Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
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May - Pick It For Me! Challenge
message 101:
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Natalie
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Apr 28, 2010 04:59AM

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Hey Rossy I do not mind getting late recs either.

I'm glad so many of you are ok covering for Sara, if you're paired with her. Both Sara and I are very thankful to you, and i will keep you in mind!
Don't forget to check back on the 30th, anytime after 12pm EST. to check whom you've been paired with. Sign up will only stay open until the 29th, 11pm EST.

- As always thank you Rossy for doing this and doing such a good job with it. (((huggs))) - you're the best:)


SIGN-UP IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED
*********************************************
Members listed below will pick for each other using the mentor by generation method!
2. BJ Rose(72)/3. Leah(17)
21. Carolyn F(48)/35. Ari(17)
40. Sherrill(45)/46. Natalie(18)
30. KimKirt(45)/19. Karolina(18)
48. Fran(43)/11. Ahrcadia(18)
31. Regina(43)/39. LethalLovely(20)
17. Photojim(41)/29. ♦Jennifer♦(20)
4. Diane (deebotte)(40)/54. Amelia(21)
24. Cathy(40)/23. Michelle(21)
25. Sandy(40)/1. Katherine(21)
5. Penney(39)/44. Angelique(21)
8. Debbie(39)/22. Gus(21)
20. Yz the Whyz(39)/51. Melanie(22)
42. Cher(38)/18. Nairabell(23)
50. Annie(38)/16. Pollyanna(24)
45. Jen(37)/9. J Bug(25*)
52. Shelley(36)/14. Gigi(25*)
26. Charlotte(34)/41. Chichimo(25*)
13. Elke(32)/37. Rachel(25)
47. Kassa(32)/34. Ashley(26)
49. Melissa(31)/32. Angela(26)
36. Sara(30)/15. Annvelwis(26)
43. Morgan(30)/12. Jennefer(27)
7. Emily(29)/28. Heather C(27)
6. Harper(28)/53. Tatiana(28)
10. N. L.(28)/38. Lili(28)
27. Delicious Dee(28)/33. Angie(28)
Note:
(PB) = prefers paperback book format
(K)/(E) = prefers kindle or ebook format
Diane(PB)
Leah(PB)
Delicious Dee(K)/(E)
KimKirt(PB)
Melanie(E)
Angela(PB)


1. Everything will be done in THIS thread. Please make your recommendations HERE.
2. Make sure to check back BEFORE the 2nd of May and make recommendations for your partner. If i do not hear from you in this thread or through a private message by 11pm, i will assume you will not be participating. Therefore i will re-assign your partner to somebody else.
3. Give 8 book choices to your partner. 4 from their TBR and 4 brand new to them author/book. Of course we are only committed to FINISH 1 recommendation; but this will give your partner different options to choose from depending on their reading mood.

LOL! No problem, Jim.
FYI-Jennifer, for Jim just pick 8 choices of brand new authors/books. His TBR shelf is pretty useless.LOL

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Howards End by E.M. Forster
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

You have so many great books on your TBR shelf. Hard to pick just 4, but here goes:
1.The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Other books you may enjoy:
1. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (since you gave 4 stars to Interview With the Vampire)
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I recommend this to EVERYONE!)
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (a little long but hard to put down)
4. The Fool's Tale: A Novel by Nicole Galland (historical romance set in 12th century Wales)
I hope you find one of these appealing. Have fun!









You already have many of my favorites on your TBR list. I particularly enjoyed these 4 and think you will like them too:
1) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3) The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
4) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
And these 4 I am fairly certain you will enjoy as well:
1) Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor (a collection of absolutely gorgeous dark fairy tales)
2) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (extremely well written fantasy, the quality of writing close to that of Robin McKinley's; although this is not my favorite book, the following 2 sequels are)
3) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (kick-ass girl, violence, politics, mystery, Sweden)
4) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (E.Lockhart is my favorite YA feminist writer)

From your TBR
Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson - Good fun and a very quick read.
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - Another quick read, not the best (that's Dead to The World, but I'm only up to Definately Dead).
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole - Hot sex (if the very strong scottish accent doesn't put you off).
The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter - Still my favourite of the LOTU so far - Maddox is great - completely clueless.
Try Something New?
Soulless by Gail Carriger - Set in victorian england, it has a wonderful sense of humour.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin - No sex, but this series has a wicked sense of humour, Jazz is great fun.
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie - Hot sex in a small town.
Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter - You seem to like a good mystery/serial killer story - this series also has a great romance.

