2017 January Pick-It-For-Me-Challenge!

[Leigh]

Kiara wrote: "Can i start reading my books as soon as i get them because they just came in the library today. Is it okay if i read them now or do i actually have to wait till January?"

You have to wait for January 1st.

[Andrew]

Kiara wrote: "Can i start reading my books as soon as i get them because they just came in the library today. Is it okay if i read them now or do i actually have to wait till January?"

You have to wait until Sunday, Jan 1, 2017 because this is 2017 pick it for me not 2016...

--Drew

[Andrew]

Happy New Year everyone!!! today is January 1st. Time to start this challenge!! The first book that I am going to start reading is:
Everything Leads to You .

The second book that I am going to start today is: , Bite Me, Your Grace. This book is the one that I am reading for the Create Your Own Challenge Challenge.

Also, I am starting my own book review blog. If you would like to check it out, the links are: https://drewsreviews2017.wordpress.com/, https://drewsreviews2017.wordpress.co....

Well, have a Happy New Year!!!

Your friend,
Drew

[Andrew]

Valeria wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Valeria wrote: "Hello Andrew,
Here are my picks for you. I hope you enjoy them.

1. Archie- the main character, a redhead, and the one who started it all.
Recommend a book that is th..."

Hello Valeria,
Thank you for picking that particular book. It will take a couple of days for me to get it from my local library but I am REALLY looking forward to reading it!!

Have a happy and safe New Year's Day!!

Your friend,
--Drew

[Camille]

Pick it for Me Challenge
Completed: 3

1: Here Kitty, Kitty! by Shelly Laurenston, 4 stars, finished 1/2/17
2: Torn from You by Nashoda Rose, 4 stars, finished 1/3/17
3. Command Me by Geneva Lee, 4 stars, finished 1/8/17

[Rebecca]

hi guys, for years I have always posted the picks as I have read them, but I have noticed people posting at the end of the month. when should I actually say what i have read?. x

[Fran, Moderator]

Rebecca wrote: "hi guys, for years I have always posted the picks as I have read them, but I have noticed people posting at the end of the month. when should I actually say what i have read?. x"

Hi Rebecca!
Totally personal preference. I usually post as I finish a pick, but I've also noticed some participants post at the end of the month.
Whatever works for you is fine :)

[Christine]

Hey everyone!

Just finished my first book of the challenge...

I gave it 4 stars.
It was really light, cute, funny, and easy to read.

[Kiara]

I'm just starting The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell. I did read Raze but i started it two days before this month so it didn't count. But i do rate that book 5/5 stars because it was just so amazing.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Rebecca wrote: "hi guys, for years I have always posted the picks as I have read them, but I have noticed people posting at the end of the month. when should I actually say what i have read?. x"

I used to post as I went, but then I got overwhelmed with real life and just post at the end of the month. Basically, just do whatever works for you! =)

[Rebecca]

Fran wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "hi guys, for years I have always posted the picks as I have read them, but I have noticed people posting at the end of the month. when should I actually say what i have read?. x"

H..."

Thankyou

[Rebecca]

MountainKat wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "hi guys, for years I have always posted the picks as I have read them, but I have noticed people posting at the end of the month. when should I actually say what i have read?. x"

I..."

Thankyou

[Leigh]

Unusualchild(beppy),

I have finished my first book for this challenge 1/3. Thank you for the pick.

[Tammie]

Ashley wrote: "Hello Tammie,

Here are my picks for you. I hope you enjoy them.

1. Archie- the main character, a redhead, and the one who started it all.

Mine Till Midnight by Kleypas, Lisa (TBR) - First in the..."

Ashley: Just finished At Peace...is definitely my favorite Kristen Ashley Book so far. Her books are generally longer than they have to be...but I flew through this one...cried quite often. Will get to at least one more of your recs this month.
Thanks!

[Cerys]

Christine wrote: "Hey everyone!
Just finished my first book of the challenge...
I gave it 4 stars.
It was really light, cute, funny, and easy to read."

Glad you enjoyed :D

[Cerys]

Elke wrote: "Cerys,
Here are your picks hope you find one you like!...."

Finished Pucked and rated it 4*. I really enjoyed it even if the hero was a bit too soppy on times. Also it helped me to get over a week long case of readers block so definite thumbs up thanks :)

Now to move on to the next...

[Andrew]

Hey all. I have been sooooo busy lately that I almost did not finish my first book. But I did!!! Yeah!!! I finished Bite Me Your Grace and now I am starting Everything Leads To You.

Happy reading!!

--Drew

[Christine]

Just read my second challenge book.... The Hating Game

I loved it! 5 Stars.
I really loved all of their bickering and messing with each other. It had me laughing and smiling and "awwing" for much of the book.

[Chan]

My review is below. I didn't really care for it. I would really like to read more short stories/novellas. So, I would appreciate any great suggestions that you can offer.

