Vintage Scavenger Hunt 2024

It's time to start posting the reading challenges for next year and once again I've got the vintage mystery fans covered. I hope you all are ready for another round of mystery cover scavenging. As I did last year, I've expanded the cards with more objects--so more choices to get your basic challenge met.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to find as many objects on the scavenger hunt list as possible on the covers of the mystery books you read. As always, you may play along in either the Golden or Silver Mystery Eras (or, for the more adventurous, both). See check lists below.

Rules
* All books must be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.). The mystery/crime must be the primary feature of the book--ghost stories, paranormal, romance, humor, etc are all welcome as ingredients, but should not be the primary category under which these books would be labeled at the library or bookstore. 

*For the purposes of this challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Golden Age short story collections (whether published pre-1960 or not) are permissible provided all of the stories included in the collection were originally written pre-1960.  Please remember that some of our Golden Age Vintage authors wrote well after 1959--so keep an eye on the original publication date and apply them to the appropriate card.  Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive). Again, Silver Age short story collections published later than 1989 are permissible as long as they include no stories first published later than 1989.  Yes, I admit my dates are arbitrary and may not exactly meet standard definitions of Golden or Silver Age.  

*Minimum number of items to complete the challenge and to be eligible for an all-Reader's Block Challenge prize drawing at the end of the year is eight items from the covers of books read from a single Vintage Mystery Era.  If you choose to do both eras, you must use separate checklists. You may not, for example, find three golden age items and five silver age items to claim the minimum eight.
 
*Challenge runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. All books should be read during this time period. You may sign up at any time.  Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge and a little bit about your commitment—if you’re going Silver or Gold…or maybe both. Then sign up via the form below. And please make the url link to your Challenge post and not your home page. If you do not have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are also acceptable OR you may comment below to indicate your sign up.

*"On the cover" may apply to either the front or the back cover of the book. For example, if you need a map or a chart for your scavenger hunt list, then Dell Mapbacks are perfect--with the map in question on the back cover. Also, the item should be found on the cover of the edition that you read. If at all possible either post a picture showing the item on the cover in the monthly review linky or provide a link to a page showing us. Exception:  If the edition you read has no picture whatsoever (hardbacks that have no dust jacket, e-copies, etc.), then you may go on another scavenger hunt online to find a cover image--again, please provide a link to the edition used. Bottom line: if I choose to check up on entries, I must be able to find the item claimed on a cover for the book read.

*No double-counting within the challenge. If a book's cover has both a shadowy figure and a weapon, you may only use it to check off one item from the list. You are welcome to change the item claimed at any time prior to submitting it for prizes. 

*Books read for this challenge may be used for other challenges as well.

*Reviews are encouraged, but they are not necessary to participate. If you do not have a blog, post to the comments below that you intend to join and then post again at the end-of-year wrap-up site when you have completed your challenge (include a list of books read, categories you have completed, and how to find images of covers).

*The Vintage Headquarters link which appears on my sidebar will be updated for the 2024 version once the new year begins. You can go there for review links and information.

*If you post on social media, please use #2024VintageScavengerHunt.

*PRIZE Opportunity: Challengers who complete the minimum eight books from a single era will be eligible for a drawing at the end of the year for a book from the prize list.  

*Please keep track of your progress and be prepared to submit a final wrap-up post or comment at the end of the year. Please DO NOT submit completion notifications prior to the posting of the Wrap-Up Link. Thank you. 

*Pictures of the Scavenger Hunt lists are below (click photo to enlarge). To help you track your progress, you may find a spreadsheet with tabs for lists in Gold & Silver HERE. You can download the sheet for your own use.