New:
I’m going for a variety here. :)
-Jane Bites Back - Michael Thomas Ford (Paranormal-chick lit. This is about Jane Austen as a vampire and still alive today. It was a fun read.)
-Still Life (Armand Gamache/Three Pines #1) - Louise Penny (Mystery. This is a new series I discovered recently and I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those cozy mysteries.)
-Daughter of the Blood (Black Jewels #1) - Anne Bishop (Fantasy. This is one of my favorite fantasy series. I love the world-building and reverse of gender roles. I think you might like it.)
-Heart of Darkness -Joseph Conrad (Classic Lit. This is my best friend’s all-time favorite book. I saw that you’ve read a lot of classics, but it wasn’t on your shelves. I’ve been meaning to read it myself and thought you might be interested in it.)




From your TBR list:
-Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) - Juliet Marillier (Juliet is one of my favorite authors and the Sevenwaters series is great. :))
-Archangel (Samaria #1) - Sharon Shinn (I’ve read several books by Sharon Shinn and I think she’s pretty good.)
-Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters (This is also on my TBR list. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.)
-The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz (My best friend was reading this the last time she came out to visit me and she said it was interesting, so I plan on checking it out eventually.)





Regina, from your TBR shelf:
1.Wild Card by Lora Leigh~ The heroes in this series are uber alpha male & the women almost always have backbones. Its a branch off of the Tempting Seals series but imo, you can read the latter without reading the former first.
2.If You Dare by Kresley Cole~ This is the first book in a really good historical romance series following three brothers. The same heat & humor is present here that's in Cole's IAD series.
3.Embrace The Darkness by Alexandra Ivy~ This is the first & only book I've read by Ivy so far but it has more than convinced me to give her other books a shot. The chemistry between Shay & Viper is scorching & straightforward.
4.The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman~ I got the whole His Dark Materials trilogy on a three-for-one deal when I was 12 & I am so happy I read them. I can't say more without giving the book away but it's great!
Other books you might enjoy:
1.Shadow Game by Christine Feehan~ I noticed you like Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series & while I haven't read them, from the synopsis, the characters seem to have extraordinary mental abilities. The same is true for Feehan's Ghostwalker series & the h/h's are attractive, strong & smart.
2.Forbidden Magic by Cheyenne McCray~I also noticed you enjoy Anya Bast's Elemental Witches series & this series also involves a close-knit coven of witches. It has handsome fae too.
3.High Stakes by Erin McCarthy~If you enjoy your pnr intermeshed with humor then I think you will enjoy McCarthy's Vegas Vampires series set in the city of sin.
Now for something that may be out of your comfort zone:
4)The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall~Set in a Communist China, this historical fiction/romance is about a young russian girl struggling to survive who meets & developes a bond with a chinese freedom fighter.












From your TBR shelf:
Match Me if You Can - Elizabeth Phillips
Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin
Halfway to the Grave - Jeannine Frost
Welcome to Temptation - Jennifer Crusie
For something new you might want to try these:
Consent to Kill - Vince Flynn - not a romance, but very good
Moon Called - Patricia Briggs - if you are an Urban Fantasy fan
To Trust a Stranger - Karen Robards - Romantic Suspense - awesome
Just One of the Guys - Kristin Higgins - funny, funny

"Still Life" was a quick read, so you'd probably be able to do that one and at least one of the others, depending on how fast you read. :) I have a few challenges I'm working on and we have to move by the end of May, so I don't think I'll be able to read too many additional books this month. Once we're all moved, though, I can do some serious catching up.

From your TBR:
1. How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks: this book is a funny paranormal romance. I loved it!
2. Touch the Dark by Karen Chance: this one's definitely urban fantasy, but it's definitely one of those books that doesn't look like much but ends up blowing your mind.
3. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: I wasn't sure about recommending this as I hated the TV version and I know some people loved it. The books are very different, but I think they're way better.
4. Dragonswan by Sherrilyn Kenyon: it looks like you've read all the other Dark Hunter books, and though this is small it's quite a nifty story.
Not from your TBR:
1. Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson: I noticed you have a lot of PNR on your read shelf. Betsy is a total ditz, but it's definitely a fun read.
2. A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands: another PNR here, still with a bit of humour but more romantic this time. It's about a blood-phobic vamp who gets a kidnapped psychologist for a birthday present.
3. Her Notorious Viscount by Jenna Petersen: I noticed you've read and enjoyed some historicals, and have more on your TBR. This is my go-to rec for those as it is the only one I've really enjoyed (and haven't launched across the room due to awful geography).
4. I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley: this the first in the Broken Heart series about a bunch of single parents that end up turned into vamps. It's different to see a parent become undead, and the snarky humour means that reading this and drinking at the same time is a bad idea (seriously - I snorted my tea!)
Hopefully there's something there you'll like, if not let me know and I'll think of something else :)

