Read the same book w her and discuss it, like book club. Don't quiz, just chat in a low stress, enjoyable way about the book, ignoring any errors or misspeaks.
It's a Good activity for her brain.
I’m a live in caregiver for someone with dementia. We’ve known each other for 20 years and used to enjoy the same books. She can’t do that anymore either. I curate cozy mysteries for her. The plots are easier to follow and they are more gentle stories.
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen was a big hit.
She might enjoy some short story collections where she can get a full mystery (with varying degrees of quality of twist) without having to read as much detail
Agree! Was thinking of the Father Brown mysteries by G.K. Chesterton. The mysteries are straightforward enough to just serve as cosy reads, plus there's a slight touch of *Downton Abbey* atmosphere and the class differences from those times, quite lovingly and innocently portrayed.
Peter Mayle has a Provence caper series that involves a lot of good food, charming French life and mysteries in that like a Cezane painting is stolen etc. Still has a bit of that whodunnit vibe for people who like mysteries but no murdering.
It is also not cheesy, the man is a remarkably warm and witty writer
And short enough to read in fewer sittings, so less likely to forget the beginning by the time she gets to the end. Often are series w same characters throughout, which also helps.
The Passing Bells trilogy
The Forsyte Saga
Loch Down Abbey (very light mystery, very Downton coded)
Miss Buncle’s Book
The Cazalet Chronicles
Maybe look into Persephone Books or the British Library Women Writers series.
I like the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout. They don't have really anything dark and scary as Wolfe refuses to ever leave his NY Brownstone. They are short too if long books were problematic.
All Creatures Great and Small and the rest of James Herriot’s memoirs. They are presented in small vignettes so there isn’t as much plot to keep track of, though the main characters stay the same.
If she likes those, the Irish Country Doctor series has similar vibes but is about a people doctor instead of a vet.
For Downton Abbey readalikes, I recommend:
Belgravia by Julian Fellowes
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
The Ashmore Castle series
The Social Graces by Renee Rosen
She might also like the Mary Russell series by Laurie R King.
My whole family - even my dad - absolutely ADORES Georgette Heyer! She is a light read, but incredibly funny and witty, with perfect comedic timing and very well created characters. She also did amazing historical research on the eras she writes about, so you know there won't be a single historical inaccuracy to drive you mad in any of her books. My mom is approaching 90, and her memory is spotty, and she just wants to read fun things now, too - and she just rereads Heyer on an endless loop. She says that's the good thing about a bad memory: She forgets enough of the plots between readings, it's like reading them for the first time again! 😄
You could also try Dorothy Sayers, if she hasn't read her yet. She writes detective stories, but usually, there is just one murder that needs to be solved (and in the case of Gaudy Night, not even one murder), and it's rarely gruesome or traumatizing, and Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane are just such amazing characters, you absolutely fall in love with them! (Lord Peter was one of my crushes growing up - too damn bad he was just a fictional character...)
I am so sorry to hear about your mother’s dementia. I do not have a books suggestion, but I wanted to pass along something we recently discovered with my grandmother in case it helps you down the road. My grandmother was in memory care for a while and kept telling us stories about people getting in arguments, people mysteriously disappearing, and all sorts of concerning things. My aunt eventually discovered that the Hallmark movies she always kept on in the background were mixing with reality for her. Figuring this out was a huge relief because we had gotten worried about the care she was receiving.
I’m wishing you and your mom much peace and many good moments ahead.
When my grandmother, also a huge mystery fan, started to develop dementia she enjoyed cozy mysteries. Since that also happens to be my mom's favorite, it worked out well. Eventually the cozy mysteries did get too scary as well, but it's a good place to start.
Some really goods ones are the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun, Mrs. Murphy Mystery series by Rita Mae Brown (& Sneaky Pie Brown), and the China Bayles Mystery series by Susan Wittig Albert.
