Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
2010 Challenge Archive
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June - Pick It For Me! Challenge
![Macwolf01 [Elise] (macwolf01) | 1012 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1277511172p1/2680059.jpg)
Gigi I think you like the hunt for new recommendations too much ... your TBR list is HUGE hahaha
ok, Angelique - since I am still up I will go ahead and list off for ya....From your TBR:
1) Lover Eternal - for me, this one was even better than the first one of the series, so if you were at all liking the first
2) The Darkest Night - as a paranormal romance series goes, this one has a completely unique approach
3) City of Bones - a young adult series, this one is really great and keeps you guessing almost to the end of the third book
4) High Noon - had to pick one that wasn't part of a series, and this one is a good romance, a good suspense and has good action to it too
New to you:
1) Garden Spells - this one is a sweet mix of magic and romance, this author has a way of making subtlety so powerful and fun, really anything by her would be my recommendation
2) Mine Till Midnight - you have some Nora Roberts historical romance, but not much and this is one of Lisa Kleypas historical series, I picked this one because the latest of this series just came out and I have it on the brain
3) American Gods - simply one of the most different books I have ever read, no way to describe really, it is an interesting adventure filled with mythology and a strangeness that makes it intriguing
4) Wife for Hire - had to through in at least one light hearted fun one, this is actually part of Janet Evanovich's re-release group so it is not quite up to her more known work but it is fun and quick to read
Angelique, I hope you find something in here that will trip you fancy - I always like to see what people think of the same books that I love and if I remember right, I gave these books all fairly high marks. Good Luck and happy reading! :)
Eliza wrote: "PenneyFrom your TBR
Nauti Boy by Lora Leigh - LL is my fav and I've been reading this series lately.
Soulless by Gail Carriger - Have heard this is a great book from many people.
Magic Bites b..."
Uh...now I'm confused! I thought I was just repaired with Penney....
Not sure what to do now.
Ashley - give recs to Penney if you want...since her original partner was late giving her recs, it is up to her if she wants to read those recs or not...otherwise I can give you some and you can give me something...just let me know
Oh well, I don't want to put you out Dee. You're doing so much already! I guess I can just wait till next month since I'm the odd one out. :(
no ashley - I can help you out...not like i'm doing much at 1am (i'm at work and its nice and q-u-i-e-t) - hopefully it stays that way! give me a few and i'll give you some recs!!ETA - i'll pm you and you can figure out what you want to do
PollyannaI have recs for you. Hopefully you'll like them. Let me know if you don't see anything that appeals to you. I will be more than happy to search again. So, I noticed that you like chick-lit, YA and paranormal.
TBR
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes
New
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite
Let me know which book you decide to read.
Enjoy!
Macwolf01 [Elise:] wrote: "Gigi I think you like the hunt for new recommendations too much ... your TBR list is HUGE hahaha"LOL! I know! Too bad you can't take TBR days off from work instead of sick days. LOL
Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "did you have something good? I make my turkey concotion to take the work..."I made some really good steak fajitas. Quick and easy!LOL
Ashley wrote: "Uh...now I'm confused! I thought I was just repaired with Penney....Not sure what to do now."
As i mentioned to Debbie earlier. If your ORIGINAL partner is late in making recommendations, then you're re-paired. If your ORIGINAL partner comes and gives you recommendations after you have been re-assigned, then it's up to you to decide wether you want to commit to TWO books for this month.
Therefore Ashley, please give your recommendations to Penney as Eliza was late. Let Penney decide later if she wants to ALSO complete a recommendation by Eliza.
Rules :
1. Everything will be done in THIS thread. Please make your recommendations HERE.
2. Make sure to check back BEFORE the 2nd of June 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.
DD, i cannot thank you enough for all your help this month and how well you have handled many of our members needs. For now, i will simply say THANK YOU! *hugs*
Yayyyy! Great pick it for me ladies. Rossy and DD, amazing job as always!*applause* LOL
Gigi wrote: "Yayyyy! Great pick it for me ladies. Rossy and DD, amazing job as always!*applause* LOL"
Hey Gigi, tag you're it!LOL
I think since Gigi is always so into these challenges she should be devious next month...yep, i'm throwing it out there!
That's what i thought too. *evil minds think alike*LOL
Gigi wrote: "PollyannaI have recs for you. Hopefully you'll like them. Let me know if you don't see anything that appeals to you. I will be more than happy to search again. So, I noticed that you like chic..."
