Semi-Charmed Summer 2016 Book Challenge

Since I was an early finisher of the Winter 2015 challenge, I got to pick a category for the Summer 2016 challenge and will thus be in again. Click here to sign up and see more details.

General rules:

• The challenge will run from June 1, 2016, to August 31, 2016. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on June 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on August 31 will count.
• Each book must be at least 150 pages long. Audiobooks and large-print books are fine, as long as the regular print version meets the length requirement.
• A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once.
• The highest possible total is 200 points, and the first five people who finish the challenge will be invited to contribute a category for the winter 2016 challenge.

And now for the exciting part: the challenge categories!

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 150 pages long.

           Walk Two Moons--Sharon Creech (280 pages, 3 stars)

10 points: Read a collection of short stories or essays. They may all be written by the same author, or the book may be an anthology from different writers; your choice!

          12 Shades of Surrender-Various Authors (480 pages, 3 stars)

10 points: Read an adult fiction book written by an author who normally writes books for children. Examples: J. K. Rowling, Judy Blume, Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, etc. - Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Kelly E.

           The Red House Mystery--A.A. Milne (239 pages, 3 stars)

15 points: Read a book set in Appalachia. - Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Ericka B. (Try this listor this one for inspiration. And here’s a map if you have a book in mind and want to know if it fits the setting.)  

          The Girl Who Chased the Moon--Sarah Addison Allen (269 pages, 3 stars)

15 points: Don’t judge a book by its cover! Read a book with a cover you personally find unappealing.

          We Should Hang Out Sometime--Josh Sundquist (326 pages, 4 stars)

20 points: Read a book that you have previously only seen the film (movie) of. - Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Bevchen.

           The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel-- Deborah Moggach (320 pages, 3 stars)

25 points: Read a book with a punny title. The title can be a play on another book title, movie title or a common expression. Examples of such titles include Southern Discomfort, We'll Always Have Parrots or Bonefire of the Vanities. 
- Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Jamie G.

            A Sheetcake Named Desire--Jacklyn Brady (304 pages, 3 stars)

30 points: Read a microhistory. (Try this list or this one for ideas.)

           1968: The Year That Rocked the World--Mark Kurlansky (464 pages, 4 stars)

30 points: Read one book with a good word in the title, and one with a bad word. Note: This category is reeeeeeeally open-ended! Maybe you like turtles, so The Pearl that Broke Its Shell is a title with a "good" word. Similarly, the "bad" word could be a swear word or a literally negative word like “not” or “none,” or it could just be something you don’t like. Have fun with it! (Remember, you must read both books to get 30 points; this category is not worth 15 points per book.)

          "Good" Word: Great Expectations--Charles Dickens (544 pages, 3 stars)
          "Bad" Word:  The Husband's Secret--Liane Moriarty (396 pages, 4 stars)

40 points: Read two books that contain the same word in the title, but once in the singular and once in the plural. For example: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter and The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer, or Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.(Remember, you must read both books to get 40 points; this category is not worth 20 points per book.)

          Singular: Murder at the Savoy--Maj Sjowell (216 pages, 3 stars)
          Plural:  The Makeover Murders--Jennifer Rowe (256 pages, 3 stars)

Challenge completed on July 14