End of the 2009 Book Challenge

As 2009 comes to a close, I find that I did not accomplish my goal of reading nine books from each of nine different genres by the end of this year. I read 59 books, so I was 22 short. It seems I have a strong preference for young adult and an aversion to history. I read more fiction and young adult than the required nine, and I only read one (half of one, really) history book. Honestly, I was surprised because I like to think that I enjoy history, but perhaps I want to enjoy it more than I realistically do. The experience was good for me though. I'm sure I read more than I would have if I hadn't set a goal. I also read a greater variety of books. I'm not sure who said it first, by the following quote aptly fits this experience: "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Below is a list of the books I read this year. Feel free to ask about any of them if you're interested.

Young Adult
1. Crash by Jerry Spinelli
2. Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
3. Defiance by Valerie Hobbs
4. Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse
5. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer
6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
8. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
9. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
10. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White
11. White House Autumn by Ellen Emerson White

General Fiction
12. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
13. The Shack by William P. Young
14. Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
15. Girl with a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
16. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
17. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
18. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
19. Falling Man by Dom DeLillo
20. Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
21. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Short Story/Essay
22. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
23. Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving
24. The Most Beautiful Woman in Town by Charles Bukowski
25. Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
26. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Biography/Memoir
27. Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel
28. Crossbearer by Joe Eszterhas
29. Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton and Erin Torneo
30. Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash
31. Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography by Richard Stirling

Science-fiction/Fantasy
32. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
33. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
34. The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
35. Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer
36. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
37. The Midnight Charter by David Whitley
38. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
39. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
40. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Chick Lit
41. Wedding Belles by Haywood Smith
42. The Agency by Ally O'Brien
43. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
44. Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack
45. An Eligible Bachelor by Veronica Henry
46. Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper

History
47. 740 Park by Michael Gross (in progress)

Non-fiction
48. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Les and Leslie Parrott
49. The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield
50. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
51. Puppy Preschool by John Ross and Barbara McKinney
52. Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan
53. How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan
54. Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Mystery/Horror
55. The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom
56. Darling Jim by Christian Moerk
57. Misery by Stephen King
58. Days and Hours by Susan Meissner
59. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

Again, the challenge was to read 9 books from 9 genres before the end of 2009. I started in the fall of 2008, so it's a little over a year that I have to finish. As you can see, there is plenty of space, particulary in certain genres, so feel free to recommend a favorite or something you think I will like. I don't think I can take on anything epic like Crime & Punishment. I'll save that for 2010.