Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge

It's time to sign up for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge. Once again, I was an early finisher and got to submit a category.  The challenge runs from November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017. Sign up at the link above.

It's almost time for the next installment of the Semi-Charmed Book Challenge series! Whether you are a newcomer to the challenge or a repeat reader, I am excited to have you here today. Continue reading after the jump to see the guidelines and categories for the winter challenge.

General Guidelines:

• The challenge will run from November 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017. No books started before 12 a.m. on November 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on January 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 summer 2017 challenge.
• Have fun! Read some books you might not have read otherwise. Discover new authors and make new bookworm friends. (Yes, these are the most important rules!)

How to join the challenge: You do not need to have a blog to join the challenge! Feel free to track your books any way that works for you. If you want to do it on your blog or Goodreads, great! If you want to keep track privately in a notebook or on your phone, that's fine too.

How to win: When you finish the entire challenge, come back and comment on this post with your list of books and point totals! The first five people to post here with their complete lists will be invited to submit a category for the next challenge, but anyone who finishes at least one book during this challenge is a winner in my heart! :)

How to get started: If you would like to create a preliminary reading list for the challenge, feel free to link up your list at the bottom of this post. (See an example list here.) A preliminary post is not mandatory to join the challenge, and you can always change which books you want to read, but it is a good way to see what other people are planning to read and get some ideas for categories you might be stuck on.

Challenge Categories:

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

           I Was Here--Gayle Forman (306 pages, 3 stars)

10 points: Read a 2016 finalist (longlist or shortlist) for one of the following literary prizes: National Book Award, Man Booker or Man Booker International.  

            Another Brooklyn--Jacqueline Woodson (192 pages, 4 stars)

        

          

10 points: Read a brand-new release (something published  between November 1,

2016, and January 31, 2017).

The Chemist--Stephenie Meyer (518 pages, 4 stars)

15 points: Read a book by an author of a different race or religion than you.

  Empress Orchid--Anchee Min (368 pages, 3 stars)

        

15 points: Read a book featuring a main character who is of a different race or religion than you.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan--Lisa See (269 pages, 3 stars)

20 points: Read a modern retelling of a classic (e.g. an Austen Project novel, Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, etc.) — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner  Kaity.

Cindy and the Fella/Calling All Glass Slippers--Jacqueline Diamond (354 pages, 3 stars)

25 points: Read a book with an alcoholic beverage (neat or cocktail) in the title. — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Kerry. (And she was nice enough to come up with a long list of suggestions for you!)   Margarita Nights--Phyllis Stallman (329 pages, 3 stars)

30 points: Read a book with a character that shares your first or last name. (Alternate spellings are okay, e.g. Megan and Meghan or Smith and Smyth.) — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Ericka.    

          A Walk to Remember--Nicholas Sparks (240 pages, 3 stars)

30 points: Read two books: a nonfiction book and a fiction book with which it connects. For example: A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie and one of Christie's mystery novels that features poison, or The Monuments Men and All the Light We Cannot See. The possibilities are endless, so have fun with this one! — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Bev. (And remember you must finish both books to get the 30 points! No partial points will be awarded.)  

          Nonfiction:  Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad--
          Ann Hagedorn (352 pages, 3 stars)
          Fiction:  The Underground Railroad--Colson Whitehead (306 pages, 3 stars)

40 points: Read two books: one by an author whose first name is the same as the last name of the author of the other book. For example: You may read a book by Martin Cruz Smith and a book by George R.R. Martin, or a book by James Joyce and a book by Joyce Carol Oates. The shared name must be spelled exactly the same, no variations. — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Jamie. (And remember you must finish both books to get the 40 points! No partial points will be awarded.)

          Red Square--Martin Cruz Smith (418 pages, 3 stars)

         The Penalty Box--Deirdre Martin (325 pages, 3 stars)



Challenge completed on December 11