Book Challenge Update

So here is where I'm at so far for the Semi-Charmed Book Challenge:

1. book by an author I have never read before: Divergent by Veronica Roth (5 pts)

2. 2 out of 3 books of different genres: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (fantasy) and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Dystopia) (20 pts)

 3. I'm almost done with a book in the number in the title: Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. (20 pts)

So far I have 45 points. Go Me! I have until January 31 to finish the challenge. I might have to start reading shorter books. Divergent was only around 300, but A Storm of Swords was over 1,000.

Any book suggestions for the other categories? I'm still on the lookout for authors with the initials J.G!

Review: The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials by James Dashmer

The Scorch Trials is the second book in “The Maze Runner” trilogy. It begins exactly where The Maze Runner left off. Thomas and the Gladers have escaped from the maze and WICKED, and are now safe with their rescuers. At least they thought they were until they woke up to a bunch of Cranks -zombie-like people who have been infected with the Flare- and find their rescuers dead. Not only are the Gladers not safe, they are still in WICKED’s clutches.
When the Gladers realize they are not safe, many things happen at once:
1. They discover Theresa has gone missing and Thomas can’t communicate with her telepathically
2. Theresa seems to have been replaced with a kid named Aris who can also use telepathic communication
3. The Gladers find out that there is another group that has gone through exactly what they went through, except it was a group of girls
4. The group has no access to food for three days

Review: I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I am Number Four is about John Smith (that’s his name for now, anyway). John is not a normal boy, but is in fact an alien from the planet Lorien. John’s planet was attacked when he was young, and he and nine other children escaped with their protectors and headed for the nearest planet that would support life: Earth.
The race that destroyed Lorien, the Mogadorians, are now after the nine who escaped. The nine are protected by a charm, though, so they can only be killed in the numerical order they were given. One through three were found and killed, and John is number four.

And they all come flooding in at once!

Has this ever happened to you?

I requested a lot of books from the library. At least 10, probably more. Not all of them were recent, either. Some of them had very long waiting lists for a small number of books.

The past few days it seems that every single book I have ever requested has come in. This includes both e-books and paper book. The paper books I can at least wait a few days before I pick up, and I can also renew them. But the e-books? Those I have to download within 72 hours of receiving an email notification and I cannot renew them. This isn't the first time this has happened, either. It's as if the library waits to send my books all at once so it is almost impossible to read (and store) all of them. It's a literary conspiracy!

This also means that almost all of the books I plan to read for the book challenge have come in from the library. Now I have an additional challenge: reading them before I have to return them all!

Semi-Charmed book challenge tentative books

This challenge seems like it will provide me an opportunity to read a lot of books that have been on my “to-read” list for a long time. All of the titles are subject to change (depending on my mood and what the library provides), and I am also open to suggestions.

The Challenge:
5 points: Read a book written by an author you have never read before.
    I have a bunch of books by authors I have never read requested through the library. I         
           guess I will just wait to see what comes in first!
5: Read a book you already have at home but haven’t gotten around to yet.
    Again, so many to choose from. When the time comes I’ll see what kind of mood I’m in...
10: Read a book written in the decade that you were born.
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
10: Read a book that takes place in the state/province where you were born. If you were born outside the U.S. and Canada, read a book that takes place in the country you were born.

Eat the City by Robin Shulman

15: Read a book titled The _______'s Daughter or The _______'s Wife.
    The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (?)
    The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston (?)
15:  Read a book that was originally written in a language other than English.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell (German to English)

20: Read a book with a number in the title. This could be an actual digit or a number like “hundred” or “thousand.” No arbitrary numbers are allowed
    The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
20:  Read a book set during Christmas or another winter holiday.
    A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- (?) I have never read it, but always feel that I should.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (?)

20: Read a book written by an author who shares your initials.
    Something by John Grisham? I am open to suggestions.
25: Read a Pulitzer Prize winner or finalist for fiction.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

25:  Re-read a book.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

30: Read three books from three different genres

1. A Storm of Swords  by George R. R. Martin (Fantasy)

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (Cozy Murder Mystery)

3. TBD (Romance? Historical Fiction? Non-Fiction? Other? Too many options!)

Semi-Charmed Winter 2012 Book Challenge

I have never done a book challenge before, but this one seemed fun. Here are the details from http://megancstroup.blogspot.com: