2016 May Pick-It-For-Me-Challenge

[fleurette]

Rebecca wrote: "sorry I am a little late. Can someone pick for me please?"

I can pick for you, if you don't mind me doing it for you once again. It's perfectly okay with me if you prefer it to be done by someone else. Let me know.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

fleurette wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "sorry I am a little late. Can someone pick for me please?"

I can pick for you, if you don't mind me doing it for you once again. It's perfectly okay with me if you prefer it to be ..."

In general, we don't allow latecomers after repicks are assigned, it isn't fair to ask the hosts to do even more work. (See opening post for this thread.) But if fleurette wants to do unofficial picks for you Rebecca, that's fine. =)

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Thanks for offering, fleurette, and for answering, Kat! I've actually asked Nancy if she's available to do it since she was a latecomer and didn't have the opportunity to make picks for anyone, so I figured I'd give her a shot even though as Kat said, normally this would be too late. I haven't heard back from Nancy yet, but if she can't do it fleurette, then you're welcome to if you want.

[fleurette]

~KarenH~ wrote: "Thanks for offering, fleurette, and for answering, Kat! I've actually asked Nancy if she's available to do it since she was a latecomer and didn't have the opportunity to make picks for anyone, so ..."

That's okay with me!

[fleurette]

Hi, Rebecca!
So here are my picks for you. This time it was even harder to find some new reads for you but I hope you will find something interesting.

Luke Skywalker - Recommend a book with a good boy/clean cut hero, or character that is passionate about something, experiences personal growth, or is somewhat sheltered and/or naive.

TBR: Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead - Seth is one of these nice guys, I remember liking this series and reading one book after another
NEW: Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton - Chloe is a sorcerer who is passionate about knitting



R2D2/C3PO – Recommend a book with a geeky MC or in which technology plays an important part, or a book with a character who provides comic relief.

TBR: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews - the whole world constantly shifts from magic to technology, you weren't impressed with this series but give it one more chance
TBR: Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson - I laughed a lot reading this one and it seems that you liked it too



Princess Leia – Recommend a book with a kick-ass heroine, or one which includes siblings as important characters. A special pat on the back if they are long-lost or unknown siblings reconnecting! =P

TBR: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - Harper and her step-brother Tolliver are the main characters in this story
NEW: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter - Jane is a kick-ass heroine in this story containing interesting and a bit refreshing idea of shapeshifters



Han Solo – Recommend a book with a bad boy hero or a character with a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor

TBR: The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita has a specific sense of humor, choose the book that is next for you in this series
NEW: The Devil You Know by Mike Carey - Felix has his snarky sense of humour, this series is much like Dresden one



Obi-Wan Kenobi – Recommend a book with a very wise character or an older character (vampires and other paranormal creatures count!)

TBR: Blood Price by Tanya Huff - Henry is some really old vampire, I enjoyed this series a lot
NEW: Raphael by D.B. Reynolds - another old vampire, this time more powerful than Henry



Yoda – Recommend a book with a mentor/trainee relationship or where a character teaches or learns new skills or with a student or teacher as an important character.

TBR: Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard - I have to admit that I didn't like this book but most people do, so you will have to check it yourself
NEW: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch - Peter, the main character, learns about magic



Chewbacca/Ewoks - Recommend a book with an animal that is considered smart or that serves an important purpose (service animal, ranch horse, companion) or a book with shifters.

TBR: On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs - I especially recommend you Alpha and Omega story which is the beginning of the series I recently discovered and enjoyed a lot
NEW: Her Perfect Mate by Paige Tyler - interesting mix of paranormal romance (shapeshifters) with suspense



Darth Vader – Recommend a book with an evil character or a good vs. evil storyline, or with a mostly black cover.

TBR: Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts - one of my favorite series from Nora Roberts, as usually happens in her fantasy stories contains the battle of good and evil
NEW: Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley - black cover, this one has an interesting idea of shifters living in something similar to ghetto



Bonus pick: Just for fun, and only if you want to, it's not required!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... – Recommend a book that is historical or is set in a country far from where you live.

