Just the Facts: Check Point #3

Calling all cars, calling all cars...Detectives are asked to check in with Headquarters. Please report progress. Headquarters out.

How did it get to be October so fast?? 

So...Fall is in the air (sortof...it was last week any way...this week is more like summer) and that means it's time to see how our detective challengers are doing with their notebooks. Last fall when I put together the latest version of the Vintage Mystery Challenge, I randomly selected items from the notebooks for our checkpoints. Here are the categories for our second checkpoint (January - September 30, no books finished in October):

WHO: Crime-Solving Duo
WHAT: Reference to man or woman in the title
WHEN: A historical crime
WHERE: On an island
HOW: At least two deaths by different means
WHY: It made a "best of" list

You may enter once for every item checked off in your notebooks. Both Gold & Silver cards count. Please use the linky below to link up reviews and enter your items under the following "Name":

Your name (Category) Card 
 ~Example: Bev (Crime-Solving Duo) Gold

If you do not have a blog or other way to link up below, then you may use the above format for all of your items and list them in the comments below. You will also earn one entry for every item.

The linky will be open until midnight on Thursday, October 11. Sometime on Friday, I will pull out the Custom Random Number Generator and select a winner. Good luck!

Mountaineering Check Point #3

Oh my goodness!  Where does the time go?  Last I checked, September was just starting....and now it's gone and it's time to get the third quarterly checkpoint up and running. Let's see how our challengers are doing after they've got 9 months under the ol' mountain-climbing belt.  

For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to do two things:
 

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).  If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. 

I've read 91 out 100 books towards Mt. Everest which means I've managed about 26,416 feet. The air's getting a bit thin and I'm low on steam. I may launch a rocket ship to Mt. Olympus on Mars yet, but I don't see a flag getting planted on that peak. Oh, well...there's always next year.

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:

A. Who has been your favorite character so far? And tell us why, if you like.

B. Pair up two of your reads. But this time we're going for opposites. One book with a male protagonist and one with a female protagonist. One book with "Good" in the title and one with "Evil." Get creative and show off a couple of your books.

Mine: Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain AND Death at the Dog by Joanna Cannan

C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?

Mine: The Invisible Thief by Thomas Brace Haughey [on TBR since 1983]

D. Using titles from your list, see if you can tell a short story (or story blurb) or make a mini-poem. Feel free to add a few filler words here and there if needed. Here's my example:

A Man Lay Dead (in) Another Woman's House. Pride & Prejudice (led to) Murder at Midnight By the Light of the Study Lamp. (Several) Women Sleuths (use the) Odor of Violets (and) The Sign of the Book (to solve this) Untidy Murder.

Please prepare your answers in a Checkpoint blog post and link up below.

And what do you get for all that hard work (and distraction from the actual climb)? The link will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, October 12.  Sometime the next day I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). Just think, if you win a book you can start up a pile for next year's Mount TBR Challenge. 

Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or you've already finished your climb, I'd love to have you check in with us and tell us all your news!

***Please note--the linky is for Checkpoint posts only.  The link must be to a specific Checkpoint post (not your blog's home page in general). Links that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner.  Enter here OR on my Goodreads Challenge site (but not both places, please).

Sign in below with your Checkpoint post.

Mount TBR Checkpoint Winner!

I just got the chance to haul out the random number generator and select our Mount TBR checkpoint winner. Let's feed in all the entries, listen to it clank and whir, and we have a winner!  Our lucky climber is Link #7.

A quick peek at the Checkpoint Post tells me that Link #7 is Mervi @ Mervi's Book Reviews! Congratulations, Mervi! I'll be contacting you with the prize list very soon.

Thanks again to all of you who checked in...and to all who are busy climbing with us! See you at the next checkpoint!

Just the Facts Check Point Winner!

We had several more entries for the Midpoint check-in post than our first go 'round. We had 31 entries from six of the participants--including a couple of new participants. Give me just a minute and I'll warm up the Custom Random Number Generator and get all the entries fed into the machine....

And our Midpoint winner for 2018 is link #25: Countdown John @ Countdown John's Christie Journal with Dame Agatha's The Mystery of the Blue Train and its example of murder by strangulation. Congratulations, John! I will be contacting you soon with the prize list.

Thanks to all the detectives who are out there collecting facts for their notebooks with me. Another set of items is waiting in the wings for our next check-in post.

