March - Pick It For Me Challenge

[Sue]

Pam wrote: Sue-I finished The Adoration of Jenna Fox this morning. Full five stars. A disturbing YA book that leaves you with more questions than you can answer. Once I started it, I could barely put it down. Thanks for getting it off my TBR. "

I'm glad you liked it!!

[Lacy]

I finished another one! I finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett last night. Miss, I am so glad you picked this one, giving me that final push I needed to read it.

Here is my review: This is one of the best books that I have ever read. The author has a distinctive writing style that is blunt, but true. The characterization is amazing, bringing you to love the protagonist and his comrades, while immediately dispising the antagonist. The main antagonist in this story is so awful that he makes your skin crawl. The plot of the story is well paced and entertaining. I loved the setting and reading about the time and people in the 1100's. I will recommend this book to everyone and anyone, while rereading it myself in the future.

[Tania]

Current List of Finished Readers: (#681)

1. BJ Rose - Open Season & Agnes and the Hitman
2. Lacy - If I Stay & The Pillars of the Earth
3. Tania - Outlander
4. Polina - Coming Undone
5. Melinda - If You Dare
6. Anja - Devil In My Bed
7. Valerie - Fallen
8. MountainKat - Magic in the Wind (Drake Sisters, #1)
9. Amanda - The Smoke Thief & Garden Spells & The Bride
10. Fran - First Grave on the Right & Dead in the Family
11. Rena - Shameless (Harlequin Blaze #377)(Extreme Blaze)
12. Michelle - Surrender to Me
13. Melissa - Obsession Untamed & Darkfever & Tomorrow, When the War Began & Slave to Sensation & Dark Lover
14. Kami - Fairy Tale
15. Rachel - The Giver
16. Photojim - Truly Madly Yours
17. Jane(PS) - Blaze of Memory & Tomorrow, When the War Began & Pleasure Unbound
18. Cathy - The Iron Daughter & In the Blood
19. Kerste - The Long Way Home
20. Katie - Lover Revealed
21. Penney - Bound to Please
22. AlbertaJean - The Dragon's Bride (Three Heroes Trilogy, #2)
23. Jennifer - Dead Witch Walking
24. Melanie - If You Dare
25. Layla - Pleasure Unbound,The Viscount Who Loved Me & Queen of Shadows
26. Sarah - Abithica
27. Debbie - Wicked Lovely
28. D.G. - The Knife of Never Letting Go
29. Autumn - Blame It on Paris
30. Miss - Black Dust Mambo
31. Shelley - Bitten, Don't Tempt Me... (Harlequin Blaze #253) & Black Magic
32. Sue - Jane's Warlord
33. Megan - Nightshade
34. Kate - Lover Eternal
35. Laura - Angelfire
36. Diane ~Firefly~ - The Demon You Know
37. Tugce Nida - The Graveyard Book
38. Elke - Changeless
39. Ari - Madam Underground
40. Lilli - Jewels of the Sun
41. Cathy - Stormwalker & Laid Bare
42. Shelley - Fallen
43. Cassie - Awakening
44. Sandy - Dreaming of You
45. Cathy - Beyond the Highland Mist
46. Becky - The Spymaster's Lady
47. Kate - Just the Sexiest Man Alive
48. Katie - Stolen: A letter to my captor
49. Annie (a mad hamster) - Archangel's Consort
50. ~Sara~ - One Foot in the Grave
51. Heather - Vittorio: The Vampire
52. SheSwitches - Addicted & The Bride
53. Pam - The Adoration of Jenna Fox


March Pick It For Me Cover Award Ceremony List
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/93...

March Pick It For Me READ Bookshelf

[Tania]

Only four more days to get your reads done and posted

[D.G.]

~Sara~ wrote: "D.G.
I just finished One Foot in the Grave and I absolutely loved it! I gave it the five stars the first would've gotten had it had a happier ending. I don't usually mind the charact..."

Oh I'm glad! I loved this one too. :)

[Katie]

i forgot to post, but i finished up Full Moon Mating, Tea for Three and Divorced, Desperate And Dating, too. they were ok...

