Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
2011 Challenge Archive
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April - Pick It For Me Challenge

Yes Dawn, as Delicious Dee said, we prefer all of it to happen here in this tread.
Remember, everything i..."
Hi Debbie
I didn't thank you yet for your recommendation, I liked all the books you picked up for me and I'm gonna read them all skipping just for now Firefly lane and Garden Spells cause I'm not finding them not in the library neither on net as an ebook :( :(
I started today with The Hunger Game, I think You missed the category it can be the first (friends) but for sure it fits for the 4th category (Emotion) :) I'm loving it!

The Blaze Collection: Her Sexy Valentine\Play with Me\The Charmer
I actually added To Do List to my own collection because it looked so good! I hope you enjoy it!
And my vacuum actually smells REALLY good now! I got all that I could up with it and then used Clorox wipes to get the residue.

Romance-Bitten
Intense-Hush, Hush
Thank you Shona! I actually saved a bunch of your recommendations but for this month I'm going to go with Hush, Hush. It looks amazing and I had not heard of it before! I can't wait!

Yes Dawn, as Delicious Dee said, we prefer all of it to happen here in this tread.
R..."
Yeah, it fits several -- that category was for a book recommended to me by another friend, Hunger Games was a previous PIFM challenge recommendation.


Here are your picks I hope you like them.
Friends : Dark Lover This book was recommended to me by a friend at work and I am hooked and have given my copy to a number of fri..."
I started the buddy read Joyce, and


No, I didn't forget about you! I just... well, I have no real excuse, other than tiredness and laziness this week. Without further ado, here they are!
Friends: Night Pleasures..."</i>
AlbertaJen,
These were al great picks. You'll get your wish and we're going to read [book:The Chase together. I have it preordered on my Nook for Tuesday. I'm also going to read either Laid Bare or Desire Untamed. Thanks again for the great picks.

Thanks for the recs. I am already reading Outlander for a separate challenge, so I think I'm gonna go with The Time Traveler's Wife.
I'm also going to add The Hunger Games as a maybe. I recommended it as a buddy read for my PIFM partner, so if she picks it, I will be reading it as well.
Eeeee- so excited!

Here you go! Enjoy!
Friends: The Name of the Wind. My teenage children told me over and over again I needed to read this book. I finally did and WOW! It’s amazing. Patr..."
Thanks for the recs, I am going to try and read Darkfever or The Name of the Wind I think.

Sorry you had to wait so long, but just got back from business trip.
Was going to give you Chicago Stars series- but you'd read them
so....
Friends : Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead.
Romance : Honey Moon Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Heart wrenching but so great
Intense : Master of the Mountain Cherise Sinclair- Bit of BDSM lite
Emotions : Broken- Megan Hart -emotional
New : How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf- hilarious
Don’t forget : Texas Trilogy Book 1-3 (if you like the first)
Support : Cowboy Take me Away- Kathleen Eagle (from your list)








Friends :

Romance :

Intense :

Emotions :

New :that was a hard one .so I'll just add a book that I loved and I don't think you have read it yet.

Don’t forget :

Support :

Bonus :

I hope you'd like my picks for you and I'm sooooooo sorry for taking so long to post it

Thanks for recommendations. But I don't think I can find these books in my country at all (except Paranormalcy, Danielle Steel and Marian Keyes). I hoped that you'll choose from my TBR list. :/ Anyways, I'll read these three. :)

Thanks for your patience! Seems that you tend towards the Paranormal Romances while I go more towards Historical BUT we are 91% similar for books we rated together. Cool! Hopefully these books will be to your liking. Let me know if not and I can do another search. Happy Reading!
Friends
This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland. This is tame on the love scenes, but a powerful and emotion filled book that a friend recommended. It made me think a lot.
Romance
Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught. One of my favorites. You start biting your nails it's that fascinating.
Intense
Highland Outlaw by Monica McCarty. Made me want to cry at times. I LOVE her stuff, and I see that you have it listed in your TBR. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Emotions
A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. This book has it all! If you liked fairytales as a child, you will love this. Not only was it beautiful, it was FUNNY! I laughed, cried, cheered, got angry... everything.
New
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Not really a Paranormal or Fantasy. This is a wonderful book though more serious. I read it for a Literature class and have recommended it to several friends.
Don't Forget
If You Deceive by Kresley Cole. Yes! You must read this as soon as possible!
Support
I picked some books that were on both our TBR lists. Let me know if you want to read any of them together!
1. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen.
2. Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning.
Bonus
1. The Secret by Julie Garwood. Lovely story that features two best friends.











Did not mean to forget emotions. My selection for that was Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale. Glad you are patient with me."
Not a problem just want your first time to be enjoyable too.

I am so jealous that you have an audio version. I love Debbie Macomber. Enjoy!

Holy Moly!!! i stoped by my favorite second hand book place and found all kinds of great things!!!!
I have already finished At Grave's EndHowever I did start reading it on the March 31 so I don't know if that counts... Any way I think I liked this one better than the ones before it!
I Started reading Slave to Sensation Last night and I am almost halfway through with it! so far i really like it.
i also picked up The Darkest Passion As well as Eternal Rider
AND I put the ones i didn't already have on my to-read list on it!
You picked great ones for me this month! Thanks so much!


This was kind of difficult because this was my first time doing the pick-it-for-me plus Leah and I have pretty different tastes. I rea..."
Erin, I ended up reading The Things They Carried. I actually had to read this book for school last year, but I still love it, thanks for the recs!

