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2025 October Pick-It-For-Me Challenge
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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 the 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!

Participants
🍎☘KathyD☘ — tbr-audios
🍎Tink Magoo is bad at reviews — challenge-picks
🍎Julie — to-read
🎃Carrie — up-next
🎃Fran — a-pifm-shelf (private profile)
🎃Sonja — pifm
🍎Carina — fall
🍎Jamie — open-series
🍎Elizabeth — 1-romance
🍎Nancy H — to-read
🎃Courtney — october-pfm
🍎MountainKat — to-read-asap
🎃LaurLa — 01-pick-me-please

Pairings
Please pick for the person beneath you. The last person picks for the first person (that is, Jamie picks for Nancy H).
🍎Nancy H — to-read
🎃Carrie — up-next
🎃Fran — a-pifm-shelf (private profile)
🍎Tink Magoo is bad at reviews — challenge-picks
🎃LaurLa — 01-pick-me-please
🍎MountainKat — to-read-asap
🍎Elizabeth — 1-romance
🍎Carina — fall
🎃Courtney — october-pfm
✔️🍎☘KathyD☘ — tbr-audios
🍎Julie — to-read
🎃Sonja — pifm
🍎Jamie — open-series
✔️ = made picks
✱ Remember to pick a minimum of four NEW books and four books from your pickee’s TBR or preferred shelf. Please limit your picks to no more than two for each rule , since sometimes too many choices can be as bad as too few!

Picking Rules
Fall is often thought of as pumpkin time…but I’m a much bigger fan of all the applely treats this time of year brings! August through November is typical apple harvest season in my neck of the woods. Here are some popular apple varieties and apple treats…as well as a pumpkin treat or two…to guide your October reading!
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎 – these apple varieties are described as sweet, crisp, and juicy and are eaten raw or used for cooking/baking.
recommend a book…
✔️ published in August or September
✔️ whose main character(s) is considered sweet (your interpretation)
✔️ you feel is juicy (your interpretation)
🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎 – these tart apple types are best used for cooking/baking
recommend a book…
✔️ published in October or November
✔️ whose main character(s) is considered tart (your interpretation)
✔️ with green, pink, or red on the cover
🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎 – a fall staple, these yummy doughnuts are made from fresh apple cider and rolled in cinnamon sugar
recommend a book…
✔️ set in the food industry or whose main character(s) work in the food industry
✔️ with a sweet treat(s) or drink(s) on the cover
✔️ with a brownish cover
🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎 – whole apples on a stick dipped in a thick, rich caramel or a popular party treat that uses the same type of caramel to dip apple slices…yes please!
recommend a book…
✔️ that encompasses many genres (for example, humor, contemporary)
✔️ that is “thick”...300+ pages
✔️ with a 4.0+ goodreads average…that is popular
🍎Apple Pie🍎 – one of the most common and recognized apple desserts, apple pies often feature flaky, buttery crusts filled with warm, spiced apples
recommend a book…
✔️ whose main character(s) is flaky or warm or set in a warm climate/season
✔️ that is spicy (your interpretation)
✔️ with a golden cover
🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎 – these yummy desserts are comforting classics that include toppings such as streusel or a crunchy mix of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter
recommend a book…
✔️ that is comforting (your interpretation)
✔️ that includes some kind of mix up
✔️whose title or author’s name begins with ‘A’ or ‘C’
🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃 – another fall staple, pumpkin pie is often served with whipped cream
recommend a book…
✔️ with an orange or white cover
✔️ set on a farm (bonus points for a pumpkin farm! 😉)
✔️ with something fluffy (like whipped cream) on the cover
🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃 – can be prepared in many ways, including a decadent layer cake, a simple bundt cake, or a coffee-type cake with a streusel crumb topping
recommend a book…
✔️ that is or whose main character(s) is decadent (your interpretation)
✔️ with a simple, straightforward story or that is short (under 200 pages)
✔️ that has coffee on the cover or whose main character(s) drinks a lot of coffee

To Read Shelf

Please pick from
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Please use my PIFM shelf, and please don't pick too many, I'm struggling to find time for any reading this month!

Please use my to-read-asap shelf - thanks!

01-pick-me-please


🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎
Wild Card, Elsie Silver — published in September (tbr)
Nine Month Contract, Amy Daws — main character is sweet (new)
🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎
Ruby Fever, Ilona Andrews — red cover (tbr)
Inheritance, Nora Roberts — published in November (new)
🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎
Married to the Alien Cowboy, Ursa Dax — brownish cover (tbr)
Year One, Nora Roberts — main character is a chef (new)
🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎
Lead, Kylie Scott — popular book w/ 300+ pages (tbr)
A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness — many genres w/ 300+ pages (new)
🍎Apple Pie🍎
Trial of the Sun Queen, Nisha J. Tuli — golden cover (tbr)
Wildest Dreams, Kristen Ashely — main character is warm (new)
🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎
All the Missing Pieces, Catherine Cowles — title begins with ‘A’/author’s initials are ‘C’ (tbr)
The Darkest Hour, Maya Banks — includes a mix up/misunderstanding (new)
🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃
Say You’ll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez — fluffy dog on the cover (tbr)
Angels’ Blood, Nalini SIngh — orangish cover (new)
🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃
Stuck with You, Ali Hazelwood — less than 200 pages (tbr)
Rapture in Death, J.D. Robb — main character drinks a lot of coffee (new)

















