Ever cried while reading?

 Hi, there. CeeCee James (of the Baker Street cozy mysteries) here to chat with you today. I’m going to just jump right in with a question. Have you ever read a book that made you cry?

I’m interested in your answers since I write such light-hearted books. I have definitely cried at certain parts in books. To be honest, I don’t enjoy sad scenes. I’m sure a few people think it’s cathartic to have a good sob. Maybe it feels like an emotional release. 

Not to me. I am too much of an empathizer, so if something truly terrible happens to one of my favorite characters, I’ll cry like a baby, making the dog run to comfort me.

Same goes for sad movies. I try to avoid them.

Not to say I haven’t read some quite chilling or tragic books. My first was in school when I read, Where the Red Fern Grows. I could barely finish it.

I cried while reading Anne of Green Gables. Lump in the throat, words blurring so I could barely finish the chapter. I even cried during Little Women. I won’t say why in case someone hasn’t read it. If you haven’t, it’s a fabulous book. And I cried during Watership Down. 

It’s funny, when I go to reread those books I can feel my muscles tense as the sad scene approaches. I’ll read it as fast as I can (okay, maybe scan it, haha) because I know how it makes me feel.

Crying during emotional scenes is not unusual for me though. I swear, I have a weird cry bent. For instance, I’ve been known to get teary-eyed during commercials. Especially those holiday commercials. I think I may have invented the ugly cry face. Comedy isn’t immune to me either. If it’s sappy sweet and just precious, for instance, someone reuniting or reconciling, chances are I’ll shed a tear or two. 

There’s an episode of the Office where Pam Halpert is pregnant and crying over a video of a dog with its bone. Her husband, Jim, just watches on with resignation. Totally hilarious but I can so relate to her.

One area I can’t ever read about is anything sad about animals. That’s the reason why, in every single one of my books, every animal has a happily-ever-after ending. They can’t get harmed, they can’t get hurt, they can only be loved. Animals are innocent and deserve all of my protection, even if it’s in fiction. 

I like safe fiction, and that’s why I enjoy writing cozy mysteries so much. It’s true, some of my books deal with more serious topics, but my focus is always on overcoming the trial, and the light at the end of the tunnel. I want my books to feel uplifting and encouraging, even as I try to make them relatable. I don’t mind if people think that they’re light, as long as they feel better after they read them. 

And, in the end, overcoming is something we can all relate with. We all have important stories of what we’ve gone through. I think we all use bits and pieces of our experiences to try and help others.

So that’s it for my question today. What sad books have you read, and do you enjoy them? Does it feel cathartic to you, or does it stick with you in a way that drags you down? I look forward to reading your answers and seeing if there’s other books that I’ve also read that I haven’t mentioned. 

If you’d like to check out more of my books, please go to Mystery Books. And if you enjoy a lighthearted readers’ group, and would like to learn more about my weird quirks, join me here. CeeCee James Reader's Group

Have a great day.

CeeCee James