[Tania]

REVIEW QUESTION - Just for fun

Given that it's nearly the end of the month and a lot of us have finished at least one book on our list, I thought I would pose a question a day for the next five days about your reads. This is just for fun so don't take it too seriously or worry if you don't have time.

Todays Question: Describe the hero in your book (or if you didn't read a romance then the main male character). What did you like/dislike about his character? Were they alpha, beta, tstl, family man, treated the heroine poorly, didn't deserve the cr%p the heroine dished out etc? If you've read more than one book either pick your most interesting hero or do a comparison - up to you.

[Tania]

I found Outlander's Jamie to be a rich, well written character. Extra-ordinarily patient and yet stubbornly determined at the same time. He is however a man with a martyr complex (although in fairness it's not fullbown to annoying status)

There were times in this book I really felt he should just walk away from Claire. In fact I could see myself sitting down with him and saying, "Mate, don't you think this chick is a bit too much trouble?". But he wouldn't have walked which makes him a stronger charcter in my book.

I guess if I had to pick one thing that bugged me about Jamie's character was that underlying feeling that if there was a simple way out of a problem he would always pick the most dangerous, let me play the hero solution.

But he was still a fantastic character, a male with strength and depth and, thankfully, not perfect. I hate "perfect males" with a passion - who would want to live with one? I'd end up wanting to throw something at them for just being too perfect. Particularly if they were perfect in the morning. Uggh, can't you imagine?

[~Sara~]

IMO (and probably in many other's) the best part of the Night Huntress series is the hero, Bones, and One Foot in the Grave was no exception. My rating of the first two books has been heavily influenced by his role in them. Sometimes Cat can be a little too much, but Bones is a good counterpart to her. He's alpha but not to the point where the H/h are always butting heads, he's willing to compromise and, although he's not perfect, he's both so sweet and sexy that you don't care about his flaws. He's also British, so his accented dry sarcasm and amused exasperation add a lighter note to Cat's sometimes hardcore bitchiness. In this book, you find out more about Bones and his past which, if possible, made me fall even more in love with him than I was after the first book. He has definitely become one of my all time favourite heroes.

[Miss]

Lacy wrote: "I finished another one! I finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett last night. Miss, I am so glad you picked this one, giving me that final push ..."

I'm going to read this one too, I it sounds really good! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[Ashley♥Alexis]

Finally finished Moon Called. I was hesitant to try this book because I've been pretty much overwhelmed with kick-assbutt urban fiction heroines lately but i love Patricia Briggs' characters. I read the Alpha and Omega series so I was a bit familiar with many of the characters at least in name and status So I enjoyed hearing their stories. I wasn't totally captivated by this read but It was enjoyable.

[D.G.]

Tania wrote: "He is however a man with a martyr complex (although in fairness it's not fullbown to annoying status)"

Tania - I think you should fear for your life and hide yourself at home. Dishing on Jamie? The bestest hero EVAH?? :p

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)]

~Sara~ wrote: "IMO (and probably in many other's) the best part of the Night Huntress series is the hero, Bones, and One Foot in the Grave was no exception. My rating of the first two books has bee..."

Loved the interaction between Bones and Cat's mother. That alone is worth the price of admission.

[Tania]

D.G. ~The Devil's Harlot~ wrote: "Tania wrote: "He is however a man with a martyr complex (although in fairness it's not fullbown to annoying status)"

Tania - I think you should fear for your life and hide yourself at home. Dishin..."

*grins* nope, I'm good standing by my views. I wouldn't call Jamie my bestest hero, if I had to pick one of those I would say... Brody from
Coming Undone. The way he was characterised ramped a 3.5 star book up to a 5 for me. He felt so real ... not like a fictional character at all.

But in all seriousness I'm not dishing on Jamie. He was a well written character, I was merely discussing what I liked and disliked about him. :)

[D.G.]

I read a YA so the hero of my book was a teenager. I just couldn't understand him and found him annoying as hell. He was attacked by people over and over and couldn't kill them (insert tiny violin here) and the same villains kept coming back to kill him or his friend. Most people, me included, would choose themselves in a fight to the death so I think the author was trying to prove how this kid was better than us. Gimme a break.

