Semi-Charmed Summer 2013 Book Challenge #SCSBC13

Here I go again!

The Semi-Charged Summer 2013 Book Challenge is hosted by Megan at Semi-Charmed Kind of Life. Click link or image above to sign up.

Details are taken directly from Megan's blog (so I can keep track)

Rules:

• The challenge will run from July 1, 2013, to September 30, 2013. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on July 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on September 30 will count.
• No re-reads (unless specifically stated)! I want you to experience new books with this challenge.
• Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audiobooks are fine, as long as the print versions meet the page requirements.
• A book can only be used for one category. If you want to switch the category later, that's fine, just be sure to account for that in your point total.
• The highest possible total is 200 points, and the first five people who finish the challenge will win a featured/guest post on Semi-Charmed Kind of Life. Good luck!

The Challenge:

My choices are at the end of each point category (in red)--still deciding on a couple of them

5 points: Freebie! Read any book you'd like, as long as it follows the above rules. :)  The Arrow Chest, Robert Parry 5 points
5: Read a book that is less than 150 pages long. (Yes, this is an exception to the general rules! You're welcome haha.) The Old Rectory, Julia Ibbotson (128 pages) 5 points
10: Read a book with a color in the title. Submitted by Erinn of it's the journey on Twitter.  The White Queen, Philippa Gregory  10 Points
10: Read a book that is not the first in its series. (And yes, it must be in a series.) --The Tudor Conspiracy, C. W. Gortner 10 points
15: Read a book it seems everyone but you has read! Submitted by Brighton of Dear Brighton on Twitter.  Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris  City of Bones, Cassandra Clare (forgot I need to read this before the movie comes out!)
15: Read a banned book. (For consistency's sake, the book must be found on one of these lists. See the links in the first paragraph for book lists.) ???
20: Read a book written by a celebrity. This can be a memoir or a fiction book published by someone who was already famous by another means (e.g. James Franco). Submitted by Brighton of Dear Brighton onTwitter. Pictures in my Head, Gabriel Byrne
20: Read a non-fiction book that is not a memoir. It can be pure non-fiction or narrative non-fiction. Submitted by Blair's Head Band onTwitter.  Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
20: Read a book that takes place in a state you have never been in. If you have been to all 50 states, choose a book that takes place in a country you have never been in. Also do the latter option if you are not American. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (Iowa)
25: Read a book that is at least 400 pages long.  Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace (1079 pages) (I was supposed to start this in June for the Summer of Jest, but I haven't started. Perfect for this challenge!)  Changed my mind...The Secret History, Stephanie Thornton (448 pages)  25 Points
25: Read a book with a main character who shares your first name. If you have an uncommon name and really can't find a book, let me know and we can come up with an alternative. :) Submitted by Erinn of it's the journey on Twitter.**  Okay, so I googled popular nicknames for the name Michelle and Ellie was one possible choice so my book is Contact, Carl Sagan (main character named Ellie)
30: Read a book written by an author who was born in the same year as you. Lives of the Monster Dogs, Kirsten Bakis (1968)

**Edited to add: I've decided to amend this category to allow nicknames of your first name and alternate spellings of your first name. I recognize this category is difficult and I don't want anyone to give up looking! :)

How to keep track: I’ll post a check-in on the first day of every month, on which you can comment with your progress. I will also include the scoreboard from the previous month on each check-in post. The first check-in post will be Thursday, August 1. I will also host a link-up on Monday, July 1, if anyone wants to share their preliminary reading list for the challenge (see an example post from one of my previous challenges here).