Here are your picks. Happy reading!
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji
TBR - The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
New - Beach House Rules


🍏McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith
TBR - The Dress Shop on King Street
New - And Then There Was You


🍎Applecider Donuts
TBR - Kiss My Cupcake
New - The Enemy


🍏Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip
TBR - A Rogue of One's Own
New - A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem


🍎Apple Pie
TBR - When It Falls Apart
New - Begin Again


🍏Apple cake/Crisp/Crumble
TBR - Emma of 83rd Street
New - It's a Love Story


🎃Pumpkin Pie
TBR - Love and Other Words
New - The Start of Something Good


🎃Pumpkin Cake
TBR - A Wild Card Night
New - Always a Fake Bridesmaid



🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎
NEW: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
TBR: The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman


🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎
NEW: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
TBR: The Rose in the Shadows by Arcadia Rayne


🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎
NEW: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
TBR: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner


🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎
NEW: The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune
TBR: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


🍎Apple Pie🍎
NEW: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
TBR: The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe


🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎
NEW: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
TBR: A Vow of Shadow and Blood by Charlene Antrobus


🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃
NEW: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
TBR: A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake


🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃
NEW: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
TBR: Beauty & Rage by Natalie Bennett


Happy Reading!!

🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎 – Published in August
TBR: Vampires of El Norte
🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎 – Pink on the cover
NEW: Then She Was Gone
🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎 – Set in the food industry
NEW: Last Call at the Local
🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎 – 4.0+ goodreads average…that is popular
NEW: The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
🍎Apple Pie🍎 - Set in a warm climate/season
TBR: Crash Site
🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎 - Title begins with ‘A’
TBR: A Bridge Across the Ocean
🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃 – With an orange or white cover
NEW: Before Dorothy
🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃 – Short story (under 200 pages)
TBR: Same Time Next Year









🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎
Wild Card, Elsie Silver — published in September (tbr)
[book:Nine Month Contra..."
Thanks Kathy! I'm really looking forward reading to as many as possible.

Here are your picks for October. I hope you find something you enjoy.
🎃Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🎃
NEW: My Roommate Is a Vampire
TBR: A Deal with the Devil


🎃McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🎃
TBR: Variation
TBR: Sounds Like Love


🎃Apple Cider Doughnuts🎃
NEW: Better Than Chocolate
TBR: Love to Go


🎃Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🎃
NEW: A Whisper of Death
TBR: Fortune Hunter


🎃Apple Pie🎃
NEW: Duchess of My Heart
TBR: Beyond Ruin


🎃Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🎃
NEW: Hot Toy
TBR: Accomplice to the Villain


🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃
NEW: Little Lost Love Letter
TBR: Kathryn


🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃
NEW: If You Believe in Me
TBR: Death on Witch Street



Had a hard time finding something unfamilar to you because you're very well-read to put it lightly. lol. But I hope you stumble upon something that catches your fancy. Happy reading!
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎
TBR: State of Denial (August)
NEW: The Island Villa (juicy)


🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎
TBR: Seven Year Itch (pink)
NEWISH: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping (pink)


🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎
TBR: When in Rome (food industry)
NEW: The Wedding People (drink)


🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎
TBR: The Echo of Old Books (4.0)
NEW: At the Stroke of Midnight (humor contemporary)


🍎Apple Pie🍎
TBR: House of Scarlett (spicy)
NEW: Summer Romance (warm season)


🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎 –
TBR: Fourth Wing (gold)
NEW: The True Love Experiment (Starts with ‘C’)


🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃
TBR: Great Big Beautiful Life (orange cover)
NEW: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (white)


🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃
TBR: Blaze Erupting (under 200 pages)
NEW: The Pumpkin Spice Café (coffee)



Use https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."
Carina, im at the hospital, mom is in post-op. Everything went well. Just give me about an hour and I will post your picks.

Hey Karin! Here are your picks, hope you enjoy. I tried to give a bit of variety.
Left is from your shelf,
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎
TBR: Tempted by Love
NEW: Belladonna


🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎
TBR: Foul Lady Fortune
NEW: On Wings of Blood


🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎
TBR: When in Rome
NEW: Apple Die


🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎
TBR: A Forgery of Fate
NEW: The Knight and the Moth


🍎Apple Pie🍎
TBR: King of Wrath
NEW: Deep End


🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎
TBR: Firelight
NEW: Lights Out


🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃
TBR: The Cowboy's Dream Family: A Clean and Uplifting Romance
NEW: The One


🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃
TBR: Echoes Of The Past: Be careful what you wish for (Maya Hartwell
NEW: Hunted in Holly



Here are your picks. Happy reading!
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji
TBR - The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
New - Beach House Rules
[bookcover:The Lost Story of Eva ..."
Thanks for the Picks, Carina. I see lots of the books I want to get done. 😊

