Semi Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge

Well, after I finished my GoodReads challenge it was only a matter of time before I signed up to a new one*. I spotted Karen over at RunWright was doing Megan’s Semi Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge and the categories were so inspiring I just had to take it on. The rules (copied from Megan’s blog) are as follows:

• 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!)

And the categories:

1. 5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 150 pages long.
2. 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.
3. 10 points: Read a brand-new release (something published between November 1, 2016, and January 31, 2017).
4. 15 points: Read a book by an author of a different race or religion than you.
5. 15 points: Read a book featuring a main character who is of a different race or religion than you.
6. 20 points: Read a modern retelling of a classic (e.g. an Austen Project novel, Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, etc.)
   
7. 25 points: Read a book with an alcoholic beverage (neat or cocktail) in the title.
8. 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.)
9. 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!
10. 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.
    

See what I mean? I could never have resisted trying this one. So, here’s the list of what I plan to read

Reading list!

1. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K Dick
2. The Vegetarian by Han Kang**
3. Lift and Separate by Marilyn Simon Rothestein
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. Ruby by Cynthia Bond
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith
7. The Double Helix by James Watson (if that’s not the name of a cocktail I’ll invent one for it personally)
8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
9. In Search of Time by Dan Falk** and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
10. Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally and Going Out by Scarlett Thomas

Ok, so there’s one on this list that I can’t choose yet and one that I simply can’t decide on, but I think it looks like fun overall. I tend to change my mind a lot about the books I intend to read next, so obviously I reserve the right to find a different text to meet the criteria whenever I please but otherwise I’m going to go for it. Incidentally, if anyone has any suggestions for any of the categories I’m up for hearing them.

Does anyone else feel like joining in? Are you doing any other reading challenges at the moment? Let me know!

*Those paying attention will notice I also have a small badge in my sidebar indicating that I’m doing a non-fiction book challenge this year. I have completed it but I’m keeping the badge in case I manage to read enough books to push me into the category beyond the one I initially set myself.

**Yep, I did end up changing my mind about a couple of books. Bound to happen.