Sunday, January 5, 2014

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2014

Who doesn't like a challenge?  Each year Bev at My Reader's Block asks readers to travel back in time and read the kind of books that this blog celebrates nearly every day - the vintage mystery. Last year she shook up the challenge by offering category labels for each book read.  This year the categories are still there and are arranged in the fashion of the old Bingo game with the choice of Golden Age Mysteries (1890 -1960) or Silver Age Mysteries (1961 - 1989). These are Bev's date ranges and not every subscribes to them.  Hey, I'm not going to quibble about it. It's basically a game.  You follow the rules of the gamemaster.

In order to finish the challenge any reader need only finish one line that would lead to the cry of "Bingo!" if you at your local church hall and were surrounded by a bunch of avid old lady gamblers armed with dabbers and sitting with fifteen Bingo cards in front of them.  The word Bingo has been replaced by GOLDEN and SILVER on each card -- only six books any reader has to read at a minimum in order to finish the challenge.  But that's no challenge for me.

I intend to fill out not just one card, but both. Now that's a challenge!

Seventy-two books with the constraints of date ranges and category labels.  Think I can do it?  I read 104 books last year and the majority were vintage mysteries.  As I said to Bev in my comment when signing up.  "72 books?  Piece of cake."

For those interested in the complete rules visit My Reader's Bock here.  The bare minimum needed to finish the challenge is six book, my friends. Anyone can do that.  Why not you?

6 comments:

  1. BOTH cards! I'm in the same challenge and I'm wondering if I can manage the Golden card for 36 books. (I'm thinking I'm going to have to write much shorter reviews!) I take my hat off to you, sir. And I will look forward to reading the reviews!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to give it my best shot. I looked at the Golden Age card and started Xing out the box categories based on what I read last year. Surprisingly, I almost filled in the card. Only three blank spaces. And that was only applying the categories after I read the books. I think I can easily do this by choosing books based on the categories and still have time to read books I want to read outside of the challenge. We shall see how it all turns out.

      Delete
  2. John, you can totally do it. Can't wait to see how it goes for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I admire your gumption, sir! (I figure I can be Gutman to your Sam Spade) - I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting this challenge - no idea if I can really filll out both cards but I am going to give it a damn good try! At least i know that I'll be filling the 'from another blogger' title with one of yours!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Not much of a challenge for the master of reading vintage mysteries, John, but here's wishing you luck all the way through it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I remember you saying this in the comments, but now you have committed to it. Well, it is a good goal. I will be following along to see how you do.

    ReplyDelete