Thanks for the recs Gigi :) I'm definitely going to read Shiver and I might read Vampire Academy too. I've added all the new books to my tbr too.
tbr
PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern A great book, better than the film and made me cry.
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon For a romance fan I definitely recommend this, I have nearly finished it and I love it.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett I haven't read this yet either but I only ever hear good things about it.
New
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger I read this and thought it was okay but a lot of people really love this book so I thought I'd put this out there for you.
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella This is a great book for romance and laughs, loved it.
If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern another great chick lit read and it is very sweet.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins thought I'd throw in a classic, this is a great book that is quite creepy and gothic. One of the only books i'm glad I was made to read at uni lol.
Rossy ~*~ Ehrotic ~*~ wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Hey:-) So I read 
today, and LOVED Bastien! He's so sexy:-)) I'm now two thirds of my way through 
, and am so far lov..."Lol... I finished Lord of Scoundrels last night :-)
If you give me till tonight Rossy I can rec some books for Midhat or someone else if you like :-)
@Harper: I hope you'll enjoy the books :-) The two you're hesitating between are both on my "favorite" shelf back home :-) As for continuing the Ice series, I have Cold Ice in my room (lucky me, I brought like 40 books for my week in Italy, lol... I like to have choices:-p)
Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "I think since Gigi is always so into these challenges she should be devious next month...yep, i'm throwing it out there!"Rossy ~*~ Ehrotic ~*~ wrote: "Gigi wrote: "Yayyyy! Great pick it for me ladies. Rossy and DD, amazing job as always!
*applause* LOL"
Hey Gigi, tag you're it!LOL"
Hee hee....me....really....wooo hoooo!!! That would be awesome.
Gigi wrote: "Macwolf01 [Elise:] wrote: "Gigi I think you like the hunt for new recommendations too much ... your TBR list is HUGE hahaha"LOL! I know! Too bad you can't take TBR days off from work instead of s..."
Hmmm wonder if I can't convince them to work that into our contract negotiations???? That would definately make me happy ... kinda like mental health days haha
Karolina,First, thank you for the recommendations! I have put "Shiver" (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater on hold at my library. Unfortunately I'm number 32 in the queue! So, if that doesn't come in in time (which I doubt it will), then I will read "Judgment in Death" by J.D. Robb since I've been telling my daughter I'll try to read a few more in that series so we can talk about it!
As for your list, I was impressed looking through the books you have read as well as the ones on your TBR pile. All of the books I am going to recommend I have read and enjoyed, as well as one of my daughters. Either I've recommended a book to them, or they to me. Either way, I figure it's a two person recommendation! So, here goes:
From your TBR list:
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Summoning
The Alchemist
Guilty Pleasures
New to you books:
Bitten
Jane Eyre
Moon Called
Dead Until Dark
Eliza wrote: "PenneyFrom your TBR
Nauti Boy by Lora Leigh - LL is my fav and I've been reading this series lately.
Soulless by Gail Carriger - Have heard this is a great book from many people.
Magic Bites b..."
Eliza,
Ooooo, good picks, thanks! I've already chosen Nauti Boy for a challenge and I'm looking forward to it. I'd also like to try and get to Wicked Enchantment before the months out. Actually I've put all of you recs on my TBR because they all look good. Quick question: Do you think I'd have to read the first two of the Leopard Series by Feehan before I read Burning Wild?
Thanks again for the picks!
Pollyanna wrote: "Gigi wrote: "PollyannaI have recs for you. Hopefully you'll like them. Let me know if you don't see anything that appeals to you. I will be more than happy to search again. So, I noticed that ..."
Yayyyy, recs! You are so welcome Pollyanna. I've heard great things about both of those books. Let me know what you thought of them. I've been dying to read Outlander. So, I'm going to pick that one. Shhh...don't tell MacWolfe01, but I'm going to add the new ones to my TBR. LOL
Macwolf01 [Elise:] wrote: "Gigi wrote: "Macwolf01 [Elise:] wrote: "Gigi I think you like the hunt for new recommendations too much ... your TBR list is HUGE hahaha"LOL! I know! Too bad you can't take TBR days off from wo..."
LOL...exactly! That would be awesome!
