Dianestm's 999 Challenge

I'm happy to be part of this challenge.

I am going to start my lists now and add to them when a book grabs me and I read it.

Here is my category list for the 999 challenge:

1. Classics
2. By NZ authors
3. Biography
4. New to me authors
5. Young Adults
6. Award winning books
7. Contemporary fiction
8. Crime/Thriller
9. Published in 2009

1. Classics

1. Rebecca: Daphne Du Maurier - 5 stars
2. Tess of the D'Urbervilles: Thomas Hardy - 2 stars
3. Emma: Jane Austen
4. Wuthering Heights: Emily Bronte - 3 stars
5. To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Lee - 4 1/2 stars
6. Catcher in the Rye: JD Salinger - 3 1/2 stars
7. A Clockwork Orange: Anthony Burgess - 4 stars
8. Light in August: William Faulkner - 2 1/2 stars
9. The Scarlett Letter: Nathaniel Hawthorne

2. By NZ Authors

1. Departure Lounge: Chad Taylor - 4 stars
2. Dreamboat Dad: Alan Duff - 3 stars
3. On top of everything: Sarah-Kate Lynch - 3 1/2 stars
4. Sonata for Miriam: Linda Olsson - 4 1/2 stars
5. Eating Peacocks: Barbara Else - 2 1/2 stars
6. Swimmers Rope: Stephanie Johnson - 4 stars
7. The Life and Death of Laura Friday and Pavarotti, her Parrot: David Murphy - 4 stars
8. Divine: Michelle Holman - 4 stars
9. Picking up the Pieces: Heather Marshall - 3 stars

I am glad that I chose to read some books from New Zealand authors, I have found some great reads amongst this category and will continue to be on the look out for NZ authors books.

3. Biography

1. Dear Fatty: Dawn French - 5 stars
2. Billy: Pamela Stephenson
3. Belonging: Sameen Ali - 3 1/2 stars
4. Giving up the Ghost: a memoir: Hilary Mantel
5. Hana's Suitcase: Karen Levine - 4 stars
6. Woman of valor : Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement in America: Ellen Chesler
7. Sickened : the story of a Munchausen By Proxy childhood: Julie Gregory - 4 stars
8. Naked by David Sedaris - 3 stars
9. Zoya's Story by Zoya, John Follain & Rita Cristofari - 3 1/2 stars

Switched
Amelia : the centennial biography of an aviation pioneer: Donald Goldstein

4. New to me authors

1. In Search of Adam: Caroline Smailes - 5 stars
2. Hidden: Paul Jaskunas - 3 1/2 stars
3.Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast: Bill Richardson - 3 1/2 stars
4. Never Let Me Go: Kazuo Ishiguro - 2 stars
5. A Crime in the Neighborhood: Suzanne Berne - 4 stars
6. A Confederacy of Dunces: John Kennedy Toole - 3 stars
7. The Road: Cormac McCarthy - 4 stars
8. Ella Minnow Pea: Mark Dunn - 4 1/2 stars
9. Drowning Ruth: Christina Schwarz - 4 1/2 stars

5. Young Adults

1. Wait for Me: An Na - 3 stars
2. Peak: Roland Smith - 3 1/2 stars
3. Life on the Refrigerator Door: Alice Kuipers - 3 1/2 stars
4. Such a Pretty Girl: Laura Wiess - 4 stars
5. Chloe Leiberman (sometimes Wong: Carrie Rosten - 3 stars
6. The Cat Ate my Gymsuit: Paula Danziger - 3 stars
7. Vive La Paris: Esme Raji Codell - 3 stars
8. Black Sheep: Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout - 4 stars
9. Paper Towns: John Green - 3 1/2 stars

Category complete

Best book - Black Sheep
Worst book - Vive La Paris

6. Award winning books

1. Child 44: Tom Rob Smith - 4 stars
2. The Beautiful Visit: Elizabeth Jane Howard - 4 stars
3. Hurt Go Happy: Ginny Rorby - 3 stars
4. A Good House: Bonnie Burnard - 2 stars
5. Middle Passage: Charles Johnson - 3 1/2 stars
6. Small Island: Andrea Levy - 3 stars
7. The Heros Walk: Anita Rau Badami - 4 stars
8. Water for Elephants: Sara Gruen - 5 stars
9. The Husband: Dean Koontz - 4 stars

