sjmccreary's 999 challenge - overtime

I finished the challenge today - a week ahead of the 9/9/09 goal. There isn't enough time to begin a second 999, as several others have done, so I've come up with an overtime challenge. I'll post the "rules" below, and here is the link back to the 2nd half of the 999 challenge:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/63722

I'm adding this up here at the top of the thread where I won't lose it.

Quick-reference checklist - I'll post each book individually below with comments, etc., as they are completed.

A - Adichie, Chimamanda - Half a Yellow Sun - started 9/13/09, completed 9/22/09, msg 17
B - Bahr, Harold - The Judas Field - started 9/14/09, completed 9/27/09, msg 18
C - Crane, Stephen - Red Badge of Courage - started 9/29/09, completed 10/5/09, msg 20
D - Dole, Bob - One Soldier's Story - started 10/6/09, completed 10/10/09, msg 21
E - Esquivel, Laura - Like Water for Chocolate - started 10/11/09, completed 10/13/09, msg 22
F - Ferber, Edna - So Big - started 10/20/09, completed 10/24/09, msg 25
G - Garber, Joseph - Whirlwind - started 10/26/09, completed 11/4/09, msg 29
H - Hughes, Langston - Not Without Laughter - started 10/28/09, completed 11/10/09, msg 30
I - Indridason, Arnaldur - Arctic Chill - started 11/12/09, completed 11/14/09, msg 32
J - Jones, Edward P - The Known World - started 11/14/09
K - Kent, Kathleen - The Heretic's Daughter
L - Leon, Donna - Dressed for Death
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Overtime Rules

1. Keep reading the same 9 categories.

2. Read an additional 26 books, 3 in each category (except that one will have only 2)

2a. As long as each category has at least 2 books and not more than 4 by the end of the alphabet, I'll consider this met.

3. Each book to be by a different author, each author's last name to begin with a different letter, to be read in alphabetical order.

3a. Since some books take longer to read than others, and since I usually have 2 or 3 books in progress at the same time, I'll allow a little leapfrogging. Ex. The B book will count as long as the A book has been started. But no more than 2 leaps ahead. The C book will count, too, but the D book has to wait until A is completed.

4. Complete by 12/31/09.

I'm sure this sounds pretty odd, but I've got a couple of ulterior motives. First, to be sure of completing this challenge, I need to plan ahead. I've never attempted to make and then follow a reading list before. I've always assumed that if I make a list, then those books will suddenly lose their appeal. I'm curious to see if I can do it. Second, one of the things I noticed about my 999 challenge was that I didn't enjoy the "new-to-me author" category very much because I never had to search for an author - I always searched for books and the author just came along and the category filled up without any effort. So, this time, the focus will be on authors first.

I picked up my first two book at the library yesterday. They go to the bottom of the stack, but I'll get started on them soon.

Ooh, this sounds tricky. Do you plan to skip X or Z? Too soon to tell?

#3 I don't plan to skip them, but it's too soon to tell if I'll get to them before year end. Actually, I'll be a little surprised if I get much past R or S.

Sounds like fun! I won't finish my 999 until later this month, but I have been wondering what to do next. You've given me food for thought--but I don't need to make it any more challenging than it has been! :-)

I'll be looking for more books to add to my TBR. :-)

Maybe what I'll do next is try to read only books that have been suggested by LT members this year--most of my "wish list" would fit in that category and it would help to make it smaller. Next year I'm tackling my "To Read" list--books I own but haven't read--most of them were put there because of LT recommendations, too.

I do love having a plan--but I also want it to be flexible!

#5 I'll be looking forward to your post-999 plans. Good luck finishing the challenge soon, hope it's full of great books.

I'm loving the new wishlist collection feature - I never entered those books before. I'm doing the step challenge for the 1010 next year which is only 55 books. I think I'll use the extra time to try to work on those wishlist books. Recommendations are surely a double-edged sword, aren't they?

Or just add the Wishlist books in the 1010 challenge :)

#7 LOL! That is as many books as the entire challenge! I'll definitely be trying to fit as many in as I can, though.

:) One of the reasons I do not have an official Wishlist... it will be bigger than my whole library.

9 - Me too!

So what are the two books (A & B authors) that you got from the library to start your 999 Overtime?

#11 I've got Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for category #3, foreign and The Judas Field by Howard Bahr for category #2, civil war.

It just occured to me that I need to include a list of categories, as I can't always remember which order I've placed them:

1 Land of Oz: Books or authors with a Kansas connection
2 Civil War: Fiction and non-fiction
3 Foreign settings: Taking place outside USA, bonus points if written by a native author
4 Historical settings: More than 100 years ago
5 New-to-me authors:
6 Next in the series: Each series can be listed only once, so that means installments from 9 different series
7 Older than dirt: Or at least older than me - books that were first published before I was born
8 Other non-fiction: Anything besides the civil war
9 Who-dunnit: Mysteries, spy novels, police procedurals, legal thrillers, etc

I am hereby giving notice that I am claiming the right to one "freebie". There is a book that I want to read for this challenge, but my library doesn't have it. I'm having trouble getting it on an ILL, and so identified another book to substitute for the challenge. However, today it showed up on my library request list out of the blue. Maybe that means that they've found me a copy! If I can get that book before I pass that letter, I'm going to use it for the challenge, regardless of how many skips ahead it is. I'll just wait and record it at the proper time.

The specific book I'm thinking of is Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason. I don't even remember now which category I planned to place it in - it is book #5 in a mystery series set in Iceland, so it could be any one of 3 categories.

If I can't get it, or can't get it in time, I'll read another "I" author and go on with the challenge as planned. (But I hope I get it!)

I keep meaning to read the first one in that Icelandic mystery series.

You should give it a try - Jar City - an odd name that doesn't make sense until the end of the book. I like them - a totally different feel from American writers. Erlendur, the main character, takes time to get to know - a couple of books at least.

"A" Book

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Category #3 foreign settings (Nigeria, bonus for native author)

This is the powerfully told story of the Biafran War in Nigeria in the late 1960's. Following its independence from Britian in 1960, the different ethnic groups in Nigeria began experiencing more and more conflict among themselves as Nigeria struggled to establish itself among the nations of Africa and the world. In 1967, the Igbo people in the southeastern part of the country seceeded and declared themselves to be the independent State of Biafra, triggering a 3-year civil war which ended in Biafra being reabsorbed back into Nigeria. During the war, the Igbo people suffered terribly from famine, starvation and attacks from an overwhelming military force. This war was the source of many of the heart-wrenching photos of starving African children that were published in the US during that time.

The novel tells the story of the conflict from the point of view of 5 Biafran people: Ugwu, a village boy who becomes the houseboy of university professor Odenigbo. Odenigbo's lady friend, Olanna, is from a wealthy family and is London-educated and moves in with him and they eventually marry. Olanna's twin sister, Kainene, is a tough, no-nonense business woman who takes Richard, an English writer, as her lover. These 4 Igbo people flee their homes in the northern part of the country when the Hausa's begin a series of massacres of ethnic Igbo's. Richard, obviously not Igbo, still considers himself to be Biafran and works as hard to support their independence as anyone else.

I thought the book was excellent. Adichie manages to convey the horrors of war, the ravages of famine and starvation, the fear and uncertainity of being forced to flee from one location to another, leaving home and possessions behind, not knowing the fate of loved ones, the frustration of dealing with the bureaucracy of relief efforts, and the humiliation of needing to beg and depend on the generosity of strangers for food in a realistic manner without being too oppressive. She also shows us the optimism of belief in a just cause, the generosity of the destitute sharing what little they have, the corruption of power, and the guilt of deeds done.

I came away with the feeling that life is uncertain, nothing is guaranteed. Bad things can happen to anyone, and love and happiness can be found anywhere. I highly recommend the book. 5 stars.

"B" Book

The Judas Field by Howard Bahr. Category #2, civil war

In 1885 Cass Wakefield was asked by his longtime friend Alice Sansing to accompany her to retrieve the bodies of her father and brother. Alice is dying of cancer and, having never married, suddenly is afraid of being alone forever in the cemetery. Her father and brother had fought in the civil war in the local regiment and died at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee in 1864. Cass, the man she had hoped to marry before he married another, and Roger Lewellen, another local man, served in the same regiment and had helped to bury the Sansing men after the battle. On the journey north from their home in Cumberland, MS, Cass is thrust back into his past and must confront his memories of the war and his actions in it.

A gloomy, morose book. Very vivid descriptions of the conditions of the soldiers during the war, and of the horror of the battlefield. Also realistically shows the lingering effects of war on the lives of the soldiers, even 20 years later.

My two favorite quotes: "When we finally have enough mistakes to learn from, it's time to die" (pg 240) and "Without the possibility of defeat, the victories would have no meaning" (pg 292).

Even though the overall tone of the story is somber, I think that Bahr avoided being too heavy-handed. The descriptions are done in a matter-of-fact fashion, forcing the reader to acknowledge the ugliness that is war, and the inevitable mortality of each one of us.

This book is not to my usual taste, and I'm not sure I'll seek out any more by the author. That is the reason I'm giving it only 3-1/2 stars. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who is intrigued by it in some way.

September recap (this wll be short!)

1 Land of Oz: Books or authors with a Kansas connection
1 - One Soldier's Story by Bob Dole - scheduled

2 Civil War: Fiction and non-fiction
1 The Judas Field by Howard Bahr 9/14/2009 9/27/2009
2 - Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane - in progress 9/29/2009

3 Foreign settings: Taking place outside USA, bonus points if written by a native author
1 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria - bonus) 9/13/2009 9/22/2009
2 - Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - scheduled

4 Historical settings: More than 100 years ago

5 New-to-me authors:

6 Next in the series: Each series can be listed only once, so that means installments from 9 different series

7 Older than dirt: Or at least older than me - books that were first published before I was born

8 Other non-fiction: Anything besides the civil war

9 Who-dunnit: Mysteries, spy novels, police procedurals, legal thrillers, etc

Only 2 books completed so far, but I'm hoping that the pace will pick up soon.

"C" Book

Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Category #2, civil war

The story of Henry Fleming, a young private in the union army who doubts his courage as he faces his first battle in the civil war.

This book is labeled "YA" by my library, but even though it is small (only 145 pages) I found it to be slow-going. Aside from the 19th century language (the book was first published in 1895), I thought the book was confusing to read as it alternated between Henry's internal dialogue and his first person observations of the people and activities around him. Henry was worried that he would not have the courage to stand his post during battle and wondered if any of the other men felt the same way, but he was too afraid to ask them. When he actually did run away from the battlefield on his first day of fighting, his intenal conflict waged between congratulating himself on being smart enough to flee in the face of defeat, and chastising himself on behaving in a cowardly fashion after meeting up with several men wounded in the victorious battle. The next day, his batallion is ordered into battle again and he is given another chance to test his courage.

After all these years of hearing the book referred to as a classic (which I suppose it is), I felt a tremendous let down upon finally reading it. 3-1/2 stars.

ETA category

"D" Book

One Soldier's Story by Bob Dole. Category #1, Kansas

Biographies are not my favorite genre, I don't recall ever reading an autobiographical memoir (or wanting to), and I routinely turn my nose up at books by or about politicians, so I had almost no expectations of enjoying this book. Imagine my surprise to disover that, in fact, I loved it!

I chose this book solely because of Dole's connection to my home state, Kansas. Not only does Kansas play a starring role, but Dole's story is one which should make all Kansans proud that he is a native son. After being born into a blue-collar family in 1923, Bob learned from his parents' example that success comes only with hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. More an athlete than student, he attended KU hoping to make the basketball team (then as now, it was a basketball-crazy school) but was studying pre-med. He was a freshman when Pearl Harbor was bombed in December of 1941 but waited until completing the sophomore year before enlisting in the army in 1943. He spent the next year doing basic training, specialized training, then OCS before being sent to Italy as a 2nd lieutenent in 1944. It was there, taking part in the effort to gain control of the Po valley in northern Italy, that he was wounded - a gunshot wound which ruined his right shoulder and damaged the spinal cord - just weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

He spent the next 39 months in one army hospital after another. He was shipped home to Kansas completely paralyzed and encased in a plaster body cast and nearly died more than once. His mother took an apartment in Topeka and was at his bedside constantly. For more than a year he was unable to feed himself or take care of his own most basic needs. It was through a combination of his own subborn determination, the love and support of family and friends, the medical care provided by the army, and the good fortune to find a surgeon willing to work for free that he was finally able to walk again and regain much of the use of his left arm and hand. More importantly, he learned to be thankful for what he had left and not dwell on what he had lost.

After finally being discharged from the hospital, and the army, he was married and moved to Arizona to complete his degree - this time in pre-law. Back in Kansas for law school, he entered politics when he realized that being willing to go to war to defend our nation isn't enough unless one is also willing to defend it at home. Not all threats to our liberty come from outside our borders. He first ran for the state House of Representatives in 1950, after changing parties to become a Republican. And the rest, I guess, is history, for that is where the story ends.

He wrote the book with straightforward language, neither puffing himself up, nor being excessively modest. He shows us his love of family, his quiet sense of humor, his lofty goals and unswaying belief that he would achieve those goals, and his feelings of frustration and discouragement when things didn't go his way. It is easy and pleasant reading, and after finishing I wished I could shake his hand and thank him for his service to our state and to our nation. But, I have the feeling that he would continue to claim that every soldier who has served has a story to tell, and this one is no more important than any of them. I gave the book 4 stars.

"E" Book

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Category #3, Foreign settings (Mexico - bonus)

I've heard so much about this book (and movie) that I really didn't know what to expect. That is because it is totally unlike anything I've ever read before. Except maybe Paul Bunyan. That is what it reminded me of - a larger-than-real-life sort of mythical story.

This is the story of Tita, the youngest daughter in a revolutionary-era Mexican ranch family. Family tradition dictates that, as such, she will not be allowed to marry and have her own family so that she will remain available to care for her mother. This was upsetting enough for her, but became unendurable when she fell in love with Pedro. After being turned down by Mama when asking for Tita's hand in marriage, he accepts her suggestion that he marry one of the older sisters, instead, in the hopes that he will at least still be in the same household as Tita. Naturally, Tita finds this solution to be hard to swallow. Which has very unfortunate consequences since Tita is the family cook, and whatever she is feeling while preparing the food shows up in the people who eat it - resulting in a disasterous wedding feast.

At first, I was totally enchanted by the book with its mystical happenings, but then found that to be a bit tedious. In the end, however, it was the straight story which charmed me. A wonderful story about love and family and how they are not always the same thing. I gave it 3-1/2 stars.

Yeah, I read Red Badge of Courage in high school on a recommendation from my dad, who really liked it - but I thought it was terrible. Really dreadful stuff.

#23 Good thing it is short, then, isn't it? ;-)

'F" Book

So Big by Edna Ferber. Category #7, older than me

This book tells the story of Selina Peake who was orphaned at age 19 when her father (a professional gambler) died in Chicago in 1888. He had taught her that all of life's experiences, even the bad ones, are part of a grand adventure, so she bravely faced her future by first heading off to become a teacher in a rural Illinois school, and was enchanted by the beauty she saw in the place. She became disillusioned by the adventure when, years later, she was still there, married to a Dutch truck farmer and living on a poor and unproductive farm. Her husband had refused to take any suggestions for improvements from her, so after he died she began implementing some of her ideas. She managed to support herself and her son, Dirk. The farm flourished and she was even able to send Dirk to college in Chicago and then to Cornell to study architecture - pleased that he seemed to be developing an appreciation for things of beauty. Construction projects dried up after WWI and Dirk got a job at an investment firm selling bonds, where he thrived and began to become modestly wealthy. Selina, however, wanted him to return to architecture - a profession with a soul. In the way of all young adults, Dirk believed that his mother didn't understand what was important in the modern world and ignored her. Not until later, when he met and fell in love with an artist, did he begin to reconsider his opinion on the subject. But was he too late?

This book won the Pulitzer Prize when it was published in 1924. It deserves it. I read most of it in a singe day because I was unable to keep myself from picking it up just to read a few more lines. This would be a great book club book. I gave it 4-1/2 stars.

October recap:

Land of Oz: Books or authors with a Kansas connection
1 One Soldier's Story by Bob Dole 10/6/2009 10/10/2009
2 - Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes - in progress 10/28/2009

Civil War: Fiction and non-fiction
1 The Judas Field by Howard Bahr 9/14/2009 9/27/2009
2 Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 9/29/2009 10/5/2009

Foreign settings: Taking place outside USA, bonus points if written by a native author
1 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria - bonus) 9/13/2009 9/22/2009
2 Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexico - bonus) 10/11/2009 10/13/2009

Historical settings: More than 100 years ago

New-to-me authors:
1 - The Known World by Edward P Jones - scheduled

Next in the series: Each series can be listed only once, so that means installments from 9 different series

Older than dirt: Or at least older than me - books that were first published before I was born
1 So Big by Edna Ferber (1924) 10/20/2009 10/24/2009

Other non-fiction: Anything besides the civil war

Who-dunnit: Mysteries, spy novels, police procedurals, legal thrillers, etc
1 - Whirlwind by Joseph Garber - in progress 10/26/2009
2 - The Increment by David Ignatius - scheduled

I just picked up a copy of The Known World. I look forward to seeing what you think about it.

I'm looking forward to reading it - As I recall, I had to work a bit to squeeze it into this challenge, just because I really wanted an excuse to read it!

"G" Book

Whirlwind by Joseph Garber. Category #9, Mysteries & thrillers

Charlie McKenzie was called out of a retirement from the CIA that was forced on him after being found guilty and sentenced to an 18-month prison term for actions taken on the job. The rub is that he only did the job after receiving a personal assurance from Sam, the President's National Security Advisor that he would have full presidential immunity from prosecution. Except that Sam was "mistaken" about the president's intentions and there was no such immunity. And then he was denied compassionate parole to visit his dying wife or attend her funeral by someone very high in the executive branch. And the real kick is that now Sam is making the very same promises, if only Charlie will do this one job. Vowing to get even with the man who ruined his career and reputation, and caused him to let down his beloved Mary when she needed him most, Charlie agreed to do the job - after wrangling a $20 million down payment.

The situation at hand is the theft of one the most sensitive military technologies ever developed, from a highly secure lab in the New Mexican desert - by a rookie Russian spy, a young woman named Irina Kolodendova. Charlie's job is to retrieve "Whirlwind", the code name for the technology which was stolen, and bring Kolodendova into custody. In two and half days, at which time an open contract would be put out on Kolodendova's life. However, as soon as Charlie has received his instructions, Sam double-crosses him again by immediately contacting Johann Schmidt, a South African mercenary with his own reasons for hating Charlie, and puts him on whirlwind's trail with the promise that he can have Charlie if he can catch him.

And the game is afoot. Charlie is immediately impressed with Irina's skill and cunning, and quickly moves out of Sam's reach. But as soon as he becomes aware of Schmidt's involvement, Charlie and Irina must work together if either is to survive the chase.

A fast-paced romp across the entire American southwest, from Texas to the Pacific coast. Often irreverent, Charlie is a smart-aleck who knows exactly what he can accomplish and never doubts his abilities. He is tough and smart, but has an enormous soft spot for his wife, Mary, and for cats. And more and more respect and affection for Irina. Sam is a weasel, and Schmidt is evil incarnate. A great thriller. I loved it. 4 stars.

"H" Book

Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes. Category #1, Kansas

(Note: The copy I read was part of a series of the works of Langston Hughes. My particular volume is The Collected Works of Langston Hughes: The novels which includes this novel as well as "Tambourines to Glory" which I did not read.)

This is the semi-autobiographical story of a young black boy living in a small Kansas town in the early 20th century. The boy, Sandy, (so called because of his sandy-colored hair) lives together with his mother in his grandmother's house. The grandmother, known to all as Aunt Hager, is a former slave (that was not true of Hughes' grandmother). His mother married a light-skinned ne'er-do-well drifter who is away more than he is home, but she loves him more than anything (and anyone) and eventually leaves Sandy behind and follows him. Aunt Hager is left alone to raise the boy until she dies.

Sandy then goes to live with his Aunt Tempy who is so enamoured of the ways of white people that she and her husband strive to behave as much like them as possible, alienating many of their black neighbors in the process. They had even left the Baptist church to join the Episcopals, much to Aunt Hager's dismay.

Motivated by different impusles, both Aunt Hager and then Aunt Tempy push Sandy to stay in school and excel so that he can make something of himself in life. By the time he is in high school, Sandy realizes that he likes school, likes learning, but is conflicted by the opposing desire to be like the other boys, not worrying about studying, quitting school and working, earning money, drinking, smoking, seeing girls - having what fun can be found in a town where blacks are not admitted to the YMCA, or to many of the theaters, restaurants and clubs. Of course, the places in the Bottoms, on the other side of the tracks, are open to anyone who dares to go. Aunt Hager had impressed upon him that that was an area to avoid. When his Aunt Harriett, only a few years older than himself, ran away from home and ended up there working as a "street walker", it broke his grandmother's heart.