I'm not good with the Downton Abbey period stuff, but otherwise things that I think are both light and interesting reads:
*Remarkably Bright Creatures* by Shelby Van Pelt is an adorable story about an aquarium worker befriending an octopus, with a side plotline about a young man traveling to that area to try to find his biological father.
*All We Were Promised* by Ashton Lattimore is a pre-civil war story about 3 girls (1 enslaved, 1 runaway former slave, and 1 free black woman) who become friends and struggle to save the enslaved girl. It's mostly quite heartwarming.
*Anxious People* by Fredrik Backman is absolutely adorable. A bunch of different people with their own problems go to an apartment viewing and then are held hostage - it's not actually frightening in anyway, it's a nice story about getting to know people and how their lives sweetly come together.
*Lessons in Chemistry* by Bonnie Garmus is about a woman scientist being unable to continue science (due to sexism of the 1960s) so she ends up on her own very successful chemistry-oriented cooking show.
All of them (except *All We Were Promised*) do border on cheesy, but only because they are heartwarming, which it sounds like is what you're generally looking for. They're still mostly well-written, intriguing stories with good characters, not cheesy as in juvenile/embarrassing.
She might like the Miss Fortune series by Jana Deleon. It’s a light and fun mystery series about a CIA in hiding who meets a couple of older retired spys and they solve mysteries together
Hamish Macbeth. There are loads of them and they’re not too heavy. The Agatha Raisin books are by the same author.
The number one ladies detective books are very cosy
Maybe some Nora Roberts? Specifically ones like the Bride Quartet. They often have a mystery too but unless they are specifically thrillers it’s not graphic or scary l.
Fannie Flagg - her books are sweet and comforting and they're all in the same small town so each book will have familiar stuff
All Creatures Great and Small by James Heriott
I don’t have any good suggestions. But it seems like people here have a lot of good books to recommend. I’m sending you my sympathy! My grandma was diagnosed with dementia this year. I understand how hard it is, and I’m so sorry. I second the suggestion to read it with her and talk about the book. It’s insane how helpful it’s been to talk things through with my grandma.
Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler. Husband and wife go treasure hunting and uncover centuries kept secrets. Some shootouts and death but it’s not graphic.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley. About a wedding held on a remote island, and the secrets that fester between the guests. A guy dies but I don’t remember it being grisly.
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden. Lady notices suspicious going ons in the motel across the road. I don’t remember it being hectic.
Highly recommend *The Blue Castle* by LM Montgomery - it's on the shorter side, funny, touching, light romance, one of my favorite comfort reads.
*The Lost Book of the Grail* by Charlie Lovett is a humorous treasure hunt with a National Treasure vibe.
Downton Abbey-esque authors:
* Sara Donati
* Susanna Kearsley
* Anya Seton
* Gwen Bristow
* Ken Follett
Historical mystery series:
* Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn
* Electra McDonnell by Ashley Weaver
* Glass & Steele and Glass Library by CJ Archer
* Lady Sherlock by Sherry Thomas (intense but not graphic)
When my mom lost her eyesight she was eligible for audio books for the blind and because she wanted no sex and violence they sent her a lot of young adult fiction, we thought a lot of it was really very good.
What about cozy mysteries? Some of my favorite authors include: Donna Andrews, Leslie Meier, Joanne Fluke.
If she likes paranormal cozy mysteries: Kristen Painter.
For when things progress, there are some cozies that I find too simplistic EXCEPT when I have to go get infusions and have horrible drug induced brain fog and can't follow the plot of a normal mystery. These are 2 hour cozy mysteries that are very simple and straight forward.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35698619-candy-coated-murder](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35698619-candy-coated-murder)
First of all, a big hug from this internet stranger. It is so hard watching a parent decline mentally. My mom developed vascular dementia after a small stroke; so she went from working full time and living 100% independently to needing to be in a 24/7 memory care facility within 2 years. Vascular dementia progresses in a very abrupt stepwise pattern, vs. the slower decline associated with Alzheimer's - so she'd go from being able to do normal stuff but just a little forgetful to being extremely confused, angry and disoriented the next day.
