2020 October Pick-It-For-Me Challenge

[Aiswrya]

2020 October PIFM Challenge

What is the Pick-It-For-Me Challenge?

The Pick-It-For-Me Challenge (PIFM) is a reading challenge where each participant gives and receives book recommendations based on a given a set of rules. The assignment method and book selection rules change each month so it’s always new and always different.

The idea of the PIFM challenge is that you will get new-to-you books and authors selected for you as well as a push to read some books that have been lingering on your shelves. You may not be interested in the new books recommended, which is why you also get a minimum of four books from your shelf.

You only have to read ONE book to complete this challenge!

After signups are closed, your names and any extra info will go into the super secret PIFM randomizer and it will select someone for you to recommend books to and someone to give you recommendations. This list will be posted along with any specific picking rules for the month.

In order to participate you need to either HAVE YOUR PROFILE SET TO PUBLIC (preferable), or friend the person giving you recommendations. PLEASE NOTE: if you choose to keep your profile private, it is your responsibility to send a friend request to the person picking for you as soon as possible after the matchups are posted. Whether your profile is private or not, it is also very important that your profile be set to receive Private Messages (PMs) in case anyone needs to reach out to you (mods, organizer etc.)

Everything gets done in this thread so be sure to come back often!!!

Repicks:
You can ask for repicks if:
✱ The books picked for you are not yet released.
✱ If you have already read the chosen book(s) and they are on your ‘read’ shelf.
✱ If you did not receive four picks from your ‘to-read’ shelf, with at least one from your preferred shelf.

You may NOT ask for repicks because:
✱ A book is not available at your library.
✱ A genre or author you don’t enjoy.

INFORMATION NEEDED TO SIGN UP
Please sign up in this thread with the answer to the following question:

✱✱ What does the child in you enjoy? ✱✱



✱✱ If you have a preferred shelf, please list it along with your pick! ✱✱

IMPORTANT DATES
Sign ups will remain open until 25th September, 2020 11:59PM EST.
For your convenience a Time Zone Converter.

You’ll have until 29th September, 2020 9 PM EST to make your recommendations.

Please do not start reading your book(s) until the first of the month. You then have the entire month to read your pick(s) and give some feedback.

If you’re new please read the PIFM Guidelines and FAQ. If you have any questions that are not addressed there, please feel free to ask!


✱Please note that late sign ups will be included at the host's discretion and no one will be included after re-picks are assigned!✱

[Aiswrya]

TIPS TO MAKE THE CHALLENGE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE!


Pickees
✱ To help your picker understand the type of books you like or are currently reading, please make sure your ‘read’ shelf is up to date. You can create shelves for books you DNFed (Did Not Finish) or authors that don’t work for you as well as favorite books and authors. In addition, you might consider updating your profile. You can include info about your favorite books, authors, genres, themes or tropes (or themes/tropes you dislike – i.e. secret baby).
✱ Please do not specify likes/dislikes in the sign-up thread. This information will not be included in the pairings and your pickee may not see your message and does not need to rely on that information when making picks.

Pickers
✱ Please remember this is primarily a romance readers group. Thus, most, if not all, of your picks should be romance. There are various sub genres within the romance category - Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Erotica, M/M, Urban Fantasy. If your pickee reads a wide variety, you could add a non-romance as a choice.

✱ You will be using 8 picking rules to select books for you pickee. Choose at least 4 new titles for your pickee. These can be brand new to them (not found on any of their shelves) or a book found on their shelves if they've never read any of the author's work previously. The remaining 4 titles should come from your pickee's tbr, with a minimum of one from their preferred shelves if provided. Be sure to pick at least one book for each picking rule, but please limit your picks to no more than two books per rule as sometimes having too many options is worse than too few.

✱ Please remember when you are giving new recommendations, you are not limited to titles that you have read. You can choose books that are new releases, on your tbr, or titles you looked up on Goodreads or Amazon that you think your pickee would enjoy.

A few hints to help with book selection:
✱ Check the book’s publishing date. Select "date pub" from the checkbox selections and save.
✱ Check pickee's personalized shelves, especially their exclusive shelves. A personalized shelf is one the member has created. (e.g., 'to read next', 'favorites' ‘didn’t like’)
✱ Make sure the books you choose are not on their 'read' shelf. Just because it isn't rated doesn't mean it wasn't read.
✱ Look at your pickee's 'read' shelf and see what genres they have recently read or read the most. Reviewing their ‘read’ shelf might help you in choosing something they are interested in reading right now.
✱ If your pickee reads lots of books in a genre you are not familiar with (erotic romance, GLBT, YA, etc.) Contact the Mods or the month's organizer for guidance.
✱ Include a variety of books (e.g., shorter page count, new addition to their 'to-read' shelf, an older book on their 'to-read' shelf) This variety gives your pickee options when choosing the book or books they will be reading this month. Use the sort feature within their shelves to determine date a book was added, published or read; page numbers, ratings, etc.

If you want to volunteer to make repicks:
✱ We love that you want to help out, but please remember those who need picks have been waiting for a long time already. Please only volunteer if you are able to make the repicks within a few hours of the deadline. Thank you!

[Aiswrya]

Participants:

Group 1: Trick
Aiswrya
M
Nayara
Jans
☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎
Tonya

Group 2: Treat
Mony
Nikitha
Laura
Fran (Private)
Carina
Sonja
MountainKat
LaurLa
Gabriella
KathyD
NancyH
Becca Da
Carrie
Romanticbookworm
Suzanne
Nikki Swift Reads

[Aiswrya]

Pairings:
Please pick for the person below you in your group. For example: Jans picks for Carmen and Tonya picks for Jans

You have until 29th September, 2020 9 PM EST to make your recommendations.
🎃 - Picks made

Group 1: Trick
🎃Jans
🎃☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎
🎃M
🎃Nayara
🎃Aiswrya
Tonya

Group 2: Treat
🎃Mony
🎃Carina
🎃Becca Da
🎃Romanticbookworm
🎃Gabriella
🎃Sonja
Suzanne
🎃Fran(Private)
🎃Nikitha
🎃Nikki Swift Reads
🎃LaurLa
🎃Laura
🎃MountainKat
🎃NancyH
🎃Carrie
🎃KathyD

[Aiswrya]

Rules: October PIFM is going to about.....



1. 🎃 Pumpkin Carving 🎃

Recommend a book with a MC working in the food industry or Recommend a book with an artistic MC

2. 🎃 Candy 🎃

Recommend a book with a colorful cover or recommend a book tagged "sweet" (or any variations/ synonyms of the word)

3. 🎃 Pranks 🎃

Recommend a book tagged "comedy"/ "humor" or any variations/ synonyms of the word or recommend a book with a title starting with a letter in "Pranks"

4. 🎃 Costumes 🎃

Recommend a book featuring a spy/ or a MC pretending to be someone they are not or recommend a book with an article of clothing/ accessories on the cover

5. 🎃 Horror Movies 🎃

Recommend a book that’s tagged Thriller/ Horror/ Mystery or Recommend a book having a MC in the entertainment industry

6. 🎃 Bonfires 🎃

Recommend a book with a red/ orange/ yellow cover or recommend a book with a character that spends time outdoors

7. 🎃 Themed Parties 🎃

Recommend a book with three or more people on the cover or recommend a book tagged Young/ New Adult

8. 🎃 Spooky Bats and Black Cats 🎃

Recommend a book with a black cover or recommend a book with an animal in the story

[Aiswrya]

I'm in! Trick :)

[Mony]

I'm in

Treat! (sorry for the delay)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Nikitha]

I'm in for a treat ;)

[Tonya Marie]

I'm in for a treat as well! :D

Pick For Me

[Trip]

Im in for treat! Thank you 😊

Use my want to read shelf

[Fran, Moderator]

I'm in, private profile (happy to friend anyone who picks for me)

Treat!!

PIFM shelf- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Aiswrya]

Mony wrote: "I'm in

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

Hey Mony! Pick a group! Trick or treat?

[Aiswrya]

Am I the only one who liked to trick people? 😂

[Carina]

I’m in. Treat.
Use https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Sonja]

Aiswyra! You’re hosting October Yaay!!

I’m in for a treat this month. Lol
Please use my PIFM shelf (will post link tomorrow)!

[Sonja]

Oops I can totally take a trick if no one else joins!

[M]

Hi! This challenge looks like fun and I'd love to give it a try!
I'll go with trick and post the link to my shelf very soon.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Treat - OMG, TREAT!! No more tricks, I am so done with tricks... 😒

Please use my to-read-asap shelf that I need to update before the picking starts! Thanks. 😊

[Nayara]

I'm in! Treat

[Mony]

Aiswrya wrote: "Mony wrote: "I'm in

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

Hey Mony! Pick a group! Trick or treat?"

Treat! sorry about that

[LaurLa]

I was a very shy child - no way did I want trick someone or be tricked! So TREAT for all the way!
04-pick-me-please

[Gabriella]

Treat for me.
My shelf: PIFM

[☘KathyD☘]

I’m in...treat...no tricks...2020 has been full of those...c-m-g-42

[Nancy H]

Treats! Lots and lots of treats!

[J]

Trick!!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Becca da]

I'm in!!
Please use this shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
TREAT

[Carrie]

Treat, give me all the junk
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Aiswrya]

Sonja wrote: "Oops I can totally take a trick if no one else joins!"

Aww thanks!

[Aiswrya]

Mony wrote: "Aiswrya wrote: "Mony wrote: "I'm in

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

Hey Mony! Pick a group! Trick or treat?"

Treat! sorry about ..."

NP :)

[Aiswrya]

Updated till here :)

[Nayara]

Aiswrya, I forgot to inform my shelf, please use pfm.
And as we got a lot of people picking treat I can also trade to trick.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

I love Tricks!!! :-) Shelf: M&G

[Romanticbookworm]

I'm in for treat. Please use my PIFM shelf 🙂.

[Tonya Marie]

I'm willing to switch to "tricks" if we need to even it up at all!

[Connie (Rain Check and Read)]

I feel like a noob. I looked through the post a few times and... what is the difference between a trick or a treat in this challenge? So sorry if I missed something somewhere!

[Aiswrya]

@Nikki - there’s no difference. We have a sorting question to put people in different groups (mostly for fun!)

Everyone has the same picking rules irrespective of the group they picked :) hope that answers your question!

[Aiswrya]

Thanks, Tonya!

[Suzanne]

I'm in and I like TREATS!

[Connie (Rain Check and Read)]

Aiswrya wrote: "@Nikki - there’s no difference. We have a sorting question to put people in different groups (mostly for fun!)

Everyone has the same picking rules irrespective of the group they picked :) hope th..."

Thank you! That makes sense.

I am totally in! My shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Connie (Rain Check and Read)]

Oh, and I'm treat~! :)

[Sonja]

Hey Aiswrya! I updated my post to include my shelf link.

It should be noted I only have a small number of books on that shelf... that's not a trick, I just need to listen to my Audible Escape books before I lose them on 11/1! That said, I'm not reading very fast so whomever gets me, you don't have to pick more than the bare minimum!
Easy trick, right? ;)

[Aiswrya]

Nayara wrote: "Aiswrya, I forgot to inform my shelf, please use pfm.
And as we got a lot of people picking treat I can also trade to trick."

Thanks Nayara! I've switched you to tricks and I've updated the shelf :)

[Aiswrya]

Suzanne wrote: "I'm in and I like TREATS!"

Hi Suzanne! Do you have a preferred shelf? Used your TBR for now, but it looks like you have a giant TBR! We can definitely use it, but just checking to make sure you didn't miss the preferred shelf in your post :)

[Aiswrya]

I've updated the participant list. We have another 3 and half-ish hours till sign ups close. I should have the pairings and rules posted shortly after :)

[Aiswrya]

Sign ups are now closed :) I'll try to pair anyone who signs up after this with our re-pick volunteers

[Aiswrya]

Pairings and rules have been posted (messages 4 & 5 respectively). Have fun!

[Mony]

Hi Carina,
Books for you! I saw that you're currently reading some children's books (I do too!) & so I put in a couple. All the books here are quick & easy reads! Happy reading!

1. 🎃 Recommend a book with a MC working in the food industry
TBR - Under the Boardwalk by Amie Denman - baker - this looks really good!)
NEW -Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins - great story about a quirky heroine & an awesome "boyfriend"


2. 🎃 Recommend a book that has colourful cover
TBR - Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods
NEW- The Boss Who Stole Christmas by Jana Aston - sweet short novella with the best boss "book boyfriend"!


