Saturday 7 December 2013

2014 READING CHALLENGE (3) - VINTAGE MYSTERY SILVER AND GOLDEN

Another reading challenge for the new year that I will try and undertake.

Number 3, so far in my commitments, along with the USA State Reading Challenge and Read Scotland.



The objective will be to complete a line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally,  or you can claim a Four Corner Bingo by completing each corner on the grid plus two other squares.


Short rules - books must be primarily mysteries - detective fiction, crime fiction, espionage etc,



Golden qualifiers will be books originally published pre-1960 and silver qualifiers will come from the period 1960 to 1989.

The same book can't be used twice to fill two squares.

The challenge is running from January 1st through to December 31st, 2014.

Number-wise a line from each card will be 12 books, so it's not overly-taxing. Trying to construct a line from what I have in my library, particularly with it's emphasis on more modern fiction - probably post-1990 may be a bit more tricky.

Thanks for Tracy from the excellent Bitter Tea and Mystery blog for alerting me to this challenge.

Thanks to Bev at My Reader's Block for hosting the challenge which you can get full details for and sign up to here.  

The more ambitious may try and complete a full card - good luck with that one. Me, I'm setting my sights a fair bit lower!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With my US Challenge giving me a target of 51 books and my Ben Nevis target of 13 for Read Scotland; 12 for the Vintage Silver and Gold puts me at 76 books.

Two more personal reading challenges will follow - Espionage/Spy Fiction - 12 books and a Down Under Challenge - 12 books from Australian and New Zealand authors in 2014.

There's a certain symmetry in rounding off my 5 challenges at 100 books, though I will undoubtedly be counting some of the books I read for more than 1 challenge. Is that called cheating or just common sense?

16 comments:

  1. Blimey! Well if you complete all that you might reduce the book mountain? Especially as it is not being added to, as we know, under any circs... I love the sheer bonkers-ness of the gold and silver bingo challenges. I must have a closer look at that one....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moira, I used to love a spot on bingo when we played it at home as a family.

      I'd be too scared to get myself down to a proper bingo hall - too many sharp elbows, handbags and umbrellas for my liking. Safer way to play here!

      Yes, I'm bound to reduce the mountain next year, just as soon as you and everyone else starts blogging about books that either don't interest me or books that are already on the shelf.
      Self control and willpower are dirty words in these parts!

      Delete
  2. Col - I give you a lot of credit for taking on this challenge. And I just love those Bingo cards. I'll be really interested in the books that you choose for this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marogt thanks. I think I will have to dust off the odd Agatha book, maybe some Chandler or Hammett, Ross Macdonald. Golden will be more difficult for me than silver, I think because I kind of liked the 80's as a crime fiction decade.

      I would stand a better chance with a bronze challenge - 1990 to date - but then it wouldn't be vintage!

      Delete
  3. Common sense. Good luck! I shall enjoy this challenge vicariously through you all with the books you choose to read for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keishon cheers. I might see if I can locate some David Goodis for it.

      Delete
  4. Looks a little complicated for me, but good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah, thanks. I'm looking forward to some older books,

      Delete
  5. Welcome to the Challenge! So glad to have joining us for some mystery bingo this year. Good luck meeting all your challenges.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bev, thanks - hopefully I haven't taken on too much!

      Delete
  6. Col, I am glad to see you joining this challenge. It will be interesting to see which books you pick, and what you think of them. I am very excited about all the reading I have planned for next year, but once again I won't be able to get it all done. But still it will be fun trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy thanks for the heads-up on this one. I might get the chance to dust off some Agatha Christie and some of the more traditional Golden Age authors I have been avoiding until now.

      Delete
  7. Good luck, Col, and I'd definitely count one book for multiple challenges! The bingo cards are very cool, topic-wise, but since I read so few older books, getting to any of them would be a win compared to my reading of late :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rebecca, thanks. Multiple counting is a given! I must admit, when I was younger I avoided older books, now I'm older I see their attraction. My problem is I can't read everything I want to. No different to anyone else in that respect.... time, work, life - interfering with my reading!

      Delete
  8. Col, good luck with this innovative reading challenge. As for me, I'm going to just read and review occasionally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prashant, thank you. No problem - you read away to your hearts content - but keep posting .....books, films, comics Indian life!

      Delete