Hi Ashley!I have to say it's been very interesting picking for you. Among the books that we share we seem to have very similar tastes. When it comes to rating books I'm very stingy with my stars. To earn 5 stars a book has to be one I either pick up again to reread passages or am eager to read all over again. Consequently 3 stars means good and 4 means really good.
Anywho...on to your picks. This was hard because your TBR is so large that most of my picks were already on it and I could only pick 4!
From Your TBR
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - This one in at the top of my list as I've read and reread it many times. The love story doesn't really kick in till the middle of the book but it picks up speed quickly and continues strongly in the the books that follow. I think being a Lit Major you'll really enjoy the details Gabaldon is famous for.
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning - Great UF series (and I'm not a UF fan). I've read all four and am eagerly awaiting the fifth.
Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh - In my opinion, not your average PNR or UF, I don't really know where it fits, it's just a great read. Singh is an incredible writer.
Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson - Is there such a thing as Fantasy Romance because that's what I'd call this book. I'm about 2/3 through it right now and I'm already looking forward to the next one.
Totally New
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb - I am totally addicted to this series! Super strong heroine and equally strong hero. I've been listening to it on my iPod and I'm now up to book #18. The narrator is incredible and really brings the book to life, but I think I'd still enjoy it immensely if I were reading it.
Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan - This is actually the first in a true trilogy. If you read one you'll have to read them all, but they're well worth it. I think I'd also classify this one as Fantasy Romance, it's not at all typical.
About A Dragon by G.A. Aiken - I think I recommend this one to everyone. It's the first of a series and it's action packed, funny and very sexy. It just gets funnier with each book!
Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion - Since this challenge is about introducing new books to people I had to include one Historical Romance. You have none on your lists, which most likely means you have no interest in them, but this is not your typical HR. I'll only say that the heroine is the daughter of the high executioner so right away the book is very different.
I hope you find something here that you really enjoy. Happy reading!
Ashley wrote:"Uh...now I'm confused! I thought I was just repaired with Penney....
Not sure what to do now. "
Awe, Ashely, I read this post after I did your recs. Did you think I'd forget all about you? I have no problem pairing with more than one person and like I said before I really enjoyed picking for you. I hope you enjoy them :)
Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "no ashley - I can help you out...not like i'm doing much at 1am (i'm at work and its nice and q-u-i-e-t) - hopefully it stays that way! give me a few and i'll give you some recs!!ETA - i'll pm..."
Don't worry Book Slut (Lol, I just love saying that!) I've got her covered ;)
Penney wrote: "Ashley wrote:"Uh...now I'm confused! I thought I was just repaired with Penney....
Not sure what to do now. "
Awe, Ashely, I read this post after I did your recs. Did you think I'd forget all a..."
Thanks Penney! *hugs*
Gigi wrote: "Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "I think since Gigi is always so into these challenges she should be devious next month...yep, i'm throwing it out there!"Rossy ~*~ Ehrotic ~*~ wrote: "Gigi w..."
Yep, really my sweet. I'll send you a PM around the 20th. ^.^
Penney wrote: "Hi Ashley!I have to say it's been very interesting picking for you. Among the books that we share we seem to have very similar tastes. When it comes to rating books I'm very stingy with my sta..."
Penney
Thank you so much for the recs!! Guess what?? Here are some more for you! You lucked out! :) You don't have to commit to reading another one this month but here are some I think you may like:
TBR:
Dead in the Family-I just read it last month, and although it wasn't my personal favorite of the series it's a must read!
City of Bones-I didn't see much YA on your list, but I read this recently and enjoyed it. Interesting characters, probably a little over-hyped, but still a great read. I'm really excited to pick up the next in the series in June.
Beauty-I haven't read this yet, but I just bought it! :) I've heard a ton of good things about it!
Soulless-I also haven't read this yet, but can't stop hearing about it!
New to you (hopefully!)
The Book Thief-I can't stop recommending this book out. I read it last month and really loved it. Deserving of the 5 stars I gave it. Soul-shaking!!
(It's classified as YA but I don't think it should be)
Stardust-A little fantasy for you? I didn't see any Neil Gaiman on your shelves and I feel like you need some! This is a great place to start. I love this story and consequently...the movie didn't get much notoriety but was actually pretty good too! A sweet romance!
The Kite Runner-This is a totally out there rec, as I didn't see anything like it on your shelves but it was a really good read. Poignant.