3. 🎃 Recommend a "comedy" book or a book with a title starting with a letter in "Pranks"
TBR- A Home Come True by Cheryl Harper (starts with A)
NEW- Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie (funny, slow burn, small town romance with hot mayor & a sassy heroine) (slow at beginning...need to keep going 😉)


4. 🎃 Recommend a book featuring a spy or someone pretending to be what they are not
TBR- Texas Stakeout by Virna DePaul
NEW- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (award-winning magical children's book with mysterious character & clever tiny elves)


5. 🎃 Recommend a book that’s tagged thriller or having a MC in the entertainment industry
TBR- Deception Island by Brynn Kelly (thriller)
NEW- Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers, #3) (slow burn romance between female gaming hall owner & a rake - loved this one!)


6. 🎃 Recommend a book with a book with a character that spends time outdoors - Loved both these books!
TBR- Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (outdoors)
NEW- Everything Girl by Emily Mayer (slow burn romance about a cowboy and a city girl staying at his ranch)


7. 🎃 Recommend a book with three or more people on the cover or recommend a book tagged Young/ New Adult
TBR- Big City Cowboy by Julie Benson (NA)
NEW- Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney - beautiful children's story...how these children are both poor and rich at same time- uplifting


8. 🎃 Recommend a book with an animal in the story
TBR- Remember Me, Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael
NEW- This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (sweet story about a heroine who writes children's books about Daphne the Bunny and her romance with a reluctant hero)


🎃 Bonus - Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (Rose Gardner Mystery #1)by Denise Grover Swank (I see that you like Nancy Drew mysteries - this series is lovely & similar except Rose is a young adult) 😉

[Trip]

For MountainKat I picked different from last months to give variety as realised i went a lot of mm for Septembers pick. So i hope find some books here to enjoy. Let me know if want any repicks 💕

Pumpkin Carving
[tbr] Food industry
[new] Artistic MC

Candy
[new] Colorful/Sweet
[tbr] Sweet

Pranks
[tbr] "humor"
[new] Letter A

Costumes
[new] Spy
[tbr] Clothes/Accessory

Horror Movies
[tbr] Mystery
[new] Entertainment Industry

Bonfires
[new] Red cover
[tbr] Outdoors

Themed Parties
[new] Three People
[tbr] New Adult

Spooky Bats and Black Cats
[tbr] Black Cover
[new] Animal

[Carina]

Becca da,

Here are your picks. Happy reading!

Pumpkin Carving:
TBR -
TBR -

Candy:
TBR -
New -

Pranks:
TBR -
New -

Costumes:
TBR -
TBR -

Bonfires:
TBR -
TBR -

Themed Parties:
TBR -
New -

Spooky Bats and Black Cats:
TBR -
New -

[Nayara]

Aiswrya,

I had a lot of fun going through your shelf. Here are your picks...

Pumpking carbing
TBR: Initiation: Year 1 - an artistic MC
New: Savor You - both MC's are chefs



Candy
TBR: Kind of Cursed - a friend told me this book is super cute
New: Equivalent Exchange - this book is sweet, hot and so, so good...



Pranks
TBR: Scoring With the Wrong Twin (title starting with a letter in "Pranks") - I haven't read this one yet but I had so much fun with the second book of this series
New: Lies - this story is bananas and I laugh so hard reading it



Costumes
TBR: Cut & Run - I feel that this is the kind of series that everyone talks about 😂. It fits here 'cause it features an undercover cop.
New: Kill the Queen - a MC pretending to be someone she's not and an awesome fantasy series



Horror movies
TBR: Backstage Pass(entertainment industry) - We have enough of horror this year and this book is scorching hot. I love this series
New: The Restorer - This author writes the most amazing and atmospheric scenes



Bonfires
TBR: A Beastly Kind of Earl - this cover is gorgeous
New: Tell Me - character spend times outdoors



Themed parties
TBR: Shatter Me - I'm not a fan of YA and I heard good things about this book, so this is my recommendation
New: The Guy on the Right - New Adult and the sweetest friend-to-lovers story



Spooky bats and black cats
TBR: Clean Sweep - Great series and the MC has the best of the dogs
New: P.S. I Spook You (black cover)