Annie's 999 Challenge

A bit late in the year (not including anything that I had read this year so far; including the ones I'm reading at the moment) but I think it's still doable.

The Categories:

1. Agatha Christie Novels
2. Crime/Mystery Novels by authors from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Iceland
3. Fantasy Novels originally published in 2009
4. Science Fiction Novels originally published in 2009
5. Mystery/Crime/Thriller novels originally published in 2009
6. Science Fiction/Fantasy original anthologies published in 2009
7. Non-fiction - Tudors
8. Novels that had won Shamus award for first PI novel
9. Batman TPBs

I am adding books as soon as I start them or add them at the top of the to read pile. Date after the title shows when the book is finished.

Books finished: 41
Per category: 1. 1; 2. 5; 3. 8; 4. 3; 5. 6; 6. 3; 7. 7; 8. 1; 9. 7




PS: The numbers after some books are counting only books finished after I had started the thread here - the first 20 are not numbered).

1. Agatha Christie Novels

1.1. Hercule Poirot's Christmas - finished 06 Sep 2009 (13)
1.2. Elephants Can Remember
1.3. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case
1.4. After the Funeral
1.5. The Murder at the Vicarage
1.6. Destination Unknown
1.7. Endless Night
1.8. Evil Under the Sun
1.9. Sleeping Murder

2. Crime/Mystery Novels by authors from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Iceland

2.1. My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir - Iceland - 23 Jul 2009 (5)
2.2. Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indriðason - Iceland - Oct 2009
2.3. Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indriðason - Iceland - Oct 2009
2.4. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell - Sweden - Oct 2009
2.5. Arnaldur Indriðason's Voices - Iceland - Oct 2009
2.6.
2.7.
2.8.
2.9.

3. Fantasy Novels originally published in 2009

3.1. Mortal Coils by Eric Nylund - finished before 10 July
3.2. Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald - finished before 10 July
3.3. The Patriot Witch by C.C. Finlay - finished before 10 July
3.4. Hand of Isis by Jo Graham - finished before 10 July
3.5. Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente - finished before 10 July
3.6. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry - finished before 10 July
3.7. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher - finished before 10 July
3.8. Norse Code by Greg van Eekhout - 15 Jul 2009 - review (1)
3.9. The Osiris Ritual by George Mann

4. Science Fiction Novels originally published in 2009

4.1. Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress - finished before 10 July
4.2. Regenesis by C. J. Cherryh - finished before 10 July
4.3. Mind Over Ship by David Marusek - finished before 10 July
4.4. Accord by Keith Brooke
4.5. Caryatids by Bruce Sterling
4.6. Duplicate Effort by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
4.7. Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley
4.8. Walls of the Universe by Paul Melko
4.9. Ark by Stephen Baxter

5. Mystery/Crime/Thriller novels originally published in 2009

5.1. The Associate by John Grisham - finished before 10 July
5.2. Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer - finished before 10 July
5.3. All the Dead Voices by Declan Hughes - 18 Jul 2009 - review to follow (3)
5.4. The Unbelievers by Alastair Sim - 29 Aug 2009 - review (11)
5.5. Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver - 13 Sep 2009 - review to follow (14)
5.6. Undone (Genesis) by Karin Slaughter - 19 Sep 2009 - review (35)
5.7. Bad Things by Michael Marshall
5.8. The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles
5.9. The Complaints by Ian Rankin

6. Science Fiction/Fantasy original anthologies published in 2009

6.1. We Think, Therefore We Are - finished before 10 July
6.2. Crime Spells - finished before 10 July
6.3. Mean Streets - 02 Sep 2009 - review to follow(12) - fantasy
6.4. Terribly twisted Tales - fantasy
6.5. Other Earths - SF mainly
6.6. The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction 3 - SF
6.7. Firebirds Soaring
6.8. Federations ed. by John Joseph Adams
6.9. New Space Opera 2

7. Non-fiction - Tudors

7.1. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir - finished before 10 July
7.2. England Under the Tudors by G. R. Elton - finished before 10 July
7.3. Tudor England by John Guy - finished before 10 July
7.4. The Tudor Monarchies by John McGurk - finished before 10 July
7.5. Tudor Rebellions by Anthony Fletcher - finished before 10 July
7.6. Authority and Disorder in Tudor Times by Paul Thomas - finished before 10 July
7.7. Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen by Joanna Denny - 30 Sep 2009 (36)
7.8.
7.9.

8. Novels that had won Shamus award for first PI novel

8.1. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton - 1999 - Oct 2009
8.2.
8.3.
8.4.
8.5.
8.6.
8.7.
8.8.
8.9.