Honor Bound-This was the first "romance" I ever read. I thought it was great for what it was...I'm a total sucker for stories that embrace their own level of cheese and still end up enjoyable! :)
and just for the heck of it:
Storm Front-This series was highly recommended to me and I really enjoyed the first installment.
Penney wrote: "Hi Ashley!I have to say it's been very interesting picking for you. Among the books that we share we seem to have very similar tastes. When it comes to rating books I'm very stingy with my sta..."
Perfect! I had already put Outlander on a June challenge but since I want to pick one that I hadn't already committed to I think I'm going to go with Naked in Death or Lord of the Fading Lands. Of course, all the recs are going on my TBR. Thanks!! I think I may try out the audio book since that's also a new format to me. (I've only listed to Harry Potter).
Ashley wrote: "PenneyThank you so much for the recs!! Guess what?? Here are some more for you! You lucked out! :) You don't have to commit to reading another one this month but here are some I think you may like:..."
Dear Lord! Just when I thought I was making a dent in my TBR you go and give me more great recommendations :) Thanks, they're awesome! Technically I can choose Dead in the Family but I already have it on a challenge this month, so I'll try not to. I'm hoping I can fit in one of your new picks, but I have no idea which one yet. As of right now, Kite Runner looks like it may come on vacation with me later this month.
Thanks again!
♦Jennifer♦ wrote: "Hey Diana! :) Let me first say that I am a total spaz and I completely forgot about this xD. I thank Rossy that I even got here in time. So I'm sorry it's at the last minute. Any-who, this one is..."
Thanks so much, ♦Jennifer♦! Those all look wonderful! I keep going back and forth between...all of them, particularly Dead Until Dark, Song of Seduction and Knight of Pleasure! Ah, choices, choices! ;)
I'm glad I picked a few that you are excited about. I was a little nervous, since I don't read paranormals extensively.
Anyway, happy reading for June. No matter which one you pick, hope you enjoy!
Diana wrote: "Thanks so much, ♦Jennifer♦! Those all look wonderful! I keep going back and forth between...all of them, particularly Dead Until Dark, Song of Seduction and Knight of Pleasure! Ah, choices, choices! ;)"Whoohoo! I was nervous a wee bit nervous as well. I'm really glad that I was able to pick a few that interest you. Happy Reading!
As for me, I'm think I'm going to go with Soulless=3
Hey Debbie,Thank you for getting to my selections so quickly! I think I'll go with High Noon since it's been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for too long. I've gone a bit over the required number of recommendations, but I just couldn't pinpoint exactly what I thought you'd like.
From Your TBR List:
1) Dead Until Dark - I love this series! I don't know if you're a fan of True Blood but you probably already know that this is a the building block for the series. It's not nearly as "wild" as the show tends to get, but it still a fun read.
2) Evermore - I can never decide whether I love or hate this series. It has a great concept but is poorly written. Still, I enjoyed it, and I believe you will too if you enjoy the whole YA star-crossed lovers theme.
3) The Lightning Thief - This is a must read series for any YA literature lovers. It's not quite as good as the Harry Potter series, but it's certainly a close second.
4) Shadow Game - I haven't actually read this one, but I read the 7th book in the seriesMurder Game and enjoyed it. So I've signed up for a Dare You To Read challenge to read the entire series. So I threw this one at you in case you were interested.
Other Picks:
5) Darkfever - OH MY!!! I love this series. I'm seriously addicted to it, and I recommend it to everyone. It deals with Irish mythology, and it has GREAT characters. I can't scream enough praises.
6) Born of Night - I'm not usually into science fiction or futuristic, but this romance caught and held my attention despite all that. There's just something about the characters in this one that made it a favorite of mine.
7) Full Moon Rising - this is another great series, but I feel the need to warn you ahead of time that the heroine in this one is a nympho, but it only makes her more endearing in my opinion.
8) Evernight - As far as YA romances go, this is one that really stuck with me. It put an interesting spin on the vampire romance theme.
9) Whitney, My Love - I noticed that you have a thing for historical romance, and since this was one of my favorites from the genre, I figured I'd throw it at you. But be forewarned it is a bodice ripper, and a controversial one at that.
10) Divine Evil - I worship all things Nora! This is one of my favorites when it comes to her romantic suspense novels. It's got good characters, and nice plot. What more can you ask for?
