The Countdown Challenge

Final Post: September 9. (45 of 45 books completed.)
Updated Post: June 13. (35 of 45 books completed.)
Original Post: December 28. (17 of 45 books completed.)
Hosted by Michelle (3M)
from 8/8/08 to 9/9/09
Yes, retroactive to August 8th!
The point of the challenge is to read the number of books first published in a given year that corresponds to the last digit of each year in the 2000s — 9 books from 2009, 8 books from 2008, etc. The total number of books required, therefore, is 45.

I filled in my books as I read them, and I finished the challenge today - right at the deadline. Thanks to Michelle (3M) for hosting this unique challenge. I had a lot of fun - and I'm ready to sign up for the 2010 version, which starts today (9/9/09) and runs through 10/10/10!

2009

1. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
2. The Associate by John Grisham
3. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
4. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
5. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
6. The Eternal Smile: Three Stories by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
7. True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman
8. Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox (Review forthcoming.)
9. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

2008

1. Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark
2. Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West
3. Bronte's Book Club by Kristiana Gregory
4. Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
6. Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
7. Cross Country by James Patterson
8. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale

2007

1. Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
2. The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
3. The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
4. Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker
5. Teach with Your Heart by Erin Gruwell
6. The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
7. Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

2006

1. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
2. Wait for Me by An Na
3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
5. Pigboy by Vicki Grant
6. The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

2005

1. The Rhyming Season by Edward Averett
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
4. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
5. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

2004

1. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
2. Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin
3. Ship Sooner by Mary Sullivan
4. Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

2003

1. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
2. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
3. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

2002

1. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
2. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

2001

1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde