Saturday, December 5, 2009

999 Challenge Complete - Part II



As promised, here is the list of the 2nd batch of reading completed for the Other 999 Challenge.  Some of my categories were the same - I love to read mysteries and fiction, some were designed to capture some of the ARCs that were stacking up, and some were simply to meet my need for whimsey.


Category #1: Mysteries

1. Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein.
2. The Girl of His Dreams Donna Leon
3. On What Grounds Cleo Coyle.
4. Mint Julep Murder Caroline Hart.
5. Cream Puff Murder Joanne Fluke.
6. chocolate chip murder mystery Joanne Fluke
7. Murder on K street Margaret Truman
8. The New Bedside, Bathtub, Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie by Julian Symons
9. The Terra Cotta Dog Andrea Camilleri

Category #2: Leftovers - some of these were leftover from my first challenge, and some had to do with food (get the pun?)

1. Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson.
2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.
3. The Private Patient by P.D. James
4. There is a Season Joan Chittister, OSB
5. Chocolate: A Love Story by Max Brenner
6. The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel
7. Roux Morgue (Mary Ryan, Pastry Chef Mysteries) by Claire M. Johnson
8. Alice, let's eat by Calvin Trillin
9. Toast Nigel Slater
Category #3: Maine/New England - (this was originally setup to be the books we were reading in the "Maine Reads" online group, but that fell apart after the sponsoring newspaper got bought up by 'others.')

1. New England Days:Stories (our American Heritage) by Sarah Orne Jewett
2. Primal Obsession by Susan Vaughan.
3. The Paperwhite Narcissus by Cynthia Riggs
4. Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors.
5. Deadly Nightshade Cynthia Riggs
6. Shoutin' into the Fog Thomas Hanna.
7. Pink Chimneys: A Novel of Nineteenth Century Maine Ardeana Hamlin Knowles.
8. The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo.
9. Last Night at the Lobster Stewart O'Nan.

Category 4: Historical Fiction

1. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
2. The Lady Elizabeth Alison Weir
3. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys.
4. Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's by Charles A. Cerami
5. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
6. Saint and the Fasting Girl by Anna Richenda
7. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
8. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Elizabeth Howe
9. The Gods of Newport John Jakes.

Category 5: ERs or ARCs

1. Wife of the Gods A Novel by Kwei Quartey
2. Obama's Blackberry
3. The Link by Colin Tudge
4. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
5. Red to Black by Alex Dryden
6. The Rapture by Liz Jensen
7. Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
8. South of Broad by Pat Conroy
9. True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy

Category #6: LT Recommends (books that caught my eye from discussions on LT threads or more LT early review books)

1. Rule Number Two Heidi Squier Kraft
2. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley
3. The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu Michael Stanley.
4. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
5. A Novena for Murder by Sr. Carol Anne O'Marie
6. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.
7. Rizzo's War by Lou Manfredo
8. Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
9. A Circle of Souls Preetham Gandhi

Category #7: Surprise!! (not sure what to expect, but give it a try...)

1.The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman
2.Little Fingers Filip Florian
3.Guardian of Lies Steve Martini.
4.Moth Lew Griffin Mysteries James Sallis
5.Tea Time for the Traditionally Built Alexander McCall Smith
6.Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
7.a Rule Against Murder Louise Penny
8.Manana, Manana Peter Kerr
9.Dead Cat Bounce Sarah Graves

Category #8: Only Audio

1. Scarecrow Michael Connelly
2. Cemetery Dance Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
3. All Other Nights Dara Horn.
4. Executive Privilege Philip Margolin.
5. Knit Two Kate Jacobs
6. Tunnel Vision Sara Paretsky
7. Inventing a Nation Gore Vidal
8. Death is a Cabaret Deborah Morgan
9. Devil's Claw J.A. Jance 

Category #9: Christmas

1. A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry.
2. The Christmas Cookie Club Ann Pearlman
3. Irish Country Christmas Patrick Taylor
4. Angels: A Pop-Up Book by Chuck Fischer
5. Norman Rockwell's Christmas Book
6. Silent Nights Anne Perry
7. Shepherds Abiding Jan Karon
8. The Paper Bag Christmas by Keven Alan Milne
9. Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby

This has certainly been a fun year. Looking back over the list, (parts 1 and 2) I see that at least 30% of what I read I'd have never given a glance to if I hadn't joined LT and this challenge.  The insights, suggestions and encouragement from that group have been such fun, and certainly have expanded my horizons.  Reading ARCs is another new joy I had this year...I tried to accept only those I know I'd be able to get through, but again, I stretched a bit, and wasn't disappointed.

I'm spending the rest of the year browsing through books sitting on the TBR mountain, and the ARC shelves to get myself organized for another great reading year.  We're predicted to get our first snow later today, so after a trip to an early holiday party, I'm hunkering down.

Tomorrow, if I get a chance, Sunday Salon will have some musings on where my reading challenges will take me next year.

4 comments:

  1. I am very impressed...and a little dizzy after reading that.
    I have not now, nor ever, entered a challenge...I feel so unworthy..lol

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  2. Caite....you are not unworthy my dear. One could easily make the argument that you are among the sane ones in the group in that you let your immediate impulse pick the book to read, thereby giving you an enhanced chance of enjoying it.

    Not to say I didn't enjoy almost all those I read, but I did have to push myself on a few.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Totally agree that LT has changed my reading habits - for the better! I'm out of that rut I was in for way too long. Nice job on finishing twice!!

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Welcome, thanks for stopping by. Now that you've heard our two cents, perhaps you have a few pennies to throw into the discussion. Due to a bunch more anonymous spam getting through, I've had to disallow anonymous comments. I try to respond to all comments posing a question, but may not always get to you right away.