Monday, February 1, 2016

Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge 2015 Final Report

 

I've participated and finished in previous challenges hosted by Megan at Semi-Charmed Kind of Life , but I wasn't sure I was going to complete this one.  Until.  I started creatively changing books.  And, I finished on the LAST day of the challenge. 

My final list:
 
 5 points: Read a book that has between 100 and 200 pages.
Night by Elie Wiesel (115 pages) - COMPLETED November 16, 2015 5/5

10 points: Read a debut book by any author. (The book does not have to be a 2015 debut.)
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (336 pages) - COMPLETED November 3, 2015 4.5/5

10 points: Read a book that does not take place in your current country of residence.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (France/438 pages) - COMPLETED December 18, 2015 5/5

10 points: Read a book that someone else has already used for the challenge. — Submitted by SCSBC15 finisher Kristen @ See You in a Porridge. Hey! I know her
updated:  Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill - from Kristen's list - I had read a different book with a paranormal storyline, and I wasn't wanting to read another, so what I read was:
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh (387 pages) from Bev's list - COMPLETED January 4, 2016 4.75/5

15 points: Read a book published under a pseudonym (e.g. Robert Galbraith, Sara Poole, J.D. Robb, Franklin W. Dixon, Mark Twain, etc.). — Submitted by SCSBC15 finisher Megan M.
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling/455 pages) - COMPLETED November 14, 2015 1/5

15 points: Read a book with “boy,” “girl,” “man” or “woman” in the title (or the plural of these words).
The Boy Kings of Texas by Domingo Martinez (456 pages) - I read Tweak (see below/last category), and it was released with a "companion book", so I really wanted to read that instead...but I was on the waitlist at the library, then I had a few days with no reading due to migraines, so...it was close!:
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff (336 pages) COMPLETED January 31, 2015!! 3.5/5

15 points: Read a book with a one-word title (e.g. Attachments, Americanah, Uglies, Wild, etc.).
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (208 pages) COMPLETED November 28, 2015 4/5

20 points: Read a book with a person's first and last name in the title (e.g. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle).
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (470 pages) - Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (288 pages) was sitting on my bookshelf at home wanting to be read - COMPLETED January 16, 2016 3/5

20 points: Read a food-themed book. — Submitted by SCSBC15 finisher Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
The Dinner by Herman Koch (292 pages) COMPLETED November 5, 2015 3.5/5

20 points: Read a book with a verb in the title. (For any grammar nerds out there, I mean “verb” in the most general sense, so gerunds count. For non-grammar-inclined people, just use any book that appears to have a verb in the title!)
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (371 pages) - After waiting on the library wait list and my turn still hasn't happened, I chose:
Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol (352 pages) COMPLETED January 14, 2016 4/5

30 points: Read two books with the same title (by different authors). — Submitted by SCSBC15 finisher bevchen @ Confuzzledom.
Finders Keepers by Stephen King (448 pages) COMPLETED December 25, 2015 4/5 and Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer (393 pages) COMPLETED December 11, 2015 4/5

30 points: Read a nonfiction book and a fiction book about the same subject (e.g. a biography and historical fiction novel about the same person; two books about a specific war or event; a nonfiction book about autism and a novel with a character who has autism, etc. The possibilities are endless!).
Crank by Ellen Hopkins (fiction/538 pages) COMPLETED December 31, 2015 4/5 and
 Tweak by Nic Sheff (non-fiction/336 pages) COMPLETED December 29, 2015 4.5/5

Yep, I completed the challenge, so my own personal streak continues.....do you participate in book challenges?  Do you finish?  Or do you use them to encourage reading participation with no pressure to finish?

9 comments:

  1. YAY! You finished!

    There is something deeply ingrained in me that drives me until I finish most things. Sure there are exceptions, but for most things, reading challenges included, if I start it, I must finish it.

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  2. Congrats on finishing! I read The Nightingale in January too and really liked it! I've only done one reading challenge (other than the ABC reading challenge that I just do by myself), but I think I'll do more in the future. :)

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  3. Look at you with all the COMPLETED markings - you go girl!!!

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  4. Go us for completing the challenge this time around! I was really worried about not being able to complete it in time, but I finished my last book last night! I also had a couple of books that doubled up for your challenge, so I'm glad that I got a head start on that one too!

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  5. Yay for finishing!!!

    As you know, I'm am shitting the bed on your challenge but hopefully it'll pick up this month. And I finished Cranked the other day. Holy crap. That book was something else. I cannot wait to read the other two!

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  6. Woohoo! Congrats on finishing. Creatively changing things around is definitely the way forward ;-)

    So many people read The Dinner for the food-themed book!

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  7. Girl you rock these challenges!! I am so glad you finished. I can barely write a blog post and you are reading hundreds of books! lol

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  8. You did pretty damn well! I failed miserably at this one (I finished 2...) but I plan on upping my game with your challenge this month!

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  9. Fabulous job on kicking this reading challenge's butt!

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