2017 Challenge: The Vintage Mystery Challenge

The Vintage Mystery Challenge, hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block, is always one of my favorites. I've gone back and forth between the Golden Age and Silver Age versions and this year am going to TRY to do both.

Golden Age counts as mysteries published before 1960. Silver Age counts as mysteries published from 1960 through 1989.

The Scavenger Hunt involves finding as many items on the lists below in the covers of the books read. You can only count one item per book cover.

You complete the challenge by "finding" six items on the list, at which point you are entered in Bev's drawing for a prize (if you complete your wrap up post). If you find 12 items on the list, you get entered in a second drawing for a second prize. Bev will also award a Grand Prize for the person who finds the most items.

BOOKS FINISHED

None yet!

Book Beginning: Walking with Plato

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

There's no set route for the End to End. You can do it entirely along roads or you can navigate your way through forest, field, and mountain.

Walking with Plato by Gary Hayden, published by Oneworld Publications.

Author Gary Hayden set off on the 1,150-mile trek from John o’Groats to Land’s End with no intention of writing a book about it. Luckily for us, he changed his mind.

Read my Rose City Reader interview of Gary Hayden here.

2016 Challenge: European Reading Challenge - Wrap Up

COMPLETED

This is my warp up post for the 2016 European Reading Challenge, which officially ends January 31, 2017.

To post your wrap up post for the 2016 challenge, go to this page.

To sign up for the 2017 European Reading Challenge, go to this page.

MY BOOKS

I signed up for the Jet Setter level to read books set in, or written by authors from, five different European countries. I ended up reading 10 qualifying books. As usual, I read many more books set in European countries or written by European authors, but they were the same European countries -- mostly the UK.

My book reviewing has slacked off significantly because I'm so busy in my law practice these days. I am happy if I have time to read books! If I have any extra time, I try to get a few blog posts put up.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Little Dinner Before the Play by Agnes Jekyll (reviewed here)

DENMARK: Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

MALTA: Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess

NORWAY: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo

RUSSIA: Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

SWITZERLAND: The Complete Short Stories, Vol. I, East and West by W. Somerset Maugham

ITALY: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

HUNGARY: Paris: A Love Story by Kati Marton

GREECE: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Bailey's Prize winner)

FRANCE: Missing Person by Patrick Modiano (Nobel laureate)

Teaser Tuesday: Through a Green Lens

Barriers between people and nature seem to be of five basic kinds: distance, physical disability, poverty, lack of time, and attitude. Let's look at each of these, to see how high the walls really are, and how they might best be overcome.

-- Through a Green Lens: Fifty Years of Writing for Nature by Robert Michael Pyle, published by OSU Press. This collection of Pyle's "greatest hits" is a terrific introduction (or refresher) to a gifted writer and world-class naturalist.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: The One-Cent Magenta

What books came into your house last week? One non-fiction book caught my eye.



The One-Cent Magenta: Inside the Quest to Own the Most Valuable Stamp in the World by James Barron. I asked for this early review copy from LibraryThing because it sounded interesting to me and I want to pass it on to my husband, who is quite the philatelist:

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.