That was fast!

Writing: Don’t remember there being any mistakes. Decent writing. 1st person narration. 1 POV.
Characters: The main character is Melissa. Her very soon ex is Jason. Her best friend is Stacia. The owner of the vacation rental is Logan. Not much else to tell about the characters, the story didn’t really delve into their personalities. No believable chemistry between characters.
Storyline: Melissa is dumped, she leaves for a 3 day vacation and sleeps with someone else. THE END…literally. The beginning started out pretty good. I was hooked. But once Melissa reached Santa Cruz, the story reached warped speed.

The events were so unbelievable. This book is the very reason why I have such a problem with novellas or short stories. I cannot connect with them at all.
Erotic Scenes: I’m assuming the rest of the books in this series will transition into BDSM. This book had one vanilla scene.
Overall, I did not like this book. Two stars for the beginning of the story hooking me.

[Kimberly]

Kiara wrote: "I'm just starting The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell. I did read Raze but i started it two days before this month so it didn't count. But i do rate that book 5/5 stars because it was just so amazing."

Kiara-
I'm so glad you liked it. I got turned on to the series from a pick-it-for-me challenges last year. One of many good authors and books I've been exposed to from this challenge.

[Nancy H]

Hi Christine,
I just finished my first pick, When You Give a Duke a Diamond , and it was REALLY good. It was much better than I expected, because it was so much more than just a fluffy romance - there was a big mystery, lots of intrigue, and lots of really good characters. I will probably read more in that series because I was so impressed. Thank you for the pick - I would not have found it had you not recommended it.

Meanwhile, I am on to my second one, or to be honest, the three more that I have started - lol!
Happy reading to you!

[Christine]

Nancy H wrote: "Hi Christine,
I just finished my first pick, When You Give a Duke a Diamond, and it was REALLY good. It was much better than I ex..."

Nancy H,

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! When I was looking through your TBR list, I noticed you had a lot of mystery books so that was part of why I chose this one for you.

:)

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Heather,

I finished my first book from your picks and enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Elke]

KarenH

Finished my 1st pick -OMG! KA can write the heck out of a book! Absolutely loved it! My first 5 star book in a long time!

On to pick #2!

[Tammie]

Ashley wrote: "Hello Tammie,

Here are my picks for you. I hope you enjoy them.

1. Archie- the main character, a redhead, and the one who started it all.

Mine Till Midnight by Kleypas, Lisa (TBR) - First in the..."

Ashley--Just finished First Star I See Tonight. Not my favorite SEP book, but I did like it. I wish she would write a bit more often. I'll recommend this one for SEP fans!

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Heather,

I finished my second book and enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Kiara]

I've finished The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell, and i have to give it 3 stars. took me about 100 pages to actually get into it, but overall it was a good book. Thank you for the recommendation Kimberley.

[jenny]

Hi Rachel C.!
I finished my first pick:
I loved it! Thank you for the pick!

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Elke wrote: "KarenH

Finished my 1st pick -OMG! KA can write the heck out of a book! Absolutely loved it! My first 5 star book in a long time!

On to pick #2!"

Glad you liked it, Elke! I'm a little ambivalent about her writing...really loved the first one or two that I read, but then as I continued the series they started to all sound the same and there were some things that really annoyed me, too. Haven't tried one in quite a while, I should probably give her another shot sometime soon...

[Kimberly]

Kiara wrote: "I've finished The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell, and i have to give it 3 stars. took me about 100 pages to actually get into it, but overall it was a good book. Thank you for the recommendation Kimbe..."

Kiara-
You are welcome and I'm glad you liked it.

[Chan]

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "Hi Chan!

Here are your January picks...I hope you find some you like! Enjoy and have a great Christmas and New Year's

Archie
The Edge of Courage, Elaine Levine — first book in a s..."

Kathy D.
Thank you so much for the Lick suggestion. I really enjoyed the book. A lot.
The book from my tbr shelf was a flop. Arrggghh...I had such high hopes for that one. But this one more than made up for it.
Thanks!

Chan's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[☘KathyD☘]

I'm so glad you liked it! I love that series, so I hope you get a chance to read about the rest of the boys! =)

[Cerys]

Pick It For Me Challenge
Completed 4/8

[ ] 1. The Darkest Hour - Maya Banks

[✔] 2. Shopping for a Billionaire - Julia Kent [10/1] 3* Not bad for a quick read, but had to re-read a few bits that were confusing. Also a very abrupt ending

[✔] 3. Pucked -Helena Hunting [3/1] 4* I really enjoyed it even if the hero was a bit too soppy on times

[ ] 4. Love Life -Lexy Timms

[ ] 5. Sweet Little Lies- Jill Shalvis

[✔] 6. Share Me - Olivia Cunning [11/1] Re-read 3* Not a bad quick read with some quite steamy scenes

[ ] 7. Some Girls Bite - Chloe Neill

[✔] 8. Changing Course - Aly Martinez [ 12/1] 5* Loved this emotional rollercoaster with an interesting perspective of relationships after tragedy

[Leigh]

UnusualChild{beppy}

I have finished my second pick 1/12. Thank you for the pick.

