Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
2010 Challenge Archive
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June - Pick It For Me! Challenge

Your TBR list has so many great books on it, it was hard to choose only 4- I actually chose 5. Here goes-
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - haven't read it but heard..."
Hi Fran! Nice to be paired with you this month! First of all, after looking at your Read shelf, I want to use it as my beginner's guide to romance novels. :-)
I have not read one single book on your TBR shelf, so I am going to recommend based on hearsay.
1. Lover Mine, since you're saving it for a June challenge.
2. The Hunger Games I have heard/read many good things about this one.
3. Acheron since you enjoy Sherrilyn Kenyon's books.
4. Naked in Death,looks like a good one to me!
Now for some new recs:
1. Master of the Game I read this a LONG time ago (high school, I think!) and remember just loving it. It's a multi-generational suspense thriller that is hard to put down.
2. The Book Thief. One of my favorite books. This is very different. It's set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death. A heartbreaking yet uplifting story.
3. Outlander If you like time travel, strong heroines, and lots of action, you will love this book, but be warned this series is addictive!
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn A classic! I absolutely adore this book.
Happy reading, Fran!









Your TBR list has so many great books on it, it was hard to choose only 4- I actually chose 5. Here goes-
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - haven't read it but heard..."
Fran, thanks for the recs! I am going to read Dark Lover, and add your other recs to my shelf. I have been wanting to start this series for awhile now!

Photojim, what tattoo are you getting, and where are you putting it?
I have ..."
The plan is two fish, one black and one white, in a '69' shape on my left shoulder. Total size is about 5" circle.
The two fish as I am a Pisces and have always had a thing for fish and the water. Black and white to symbolize the duality within all of us. There are always two sides to every coin and balance is needed. The '69' position because... well... I was born in '69. Yeah, I'll go with that answer.

I just picked up Moon Called from the library, on the recommendation of some PNR-loving friends who said I MUST try Patricia Briggs, so thi..."
I am so glad there were a few that interest you! :) Thank you so much for all your rec's for me! They all look great! I can't decide which one I want to start with! I think I am leaning towards either The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie or Covet they both look great... maybe I will try to get them both in this month!

Glass Houses.
So, to make up the 8... here are some PNR - mostly the first in the series - you might like:
Slave to Sensation
The Darkest Night
Bound by Shadow
Hotter After Midnight
And, if you're doing the monthly challenge - an author with the same initials!
The Sword
Then, a couple of young adult books you might like:
Peeps
Graceling
Hopefully there's something in there that attracts your attention.
![Macwolf01 [Elise] (macwolf01) | 1012 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1277511172p1/2680059.jpg)
The two fish as I am a Pisces and have always had a thing for fish and the water. Black and white to symbolize the duality within all of us. There are always two sides to every coin and balance is needed. The '69' position because... well... I was born in '69. Yeah, I'll go with that answer..."
Sounds cool, I can think of lots of other reasons for 69 but year of birth is good haha It sounds very yin yang!

From your TBR shelf;
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. A really moody and creepy book. I'd suggest reading only if you're in the mood for that type of genre.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I personally didn't have any luck with this one, but I noticed that you and I were on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of ratings, so you might like this one. Also, many of my avid reader friends love this one so I feel confident recommending it. :)
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. I've not been able to tackle this one yet, truth be told I've been a bit intimidated by it's size, but I recommend it as one of my very good and trusted friends has read it and has praised it so highly and often that I am determined to read it at some point.
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I think BEE is an acquired taste to most. I read The Informers and really enjoyed his particular writing style. Also, if the book is anything like the movie (American Psycho) then I think you're in for quite a ride.
Not from your TBR shelf:
The Woods by Harlan Coben. I saw you like mystery and this one is definitely that. I really enjoyed it. Lots of twists and turns going on.
Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. I saw you read Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by the father. I read both books and enjoyed getting both perspectives of the same story.
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard. YA vampire story. Less emphasis on the vampirism aspect, and more of the coming to terms with coming of age as a vampire. Interesting read. No over-the-top romance to be found in this one...which was a nice change of pace.
The Slow Moon: A Novel by Elizabeth Cox. Another dark and moody book, but in a completely different way.
There you go. :) I hope you find something you'd be interested in reading for this challenge out of my suggestions. I tried to stay clear of any hormonally enhanced romances. ;) LOL Happy reading! :)









Your TBR list has so many great books on it, it was hard to choose only 4- I actually chose 5. Here goes-
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - haven't read..."
Thanks for the recs Sandy!
I do love my romances- when you are ready to dive in, start with Lisa Kleypas (I love her historicals but not her contemporary as much), Teresa Medeiros, Julie Garwood, Linda Howard (McKenzie series).
I will read Lover Mine, Acheron and Naked in Death this month, and will add your other picks to my tbr list. Thanks so much. I can't wait for you to read Dark Lover- you will LOVE it!