TBR: Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb - for both of us US is a distant country :)

[Rebecca]

fleurette wrote: "Hi, Rebecca!
So here are my picks for you. This time it was even harder to find some new reads for you but I hope you will find something interesting.

Luke Skywalker - Recommend a book with a good..."

fleurette
Thankyou for the picks for the second month in a row. You have great taste!

[fleurette]

Rebecca wrote: "Thankyou for the picks for ..."

You're welcome! I'm glad you like them. Though I have nearly run out of new proposals for you with all those books we've got in common :)

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

☘KathyD☘

thanks for the great picks, only a few that weren't my thing at all.

[Nancy H]

Hi Karen H,
I am so sorry I didn't see that post about picking for Rebecca, because I would have happily done it! I didn't check back every day because I figured we were pretty much finished up until people started reporting their reads. Please let me know via PM if there is anything else I can do to help. I love this group and am happy to help out any way I can.

Also, I just finished my first pick for May: Naughty Neighbor , and it was a really quick, fun read. I almost finished it in one sitting but then life intervened, as it does. Thanks again for great picks.

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Cecily,

I finished my first pick and thought it was great! Thanks for the recommendation.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Nancy H wrote: "Hi Karen H,
I am so sorry I didn't see that post about picking for Rebecca, because I would have happily done it! I didn't check back every day because I figured we were pretty much finished up un..."

No worries Nancy, fleurette volunteered so all was good. I figured you either were away somewhere or just busy, and the timing really was unusual - no reason you should have expected anything to be going on in this challenge during that time!

Glad you liked your first book - Janet Evanovich is usually a pretty safe bet for something light and funny!

[Rebecca]

fleurette

I have finished my first pick Rapture in Death 4 stars. and I am just about to begin The Devil You Know

[fleurette]

Rebecca wrote: "fleurette

I have finished my first pick Rapture in Death 4 stars. and I am just about to begin The Devil You Know"

I'm glad you liked Rapture in Death and I hope you will enjoy The Devil You Know as well.

[Fran, Moderator]

Shelby wrote: "Alright Fran here we go. :D

Luke Skywalker
TBR - Mission: X (From my memory Xander is pretty naive)."

Hi Shelby,

I finished my first pick, Mission: X. I really liked it, thanks for the push to get it off my tbr :)

I hope to get to Waiting For Clark next :)

[Aminko]

Hi AvidReader1987,

I just finished Blood Hunger and loved it. It's been sitting neglected on my TBR list for a while so thank you for giving me a little nudge!

[Elke]

Laurla,

Read my first pick -OMG!! I can't believe this book/series has not gotten into my hand before! Loved it!! All the books are now on my never ending TBR! ;)

On to pick #2!

[fleurette]

MountainKat

I have finished first two of my picks: . Both are from my tbr list. I have liked them both.

Heart of Iron is the second book in the series I have just started recently and I enjoyed this instalment a lot.

With Passion Unleashed I was coming back to the series I have started years ago. I have rated it 3 stars, since I think I was expecting something more for Wraith, the most interesting of the brothers.

[Cecily]

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Cecily,

I finished my first pick and thought it was great! Thanks for the recommendation.

"

Yay! Glad you liked it!! :)

[Cecily]

RRRC Pick-It-For-Me May
Duration: May 01, 2016 - May 31, 2016
5/12 Completed ~Tracking Post

✔ The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten 05/07/16
✔ The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness 05/02/16
✔ Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson 05/10/16
★ Naked In Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb
★ Heartsick (Gretchen Lowell #1) by Chelsea Cain
★ Grey (Fifty Shades #4) by E.L. James
✔ Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter #2) by Nalini Singh 05/08/16
✔ Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick 05/12/16
★ Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) J.R. Ward
★ A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets by James Bowen
★ The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) by Tess Gerritsen
★ S. by J.J. Abrams





