I thought as a tribute to past efforts by Cheryl (spuddie), LeeAnne (beanbean) and Becky (beanie5) we might go with things from past challenges.  The Mystery challenges began in 2009 so I looked them over and picked two categories from each year since the beginning, not including 2015. 

This year there will be medals for achievements.

Bronze Medal -- read 3 categories
Silver Medal -- read 6 categories
Gold Medal -- read 12 categories
Diamond Medal -- read 12 categories plus 2 bonus
Platinum Medal -- read 12 categories plus 4 bonus
Titanium Medal - read 12 categories plus 6 bonus

1. Everyone deserves a second chance:  Read a mystery by an author you previously tried reading and didn't care for.  (2009)
2. Something new on the shelf:  Read a mystery/thriller from an author you've never read before. (2009)
3. Home Sweet Home:  Read a mystery that takes place as close as possible to where you live--same town or city or general area would be great, but at least in the same state.  (2010)
4. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes:  Read a mystery that contains ONE of the following words in the title: Chocolate, Cherry, Chai, or Chicken.  (2010)
5. Scooby, is that you?  Read a mystery that has a paranormal element to it, ghost, zombies, vampires etc.  (2011)
6. Glory Days:  Read a mystery that was published the year you graduated high school. (2011)
7. The Jewel in the Crown:  Read a mystery that has a precious or semi-precious gem in the title: ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, pearl etc. (2012)
8. War is Hell:  Read a mystery that is set during any American war through World War II. Revolutionary, Civil, 1812…they all qualify!   (2012)
9. A long road home:  Read a mystery that is at least 400 pages long. (2013
10. Good to see you again:  Read an author that you always enjoy. (2013)
11. Having a senior moment here:  Read a mystery with a senior citizen as sleuth (amateur or retired professional) (2014)
12. AH! Inspector, just in time for tea:  Read a Brit police mystery (2014)

BONUS for over acheivers:

Complete a series: Read to the end of a 'dead' series, one that will have no further books forthcoming.  Either it’s been completed or the author has died.  (2009)

Clean it up!:  Read three mysteries that have been sitting on your TBR stacks for at least a year.(2010)

Somewhere Over the ROY G BIV:  Read seven books with one color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) in the title. (2011)

See the USA in Your Chevrolet:  Read at least five books, each set in a different region of the 48 contiguous United States. We’re in a Chevy and we don’t have a passport. Regions could include: New England, Southeast, Pacific West, Rocky Mountains, Desert Southwest, Great Lakes, Midwest etc.  You can add Hawaii and Alaska AFTER the first five!  (2012)

Don't talk about religion!  Read a book with a main character who is a leader in a religious organization---Priest, Priestess, Pastor, Nun, Shaman, etc. (2013)

Around the World:   Read six books set in a different location – Not the U.S.!  Try to read a book from a place you’d like to visit for a bit more of a challenge.  (2014)

Africa              Canada                        Greenland/Iceland     New Zealand
Asia                 Caribbean Islands      Mexico                        South America
Australia         Europe (England)       Middle East                South Pacific Islands
 

If you have any questions this is where to ask them.

Ok, I have one...question, that is!

In the Bonus Categories, when you say "read to the end of a series", do you mean start with the first book and read all of them to the end?  Or, if, say, you have read the first two books of a three book series, do you mean to read the third one to finish the series?

Thanks for doing the medals, Geri. I am going to try it this coming year, challenge looks good.

Is there anywhere to find a list of mysteries from a certain year?  For Glory Days, I have to go a looooong way back, and I have no idea how to locate a book from a particular year.

I have no idea how you would come up with mysteries published in a certain year, Una.  I just started trying think of authors I knew were writing during the time I needed and, by sheer accident, came up with the year I needed on the first author I checked out...Ngaio Marsh!!

That was a great suggestion, thanks Marla. I found mine from her list of books.

One problem, I need 1958.  I'm not even sure I remember what was going on back then.  lol

Una...Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, Rex Stout, Ellery Queen all published books in 1958.  These were part of a series, but, if memory serves, they could all be read as stand-alones,  Agatha Christie also published a non-series book in 1958.

Get on SYKM, go to Awards and check out the winners of the Grand Master Awards.  Even tho they may have won the award much later, if you look thru them, I'll bet you can come up with several who published books in '58.   I was looking for 1959 and came up with several.

This is a bit of an akward way to do it...maybe someone else has a simpler solution!

Oh Marla, THANK YOU!!!!!!  The book I want to read for Home Sweet Home just came up on FIFO for me.  Now I have to make myself wait until the first of the year to read it.  It's X by Sue Grafton which is actually set in Santa Barbara where I was born and raised and only 35 miles from where I now live.  In her first book she was describing the office and I immediatly recognized it was the same place where my first job was.  Although she changed street names, if you know the area, you could follow exactly where she was talking about.  Very cool.

I'll probably go look at the award winners for the year for Glory Days, too. 

