I’ve written a few times about reading challenges and how I feel about them. Since becoming active on Goodreads, my TBR list is out of control, and I feel like I really need to “organize” my reading life. By this, I mean, I keep a shelf called “check out soon” and place a book or two on hold if I am nearing the end of my short-list. Book challenges also really help me to read a variety of books over the span of a month or two. I have made a conscious decision moving forward to only choose books for book challenge categories if they are already on my TBR list (OR if they sound super fantastic anyway). I ended up reading some not-great books once in a book challenge because I had to fit a certain category.

This summer, I’m hoping to do Erin’s Book Challenge 5.0 which will be announced on Jun 1 and begin July 1. I am also still planning to participate in Erin and Dani’s read your books challenge for the month of June. Finally, I’m working towards picking out books for Megan’s Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge 2016. #SCSBC16

Here are the categories for SCSBC16:

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. TBD but will likely be one from my own shelf: Every Move by Ellie Marney  or The Grand Sophy  by Georgette Heyer which I just got in the mail.

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! Summer Days & Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins (various authors)  

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. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (this has been on my list for a long time). If I end up not liking this, I’ll read The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling.

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.)  Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani (this might change once I dig around a bit more – I am also wondering if the Appalachian area in Canada counts but I don’t think so) another choice I had in mind for this is The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen but I’m not sure about the magical realism part. Hmm. We’ll see how it goes 😉

15 points: Don’t judge a book by its cover! Read a book with a cover you personally find unappealing. TBD when I look at the books on my shelves but it might end up being Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  – the copy I have isn’t the prettiest and I have put off reading it for at least 15 years even though it’s right on my bookshelf.

20 points: Read a book that you have previously only seen the film (movie) of. – Submitted by SCWBC15 finisher Bevchen. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (I own it and reading all of Austen’s books is a goal of mine for this year so this fits well here – I’d love to use Emma but I’m already halfway through the book ;)). 

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 Eyre Affair  by Jasper Fforde (I’m going to copy your choice here Kristen, hope that’s OK! I struggled with this category too and might change my mind)

30 points: Read a microhistory. (Try this list or this one for ideas.) As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes (I am not sure if this counts. I think it might be a “micro-memoir” but I hope it fits here.) My next pick if this one doesn’t count is The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.

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.) The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (good word = happiness :)) and Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan (bad word = sleepless lol) (two books I own – second via Netgalley)

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.) The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell and The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (first via Netgalley)

Of these books, I will for sure be reading The Girls in the Garden and Sleepless in Manhattan ASAP to post reviews for Netgalley.  My other priorities will be sticking to books I already own in June. After that, I’ll just have to see how I can slide these in with other interesting books for Erin’s next challenge in July!!