a pleasure finding these books for her. I don't know how much longer she will continue to read.

Rosefolly

If she likes Heyer she will also like Jane Aiken Hodge. My favorites are Marry in Haste and Savannah Purchase.

Rosefolly, I just bought for my (adult) daughter's Christmas stocking A Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank. It is a very short book, set in Charleston at Christmas, and featuring a 93-year-old woman with difficult children and grandchildren.

I read it, of course, and found it absolutely delightful. It is new and so won't be out in paperback, but it is a small, undersized book.

Easy but good makes me think of Alexander McCall Smith and his Ladies Detective Agency series.

I went out yesterday afternoon and picked up a few more. Here they are:

Gunpowder Plot (Daisy Dalrymple, late in the series but the only one the store had) by Carola Dunn
Slay Bells (Pennyfoot Hotel mystery) by Kate Kingsbury
Murder on Astor Place (a Gaslight Mystery) by Victoria Thompson
In Like Flynn (a Molly Murphy mystery) by Rhys Bowen

Nearly all of the suggestions people have made that I have not followed are because she already owns those books. My father brings a few of her books with him periodically for her to make a selection. She recently finished re-reading a run of Georgette Heyer novels, for example. I wanted to give her some new scope. As for the others listed here, I am going to keep this list and consult it when Mother's Day rolls around.

Thanks again, dear friends. I knew I could rely on you!

Rosefolly

If you have the opportunity to post some of the books your Mother enjoyed I'd love to know - my Mom is in a similar situation, and I'm always looking for books that aren't too complex but still complex enough for her to enjoy.

Blue Iris, I live a couple thousand miles away from my mother and only see her twice a year. Rouan (who, as some RP members know, is my sister) reports that our mother seemed to like one of the Daisy Dalrymple books. As for the others, it will be sometime in spring before I know much more.

I'm sorry to hear that your mother is in the same sad situation.

Rosefolly

Thanks Rosefolly - I'm that far from my Mother as well--- I'll look into the Daisy Dalrymple books. Thanks.

Do you know whether Death at Wentwater Ct is the first book in the series? I can't find a listing of the entire series. Thanks.

iris-try the link below to see all manner of mystery series information. It is a great site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stop, You're Killing Me! mystery site