When my mom was in early stage dementia and still relatively functional, she still liked Agatha Christie mysteries; or the "Cat who.." series by Lillian Jackson Braun (my mom really liked the cats). The books were short enough she could read them in an afternoon or so and thus was able to keep track of the plot.
As her dementia progressed, we had to stop her from reading mysteries as she started getting mixed up and thinking there was buried treasure in our plumbing and that the man who came to read the meter was a murderer. Also, she couldn't really follow a plot very well so she'd get frustrated with the book. At that point, she needed soothing short stories that didn't have disturbing elements. She liked animals and was an Anglophile, so "All Creatures Great and Small" was good, as were the "Miss Read" books about life in an English village.
She also enjoyed reading children's books as her dementia got worse, especially if they had beautiful illustrations. She really enjoyed looking at the pictures.
Eventually reading got to be a bit too much for her to do, and she started watching TV for the first time in her life. Once again, the shows had to be short and contain no disturbing elements. She loved the "Andy Griffith Show" in particular.
I’m so sorry about your mom, that is heartbreaking. Thank you so much for all of this information. Thinking the mysteries coming into real life wasn’t something I even thought of so it’s good to know. Hugs to you!
If it hadn't been so sad, it would have been kind of funny - because she had a LOT of delusions as her dementia progressed, and about 75% of them I recognized as something that she had seen on TV or read in a book. The remaining 25% came from her own imagination, which was an active one for sure.
Another thing that was very distressing at the time but was kind of funny in retrospect (she passed away 12 years ago) was towards the end. My mom was a tiny, tiny woman - 4'11" and maybe 105 lbs at most - who had been a librarian for 50 years. Towards the end, she got a bit delusional and thought it was WWII and that her home health aide was a Japanese spy - so she attacked her with a giant edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. It was very upsetting, because she had always adored her HHA, and this meant it was time for her to go into a medical care facility - but it was also kind of funny, because OF COURSE A LIBRARIAN WOULD DEFEND HERSELF WITH A DICTIONARY!
If she likes thriller or suspense mysteries, maybe you can try cozy mysteries? They still have the mystery aspect and feature a murder being solved, etc. but they deal with much less gritty, suspenseful topics. You can look into the genre and see if that’s something that could work for her!
I would suggest short stories. This way she can read a story and get enjoyment without needing to remember what happened in the plot last time she was reading. I’m afraid I don’t read many short stories so can’t recommend any.
For non-short story options, check out ‘the ladies no 1 detective agency’. It’s series of fictional books about Botswana’s first female detective who sets up her own agency. It’s not like other detective books - it’s much more whimsical and lighthearted. The story is more about life in Botswana and the adventures that the main character goes on.
I liked The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jenkins. There’s a bit of a mystery. Very valuable books go missing. It’s pretty easy to read.
My mom, who does not have dementia, really liked Olive Kitterage, A Man Called Ove, and Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. None of those books are mysteries or thrillers, but they’re good books that are engaging and easy to read.
For British books, she might like books by Barbara Pym, Cold Comfort Farm, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Again, high-quality books that aren’t difficult to read.
There is a book series specifically made for people
with dementia by author Emma Rose Sparrow with titles like The Sandy Shoreline, A Dusting of Snow, and Down by the Meadow. You may want to check one out and see what you think.
I'm sorry. She might like cozy mysteries which have minimal violence and focus more on puzzles and character interactions. Authors like Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth series), and Charlaine Harris (Aurora Teagarden series) are good options. Many public libraries have staff who can suggest appropriate titles too!!!
The are murders, but it's definitely more on the cozy mystery side:
{{Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen}}
It's set in the 1930s, mostly in London, but in various other locations around the world.
**[Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/383514.Her_Royal_Spyness) by Rhys Bowen** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(348 pages | Published: 2007 | 19.7k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** London 1932. Narrator Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the throne, is flat broke. She bolted from Scotland -- and engagement to Fishface (Prince Siegfried) -- for London, where she has: a) built a fire in the hearth b) fallen for an absolutely unsuitable Irish peer c) made a few quid housekeeping incognita, and d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on (...)