11) Wild Card - my last choice is a bit of a random pick. You didn't have anything on your shelf like it so I thought I'd suggest it to you in case you want to try something new. As an added benefit, it can apply to both the monthly change and the author challenge this month. But be prepared for a lot of hot sex if you pick this one!
Jennefer wrote: "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!"Two totally different settings, but both are great books - enjoy!
I just finished Moon Called - I wasn't sure at the beginning how much I would like it, but it grew on me, and I think I'll be picking up the next one in the series.
I'm waiting for the A .Christie book from the library, so guess I'll see if I can find Dirk Gently in my son's library shelves.
Gigi wrote: "Pollyanna wrote: "Gigi wrote: "PollyannaI have recs for you. Hopefully you'll like them. Let me know if you don't see anything that appeals to you. I will be more than happy to search again...."
Yay, I'm sure you'll love it, it gets really hard to put it down.
Hey D.G.,I'm done with Undomestic Goddess. So funny!! I'm as addicted to my Blackberry as she is. :) I liked that at the end, instead of a hokey forever after....it just left you with a big grin at the possibilities. I just laugh when I read a book where the character has trouble with a skill and tries to make people believe they are doin' it fine. Loved this pick!!!
I had no idea that Kinsella was the author for "Confessions of a Shopaholic". I haven't seen the movie yet and now will wait until I've read the book first. (Movies always mess up the story, right?)
Anyway, that's one down and more to go. My next up is Garden Spells. I'm waiting for The Raven Prince to come in from the library. Thanks for the good pick and I hope the others are as good.
Have you started one yet?
Rossy ~*~ Ehrotic ~*~ wrote: "Yep, really my sweet. I'll send you a PM around the 20th. ^.^ "*Gigi doing backflips* LOL Cool! I can't wait!
Angelique wrote: "Hey Debbie,Thank you for getting to my selections so quickly! I think I'll go with High Noon since it's been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for too long. I've gone a bit over..."
ooh Angelique, great picks - I think like you I am going to go with something that has been in my tbr for entirely too long... Dead Until Dark, I don't have cable so all I have seen of True Blood is season 1 (ain't NetFlix a beautiful thing) and I have been really wanting to read this one, what better excuse than to say you told me to hahaha.
So many of the others sounded great though and I will probably have to expand my tbr a few more - thanks for getting me the recs.
6/03 Update: Congratulations!57. Melanie-Finished
41. Julie-Finished
Debbie wrote: "Angelique wrote: "Hey Debbie,Thank you for getting to my selections so quickly! I think I'll go with High Noon since it's been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for too long. I've..."
Your welcome, and I'm sure you won't regret it. But just wait, book four is the best!
Julie wrote: "Hey D.G.,I'm done with Undomestic Goddess. So funny!! I'm as addicted to my Blackberry as she is. :) I liked that at the end, instead of a hokey forever after....it just left you with a big grin..."
Oh I'm glad you liked it Julie! That scene in the kitchen with the chickpeas is histerical! I hope you enjoy Garden Spells too...I just read it in May after having it on my TBR for almost a year and I've been kicking myself for not picking it up sooner.
I haven't started any of your picks yet...but I promise one of them will be next! Most likely I'll start with Dream Man because none of my 'new' picks are in at the library yet...I'm also planning to read the Kinsella but that will be my mid-month (I'm in another challenge on another site and I need to pick books that fit both!)
Hey Rossy... and others - I'm still waiting for recs if anyone is willing...Annie
ahhh, crap! sorry annie, i missed you on the list, i'll take a look at give you some recs tonight! sorry!!
Oh wow, i just noticed it myself! So very sorry Annie. Maybe Melanie can pick for her DD? I'll send her a PM since she's all done.
yeah, or you could, since you didn't get any recs...
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
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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From your TBR
Nauti Boy by Lora Leigh - LL is my fav and I've been reading this series lately.
Soulless by Gail Carriger - Have heard this is a great book from many people.
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews - Another highly recommended series.
The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann - Suz rocks!
Other Picks:
Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep - Because it's my favorite UF this year.
Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast - Good book, Anya is the sweetest, I love faeries. lol
Crux by Moira Rogers - It's a great paranormal romance.
Burning Wild by Christine Feehan - because this one is awesome and brought me back to Christine Feehan.