I'm going to try this challenge too- since not all the mysteries I read are cozies. Geri has also approved the Romantic Suspense category as mysteries, so that will help me fill in with books I have in the old TBR mountain. I really need to "work off" some of this TBR bloating that has occured due to the games. I hate that a lot of good books are getting pushed aside in order to read the newest and most WL books. 

Sooo... here I am! 

Pity sake I forgot to hit Watch This Topic!

In the Bonus Categories, when you say "read to the end of a series", do you mean start with the first book and read all of them to the end?  Or, if, say, you have read the first two books of a three book series, do you mean to read the third one to finish the series?

If you've read the first two of a three books series and read the third you've finished the series.  Also as Alice said "Last book in Series means last book written to date in the series",  If another pops up later in the year you can add it or not.  When you read what you thought was the last book will count.

Thank you Marla for answering Una's question.  That's where I would have sent her. 

Just to clarify any book that falls into the mystery/thriller main genre qualifies for this challenge.  Even if you have some cozies that you can't squeez into the cozy challenge.

Also Jeanne has done banners in the thread  Some Challenge Banners for 2016

You could also check out Goodreads for the best book of 1958.  I thought I was the oldest in this crowd but I need 1961.

The first Paddington Bear book came out in 1958 and a James Bond, Dr No too.  

I found some titles and authors I haven't read!  It's exciting because in SYKM it seems like anything I find I've read it.  I know I haven't but those I haven't read I don't want to read. 

You can tell I've recently gotten back to reading as the never read category is easy for me.  I've never even read (gasp) Agatha Christie or Ellery Queen.  I saw that Paddington Bear book, but it's not a mystery.  Shucks.  I found six (still no Agatha Christie) so now I have to see if the library has them.  Amazon has two of them, so I'm probably set.  Ooh wait a minute--I can read Agatha Christie for the never read category and then the others for the Glory Days.  I need another cup of tea to get this brain engaged and going!

Una I think you can read an Agatha for every category.  She really was a versatile writer.  She even has some short series.  I think you'd like Tommy and Tupence.  It's a short series that starts with them as boyfriend/girlfriend and ends with them married.  Five books in that series.  Hercule Piorot has the most.  And stand alones galore!  Ellery Queen, I liked the TV series better than the books.

I think I better begin looksing for books! 

Geri, you said you would have trouble finding an author you haven't read.  Have you ever read one of Wendy Corsi Staub's books?  I read Blood Red last month and I think you would like it if you haven't already read it.  Definitely not a cozy, a definite murder mystery.  The killing methodolgy was rather gruesome, but the details weren't too graphic, so I was able to handle it.  I'm such a wuss. Of course, I probably should have waited to tell you all this until January 1. 

Thanks, Geri.  I can think of 2-3 series that only had 3-5 books and, for whatever reason, I never got around to reading the last one or two.  So, if I can find those, they will work.

It's always surprising when you get back into the older books...they are so short!!  Many less than 200 pages. Although, there are a few authors I've read that would have done better to cut the book to 200 pages or less!!  I think. back in the day. I read everything Christie wrote, including the plays.

I have become OCD about getting books for the three challenges...Mystery Challenge, Cozy Mystery Challenge and an I Spy Challenge that I invented for myself.  Have about 20 or so on my Save for Later list at the library, ordered 9-10 thru PBS and downloaded another 10-12 onto the Kindle.  Decided I really should quit...that's enough for a good start and will find the others later.

Yes Una I've read Wendy Corsi Staub enjoy her books. 

Marla I have a series that at this point has two books to go to finish it.  I'm sure there will be more but at this point...

If anyone is having trouble with the bonus section other countries try this site:  http://www.bookssetin.com

Narrow the search by using advanced search and I never went much beyond the first page!

For the #8 War is Hell you might try King's Mountain / Sharon McCrumb.  I've just started it and it begins with the Revolutionary War.  Right now the action is on the frontier.  I think it might be around Ohio.  Reference is made to the people having battles with the Indians and they're not interested in what is happening in the east.  They know that there is an army fighting the British.

It's almost the end of June how are your doing with the challenge?  Hung up on some category or finished and on to other things?

I just have the War is Hell book to read and then I'll be done with the challenge. Have several books to fit the category but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I have tons of other challenges including monthly ones that keep me hopping and I keep forgetting that I only have one to finish here.

Finished all three challenges...mystery, cozy and one I invented for myself.  Can't believe it took me this long.  Usually whip through them much more quickly.  Still have a couple of states and a country I can add to the Cozy Challenge and there are a few I could pick up at the library.  Right now, I am sort of "cozied out", but might do it before the end of the year. 

I finished the mystery quickly, the main part of the cozy has been done.  I'm trying for 50 states but North Dakota is a hang up.  I'm adding other countries and red which and blue as I see them.  I had 102 on my personal challenge and not quite finished but close.  Mary's got a neat really, really hard challenge.  I might go back and check what I read for the past six months and see if I can fill it in and then finish it for the last six months.

Yep, Geri. The Really, Really Hard challenge has been hard for me. I didn't get anything for the military book month and only one for the Humor month. There's a Challenge Factory forum on Goodreads that I get a lot of my challenges from. It sure helps to clear out a lot of the books that have been around for awhile.