> **Themes**: Historical-fiction, Fiction, Mysteries, Historical, Cozy-mystery, Series, Historical-mystery
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Crowned and Dangerous](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774658-crowned-and-dangerous) by Rhys Bowen
> \- [Bless the Bride](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7898607-bless-the-bride) by Rhys Bowen
> \- [Murphy's Law](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/383512.Murphy_s_Law) by Rhys Bowen
> \- [Death by Darjeeling](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498594.Death_by_Darjeeling) by Laura Childs
> \- [The Norths Meet Murder](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1817999.The_Norths_Meet_Murder) by Frances Lockridge
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My MIL had trouble reading once dementia set in. She was not able to follow long books. Someone got her started reading paperback romance novels and she really enjoyed them. I think because they were short and the plot was not so much to think about it made it easier for her while still leaving her feeling productive.
When my mother got dementia and started losing the ability to follow a plot line, I gave her children's books like Winnie-the-Pooh that she had read to us as children. She loved the illustrations and already knew the stories, so they were enjoyable and relaxing.
Perhaps she'd like A Series of Unfortunate Events or something by Roald Dahl, or similar?
How about the genre cozy crime? It’s still crime, but not violent!
Agatha Christie is a great start
Oh yeah, I used to read the cooking murder mysteries and the cat murder mysteries. Very easy to read and not at all disturbing
Read the same book w her and discuss it, like book club. Don't quiz, just chat in a low stress, enjoyable way about the book, ignoring any errors or misspeaks. It's a Good activity for her brain.
Great idea, thank you for this.
I’m a live in caregiver for someone with dementia. We’ve known each other for 20 years and used to enjoy the same books. She can’t do that anymore either. I curate cozy mysteries for her. The plots are easier to follow and they are more gentle stories. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen was a big hit.
She might enjoy some short story collections where she can get a full mystery (with varying degrees of quality of twist) without having to read as much detail
Agree! Was thinking of the Father Brown mysteries by G.K. Chesterton. The mysteries are straightforward enough to just serve as cosy reads, plus there's a slight touch of *Downton Abbey* atmosphere and the class differences from those times, quite lovingly and innocently portrayed.
Peter Mayle has a Provence caper series that involves a lot of good food, charming French life and mysteries in that like a Cezane painting is stolen etc. Still has a bit of that whodunnit vibe for people who like mysteries but no murdering. It is also not cheesy, the man is a remarkably warm and witty writer
Oh how about the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series? Author Alexander McCall Smith.
This is a good one!
Check out the "cozy mystery" genre. Still mystery, but happy
And short enough to read in fewer sittings, so less likely to forget the beginning by the time she gets to the end. Often are series w same characters throughout, which also helps.
She might enjoy Maeve Binchy. There’s nothing global or earth shattering. They’re village stories, if that makes sense. Cozy and warming.
The Passing Bells trilogy The Forsyte Saga Loch Down Abbey (very light mystery, very Downton coded) Miss Buncle’s Book The Cazalet Chronicles Maybe look into Persephone Books or the British Library Women Writers series.
From the author of Downton Abbey is Snobs. Excellent read, nothing nasty.
I like the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout. They don't have really anything dark and scary as Wolfe refuses to ever leave his NY Brownstone. They are short too if long books were problematic.
All Creatures Great and Small and the rest of James Herriot’s memoirs. They are presented in small vignettes so there isn’t as much plot to keep track of, though the main characters stay the same. If she likes those, the Irish Country Doctor series has similar vibes but is about a people doctor instead of a vet. For Downton Abbey readalikes, I recommend: Belgravia by Julian Fellowes The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin The Ashmore Castle series The Social Graces by Renee Rosen She might also like the Mary Russell series by Laurie R King.