Thank you very much for the rec's. I hope you'll be able to find something your interested in from mine.

Cool. Hope you will enjoy them.
I've added all the new books to my TBR, but for this challenge, I'm officially going to read First Drop of Crimson. I'm hoping I'll be able to squeeze in Angels' Blood before June ends.

I have my picks for you although there wasn't a whole lot on your TBR that I've read and could recommend. So here it goes:
TBR
Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh - One of my favorite books along with the sequel, Archangel's Kiss. A different read altogether.
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning - I'm not one for UF usually but this is a great series.
Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward - I only put it in because I love this book but if you've read the rest of the series (as it seems you have) I'm sure this is not far behind.
The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill - I actually haven't read this book, but it's on my TBR as well and looks pretty good.
Totally New!
(Can you tell I'm hoping you pick from this list???) Looking at your "read" list it seems as if you appreciate a book with steamy sex scenes (who doesn't?), so I've made choices from some of my all time favorite books that happen to include just that. I thought that I was just recently getting into Erotica, but apparently a lot of the books I've read fit the category just fine. So here it goes:
About A Dragon by G.A. Aiken - This is the first in a series about Dragon shifters and it just gets funnier with every book, the sex gets steamier too!
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - Also the first in a PNR series and one of my all time favorites. I still pick it up to read certain parts.
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole - Okay, this is getting repetitive but this is another PNR series that's both sexy and funny... another of my favorites.
Wild Card by Lora Leigh - This is the first in her Elite Ops series. I've only read this one, but how can you go wrong with Lora Leigh?
I hope you enjoy these pics but if you want something a little more out of your realm just let me know :)


I enjoyed looking at your profile and seeing all the books that you are reading. i think i need to read some more smart stuff--- not being in school anymore I think I read alot of great fiction and would love to go back to a classic every once and a while.
It was harder to pick from your tbr pile b/c you didn't have much!! So I am going to do the best I can and hope that you find something that interests you.
I am going to have to recommend the Anita Blake Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #7)because she is one of my favorite kick butt females! I love the fact that cell phones weren't popular in the older books and we can see how much technology has grown. i also love when she matches here outfits--cracks me up!
Caution- they do get hot and heavy (and weirder) I think in the 9 or 10th book. Just a heads up.
mocking Jay is a given - I can't wait for it to come out-maybe we can compare notes. i just preordered it yesterday.
I haven't read any of the rest so I will try to make up for it in the rec's.
The Host I think this is a must for you- you said you liked twilight same author totally differnt story- kinda sci-fi love story. i loved it.
Gregor the Overlander this is by suzanne collins- author of the hunger games. This is written for a much younger crowd. my son and i read it when he was 13 or 14. But I loved hte descriptions and the storyline. It is what passed the time for me between the 2nd and 3rd books.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. This is a pnr about fairies. Its book one in a series. I enjoyed it.
The Awakening Love Kelly armstrong. This book is about a young girl who finds out she has some creepy powers. I was chomping at the bit to get the fourth book.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by max Brooks this is like nothing you ever read before. I would have never picked this up becasue of the weird title. but someone recommended it to me on this challenge a few months ago--thanks photojim! and I really enjoyed it. read the description and let me know what you think.
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris another author you are kindof familiar with. I have not read any of the Sookies yet but she is one of my favorite authors. The main charachter isstruck by lighting as a girl and can "sense" where dead bodies are. this is how she makes her living-- soo good!
Last One-- another crazy one. I am not sure how familiar you are with american history but book takes some historical facts from one of our greatest presidents and builds a story around him being a vampire hunter. Once again not something i normally read but I LOVED it. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham-smith.
Let me know what you think of the rec's hopefully you find something you like.

It's been so much fun going through your bookshelves and finding out we have so much in common. So it wasn't really hard picking 4 books from your to-read list.
From TBR:
1. [book..."
I should have read your post first!!!
I have been hearing good things about vampire acadamy so I think i will check that out. I also think hush hush sounds good. I will let you know which I pick (and can get from the library.
i love this site- your tbr list will be way to long in no time. i love reading the reviews and recommendatins from other people. its really opened up some of the things i pick out to read now.