[Penney]

Hi Melanie!
Well, I finished Kerste's pick for me pretty early in the game, and I finally finished one of you're recommendations, Crown of Crystal Flame. I love that series, but it always takes me a long time to get through each book because they're so mentally draining. So much happens within the course of the book, (some expected, many not) that I spend most of the read on edge, heart pounding. I was constantly putting it down, not out of bordom, but just to catch my breath before continuing.

It was a great read, thanks for the push :)

[Melanie]

Penney wrote: "Hi Melanie!
Well, I finished Kerste's pick for me pretty early in the game, and I finally finished one of you're recommendations, Crown of Crystal Flame. I love that series, but it a..."

Glad you liked it! I loved the whole series! I'm so looking forwards to her next book, although I'm disappointed it's not with the same characters!:-(

[Penney]

Was it just me or did C.L. Wilson seem to leave a bit of a cliffhanger with Melliandra and Bel? I thought maybe the next series would continue with at least her story.

[Melanie]

Penney wrote: "Was it just me or did C.L. Wilson seem to leave a bit of a cliffhanger with Melliandra and Bel? I thought maybe the next series would continue with at least her story."

***MINI CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME SPOILER***

Totally!!!:-) I guess she just needed a break.. After writing about Ellie and Rain, I can maybe understand that: I imagine that shifting the focus to secondary characters, after having E&R as the main focus, might seem a little weak if she doesn't shift to another realm (and new characters) entirely in between..

I just hope she'll go back to Bel & Melliandra as well as the twins and Kiel and Kieran (I can totally imagine smt there too)!!! That AND the fact that Melliandra and the twins have to grow up before anything happens:-)

[Penney]

Very true about them needing to grow up and I supposed I could use a break too. Like I said before, it's an exhausting read.

[Melanie]

Penney wrote: "Very true about them needing to grow up and I supposed I could use a break too. Like I said before, it's an exhausting read."

Ooh.. BTW, I'm still hoping to read Angels' Blood, which I just dug out of my monstrous TBR pile:-) I'll let you know if I have the time!

[Melissa **]

I finished Pale Demon and it was so good!! I have to say that I think Jane is the best picker!!!! Anybody who gets her is so lucky!!

[Fran, Moderator]

Inga wrote: "Hi, Fran!

I've just finished two out of three books I planned to read for PIFM during March. I had a great time reading both books. Unfortunately, I'll not manage to read [book:Living Nightmare|78..."

Inga, I'm so glad you enjoyed the two books you read! I hope you enjoy the third one too- his chest looks pretty amazing!

[Desperado]

Delicious Dee,

I finished one of your rec's: The Perfect Play. Thank you very much. I enjoyed it. =)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Melissa ** wrote: "I finished Pale Demon and it was so good!! I have to say that I think Jane is the best picker!!!! Anybody who gets her is so lucky!!"

Wow! Accolades Melissa! *blushing* I have to say, you were really easy to pick for! :)

[Shea]

I finished up Skin Game today. It was much better than I anticipated. It's more than your average paranormal romance, more like romantic suspense w/ a paranormal aspect thrown in. Definitely worth 4 stars! Thanks Rena!

[Melanie]

Penney
You're such a great picker!!! I just finished my second recommendation, and I LOVED it!!! At first, I admit, I wasn't sure I'd warm to Raphael, but oh, did he ever make up for it!! Thank God I have the second book lying on my shelf!!! I'll wait till April to read it (fits a challenge), but I'm also ordering the third book!! Thank you so much for the rec!!!! **hug**

[Charlotte]

Thanks for you picks, PhotoJim! I haven't had a lot of time to read this month, so I haven't finished all the ones I chose yet (also because one book was checked out from the library and another is still on ILL), but I like your taste in books, and I had fun reading Mockingjay and Pretties.