Mountaineering Checkpoint #2

So....the beginning of July came and went in a Montana-vacation-blur and then my laptop died. Finally got it back today and now I realize that the year is half-way over....Wait! What? How did that happen so quickly? I must have lost track of time just concentrating on the mountain trail ahead of me. But--it's that time again. Your mountaineering guide is calling for a second quarterly check-in post. Let us know how your climb has been so far. Seen any mountain goats? [I saw some in Montana!] Any particularly pretty wildflowers? How about the abominable snowman? For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to do two things:
  

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).  If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting adventures you've had along the way.

At 69 books read (not all reviewed yet), I'm a little over half-way up Mt. Everest. I should make my stated goal--but it still doesn't look like I'm going to plant a flag on Mt. Olympus.....

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:

 A. Choose two titles from the books you've read so far that have a common link. You decide what the link is--both have strong female lead characters? Each focuses on a diabolical plot to take over the world? Blue covers? About weddings? Find your link and tell us what it is. 

Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin (no review yet) and Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner. Both are classics that I am glad are done and I'm glad I won't ever have to read again. Maturin goes on forever and, quite honestly, isn't as interesting in his story about the Wanderer as one might hope. Faulkner is being Faulkner and had me wading through his stream of consciousness....I don't care for wearing waders when I'm reading. :-)

 B. Tell us about a book on the list that was new to you in some way--new author, about a place you've never been, a genre you don't usually read...etc. 

Murder at Midnight by C. S. Challinor (no review yet)--the first book I've read by Challinor. This seems to be a very well-done cozy series. I look forward to reading more.

  

 C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?

Women Sleuths by Martin H. Greenberg & Bill Pronzini (eds) [on TBR since 11/29/08] Good short stories--unfortunately two of them appeared in other collections that I read this year as well, so I got a double-dose of them. But I'm glad to get this one off the stacks.

OR (Counts as both part 1 and 2)

Use titles from your list to complete as many of the following sentences below as you can.  If you haven't read enough books to give you good choices, then feel free to use any books yet to be read from your piles. I've given my answers as examples. Feel free to add or change words (such as "a" or "the" or others that clarify) as needed.

My Life According to Books

1. My Ex is/was The Trouble in Hunter Ward (by Josephine Bell)

2. My best friend is [a] Partner(s) in Wonder (by Harlan Ellison)

3. Lately, at work [I've had to deal with the] The Wrong Box (by Robert Louis Stevenson & Lloyd Osbourne) [We've been moving offices]

4. If I won the lottery, [I'd go] Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) 

5. My fashion sense [is a] Terror in the Town (by Edward Ronns)

6. My next ride [will be in] The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells) 

7. The one I love is [reminds me of the] Odor of Violets (by Baynard Kendrick)

8. If I ruled the world, I would [make everything a] Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude (by Ross Gay)

9. When I look out my window, I [do so] By the Light of the Study Lamp (by Carolyn Keene)

10. The best things in life are [found through] The Sign of the Book (by John Dunning)

Please post your answers on your blog and link up your post in the linky below. And what do you get for all that hard work (and distraction from the actual climb)? The link will close at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, August 1.  On Thursday,  I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). Just think, if you win a book you can start up a pile for next year's Mount TBR Challenge.

Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or if you've only got one leg of the journey under your belt, I'd love to have you check in and tell us how your climb is going!

***Please note--the linky is for Checkpoint posts only.  The link must be to a specific Checkpoint post (not your blog's home page in general). Links that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner.

Just the Facts: Checkpoint

Calling all cars, calling all cars...Detectives are asked to check in with Headquarters. Please report progress. Headquarters out.

So....the beginning of July came and went in a Montana-vacation-blur and then my laptop died. Finally got it back today and so...now it's time to see how our detective challengers are doing with their notebooks. Back in the fall when I put together the latest version of the Vintage Mystery Challenge, I randomly selected items from the notebooks for our checkpoints. Here are the categories for our second checkpoint (January - July 25, no books posted after this checkpoint goes live):

WHO: Retired from OR In the Armed Services
WHAT: Animal in the title
WHEN: During a trip/cruise/vacation/etc.
WHERE: In a locked room
HOW: Death by strangulation
WHY: An author you've never tried

You may enter once for every item checked off in your notebooks. Both Golden & Silver cards count. Please use the linky below and enter your items under the following "Name":

Your name (Category) Card 
 ~Example: Bev (Armed Services) Silver

If you do not have a blog or other way to link up below, then you may use the above format for all of your items and list them in the comments below. You will also earn one entry for every item.

The linky will be open until midnight on Wednesday, August 1. Sometime on Thursday, I will pull out the Custom Random Number Generator and select a winner. Good luck!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Vintage Scavenger Hunt Check-in Post #3 (aka Prize Opportunity!)