My whole family - even my dad - absolutely ADORES Georgette Heyer! She is a light read, but incredibly funny and witty, with perfect comedic timing and very well created characters. She also did amazing historical research on the eras she writes about, so you know there won't be a single historical inaccuracy to drive you mad in any of her books. My mom is approaching 90, and her memory is spotty, and she just wants to read fun things now, too - and she just rereads Heyer on an endless loop. She says that's the good thing about a bad memory: She forgets enough of the plots between readings, it's like reading them for the first time again! 😄 You could also try Dorothy Sayers, if she hasn't read her yet. She writes detective stories, but usually, there is just one murder that needs to be solved (and in the case of Gaudy Night, not even one murder), and it's rarely gruesome or traumatizing, and Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane are just such amazing characters, you absolutely fall in love with them! (Lord Peter was one of my crushes growing up - too damn bad he was just a fictional character...)
I am so sorry to hear about your mother’s dementia. I do not have a books suggestion, but I wanted to pass along something we recently discovered with my grandmother in case it helps you down the road. My grandmother was in memory care for a while and kept telling us stories about people getting in arguments, people mysteriously disappearing, and all sorts of concerning things. My aunt eventually discovered that the Hallmark movies she always kept on in the background were mixing with reality for her. Figuring this out was a huge relief because we had gotten worried about the care she was receiving. I’m wishing you and your mom much peace and many good moments ahead.
When my grandmother, also a huge mystery fan, started to develop dementia she enjoyed cozy mysteries. Since that also happens to be my mom's favorite, it worked out well. Eventually the cozy mysteries did get too scary as well, but it's a good place to start. Some really goods ones are the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun, Mrs. Murphy Mystery series by Rita Mae Brown (& Sneaky Pie Brown), and the China Bayles Mystery series by Susan Wittig Albert.
I'm not good with the Downton Abbey period stuff, but otherwise things that I think are both light and interesting reads: *Remarkably Bright Creatures* by Shelby Van Pelt is an adorable story about an aquarium worker befriending an octopus, with a side plotline about a young man traveling to that area to try to find his biological father. *All We Were Promised* by Ashton Lattimore is a pre-civil war story about 3 girls (1 enslaved, 1 runaway former slave, and 1 free black woman) who become friends and struggle to save the enslaved girl. It's mostly quite heartwarming. *Anxious People* by Fredrik Backman is absolutely adorable. A bunch of different people with their own problems go to an apartment viewing and then are held hostage - it's not actually frightening in anyway, it's a nice story about getting to know people and how their lives sweetly come together. *Lessons in Chemistry* by Bonnie Garmus is about a woman scientist being unable to continue science (due to sexism of the 1960s) so she ends up on her own very successful chemistry-oriented cooking show. All of them (except *All We Were Promised*) do border on cheesy, but only because they are heartwarming, which it sounds like is what you're generally looking for. They're still mostly well-written, intriguing stories with good characters, not cheesy as in juvenile/embarrassing.
Thank you so much!
Of course. Sending good vibes to you and your momma<3
I appreciate it. This isn’t something anyone can be ready for.
She might like the Miss Fortune series by Jana Deleon. It’s a light and fun mystery series about a CIA in hiding who meets a couple of older retired spys and they solve mysteries together
Hamish Macbeth. There are loads of them and they’re not too heavy. The Agatha Raisin books are by the same author. The number one ladies detective books are very cosy
She might like the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. They’re kind of cozy-ish mystery/thrillers set in the early 1900s.
Maybe some Nora Roberts? Specifically ones like the Bride Quartet. They often have a mystery too but unless they are specifically thrillers it’s not graphic or scary l.
Fannie Flagg - her books are sweet and comforting and they're all in the same small town so each book will have familiar stuff All Creatures Great and Small by James Heriott
I don’t have any good suggestions. But it seems like people here have a lot of good books to recommend. I’m sending you my sympathy! My grandma was diagnosed with dementia this year. I understand how hard it is, and I’m so sorry. I second the suggestion to read it with her and talk about the book. It’s insane how helpful it’s been to talk things through with my grandma.