7. Contemporary Fiction

1. The garden of last days : a novel: Andre Dubus III
2. Hold tight: Harlan Coben
3. When will there be good news? Kate Atkinson
4. Little giant of Aberdeen county: Tiffany Baker
5. The Condition: Jennifer Haigh
6. The Beach House: Jane Green - 3 1/2 stars
7. The story of a marriage: Andrew Sean Greer - 3 1/2 stars
8. The third angel : a novel: Alice Hoffman - 3 stars
9. The other: David Guterson

8. Crime/Thriller

1. Quiver: Peter Leonard - 4 stars
2. Killer dreams: Iris Johansen - 4 stars
3. What to do when someone dies: Nicci French - 3 1/2 stars
4. Born to run : a novel of suspense: James Grippando - 3 1/2 stars
5. Trigger city: Sean Chercover - 3 1/2 stars
6. The man in the blizzard : a novel: Bart Schneider - 3 stars
7. The girl in the glass: Jeffrey Ford - 4 1/2 stars
8. Martin misunderstood: Karin Slaughter - 3 1/2 stars
9. Ghost music: Graham Masterton - 4 1/2 stars

9. Published in 2009

1. The Associate: John Grisham - 3 1/2 stars
2. Trapped: Freda Lightfoot - 4 stars
3. Asta in the Wings: Jan Elizabeth Watson - 3 1/2 stars
4. The School of Essential Ingredients: Erica Bauermeister - 4 stars
5. Still Life: Joy Fielding - 4 stars
6. A Lost Wife's Tale: Marion McGilvary - 3 stars
7. Rumour Has It: Jill Manell - 4 stars
8. Secret Son: Laila Lalami - 3 1/2 stars
9. Handle With Care: Jodi Picoult - 4 1/2 stars

Hi dianestm - Hope you enjoy Child 44 as muchas I did. Good to see a NZ authors category, I have a few NZ books scattered through my categories. I'll recommend Steve Braunias such as How to watch a bird if you haven't read him already.

Hi avatiakh

Thanks for the recommendation, I will certainly have a look at this book.

Cheers

Book read to date.

1 Departure Lounge by Chad Taylor
2 Middle Passage by Charles Johnson
3 The Beautiful Visit by Elizabeth Jane Howard
4 In search of Adam by Caroline Smailes
5 Hurt go Happy by Ginny Rorby
6 A good House by Bonnie Burnard
7 Hidden by Paul Jaskanus
8 Dreamboat Dad by Alan Duff
9 Dear Fatty by Dawn French
10 Wait for me by An Na
11 Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast by Bill Richardson
12 Small Island by Andrea Levy
13 Peak by Rowland Smith
14 Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
15 Swimmers Rope by Stephanie Johnson
16 Eating Peacocks by Barbara Else
17 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
18 A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne
19 Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
20 Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
21 Chloe Leiberman (sometimes Wong) by Carrie Rosten
22 The Cat ate my Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
23 Vive La Paris by Esme Raji Codell
24 Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
25 The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

26. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Finished 18 January 09

27. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Finished 19 January 09

28. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Finished 21 January 09

29. Belonging by Sameen Ali

Finished 22 January 09

At this rate you will be finished the challenge before I've finished one category!

You are reading some very interesting books. I am intrigued by the Dawn French biography. She plays such funny roles on tv. What did you think of it?

Hi Judylou, I thought it was brilliant.

It was written as a series of letters to significant people in her life and it was really well done. There were bits that made you laugh out loud and bits that made you cry. I have always thought she was a brilliant comedian and when her book came out I put it on the Xmas wish list. If you enjoy her humor you will enjoy the book.

My reading has slowed now that I am back to work.

I had a feeling it might be good. I think I will order it at the library now.

Stastia- why no touchstones?
I wanted to check out a few of your books but no touchstones!

>21 cyderry:. Edited to include touchstones.

30. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Finished 24 January 09.

31. The Life and Death of Laura Friday and of Pavarotti, Her Parrot by David Murphy

Finished 26 January 09.

32. Quiver by Peter Leonard

Finished 28 January 09

33. Paper Towns by John Green

Finished 30 January 09

34. Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

Finished 31 January 09

35. On Top of Eveything by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Finished 1 February 09

36. The Husband by Dean Koontz

Finished 3 February 09

37. Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen

Finished 4 February 09

38. The Beach House by Jane Green

Finished 6 February 09

39. Picking up the Pieces by Heather Marshall

Finished 7 February 09

Hey, neighbour! Greetings from Oz. :)
As I see from the tickers tread, you're my main competitor. ^__^

#33 can you post a link to your challenge. I would love to see what you have been reading.

40. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Finished 10 February 09

My thread is here: http://ru.librarything.com/topic/57382
But it's not as neatly organised as yours, and I'm cheating a bit (as I explain there), and... most books I read are in Russian. :)

41. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Finished 12 February 09

42. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

43. The Man in the Blizzard by Bart Schneider

44. Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson

Say, you read as much as I do. What are you planning for after you've completed your 999 list? Start a new one? Or are the books on the list just counted for the challenge, what you plan to read, rather than all you read?

I have Sonata for Miriam on this year's must read list after loving her Let me sing you Gentle Songs last year. What did you think of it? And how does it compare (if, that is, you have read her first book!)

Hi Judy

I really enjoyed Sonata for Miriam. I haven't read anything else by Linda Olsson but I will be definitely looking out for some other reads by her.

I confess that I have never really been a big fan of New Zealand authors in the past and this challenge has inspired me to read some more NZ books. Most of them have been enjoyable reads, but of course some more than others, and this one was right up there.

#40, You are correct, I read an awful lot. I have never kept a record of what I get through in a year and to be honest its a bit shocking that I read as much as I do (no wonder my husband complains).

Anyway I am also doing the 75 book challenge which includes books that are not included in this challenge. I can see that I will have to amend my 75 book challenge before much longer to a more realistic target.

45. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Finished 25 February 2009

46. Naked by David Sedaris

Finished 1 March 2009

47. Zoya's Story by Zoya, John Follain & Rita Cristofari

Finished 2 March 2009

48. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman

Finished 6 March 2009

49. Sickened by Julie Gregory

Finished 7 March 2009.

50. Divine by Michelle Holman

Finished 10 March 2009.

NZ author category completed.

51. The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami

Finished 13 March 2009.

52. Light in August by William Faulkner

Finished 16 March 2009.

53. The Associate by John Grisham

Finished 20 March 2009.

54. Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine

Finished 24 March 2009.

55. Martin Misunderstood by Karin Slaughter

Finished 25 March 2009.

56. Ghost Music by Graham Masterton

Finished 27 March 2009.

57. Trigger City by Sean Chercover

Finished 29 March 2009.

58. The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer

Finished 1 April 2009.

59. Born to Run by James Grippando

Finished 7 April 2009.

60. Trapped by Freda Lightfoot

Finished 10 April 2009.

61. What to do When Someone Dies by Nicci French

Finished 13 April 2009.

62. Asta in the Wings by Jan Elizabeth Watson

Finished 18 April 2009.

63. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Finished 19 April 2009.

64. The Girl in the Glass by Jeffrey Ford

Finished 25 April 2009.

65. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Finished 1 May 2009.

66. Still Life by Joy Fielding

Finished 2 May 2009.

67. A Lost Wife's Tale by Marion McGilvary

Finished 4 May 2009.

What did you think of Water for Elephants?

Judy, I loved Water for Elephants. It drew me in very quickly and you end up finding some characters you love and some you hate and of course rooting for the ones you want to prevail. I would definitely recommend this book.

68. Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell

Finished 11 May 2009.

69. Secret Son by Laila Lalami

Finished 20 May 2009.

70. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Finished 27 May 2009.