Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge 2016 Results

I have participated in FIVE of Megan's book challenges, and I've finished every one of them.  I'm not one that puts a ton of pressure on myself to finish, but this time, since I'd completed the previous four, I was feeling the pressure.  How did I do??

You can check out my list on goodreads...and here's a breakdown:

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

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (375 pages) 5*/5 - completed June 12, 2016 - read review here

10 points: Read a collection of short stories or essays:
It's Complicated: Short Stories About Long Relationships by Karen Wright (250 pages) 4*/5 - completed July 14, 2016 - read review here

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. - I gave up on Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) after The Silkworm; still open to suggestions for this category: 
Some of Tim's Stories by S.E. Hinton - completed July 21, 2016 - read review here

15 points: Read a book set in Appalachia. - Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Ericka B. (Try this list or 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 Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows - I've been on the library waitlist for ages; I'm next in line for the book; it was supposed to be available to me by the 30th of July; by the 19th of August, I decided to find another book to meet this category...so, I googled "books set in Appalachia" and picked this one...
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash (224 pages) 3.75*/5 - completed August 20, 2016 - read review here

15 points: Don’t judge a book by its cover! Read a book with a cover you personally find unappealing. -
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (304 pages) 1*/5 - completed June 15, 2016 - read review here

20 points: Read a book that you have previously only seen the film (movie) of. - Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Bevchen. - This was one of the more difficult categories for me to select.  Often, I choose to read a book before the movie.  Or, if I've seen the movie without reading the book, I rarely go back to the book...because the images of the movie are strong in my mind:  

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (224 pages) 5*/5 - completed August 8, 2016 - read review here

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. -
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan (454 pages) 5*/5 - completed June 10, 2016 - read review here

30 points: Read a microhistory. (Try this list or this one for ideas.) -
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer (397 pages) 4.5*/5 - completed August 30, 2016 - read review here

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.)
LOVE/HATE
("Woman" = good word) The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter (560 pages) 5*/5 - completed August 11, 2016 - read review here ...and ("Hate" = bad word) Hate List by Jennifer Brown (405 pages) - 4.5*/5 - completed August 16, 2016 - read review here

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.)
Not Without My Sister: The True Story of Three Girls Violated and Betrayed by Those They Trusted by Kristina Jones, Celeste Jones, and Juliana Buhring (432 pages) 4*/5 - completed June 24, 2016 -  read review here - and  The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (328 pages) 4*/5 - completed June 18, 2016 - read review here

I did it!  I finished...on the very last day!