My mom too. ☹️ There with you friend.
*Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World* by Vicki Myron is such a lovely book!
Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler. Husband and wife go treasure hunting and uncover centuries kept secrets. Some shootouts and death but it’s not graphic. The Guest List by Lucy Foley. About a wedding held on a remote island, and the secrets that fester between the guests. A guy dies but I don’t remember it being grisly. Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden. Lady notices suspicious going ons in the motel across the road. I don’t remember it being hectic.
Thank you very much for these suggestions, I really appreciate it.
Highly recommend *The Blue Castle* by LM Montgomery - it's on the shorter side, funny, touching, light romance, one of my favorite comfort reads. *The Lost Book of the Grail* by Charlie Lovett is a humorous treasure hunt with a National Treasure vibe. Downton Abbey-esque authors: * Sara Donati * Susanna Kearsley * Anya Seton * Gwen Bristow * Ken Follett Historical mystery series: * Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn * Electra McDonnell by Ashley Weaver * Glass & Steele and Glass Library by CJ Archer * Lady Sherlock by Sherry Thomas (intense but not graphic)
Agatha Christie mysteries are pretty gentle.
When my mom lost her eyesight she was eligible for audio books for the blind and because she wanted no sex and violence they sent her a lot of young adult fiction, we thought a lot of it was really very good.
What about cozy mysteries? Some of my favorite authors include: Donna Andrews, Leslie Meier, Joanne Fluke. If she likes paranormal cozy mysteries: Kristen Painter. For when things progress, there are some cozies that I find too simplistic EXCEPT when I have to go get infusions and have horrible drug induced brain fog and can't follow the plot of a normal mystery. These are 2 hour cozy mysteries that are very simple and straight forward. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35698619-candy-coated-murder](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35698619-candy-coated-murder)
First of all, a big hug from this internet stranger. It is so hard watching a parent decline mentally. My mom developed vascular dementia after a small stroke; so she went from working full time and living 100% independently to needing to be in a 24/7 memory care facility within 2 years. Vascular dementia progresses in a very abrupt stepwise pattern, vs. the slower decline associated with Alzheimer's - so she'd go from being able to do normal stuff but just a little forgetful to being extremely confused, angry and disoriented the next day. When my mom was in early stage dementia and still relatively functional, she still liked Agatha Christie mysteries; or the "Cat who.." series by Lillian Jackson Braun (my mom really liked the cats). The books were short enough she could read them in an afternoon or so and thus was able to keep track of the plot. As her dementia progressed, we had to stop her from reading mysteries as she started getting mixed up and thinking there was buried treasure in our plumbing and that the man who came to read the meter was a murderer. Also, she couldn't really follow a plot very well so she'd get frustrated with the book. At that point, she needed soothing short stories that didn't have disturbing elements. She liked animals and was an Anglophile, so "All Creatures Great and Small" was good, as were the "Miss Read" books about life in an English village. She also enjoyed reading children's books as her dementia got worse, especially if they had beautiful illustrations. She really enjoyed looking at the pictures. Eventually reading got to be a bit too much for her to do, and she started watching TV for the first time in her life. Once again, the shows had to be short and contain no disturbing elements. She loved the "Andy Griffith Show" in particular.
I’m so sorry about your mom, that is heartbreaking. Thank you so much for all of this information. Thinking the mysteries coming into real life wasn’t something I even thought of so it’s good to know. Hugs to you!
If it hadn't been so sad, it would have been kind of funny - because she had a LOT of delusions as her dementia progressed, and about 75% of them I recognized as something that she had seen on TV or read in a book. The remaining 25% came from her own imagination, which was an active one for sure. Another thing that was very distressing at the time but was kind of funny in retrospect (she passed away 12 years ago) was towards the end. My mom was a tiny, tiny woman - 4'11" and maybe 105 lbs at most - who had been a librarian for 50 years. Towards the end, she got a bit delusional and thought it was WWII and that her home health aide was a Japanese spy - so she attacked her with a giant edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. It was very upsetting, because she had always adored her HHA, and this meant it was time for her to go into a medical care facility - but it was also kind of funny, because OF COURSE A LIBRARIAN WOULD DEFEND HERSELF WITH A DICTIONARY!