The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness -This was a really strange book.
The supernatural elements to this book are done in a very different way, it kind of made the story feel a bit disconnected to me. Pretty good coming of age / end of high school kind of book and the issues he is facing with his friends and parents and his own mental illness are all good subject matter that I thought was really well written. I can even excuse his Cat God friend as a quirk but I still don't quite get all the rest of it.
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten was actually really good. I think mental illness is a topic that really should be discussed and its good that there are books out there like this that some people may be able to identify with. This could definitely be a bit of a trigger book but still good if you are up for it.
Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter #2) by Nalini Singh I am totally loving this series! My husband looked over when I was reading and said "Did I just read that she has wings?" I told him yes, she is an angel and he just rolled his eyes... sigh no imagination! I look forward to reading more of the series soon!
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson This book was recommended to me for the last few months every time. I was going to read it once before but I found out that Jenny Lawson reads the audiobook herself and I really wanted to hear how she intended these jokes, thoughts, and conversation. So I waited until a copy became available at my local library and I have to say it was soooo good. I really identify well with Jenny Lawson and it's so nice to read some humor in such a serious topic and yet it never felt like she was underplaying the seriousness of mental illness. GREAT READ!!
Hush, Hush (Hush Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick This book was just okay to me. I really loved Lauren Kate's series Fallen and this was similar but just not as good. This really isn't my favourite genre so I think it takes a lot for me to really like it. Meh.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

fleurette wrote: "MountainKat

I have finished first two of my picks: . Both are from my tbr list. I have liked them both."

Glad you enjoyed them! I enjoyed the Demonica series, but I read them before my GR days, so I just rated it on memory and don't remember a lot of details from that one.

[Fran, Moderator]

Hi Shelby,

I finished a second pick, which was a 'new to me' title from your list.
I read Waiting for Clark and loved it! Where has that book been and how come I'd never heard of it?? So good!

Thanks again for the great picks. The rest of my May is pretty crazy, so I might not get to any more from your list, but they have added to my tbr for another time :)

[Rebecca]

fleurette

I have finished my second pick The Devil You Know . 4 Stars.

[fleurette]

Rebecca wrote: "fleurette

I have finished my second pick The Devil You Know. 4 Stars."

I'm glad you liked it, Rebecca. I believe I should come back to this series as well.

[Vandhana]

Hi Mariana

Completed my first book for this month "Lover Unbound". It was good :)
Seriously I am confused on what to pick next!

-Vandhana

[Leigh]

Danielle,

I have finished my first pick . Loved it! Thank you for the pick.

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "here are your picks avidreader1987...hope there is something you’ll enjoy! happy reading!


Luke Skywalker
Hot Head – characters are passionate about their job/experience personal g..."

25% done with Shadow of Night it's a very long book, i'm glad I have the Audible Audio, much more portable!

[Mariana]

Hi, Vandhana.
I am glad you liked that book. Happy reading and I hope you will choose something you will end up enjoying.

[Mariana]

Hi ~KarenH~
I finished . I gave it 4 stars, it was such a cute book and I read it in a few hours.

[Kaity]

Hi ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎! I've finished 2 picks so far, one from my tbr and a new one :D

Wicked Cravings - :D Enjoyed this just as much as I did the first book in the series!

Seduction and Snacks - I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first, the characters are all very off the wall. After getting used to them I ended up adoring both the characters and the book! Thanks for the rec!! I'm excited to continue the series.

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

Aminko wrote: "Hi AvidReader1987,

I just finished Blood Hunger and loved it. It's been sitting neglected on my TBR list for a while so thank you for giving me a little nudge!"

Sorry for the late reply, no problem with the nudge we all need it sometimes.

[fleurette]

MountainKat

I have finished two more of my picks. Again both from my tbr list.

Deeper Than Midnight - I haven't read a book in this series for a while. It was nice to come back to it.

Fate's Edge - I adore this series! Great characters and fast plot.

[Rachel C.]

