I wasn’t actually sure I could complete this challenge, which had a requirement of 45 books! I wasn’t so much worried about completing the 2009 or 2008 requirements, because I had 2008 completed before the challenge even started and I always read current year books. I was worried about 2007, 2006, and 2005. However, I was able to complete some extras in each category except for 2009 and 2005, so it ended up being all good. I’ve even had to hold off reading books published in 2001 and later so I could use them for next year’s challenge!
There will be one more year for this challenge with the addition of ten 2010 books, which will bring the requiremnt to 55! It will last from 09/09/09 until 10/10/10, and I’ll have sign-ups in a few weeks.
I hope you’ll consider joining!
The books I read:
2009 (9 required)
- The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
- The Houskeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
- All the Living by C.E. Morgan
- Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
- The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
- Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne
2008 (8 required — COMPLETE)
- Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore
- The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
- The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- Breath by Tim Winton
- Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen
- The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- The Pets by Bragi Olafsson
- Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
- Goldengrove by Francine Prose
- Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman
- Somebody Else’s Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage
- The Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek
- Esther’s Inheritance by Sandor Marai
- Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
- The Book of Murder by Guillermo Martinez
- Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love by Lara Vapnyar
- A Mercy by Toni Morrison
- Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
- A Country Called Home by Kim Barnes
- The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
- The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
- The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith
- Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
2007 (7 required — COMPLETE)
- Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
- Finn by Jon Clinch
- Petropolis by Anya Ulinich
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- Ravel by Jean Echenoz
- The End of the Alphabet by C.S. Richardson
- Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
2006 (6 required — COMPLETE))
- X-Kai- by Asami Tohjoh
- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Vol. 1 by M.T. Anderson
- X-Kai- Vol. 2 by Asami Tohjoh
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- The Devil and Miss Prym by Paul Coelho
- Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
- An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
- Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith
- Intuition by Allegra Goodman
- The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro
2005 (5 required — COMPLETE)
- Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi
- Sky Burial by Xinran (2004, 2005 for the English translation)
- Q & A by Vikas Swarup
- The House of Paper by Carlos Maria Dominguez
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
2004 (4 required — COMPLETE)
- Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
- Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
- Natasha and Other Stories by David Bezmozgis
- In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
2003 (3 required — COMPLETE)
- Blankets by Craig Thompson
- Purple Hibiscus by Adichie
- The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
2002 (2 required — COMPLETE)
- Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb
- The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
- Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
- Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
- The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
- Property by Valerie Martin
- Unless by Carol Shields
2001 (1 required — COMPLETE)
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
- Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
- A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Congratulations! I know I’m not going to complete the requirement. Didn’t get enough 2009 books read (I need three more — at least I get the Pub 2009 completed!)
That being said, I’m pretty happy my results.
just WOW
:)
Great set of books there!
Next year is going to be a real challange, with those 10 extra books!
Excellent! Congratulations! I have three more left to finish this off. I’m going to work real hard to not do any challenges next year and let my reading go where it may, but good luck with the next version! If I breakdown, that will be one of the first to do it.
Lezlie
Congrats on finishing the challenge.
I’m really surprised that you and I only had three overlaps. I don’t know why, I just thought that we’d have read more of the same books. We both read: Oscar Wao (yuck), Twilight, and Beneath a Marble Sky.
I wasn’t able to finish this Challenge. But I did read 15 books for it.
Congrats on finishing! That’s awesome.
I don’t think I have the willpower for a challenge of this nature, but if I checked I might have completed it anyways. Hard to say…
Wow
Well done and Congrats.
Well done. I finished too – had to use essays to do it but still – I overdosed on 2009 and 2008 so I’m sure it won’t be considered cheating.
http://lizzysliterarychallenges.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/countdown-challenge-wrapup/
I’m in for next year also. Not sure I have any 2002s or 2003s in the TBR and I’m not buying any in either!
Great job! I’m working on my last two books for this challenge, too. I should squeak in just before the 9th ;o). I’ll be joining the 2010 one, too. Can’t wait (luckily I won’t have to. It’s next week! HOW did that happen???) ;o)!