When Sandy is 16, five years after she left, his mother sends for him to join her in Chicago. His father has joined the army and is in Europe fighting in WWI. She has lined up a job for him running an elevator in a large hotel and he can start immediately. He receives permission from his school to leave before final exams - cheerfully granted since he is an honor student - and takes the train to Chicago, excited by the opportunities that he imagines the big city will offer. Of course reality is a disappointment, and when his mother wants Sandy to stay away from school in the fall so that he can continue working full time to help support them both, he must decide what life he really wants to have.

A good story. Well-written. Since Sandy's life is so similar to Hughes' own, it rings absolutely true. This book was first published in 1930, after being written by Hughes while he was in college (early 1920's). The descriptions of racial segregation and prejudice are matter-of-fact. There is a very interesting account told by Aunt Hager about what slavery was "really" like. What shocked me most, I think, was the way that every single black person was described by the color of their skin. Even the men in bars and barber shops talk about women by the color of their skin. The scale runs from yellow to black. One of Sandy's friends was very light skinned and he described his plans to leave Kansas and pass as a white man, which Sandy finally concluded was a good plan. There is much debate among the black community about whites and whether they are to be hated or feared or pitied. Much of the dialogue is in the vernacular that was common among blacks at that time (and still often heard today), making the story sound realistic, but being tedious to read. Overall, I'd recommend it. 3-1/2 stars.

As mentioned in #14, above, I've been unsure whether I could get the "I" book I really wanted for this challenge. I have my back-up choice on the shelf and ready to go right now, I even listed it as "scheduled" on my 10/31 recap. But today I got a notice from the library that my first choice book is here! I'm so excited! I plan to stop over there first thing in the morning to get it! Poor Mr Ignatius, he gets shoved aside again (I think this is the 3rd time I've had The Increment home from the library.)

"I" Book

Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason. #6, Next in the Series.

The latest Erlendur book, this may be the best one yet.

Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is already struggling with a missing person case - the type of case that he has the greatest feeling for. We know from earlier books about how Erlendur, when he was 10 years old, was caught out in a blizzard with his 8-year old brother. They became separated and lost. But while Erlendur was soon found unharmed, his brother never was - nor have any remains ever been located. That experience continues to haunt him, and he has been obsessed with accounts of missing persons ever since.

The main case in this book, though, is not the missing person. This book opens with the discovery of the body of a young Asian boy, lying on the frozen ground in a pool of his own blood near his Reykjavik home. The boy, 10 years old, was the son of a Thai immigrant mother and Icelandic father. With no other leads, Erlendur and his team pursue the theory that the killing was racially motivated. There is a sizable Asian population at the neighborhood school, and not everyone is pleased to have an increasing immigrant community in Iceland.

While the murder investigation continues, Erlendur begins receiving anonymous phone calls - from the woman who has gone missing, he is sure - but she refuses to give her name or location.

Also, his grown children are calling and coming around. Due to a messy divorce when they were young, Erlendur and his children never had a warm relationship, and now he doesn't know how to deal with them. Even more uncomfortably, they are wanting to talk about the long ago incident with the blizzard and the disappearance of the brother.

This story takes place in January - the coldest and darkest time of year in Iceland. Arnaldur conveys the sense of cold isolation so effectively that I continued to pull a blanket around me while reading, even though it was warm in my room. Erlendur is a stoic, private man. Yet he is gradually being revealed without making him seem weak or broken down. I think this series just keeps getting better and better. Highly recomended. 4-1/2 stars.

November recap:

Land of Oz: Books or authors with a Kansas connection
1 One Soldier's Story by Bob Dole 10/6/2009 10/10/2009
2 Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes 10/28/2009 11/10/2009

Civil War: Fiction and non-fiction
1 The Judas Field by Howard Bahr 9/14/2009 9/27/2009
2 Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 9/29/2009 10/5/2009
3 The Known World by Edward P Jones - currently reading 11/14/2009

Foreign settings: Taking place outside USA, bonus points if written by a native author
1 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria - bonus) 9/13/2009 9/22/2009
2 Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexico - bonus) 10/11/2009 10/13/2009

Historical settings: More than 100 years ago
1 - The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent - planned

New-to-me authors:

Next in the series: Each series can be listed only once, so that means installments from 9 different series
1 Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason (Inspector Erlendur #5) 11/12/2009 11/14/2009
2 - Dressed for Death by Donna Leon - planned

Older than dirt: Or at least older than me - books that were first published before I was born
1 So Big by Edna Ferber (1924) 10/20/2009 10/24/2009

Other non-fiction: Anything besides the civil war

Who-dunnit: Mysteries, spy novels, police procedurals, legal thrillers, etc
1 Whirlwind by Joseph Garber 10/26/2009 11/4/2009

Some good recommendations on here.