TBR:
1. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
2. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
3. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
4. Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards
NEW:
1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
2. Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
4. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
I hope you can find something from this list that you want to read :)


From your TBR she..."
Hi Rachel!
Thank you so much for you great recommendations and "staying clear of hormonally enhanced romances":) I haven't decided yet what to read, but Sharp Objects looks very attractive, I've been eyeing this book for a while.
I am a big fan of YA fiction and I hope the number of YA books on my list will not turn you off. I've attempted to recommend only those that are almost definite winners and I hope they will make you the fan of the genre too:). Here are my suggestions:
From your TBR:
1) Bitten - because you like paranormal and Clayton Danvers is #1 on the list of my favorite supernatural hunks.
2) Shiver - because you liked Twilight, Hush, Hush, and Beautiful Creatures
3) The Hunger Games - because although you don't read a lot of YA fiction, this is definitely one of the best in the genre and you can't miss out on it.
4) Outlander - because EVERYONE has to give this book a try and Jamie Fraser is the ultimate romance hero (and I love him).
New to you
1) Succubus Blues - to honor your appreciation of paranormal romances, I am recommending this smuttiest urban fantasy novel I've come across so far
2) A Certain Slant of Light - this is the type of YA paranormal love story that I personally prefer, which is significantly different from Twilight formula.
3) The Handmaid's Tale - this is both a classic and disturbing
4) Before I Fall - this is another YA book that pretty much everyone I know enjoyed immensely.

I've just recently gotten into YA and am loving the genre so far, so thank you for recommendations! Yikes! I don't know which one to pick!! They are all definitely making it to my TBR shelf. :)
Hmmm...I have the audiobook of Outlander already, but you have intrigued me with A Certain Slant of Light...and then there's Hunger Games which I know is a huge success. Choices, choices... I think for this challenge I am going to go with A Certain Slant of Light. Thanks for the great recommendations!! :)
Rossy, as always, I am awed by your greatness! Thanks so much for organizing yet another great challenge for us!! :)

I enjoyed looking at your profile and seeing all the books that you are reading. i think i need to read some more smart stuff--- not being in sc..."
Thanks, Julie! The books all look interesting and can't decide which one to read first. Although I can't say I'll read Burnt Offerings 'cause I'm taking a break from Anita since I learnt exactly how "hot and heavy" *smiles* they get in the next books. As for Mockingjay, I just CAN'T wait till august.
From the others I'm gonna start Wicked Lovely first and then may be World War Z.

Love your recs. I think I´m going to read Atlantis Rising(and if I can get it on time My Wicked Enemy)
Thanks!

Thanks for the awesome recs :) I'm going to go with Vampire Academy as I keep hearing good things about it, that and the fact my little sister who doesn't read...ever, read it in less than a week! Which basically means it's either an incredible book, or the world is about to end. :)
My recs for you are:
From your TBR
1. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - a great little UF with a unique take. Mercy is a skinwalker so she changes into a coyote.
2. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine - another UF, this one gets going really quickly and doesn't slow down.
3. Mysteria - this is a nifty little anthology set in a single town, each author has a different angle but all the stories are PNR.
4. Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force - I read this a few months ago for a dare-you-to-read challenge and it's amazing. Really romantic and not too sports-focused.
New to you
1. Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder by L.J. Smith - this is a bind-up of the first three Night World books which are great YA PNR's. I would have picked just the first one, but I think the single editions are out of print now.
2. Greywalker by Kat Richardson - an UF, kind of like the Sookie Stackhouse books, but kind of not. Really unique and lots of fun but takes a little while to get going.
3. Get A Clue by Jill Shalvis - a straight-up contemporary romance with a jilted bride and burnt out cop thrown together at an isolated hotel, and then the murders start...
4. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - you seem to like her Sookie books, so why not give Harper a go? A bit more mystery focused than Sookie with less romance, but great fun :)
Hope there's something here you like :)

Yeah, thanks Gigi!LOL
Um, well if it's only one person i wouldn't want to take that away from Gigi. She's a champ at reading more than one rec.! *smirk*

LOL...but not too good to that ever-expanding TBR list!

Ok, so I have checked all your lists and I see that you like the paranormal genre a lot! I tried to choose books that would fit that criteria, plus a couple of different ones...I hope you like my picks for you! If not let me know!
TBR LIST:
1. My Sister's Keeper I read this book and loved it!
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day
3. Sleepless
4. Nightwalker
NEW:
1. Dancing with the Devil this is historical paranormal...I liked it!
2. The Wedding this is the book that follows The Notebook
3. Kiss Me Deadly this I read online...quick read!
4. Tsunami Blue
Happy reading!!