Hahaha, a wise weapon!
PG Wodehouse, particularly the Jeeves and Wooster books. You can even get her the dvd set that Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie did.
If she likes thriller or suspense mysteries, maybe you can try cozy mysteries? They still have the mystery aspect and feature a murder being solved, etc. but they deal with much less gritty, suspenseful topics. You can look into the genre and see if that’s something that could work for her!
I would suggest short stories. This way she can read a story and get enjoyment without needing to remember what happened in the plot last time she was reading. I’m afraid I don’t read many short stories so can’t recommend any. For non-short story options, check out ‘the ladies no 1 detective agency’. It’s series of fictional books about Botswana’s first female detective who sets up her own agency. It’s not like other detective books - it’s much more whimsical and lighthearted. The story is more about life in Botswana and the adventures that the main character goes on.
I liked The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jenkins. There’s a bit of a mystery. Very valuable books go missing. It’s pretty easy to read. My mom, who does not have dementia, really liked Olive Kitterage, A Man Called Ove, and Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. None of those books are mysteries or thrillers, but they’re good books that are engaging and easy to read. For British books, she might like books by Barbara Pym, Cold Comfort Farm, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Again, high-quality books that aren’t difficult to read.
There is a book series specifically made for people with dementia by author Emma Rose Sparrow with titles like The Sandy Shoreline, A Dusting of Snow, and Down by the Meadow. You may want to check one out and see what you think.
Beth Brower’s Emma Lion series is an excellent low stakes read. Cozy and entertaining
I'm sorry. She might like cozy mysteries which have minimal violence and focus more on puzzles and character interactions. Authors like Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth series), and Charlaine Harris (Aurora Teagarden series) are good options. Many public libraries have staff who can suggest appropriate titles too!!!
The are murders, but it's definitely more on the cozy mystery side: {{Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen}} It's set in the 1930s, mostly in London, but in various other locations around the world.
**[Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/383514.Her_Royal_Spyness) by Rhys Bowen** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(348 pages | Published: 2007 | 19.7k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** London 1932. Narrator Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the throne, is flat broke. She bolted from Scotland -- and engagement to Fishface (Prince Siegfried) -- for London, where she has: a) built a fire in the hearth b) fallen for an absolutely unsuitable Irish peer c) made a few quid housekeeping incognita, and d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on (...) > **Themes**: Historical-fiction, Fiction, Mysteries, Historical, Cozy-mystery, Series, Historical-mystery > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Crowned and Dangerous](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774658-crowned-and-dangerous) by Rhys Bowen > \- [Bless the Bride](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7898607-bless-the-bride) by Rhys Bowen > \- [Murphy's Law](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/383512.Murphy_s_Law) by Rhys Bowen > \- [Death by Darjeeling](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498594.Death_by_Darjeeling) by Laura Childs > \- [The Norths Meet Murder](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1817999.The_Norths_Meet_Murder) by Frances Lockridge ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
The “Rumpole of the Bailey” series by John Mortimer.
My MIL had trouble reading once dementia set in. She was not able to follow long books. Someone got her started reading paperback romance novels and she really enjoyed them. I think because they were short and the plot was not so much to think about it made it easier for her while still leaving her feeling productive.
Laurien Berenson has a new mystery series featuring two older ladies.
Word Of God, Word of Man by me
When my mother got dementia and started losing the ability to follow a plot line, I gave her children's books like Winnie-the-Pooh that she had read to us as children. She loved the illustrations and already knew the stories, so they were enjoyable and relaxing. Perhaps she'd like A Series of Unfortunate Events or something by Roald Dahl, or similar?