I’ve been wanting to participate in one of Megan’s book challenges for a while now, so I decided to join in for her winter 2014 challenge and I’m so excited about it! The idea is that there’s a list of categories, and you have to choose a book to read that fits with each category and you get points for each one that you accomplish. If you’re interested in joining, visit Megan’s blog to get all the details – it seems like it’s going to be a lot of fun! One night last week, I did some research on books to read for each category, and I’m excited to have my list of books to read pretty much finalized.

Here’s my list! 

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that fits the general rules. – Tampa by Alissa Nutting (277 pages)
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. – All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner (401 pages)
10 points: Read a book of short stories. – The Miniature Wife and Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales (320 pages)
10 points: Read a book with a food (not a drink!) – Honey on Your Mind  by Maria Murnane (308 pages)
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you (so no rereads for this one!). The Program by Suzanne Young (417 pages)
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. – Delicacy by David Foenkinos (250 pages) (Originally published as La Delicatesse)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author (either an author from your state if you live in the United States, or in your country if you live somewhere else—note: author must be from where you currently live). – The Memory Thief by Emily Colin (434 pages)
20 points: Read a “bookish book” (in which books play an important role, e.g. the setting involves a bookstore or library, a major character is an author, or a book that celebrates reading and books. – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (305 pages)
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title (e.g. north, south, east, west or any combination of those). – North of Beautiful by Justina Chen (396 pages)
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don’t usually read. – He’s Gone by Deb Caletti
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. Be sure to tell us the song name and artist as well! – Promises, Promises by Erica James (445 pages) (Song: Promises, Promises by Naked Eyes)
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, brunch; update: meals like feast, banquet, picnic will also count, but try not to get too “creative” with your meal words!). – The Dinner by Herman Koch (306 pages) and Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson (480 pages)

Have you ever participated in a book challenge? What’s the best book you’ve read this year?