Read
1. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh - Nalini Singh is just a fantastic PNR writer. This first book in the series definitely has a hot romance, but it also has a great plot that continues throughout the series.
2. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh- Another one from Miss Singh, but I really loved this one. And I think that you may too.
3. Born of Nightby Sherrilyn Kenyon- a Sci-Fi romance that I really think you may be interested in.
4.Shadowfallby James Clemens- I noticed that you like some epic fantasy, and this one definitely fits the bill.
New
1. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione- This seems to have gone over really well with most people that I know that have read it.
2. Show No Mercy by Cindy Gerard- comes highly recommended
3. Coming Undone by Stephanie Tyler - I saw that you like a lot of harlequin so I decided to pick some that looked intriguing.
4.Amorous Liaisons by Sarah Mayberry- Another Harlequin that looks interesting.









TBR
The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAlister - a romance about a reality show about a historical time period. Lots of humor as the "actors" try and get used to not using modern conveniences and as you can imagine some positions are a lot better than others.
On the Prowl anthology - I noticed you really liked the Dorian Basarab books and this includes the prequel to that as well as my favorite short story ever - the prequel to Alpha and Omega by Patrica Briggs.
Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson - chick lit and vampires. It is an enjoyable read. Betsy wakes up dead and has a hard time adjusting.
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent - this was recommended to me in the April Pick it for me challenge and I enjoyed it. I thought you would like it since it is YA and fae based. It is an interesting story.




New
Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise - she is one of my favorite contemporary authors. I love her use of humor in romances and her well developed secondary characters. Min "overhears" a bet between her ex and Cal about getting her into bed. She is furious and decides to string Cal along until her sister's wedding.
Tongue in Chic by Christina Dodd - an fun story where a woman is caught trying to steal a painting and then pretends to have amnesia to get out of it, but the homeowner then turns the tables and claims she's his wife.
Mistress by Amanda Quick - I saw you liked historicals and so I had to recommend one by Quick. A resourceful young woman pretends to be the mistress of an Earl she believes killed by the person blackmailing her aunt. When the Earl learns of this he comes back to town and together they end up solving the mystery.
Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell - I believe this may be out of print, but since you like YA, I had to recommend it and you might find it at a used bookstore. Fran is touring Germany with her mother in a Goth Faire and going through the normal teenage angst and thinks she's a freak. But as she starts to bond with others at the faire, she grows into herself and her powers and finds love.






I want to apologize a head of time because I sadly have read only one book on your TBR list. So, I just picked four from it that I've heard good things about.
From your TBR List:
Jewels of the Sun - Nora Roberts: I just finished this series and really enjoyed it. As always Nora's characters are addictive!
Betrayal in Death - J.D. Robb: I'm currently reading the
The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole: I've heard only good things about this series from people I consider to have great taste in literature.
Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia: There always telling me not to judge a book by it's cover, but every time I see this one in stores I'm drawn to it. However that's not the one reason I picked this one, I think it's refreshing to have a love story told from the guys point-of-view.
Other Suggestions:
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick: There are some noticeable parallels between this one and Twilight, but at the same time it's a totally unique experience.
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan: I saw that you had read and enjoyed the Harry Potter series, and thought I'd suggest you pick this series up. It just as action-packed and full of surprises.
Full Moon Rising - Keri Arthur: This is one of my personal favorites as far as Paranormal romances go. IT'S HOT HOT HOT!
Wild Card - Lora Leigh: Lora Leigh writes stories that succubus blush. Not to mention there was a fairly surprising mystery in this one.
Divine Evil - Nora Roberts: This is probably my favorite Nora novel. It really suspenseful and it has a great love story.

From your TBR list:
1. Vision in White #1 by Nora Roberts Actually I recommend all the Bride Quartet series.
-Bed of Roses #2
-Savor the Moment #3 (not on your TBR)
2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
3. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
4. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Others you might enjoy:
1. The Hathaway Series by Lisa Kleypas
- Mine Till Midnight
- Seduce Me at Sunrise
- Tempt Me at Twilight
2.Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
3. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
4. The Chandler Brothers Series by Carly Phillips
-The Bachelor
-The Playboy
-The Heartbreaker
I hope any of these will do...If not let me know!!
Happy Reading!!

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Dangerous to Know by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Witchcraft by Jayne Ann Krentz
The MacGregors: Serena & Caine by Nora Roberts
Black Silk by Metsy Hingle
For the Roses by Julie Garwood
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
Forever by Jude Deveraux

Well i checked out your TBR list here is what i came up with seeming we have real different taste in books i have to say sadly that i haven't read anything on there :( I have only herd good things about the books i have chosen for you,hope you enjoy :)
From your TBR List
Dead in the Family
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Kite Runner
Fade To Midnight
New Here are some of my Fave books i have read
The Darkest Night
Jacob
Fantasy Lover
A Hunger Like No Other
Hope you enjoy :)
Oh and it is super lovely to meet you :0 i added you as a friend!!

lol, I see that. I'll get right on it. :)"
You rock!LOL

I've been glancing at your TBR and Read books, and unfortunately I haven't read anything on it! You love your m/m romances! ;) I haven't read any but would be curious to try one!
Anyways, I thought I'd check in to see what other genres you like or don't like before I can make recommendations for you! Are you in to Fantasy, PNR or UF? Like any YA? Those are the genre's I've been reading lately, but I love trying new things!

Thank you Angie, i really appreciate you going through the trouble! *hugs*

Thank you! They all sound fantastic. I just got home from work and will be going out to eat. I'll be back in a couple of hours and will pick one of these as well as start gathering my recs for you.
Thank you again for the rapid response.

Although I am familiar with most of the authors on your TBR list, I haven't read any of those books, so I will choose ones that I have heard good things about-
Tempting the Beast
Desire Unchained
A Quick Bite
Heart of the Dragon
For my personal picks for you I have chosen 4 books that I love, 3 that I think fit your love of PNR/UF and 1 contemporary romance to throw something different into the mix. Hope something strikes your interest!
Pleasures of the Nightby
Sylvia Day
After MidnightbyTeresa Medeiros
Lair of the LionbyChristine Feehan
Mountain DreamsbyCheryl Holt

From your TBR list:
1. Lover Mine by J. R. Ward
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
3. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
New Books/Authors:
1. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
2. Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3. Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (I noticed that you had some YA books on your shelves. So you might like this.)
Hope you find one you want to read! :)

From your TBR list
Soulless by Gail Carriger -- A really interesting great book but can be a little slow in the start as the writer develops the world
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost -- A fantastic vampire series. The entire series plus its spin-off series is worth reading.
Covet by JR Ward -- A good series, not as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but worth a read.
Dark Prince by Christine Feehan -- A decent vampire series that is very much more towards romance than the more traditional sci-fi/fantasy vampire series
New Books To Enjoy
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause -- A werewolf classic and it is wonderful
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill -- The first book in a wonderful, well-written vampire series featuring a kick ass vampire heroine
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead -- The first book in a YA vampire series that puts a new spin on vampires and dhampirs. A fantastic series that leaves the reader wanting more. All the books are wonderful and very much worth a read.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs -- The first book in a series with walkers, werewolves, vampires and fae. The main character is a great female heroine but the secondary characters are what make this series very likable and readable.
Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh -- Sexy Angels, Vampires and Assassins, need I say more?










Thanks for the choices. I'll take a look at them tonight and let you know which one I pick (especially since I'll need something to maybe read at work tonight - starting after midnight of course!!)
For you, I took a look at your list, wow you read a lot of PNR - I just started getting into that genre, so I picked a few off your TBR that I had read and liked or heard good things about and then some others that I've read and enjoyed.
To Be Read
Pleasure Unbound - I love this series and about the start the 4th one
Covet - Just finished this one today and enjoyed it, a bit different from her BDB books
Sea Witch - this one is loitering in the TBR pile, so let me know how it is
Dragon Actually - this one is also in my TBR pile
Other recommendations
Angel Warriors - this book was recommended to me from Amazon and I really enjoyed it about angels battling evil in Detroit
Naked in Death - I was surprised to not see any JD Robb on your list
Vision in White - I saw you had some other Nora Roberts listed and i'm really enjoying this series, the first three are out currently with the fourth in December
Bite My Fire - Not sure if you read ebooks at all, and this one is currently only available in that, but it was a funny read and there are several more in the series out.
Angie wrote: "Hi Delicious Dee. Rossy asked me to pick yours from your ebay list. I had only read one on that list (which is my first recommendation) the rest are ones I'd be curious to know what you thought abo..."
Books mentioned in this topic
Pleasure Unbound (other topics)If You Deceive (other topics)
If Angels Burn (other topics)
If You Dare (other topics)
Deception (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nora Roberts (other topics)Patricia Briggs (other topics)
Jasper Fforde (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Cecelia Ahern (other topics)
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