[Pam]

Vandhana, finished . It was slow in the middle but I enjoyed the ending and the combination of urban fantasy and steampunk. I suspect this is one of those series that gets better as it develops. I am glad to have read it. This is one of those books that has been recommended to me over and over so I have put the next one on the TBR.

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

Pam wrote: "For UnusualChild(beppy)

Here are some choices--the TBR are from your holding shelf
Archie(first in series) TBR New

Betty&Veronica (b..."

Hi, Pam.
thank you for the marvellous choices. I'm going to try to get to all the books I currently own, since I am in a buying moratorium and the only new books that are going to show up are the ones that I have pre-ordered. I have put the others on a price drop watch list, though, so hopefully I can get them eventually.

What I have read so far: Cast Off - this was actually better than this author usually is for me, and I gave it 3 stars.

Dirty - this had insta-lurve and a short time period, both of which I normally dislike...apparently it makes a difference if the writing is good, because I gave it 4.5 stars.

Crazy Little Thing - I wasn't really expecting to enjoy this, but it was light-hearted and heartfelt, so I gave it 4.5 stars.

In the Absence of Light - I can not say enough good things about this book, and only one bad thing. (editing). Loved it. 5 star read from me; my first for 2017.

I'm in the middle of Bad Things, which I was put off because the author mentioned something about addictions in the dedication at the start, and I just didn't want to deal with it. (part of the reason why I have a book-buying moratorium) However, I'm over half-way through now, and I am enjoying it. I also plan to read The Art of Fielding and Signs, and I'm hoping to get to The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Obsession.

Thanks again!

[Rebecca]

I finished The Last American Vampire . It was an enjoyable read 4 stars

[Aminko]

I tried really hard to like but just couldn't and in the end I've decided to put it down in favor of something else.

[LaurLa]

Aminko wrote: "I tried really hard to like but just couldn't and in the end I've decided to put it down in favor of something else."

That's a bummer that you didn't enjoy this one:-(
I hope some of your other picks go better for you!

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

pam, I read The Wall of Winnipeg and Me out of turn (I have a reading plan for the next couple of weeks that I'm trying to follow) because I was moving it to the top of my queue on my e-reader and the first sentence caught my attention. I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for picking this for me.

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Heather,

Finished my third book from your picks. I loved it! Thanks!

[HeatherMarie]

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Heather,

Finished my third book from your picks. I loved it! Thanks!

"

Wow! You're a reading machine! Go you! Glad you like the picks & are wiping your TBR clean!

[HeatherMarie]

Suzanne wrote: "Hello Heather! I hope you enjoy your picks this month!

1. Archie- the main character, a redhead, and the one who started it all.
Recommend a book that is the first in a series:
[book:Daughter of t..."

Hey thanks Suzanne for the great picks!
Read
1. Grave Witch- reminded me of Charley Dividson series, will definitely be continuing
2. Rescue My Heart- was cute & finished off that series for me
3. Reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms---it's A-mazing! so far

Well done on the pickings lady!

[Vandhana]

Pam wrote: "Vandhana, finished . It was slow in the middle but I enjoyed the ending and the combination of urban fantasy and steampunk. I suspect this is one of those series that ge..."

Oh nice... I haven't read that yet. have to

[Nancy H]

Hi Christine,
I have finished another of your picks for me, and it was REALLY good. It had romance, mystery, an exotic (for me) setting in Alaska, many tangled plot threads, and much more. It was definitely a page-turner. Thanks for recommending it. Fire And Ice

I have started 6 more (I know!) of your picks but will see how many of them I can actually get done by month's end. (They will all eventually get done, though, maybe just not in time.)
Thanks for the great picks!

[Leigh]

Unusualchild(beppy),

I have finished my 3rd pick and really enjoyed it.

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

pam, I have finished Signs, which I really liked. It was very sweet. I also finished The Art of Fielding, which I liked as well. Still have one more to read for this month, so hopefully I finish it.

[Leigh]

Unusualchild(beppy),

I have finished2 more picks and loved the first one and enjoyed the second one. Thanks again for the great pics.

[Christine]

Nancy H wrote: "Hi Christine,
I have finished another of your picks for me, and it was REALLY good. It had romance, mystery, an exotic (for me) setting in Alaska, many tangled plot threads, and much more. It was ..."

Nancy H,

I'm so happy you have enjoyed your picks. :)

[Fran, Moderator]

Hi Camille!

I finished Crazy, a pick from my tbr. Thanks for the push to get it off my shelves :) I didn't love it, oh well, but happy to get it off my tbr. I still would like to get to another of your picks this month......I have a few days left!