[Pollyanna]

Hi Sheswitches, I finally finished The Shadow of the Wind last night and gave it 4 stars. I really enjoyed the story and I'll have to read more by Zafon now. Thankyou

[Tania]

Hey guys, I'll be updating the list for the last time tomorrow so if you haven't posted what you've read please do so now. (or after you've finished that chapter of Lover Unleashed whichever comes next) :)

[Dee]

Finally finished up Hostage to Pleasure - I can't decide who I love more in the series, Judd or Dorian now...it was a great book - I had to read book 4 before I could read this recommendation though, so now i'm up to date. Loving the world that Singh is building and need to buy the next few books in the series

[Penney]

Melanie wrote: "Penney
You're such a great picker!!! I just finished my second recommendation, and I LOVED it!!! At first, I admit, I wasn't sure I'd warm to Raphael, but oh, did..."

WooHoo! An Angel's Blood convert! I am sooo happy you enjoyed it :) What I loved about Raphael was that his lack of humanity made him a very flawed hero and it's great to watch him grow a little more in each book. I like that Nalini constantly reminds us that he's not human and that fact actually does make a difference. Take your time with the next two books, the fourth doesn't come out 'till November I think.
Have fun! **Hugs**back

[KarenF]

I'm pretty last minute with my read. Joyce gave me some great picks but Shadowfever came in for me at the library mid-month so other books had to wait their turn. Anyway, I finished The Calling by Jennifer Ashley earlier today. I didn't like it as much as I like the historicals I've read by her but it was still a pretty good read. And I'm intrigued enough by the supporting characters and storyline to read the next in the series. This one's been sitting on the Kindle for a while so I was glad for the push to read it. Thanks!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Nalini Singh can write no wrong Dee, Penney and Melanie!! ;)

[Dee]

i know...lol! but I try to savor her books, otherwise I have to wait ages for new ones

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

I'm have Archangel's Kiss and Archangel's Consort waiting, but I think I want to go back and read Angels' Blood for better continuity. So now they are on hold until I can put them together/in close proximity in a couple monthly challenges. Got to get maximum enjoyment out of them! (Plus I just LOVE Raphael...)

[~Sara~]

I also wasn't sure how to feel about Raphael during Angels' Blood and I agree with you Penney about it being great to watch him grow, but especially watching how Elena makes him grow. Raphael has said that her love is making him a little more human, less immortal, preventing him from going insane like so many of the other ancient Archangels have in the past and Singh is very good at not just telling us what's happening but actually showing us. I'm about 50 pages into Archangel's Consort and there's already been a few times that he's slipped into big fat jerk territory which she promptly pulled him out of - usually with great sex instead of just the cuff upside the head that he probably deserves but that wouldn't make for as interesting a story ;). Their constant power struggles over who owns/belongs to whom can get tiresome (sorry Jane - please don't hurt me!) but they still have such a great relationship and the rest of their dialogue and interactions are so great that it's easily forgiven.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Hahaha Sara - given I haven't moved past Angels' Blood, I haven't witnessed the 'constant power struggle'. I just liked that he was tough, hard and dangerous in the first book but then melted... *sigh*

[Penney]

..."there's already been a few times that he's slipped into big fat jerk territory which she promptly pulled him out of - usually with great sex instead of just the cuff upside the head..."

LOL Sara! I suppose that would work with my husband too, but I'm usually too pissed at the time to bother. I really have to hand it to Elena ;-)

[Dee]

i haven't started the Angel ones yet...i need to but keep getting distracted

[Katherine]

I finished Darkfever.

[Ann]

I finished The False Princess last night!

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Albertajenn,

I'm a day late, finishing Nightwalker on the 1st. I like the heroine very much. Interesting world and plenty of questions still to be answered. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book.

Thanks for the rec.

[Gigi]

Shea wrote: "Hey Gigi! Sorry for pushing it so close. Here are your picks!

Places I'm Going

1.Culture Shock- If You Dare by Kresley Cole. Set in Andorra, which I’ve never heard...".

Shea! I'm late but I wound up reading Water For Elephants. Awesome rec! I enjoyed it! I can't wait to see the movie!