Here are your picks for October…..I hope you find something you love here!
🍎Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🍎 - pub. 8 and 9
TBR: Butcher & Blackbird
New- Once Upon a Real Good Time
🍎McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith🍎 – Pink or green on the cover - love both of these books!
TBR : The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
TBR- Red, White & Royal Blue
🍎Apple Cider Doughnuts🍎 –
NEW: Eat Your Heart Out -Set in the food industry
TBR- Wildflowers - brown on cover
🍎Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip🍎 – 4.0+ goodreads average…that is popular
TBR- Duet
TBR- The Guy on the Right
🍎Apple Pie🍎 -
TBR: Reset - gold on cover
New- Hot Cop - pub. in warm season
🍎Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble🍎
TBR: Alpha Games - Title begins with ‘A’
New- Emergency Contact - mix up
🎃Pumpkin Pie🎃 – With white on cover
NEW: Bedded Bliss
NEW- Codename Romeo
🎃Pumpkin Cake🎃 –
TBR: Hot for Slayer Short story
New- Something to Talk About - drinks coffee
Happy Reading!

Here are your picks. You have so many great Fall picks on your shelf. I found a few that I want to read, too. I hope you find some you like on this list.
Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji: The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn (I couldn't resist putting this one in!); Sweet character - Mrs. Morris and the Ghost


McIntosh/PinkLady/Granny Smith: Red on cover - The Thursday Murder Club; Pink on cover - A Potion to Die For


Apple Cider Doughnuts: Treats /drink on cover - Scrumptious; Falling Like Leaves


Caramel Apples: Many genres - Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop; More than 4.0 rating - Three Mages and a Margarita


Apple Pie: Warm climate (Bora Bora) - Bridesmaid for Hire; Gold-ish cover - Well Played


Apple Cake: Comforting ending - Story of My Life; Author with A - Garden Spells


Pumpkin Pie: Two with farms - There’s Pumpkin About You and Nuts


Pumpkin Cake: Lots of coffee - The Cinnamon Spice Inn and On What Grounds ( I love this series and I'm not even a coffee drinker, just a mystery lover!)


Happy October Reading!

Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji
🍎TBE ❱❱ Jon's Spooky Corpse Conundrum ❱❱ published August
🍎NEW ❱❱ Avenging Angel ❱❱ I always think of Kristen Ashley books as juicy


McIntosh/Pink Lady/Granny Smith
🍎TBE ❱❱ Seduce Me at Sunrise ❱❱ red cover
🍎NEW ❱❱ Always You and Me ❱❱ pink cover


Apple Cider Doughnuts
🍎TBE ❱❱ A Silence in Belgrave Square ❱❱ Kat is a cook
🍎NEW ❱❱ Other People’s Summers ❱❱ drink on cover


Caramel Apples/Caramel Apple Dip
🍎TBE ❱❱ Kindred in Death ❱❱ mystery, futuristic and a little humor mixed in
🍎NEW ❱❱ You Can Run ❱❱ mystery and a little romance


Apple Pie
🍎TBE ❱❱ The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand ❱❱ sounds spicy
🍎NEW ❱❱ The Exception to the Rule ❱❱ golden cover


Apple Cake/Crisp/Crumble
🍎TBE ❱❱ Among the Heather ❱❱ title A
🍎NEW ❱❱ Someone Like You ❱❱ I fall back on Marie Force for a comforting read


Pumpkin Pie
🎃TBE ❱❱ Fish Stick Fridays ❱❱ clouds are fluffy
🎃NEW ❱❱ Do Me a Favor ❱❱ farm setting


Pumpkin Cake
🎃TBE ❱❱ Dragos Takes a Holiday ❱❱ under 200 pp
🎃NEW ❱❱ Sweetheart ❱❱ coffee café, coffee bean roaster, coffee lovers



Here are your picks for October. I hope you find something you enjoy.
🎃Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji🎃
NEW: My Roommate Is a Vampire
TBR: A Deal with the Devil
[..."
These are some great picks! Thanks, Tink!

Gala/Honeycrisp/Fuji
🍎TBE ❱❱ Jon's Spooky Corpse Conundrum ❱❱ published August
..."
Thank you LaurLa! So many options - I can't wait to get started!
Books mentioned in this topic
Jon's Spooky Corpse Conundrum (other topics)A Deal with the Devil (other topics)
My Roommate Is a Vampire (other topics)
Do Me a Favor (other topics)
Sweetheart (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nalini Singh (other topics)Lauren Palphreyman (other topics)
Gail Carriger (other topics)
Arcadia Rayne (other topics)
Kresley Cole (other topics)
More...
2025 October Pick-It-For-Me 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 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 was chosen
INFORMATION NEEDED TO SIGN UP
✱✱Are you Team Apple or Team Pumpkin?✱✱
✱✱ If you have a preferred shelf, please list it along with your pick! ✱✱
IMPORTANT DATES
Sign ups will remain open until September 24 (~5 pm US CDT)
You’ll have until September 29 (~12 pm US CDT) 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!✱✱