Thanks, Rachel! *air kiss*

Yeah, just be aware that you'll probably end up with more books in your TBR than you had before!LOL


Here are my recs for you! I hope you find some that you enjoy and some new ones! If you've already read any that I've included in the "new for you" category, just reply or PM me and I'll give you some more recs!
YOUR TBR:
1. Dark Lover, J.R. Ward
I've read the first two in the series, and they just keep getting better. A must read!
2. The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak I just read this book last month. Honestly, it's so good it honestly changed my life. On my top 10 list!
3. Halo, Alexandra Adornetto I haven't read this one, but the cover is so beautiful I just had to include it somehow!
4. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down.
New to you (hopefully)
1. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien Have you really not read this? I feel like this and the Lord of the Rings Series is a must. But I can understand how some might not want to, but they are all worth it. Very rewarding!
2. Meridian, Amber Kizer I'm paying this one forward. It was included in recommendations to my from last month's Pick it For Me Challenge and I really liked it. Fast read with interesting characters. I noticed you had some YA on your shelf and this is YA, so it fits in with others you have enjoyed.
3. The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman The first in "His Dark Materials" trilogy. I loved this series! While it has been classified as YA, it really goes above and beyond. It has been shelved into a ton of banned books lists, but if you have an open mind, it's really not deserving of the negative attention.
4. The Winner, David Baldacci Something totally different for you. A
thriller/mystery/conspiracy book, that I really enjoyed! I'm not usually into these types but I loved this book!










LOL! I'm trying to just limit myself to the books Julie recommended. I can barely read 10-12 books in a month and I'm working in like a gazillion other challenges. :)

Ok so, from your TBR I found:
1. The Lost Symbol I listened to this on audio, on a road trip with fam. It's engaging, not sure really how it compares to the others seeing as I haven't read them.
2. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A soon, or already is (becoming) classic. I see this book, a lot. It's even on my TBR so why not put it here?
3. The Reader On Oprah's club list, and also it sounds like a nice in-depth story. It's even historical.
4. A Question of Trust First of all, the authors last name is Dee! So, it goes with your screen-name. Secondly, it sounds dramatic and like a lot of fun.
Brand New Rec's:
5. The Captivation – I noticed that there is a lot of historical erotica on your list...this proclaims to be historical.
6. Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Not sure what copy, that is. Some have pretty covering than that werid book thing, and there are reviews..) An older classic, something to most likely be skimmed. It was published around the middle 1700’s, so it may be a bit..different. Though, I think it could be interesting to see how horrid (or good?) erotica was during that time period.
7. The Memory Keeper's Daughter You seem to really enjoy Picoult , and sometimes this author is compared or bought with Picoult's books. I tried reading it once, I need to give it another go. =D
8. Under Her Skin- a light contemporary romance.
BTW, I will let you know in the next day or so what book I decide on. Thanks for quickly giving me all those choices! On another side note, I am happy to give you more choices if nothing strikes your fancy.


Well you only have to finish ONE book here, so you should be good. Just add them to your TBR for later, that's what i do. Of course, this means that my to-order list is bigger.LOL



I usually go over the budget, but lately it had gotten out of hand. So i'm trying to stay on a $200 budget for every month. I buy them mostly on ebooks, so i save a lot that way, and i only buy the book that at least one friend has given their approval.

I've got to get my 2nd one re-inked, and am planning on my 3rd... saving up for them for my 40th - a year to go... can't wait!!!

Annie (a mad hamster) wrote: "Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "@photojim - totally agree with Julie - tattoo's are addicting...if i'd know when I got my first one...lol! I now have two and working on a design to get my back..."


I'm still waiting for my recs if you need to re-pair people.

LOL! I'm so greedy! LOL

I'm going to read Halfway to the Grave since I just figured out this is where the Bones I've heard so much about is from.
If I have time, I'll also read Vampire Academy.
Books mentioned in this topic
Vampire Academy (other topics)Pride Mates (other topics)
Seduce Me in Shadow (other topics)
High Noon (other topics)
High Noon (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Neil Gaiman (other topics)Lisa McMann (other topics)
Lisa McMann (other topics)
Elizabeth Vaughan (other topics)
Karen Marie Moning (other topics)
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Photojim, what tattoo are you getting, and where are you putting it?
I have 1, want more but trying to figure out what I want exactly