[Tania]

FINAL List of Finished Readers: (#726)

1. BJ Rose - Open Season & Agnes and the Hitman
2. Lacy - If I Stay & The Pillars of the Earth
3. Tania - Outlander
4. Polina - Coming Undone
5. Melinda - If You Dare
6. Anja - Devil In My Bed
7. Valerie - Fallen
8. MountainKat - Magic in the Wind (Drake Sisters, #1)
9. Amanda - The Smoke Thief & Garden Spells & The Bride
10. Fran - First Grave on the Right & Dead in the Family
11. Rena - Shameless (Harlequin Blaze #377)(Extreme Blaze)
12. Michelle - Surrender to Me
13. Melissa - Obsession Untamed & Darkfever & Tomorrow, When the War Began & Slave to Sensation & Dark Lover
14. Kami - Fairy Tale
15. Rachel - The Giver
16. Photojim - Truly Madly Yours
17. Jane(PS) - Blaze of Memory & Tomorrow, When the War Began & Pleasure Unbound
18. Cathy - The Iron Daughter & In the Blood
19. Kerste - The Long Way Home
20. Katie - Lover Revealed
21. Penney - Bound to Please & Crown of Crystal Flame
22. AlbertaJean - The Dragon's Bride (Three Heroes Trilogy, #2)
23. Jennifer - Dead Witch Walking
24. Melanie - If You Dare & Angels' Blood
25. Layla - Pleasure Unbound,The Viscount Who Loved Me & Queen of Shadows
26. Sarah - Abithica
27. Debbie - Wicked Lovely
28. D.G. - The Knife of Never Letting Go
29. Autumn - Blame It on Paris
30. Miss - Black Dust Mambo
31. Shelley - Bitten, Don't Tempt Me... (Harlequin Blaze #253) & Black Magic
32. Sue - Jane's Warlord
33. Megan - Nightshade
34. Kate - Lover Eternal
35. Laura - Angelfire
36. Diane ~Firefly~ - The Demon You Know
37. Tugce Nida - The Graveyard Book
38. Elke - Changeless
39. Ari - Madam Underground
40. Lilli - Jewels of the Sun
41. Cathy - Stormwalker & Laid Bare
42. Shelley - Fallen
43. Cassie - Awakening
44. Sandy - Dreaming of You
45. Cathy - Beyond the Highland Mist
46. Becky - The Spymaster's Lady
47. Kate - Just the Sexiest Man Alive
48. Katie - Stolen: A letter to my captor & Full Moon Mating & Divorced, Desperate And Dating
49. Annie (a mad hamster) - Archangel's Consort
50. ~Sara~ - One Foot in the Grave
51. Heather - Vittorio: The Vampire
52. SheSwitches - Addicted & The Bride
53. Pam - The Adoration of Jenna Fox
54. AshleyAlexis - Moon Called
55. Inga - This Side of the Grave & Primal Hunger
56. Melissa** - Pale Demon
57. LethalLovely - The Perfect Play
58. Shea - Skin Game
59. Pollyanna - The Shadow of the Wind
60. Delicious Dee - Hostage to Pleasure
61. KarenF - The Calling
62. Katherine - Darkfever
63. Yz the Whyz - Nightwalker
64. Gigi - Water for Elephants

STATS:
84% of our signups completed this month!!!!
80 different books read

March Pick It For Me Cover Award Ceremony List
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/93...
Winner of the most beautiful cover:



March Pick It For Me READ Bookshelf

[KarenF]

No biggie but I think you missed me. I posted in msg #715 that I finished. But I think I was in the middle of a Nalini Singh discussion which was infinitely more interesting. :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

LOL!

[Rossy]

Wow 83%, way to go ladies & gent! Congratulations to all that finished this month!

Great job on the updates Tania! *hugs*

[Tania]

KarenF wrote: "No biggie but I think you missed me. I posted in msg #715 that I finished. But I think I was in the middle of a Nalini Singh discussion which was infinitely more interesting. :)"

Doh... I actually added your book to the bookshelf and the list but didn't put you down as finished.

All fixed now!

[KarenF]

Thanks Tania!