Calling all scavenger hunters! We have passed the mid-way point in our vintage mystery cover scavenger hunt. Back in November 2015 when I launched this year's version of the reading challenge, I randomly picked categories for various check points along the way. Here are the categories for this round:

1. Bottle/Glass for Drinking
2. Boat
3. Skeletal Hand
4. Clock/Timepiece
5. Hand Holding Weapon
6. Library/Book

You may enter once for every object already found and claimed prior to this post going live. Objects count from both Gold and Silver cards. Links may point to relevant reviews OR you may create Check-in Specific posts. Please use the following for the link title for the Check-in:

Name (Object) Card   [example: Bev (Clock) Silver]  

OR

Name (Checkpoint Summary) 

If you use a checkpoint summary post, I will enter you for the number of items you list as found. Checkpoint posts must include either the cover used or some means of pointing me to the cover on the internet.

If you do not blog (or have a way to link up through Goodreads, etc), please enter in the comments and point me to the cover of the edition you read.

The linky will be available until Tuesday, October  11th. On Wednesday, I will use the magic random number generator to draw a winner who may choose a prize from my prize vault. 

Mount TBR: Checkpoint #3

Oh my goodness!  Where does the time go?  Last I checked, September was just starting....and now it's gone and it's time to get the third quarterly checkpoint up and running. Let's see how our challengers are doing after they've got 9 months under the ol' mountain-climbing belt.  

For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to do two things:
 

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).  If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. 

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:

A. Who has been your favorite character so far? And tell us why, if you like.

B. Pair up two of your reads. But this time we're going for opposites. One book with a male protagonist and one with a female protagonist. One book with "Good" in the title and one with "Evil." Get creative and show off a couple of your books.

C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?

D. Choose 1-4 titles from your stacks and using a word from the title, do an image search.  Post the first all-eyes-friendly picture associated with that word.

Please prepare your answers in a Checkpoint blog post and link up below.

And what do you get for all that hard work (and distraction from the actual climb)? The link will close at 11:59 pm on Saturday, October 8.  Sometime next Sunday I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). Just think, if you win a book you can start up a pile for next year's Mount TBR Challenge. 

Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or you've already finished your climb, I'd love to have you check in with us and tell us all your news!

***Please note--the linky is for Checkpoint posts only.  The link must be to a specific Checkpoint post (not your blog's home page in general). Links that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner.  Enter here OR on my Goodreads Challenge site (but not both places, please).

Sign in below with your Checkpoint post.

Mount TBR Check Point #3

Oh my goodness!  Where does the time go?  Last I checked, September was just starting....and now it's gone and it's time to get the third quarterly checkpoint up and running. Let's see how our challengers are doing after 9 months are under the ol' mountain-climbing belt.  

For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to do two things:
 

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).  If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. 

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:

A. Who has been your favorite character so far? And tell us why, if you like.

B. Pair up two of your reads using whatever connection you want to make. Written by the same author? Same genre? Same color cover? Both have a main character named Clarissa? Tell us the books and what makes them a pair.

C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?

D. Choose 1-4 titles from your stacks and using a word from the title, do an image search.  Post the first all-eyes-friendly picture associated with that word.

Please prepare your answers in a Checkpoint blog post and link up below.

And what do you get for all that hard work (and distraction from the actual climb)? The link will close at 11:59 pm on Saturday, October 10.  Sometime next Sunday I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). Just think, if you win a book you can start up a pile for next year's Mount TBR Challenge. 

Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or you've already finished your climb, I'd love to have you check in with us and tell us all your news!

***Please note--the linky is for Checkpoint posts only.  The link must be to a specific Checkpoint post (not your blog's home page in general). Links that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner.  Enter here OR on my Goodreads Challenge site (but not both places, please).

Sign in below with your Checkpoint post.

 

Mount TBR June Checkpoint Winner!

Just got back from a tiny book-buying trip (really--only two books came home with me today) to add to my TBR pile for next year....and realized that, Hey!  I need to find a winner for the June Checkpoint prize.  So....without further ado, I will just plug in the random number generator and enter in the parameters....and the lights flash and webpage whirs and we get  (drum roll, please).....Comment #10!  That means that Geoff @ The Oddness of Moving Things is our winner!  Congratulations, Geoff!  I'll be contacting you soon with the prize list.

Thanks to everyone for participating in the check-in.  I really enjoyed reading your comments on your progress so far and I especially enjoyed the sentences & sentences you were able to concoct with your titles.  Thanks as well to all climbers for joining me in scaling those Mount TBR heights.  Good luck in the second half!