Diane ~Firefly~, just finished and loved it (5 starrer for me)! Thank you for the awesome pick :)

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

May PIfM Challenge

Picker:☘KathyD☘

1/15

Luke Skywalker
Hot Head- to read
Whiskey Prince- to read

R2D2/C3PO
The Rosie Project- probably won't read
Rock Chick- to read

Princess Leia
The Alchemist's Daughter- to read
The Darkest Hour- to read

Han Solo
Rock Addiction- to read- maybe next
Angels' Blood- tried to listen to I think it would work better to read waiting for e-book but won't get it before the end of the month

Obi-Wan Kenobi
Shadow of Night - Read Finished: 5/28 4 stars

Yoda
Incandescent- to read
Fantasy Lover- to read

Chewbacca/Ewoks
The Mating Chase- to read
Saving Justice to-read

Darth Vader
The Lovely Bones- to read- maybe next

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Rachel C. wrote: "Diane ~Firefly~, just finished and loved it (5 starrer for me)! Thank you for the awesome pick :)"

That is a great series. I'm glad you loved it!

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Mariana wrote: "Hi ~KarenH~
I finished . I gave it 4 stars, it was such a cute book and I read it in a few hours."

Glad you liked it, Mariana! I really enjoyed it too.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Kait wrote: "Hi ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎! I've finished 2 picks so far, one from my tbr and a new one :D

Wicked Cravings - :D Enjoyed this just as much as I did the first book in ..."

So glad you enjoyed them :-)

[Rebecca]

Hi, fleurette

I have finished The Killing Dance I gave it 3 stars. I thought it was good but not as good as the previous books.

[fleurette]

Rebecca wrote: "Hi, fleurette

I have finished The Killing Dance I gave it 3 stars. I thought it was good but not as good as the previous books."

That's why I have stopped reading this series for a while some time ago. I felt the later books weren't as outstanding as the previous ones but now I'm coming back to it. It's a good thing to make a break in such a long series.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

I'm so glad you are enjoying your picks fleurette!!

[Vandhana]

Finished my second book for this month Beautiful Bastard. :) ;)

[Shelby]

Fran wrote: "Hi Shelby,

I finished a second pick, which was a 'new to me' title from your list.
I read Waiting for Clark and loved it! Where has that book ..."

So glad you enjoyed them Fran. I was really pleasantly surprised by Waiting for Clark too. It was just so sweet. :)

[fleurette]

MountainKat

I have finished two more books.



I was a bit disappointed with Attraction discovering it is just a first part and not a full story. And I have quite enjoyed The Lion's Lady, more than I usually like historical romances by Julie Garwood.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

I am not a fan of serials, I want the whole story! But I'm glad you enjoyed the historical! =)

[Rachel C.]

Diane ~FIrefly~, finished my second pick, Exclusively Yours, and loved it as well! Thanks for yet another awesome pick :)

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

Rachel C. wrote: "Diane ~FIrefly~, finished my second pick, Exclusively Yours, and loved it as well! Thanks for yet another awesome pick :)"

I loved that book :)

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

I've just finished Monument 14

For a female author to write from a 16/17 teenage boys POV, I thought it was really well done

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Rachel C. wrote: "Diane ~FIrefly~, finished my second pick, Exclusively Yours, and loved it as well! Thanks for yet another awesome pick :)"

Glad you liked it!

[Pam]

Kait
I finished Deep a while ago but forgot to post. This was my least favorite of the series but I'm glad I finished it. Not sure why. I don't think that Ben was fleshed out well so I never bonded with either main character. I'll probably read at least one more before the end of the month.

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

☘KathyD☘

is going great not sure if I'll finish it this month it's over 24 hrs of audio! I checked out the audio from the library.

[fleurette]

MountainKat

I have read one of the picks that are new to me. It was Hard as It Gets. In the beginning I couldn't get into it but after a while I get used to and ended up liking it. In fact I have liked Jeremy so much that I have already started the novella about him and Charles.