9. Batman TPBs

9.1. Batman: Year One by Frank Miller - 15 Jul 2009 - review (2)
9.2. Batman R.I.P by Grant Morrison - 19 Jul 2009 - review to follow (4)
9.3. Batman: Hush, vol. 1 and Batman: Hush, vol. 2 by Jeph Loeb - 24 Jul 2009 - review to follow (6)
9.4. Batman and Son by Grant Morrison - 25 Jul 2009 - review to follow (7)
9.5. The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb - 26 Jul 2009 - review to follow (8)
9.6. Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb - 26 Jul 2009 - review to follow (9)
9.7. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller - 1 Aug 2009 - review to follow (10)
9.8. Batman: Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison
9.9. Batman Chronicles, Vol. 1

Welcome! Looking forward to seeing what titles you choose.

1. (3.1) Norse Code by Greg van Eekhout - review

Urban fantasy combined with the Norse mythology. Pretty enjoyable and considering that this is a debut novel, it was even better than I expected (although Greg van Eekhout's stories had already proved him to be a good storyteller).

Annie, you might enjoy Runemarks by Joanne Harris.

I am not sure I really like Harris's style - had read a few of the books... something just does not work. But might give it a try. :)

Just finished it and let me tell you, it's completely different from her other 'adult' novels. Completely. I only suggested it because it is heavy in Norse mythology and has Ragnarok in it.

2. (9.1) Batman: Year One by Frank Miller : review

The origin story of Batman - dark and beautiful. But do not expect a Batman adventure - this is Batman in the making, not an already working caped man that goes after all injustice. And the story is as much for Gordon as it is for Batman.

>15 VictoriaPL:
Oh don't get me wrong - I appreciate the recommendation and I will definitely check it :)

3. (5.1.) All the Dead Voices by Declan Hughes - review to follow later this week

The fourth in the Ed Loy series. The main story is happening around a holiday again - don't bad things happen otherwise? The book start slowly - so slowly that I almost end up putting it on the "To finish some other day" pile. But at one point it did pick up speed. Anyway - I do not think it is as good as the first 3 - something simply was not working. Except for the final 1/3rd - it almost felt like the first 3. Ed get beaten a lot (what a surprise), some of the reoccurring characters show up again (both from the good and the bad side) and there is a lot more talk about IRA than in any of the previous books. Not a bad book overall but if someone had never read any of the books in the series, do not start with this one - it's a self-contained story but it's just not as good as the first three.

I'll be writing a review later this week.

4. (9.2.) Batman:R.I.P. by Grant Morrison

And after the Batman: Year One which was about the first year of Batman, it was time for the last story in which he participates alone. I had read most of the story in single comics issues but I was missing the first few so I decided to reread the whole thing again. It is dark and disturbing in some places but it is also a pretty good Batman story. The end felt a bit.. rushed - in order to tie the other running series (Final Crisis) and to have a full Batman in all his glory there, he leaves all that happens in this story so fast behind that it feels rushed and the story feels almost dismissed. But short of this, the story has an enormous psychological charge for Bruce Wayne and is a good way to end his carrier (at least for now).

Review - later this week.

11. (5.2) The Unbelievers by Alastair Sim

Set in Scotland during the reign of Queen Victoria, the book is a not so bad picture of Scotland at the time. It has its flows but was quite captivating one for the most part. The review is here

I think I will cheat a little and will count the books I had read from the beginning of the year until I started the challenge (which was half of the year)... Otherwise I just do not see this one getting finished by the end of the year - especially my non-fiction category. Working through my lists now to see what remains for closing this one. :)

I can't really see that as "cheating," Annie! Most of the rest of us started at the beginning of the year!

Well - it is cheating on my own rules - but as it is not cheating for the challenge itself, I kinda feel better.

As it turned out a lot of the books that I had read do not fit anywhere but I did make some progress and now it looks achievable :)

(35) 5.6. Undone (Genesis) by Karin Slaughter - 19 Sep 2009 - 3 1/2 stars

Picked this one almost by chance -- it was the only interesting thing in the WHSmith on the Arrivals Terminal 1 in Heathrow that I still did not have. I knew I have at least one book from the author and I liked it so decided to give this one a try. A worthy one. A warning though - the book is not for people that want every story to be bright and nice - it's a cruel and ugly story but told from a master storyteller. The books has its downs (thus the stars) but is still a pretty good one.

The full review is here: http://www.librarything.com/review/50826561

(36) 7.7. Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen by Joanna Denny - 30 Sep 2009 - 2 1/2 stars

A biased account of Anne Boleyn. The book have a lot of troubles - starting with the whole premise being strange (Denny tries to explain why Anne is actually not what the Catholics are explaining her to be while in reality the historians are already well aware of this) and going through a lot of unneeded repetitions. But at the same time, the author's narrative is flowing logically and nicely and it seems like she had done her research (and then more or less ignored part of it).

See the review for more details.

I officially gave up on mine - way too many business travels this last 3 months - I read probable even more books than I needed to finish it but they were the wrong genres (mainly because of formats and books I just pick up at airports) :)