I only finished 3 books in November, leaving 17 to go. I don't think I've ever read 17 books in one month before in my life, so the chances of sucessfully finishing the challenge are practically zero. I've been debating about whether to continue working on it or just call it quits right now. Up in msg #2, I explained my motives for doing this challenge:

"I'm sure this sounds pretty odd, but I've got a couple of ulterior motives. First, to be sure of completing this challenge, I need to plan ahead. I've never attempted to make and then follow a reading list before. I've always assumed that if I make a list, then those books will suddenly lose their appeal. I'm curious to see if I can do it. Second, one of the things I noticed about my 999 challenge was that I didn't enjoy the "new-to-me author" category very much because I never had to search for an author - I always searched for books and the author just came along and the category filled up without any effort. So, this time, the focus will be on authors first."

Well, the first part was about right - the books that I "had" to read lost most of their appeal when placed next to something else. Most of them have been good, but as soon as one of these books stood in the way of my reading something else - even the next book on the list - it became something to endure, not to enjoy. However, the second objective was successful. Except for the "next in the series" books (which, by definition, cannot be new-to-me authors) every single book I've read or planned to read for this challenge is by an author I've never read before. Some of them are books/authors that I've been looking forward to and have saved especially for this challenge.

So, here is my decision: I am conceding defeat in my 999 challenge overtime. As it happens, I've been duplicating this challenge over in the Alphabet Challenge group: http://www.librarything.com/topic/71913. I am going to continue the challenge over there without the 12/31/09 completion deadline. I'm going to keep working on this reading list, but I'm going to cut the ties to the 999 challenge. And I'll use December to begin thinking about how I want to begin the 1010 challenge.

I had the same "have to" feelings about my challenge. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted--or not! Add a link, so we can keep following you, OK?

#36 Yes, it's fun while it lasts, because as soon as it's not fun I quit. There are too many "have to's" in life as it is. There's a link in #35 to the alphabetic challenge where I'm going to (leisurely) going to continue the reading list I began here. I hope you'll follow me over there. That was actually one of the reasons I was reluctant to call a halt - so many wonderful people and comments here. The alphabetic people are also nice, but there aren't very many of them. I would be staying here for sure if I didn't know that we are all moving over to 1010 in a month!

That's one thing I've noticed about doing the reading challenges - I've found areas where I was weak, if that's the right word. Like I wanted to read more science books, but I saw that I really wasn't reading them as much as I wanted because I was busy reading (and often not enjoying) so many mysteries. After I started doing the challenges, I got a feel for my own tendencies. So the challenges have helped me branch out. I've been trying a lot more new authors in the last couple of years that I had before.

Will we see you in the 10-10-10 challenge next year? You don't have to read 100 books, just 10 categories in 2010.

I'll have to head over and take a look. As much as I've loved doing the 999 challenges, it would've been nice to have a month or two challenge-free.

#38 Cindy, you've described it perfectly! I've loved the challenges because they've helped me branch out, as you say, which is what I wanted to do. But for me, I've learned to keep things open and flexible. I don't like being pinned down to a specific schedule. I did OK with a "suggested reading" list that I could pick and choose from, or ignore. But not so well with this attempt at "read these 26 books in this order in 3.5 months". Surprisingly, I was never tempted to change any of my categories - that restriction didn't bother me a bit as long as I was free to choose any book I wanted to fit into them.

I will absolutely be in the 1010 challenge. I've already decided to do the step version with only 55 books. That will allow me to read more books that I know I'll love, and encourage me to read something I'm not so sure about, because I'll only need a couple for that category. But this time last year, I had a plan for how to begin the 999 challenge. This year, I don't have any idea how I will approach the 10 categories.

For awhile, I thought I had to do the 10-10-10 because I wanted to be in the thick of it with LT-ers who were going there, but then I thought about all the 75-ers I keep up with, without actually being in that group, so I think I'll be able to hold off. We'll see...don't quote me if I end up there too.

#41 Bonnie, just as long as you let us know where you ARE hanging out, we'll all be able to find you! You're right, though, it really doesn't matter where, since you don't have to belong to a group in order to follow threads and post comments.