Becky,
Here you are!
Friends : City of Bones
Romance : How They Met, and Other Stories
Intense : Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Emotions : Oh dear.. *Scratches chin* This is kind of hard!... I can't think of anything that's actually made me cry.. (Though I would love to read something like that sometime c:)
How about funny then.. Anything Terry Pratchett is great :D
I suggest... The Last Continent or Good Omens (Which is by him and Neil Gaiman).
New : New genre! Sounds fun.. Try some magic!
The Magicians' Guild
Don’t forget : I suggest you go for Catching Fire. It seems you liked the Hunger Games :D (which was one of those 'all consuming' books for me)
And City of Bones has been there for a while as well. I 'll give that a second nudge c:
Support : Two books for this! The Picture of Dorian Grayand Evermore. I have both of them ready and waiting. Just haven't managed to start reading them....
Bonus : About a Boy
PS. I love the whole 'friends' format for the PIFM. Well done c:

...God, can I read all of them? :D I love your picks, really. <3 I got them all on my TBR..
Can we be best friends? :D
I think that I'll go for To Kill a Mockinbird this month. My friend's been badgering me about that as well! It's waiting on my shelf already.. I'll get to that right after all the other books I'm reaidng.. xD


Friends : Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld (it has been awhile, one of my friends had recommended it to me)
Romance : The Highwayman of Tanglewood by Marcia Lynn Mcclure (This author is one of my fave.)
Intense : The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Emotions : Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (loved it)
New : A bride in the bargain by Deanne Gist
Don’t forget : The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson
Support : Her wolf by Rebecca Royce
Aly

Thanks for your patience! Seems that you tend towards the Paranormal Romances while I go more towards Historical BUT we are 91% similar for books we rated together. Cool! Hopefully th..."
Thanks for the picks. I carnt wait to get started, this is my favorite Challenge. Its difficult to choose between The Luxe by Anna Godbersen and Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning but I will go with Beyond the Highland Mist.


So, as a Virginian, I was curious as to where you had been doing your "waterparking"

Friends :
Option 1: If You Dare was recommended to me in the last PIFM challenge by Penney. It's the first book in the MacCarrick Brothers trilogy, and was fabulous!!! I totally fell in love with this book, and I hope you will too:-)
Option 2: Pleasure Unbound was recommended for me by Yz last year, and I went right ahead and read all the others ASAP.. Fabulous series!
Romance :
Option 1: Lord of the Fading Lands by CL Wilson. I bought this on a whim after being intrigued by the synopsis.. Man! I totally fell in love with Rain and Ellie and their world! It's the first book in a 5-part series. If you like the first, I'd recommend you go ahead and buy the next four all at once, because you'll be hooked!
Option 2: Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase is a great HR read. Light and funny (hilarious actually), and Rupert and Daphne were fabulous together:-)
Intense :
Option 1: Die For Me (book #7) by Karen Rose - I don't know if you like RS, but this was one of my favorites.. KR writes great suspense (it's mostly a thriller), with a good dash of romance thrown in, and some truly evil villains. Most of her books have interwoven characters, but you can read this one solo with no problem
Option 2: Dark Lover by JR Ward - If you like PNR, you DEFINITELY need to try the Black Dagger Brotherhood: a vampire warrior brethren, with a great main storyline, each book is the story of how one brother finds his mate.. And man, are those brothers sexy! :-p
Emotions :
Option 1: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie - This book made me laugh out loud multiple times... I love this author's books, and the heroine and hero in this story were the sweetest!
Option 2: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is not romance, but is a heartwrenching book about how one young girl gets through her childhood in Nazi Germany by stealing books.. Fabulous book that had me wiping away tears.
New : I'm not sure what's new to you, so I'll share some of my "new" authors.
Option 1: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Before this book, I hadn't read a romance where the hero or heroine had a mental problem. Ian Mackenzie has Asperger's (a form of autism), and as soon as he sees Beth, he pursues her with unrelenting attention, although he doesn't believe he can love. This book had me laughing, tearing up, and feeling my gut clench hoping for the HEA.
Option 2: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. A light read filled with magic and love: I discovered SAA in Madrid a month ago, and fell in love with all her books. Definitely worth trying!
Don’t forget :
I'm not going to be able to recommend this one, having not had a chance to check out your bookshelves!
Support :
Option 1: The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly: I've heard great things about this book, and since I've just received it, am willing to do a buddy read this month:-)
Option 2: Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis would actually be a reread for me, but I adored this book, and since I just got the second book in the series, I definitely need to read it again! Totally willing to sacrifice myself to fall in love with Jax again!:-p
Bonus :
As You Desire by Connie Brockway is a great HR about two friends living in Egypt. Harry has been in love with Dizzy for years, but won't act on his feelings because of a dark secret, and Dizzy has decided to give up her feelings for Harry after pining for years... great story


See, now that's responsible:-) But then again, the same thing happened to me on my first or second PIFM, lol.. So I'm striving for patience and understanding:-)

I will be doing the re-mix in about 4 hours, yeah !!
One way or another we will get everyone that has checked in a recommendation.

Pam, I was at Massanutten VA, ( http://www.massresort.com/v.php?pg=4 ) and had a wonderful time.
I just got back from my drive today. Haven't even unpacked my suitcases yet but I'm checking in here. And since I'm back, if you need another picker Debbie, just say the word.
Melanie, I know the feeling. It's happened to me in months past. Sorry. But don't let it stop you from continuing to play.


Hey Karen - that is similar to my situation. I haven't joined Audible though because a lot of the books I want to read aren't available to Australians! *#@$^& DRMs. But I was able to tap into a really good library where I work (6 hours away) that has downloadable audiobooks. They have the WHOLE series of JD Robb's In Death - so I'm sitting pretty for a while...

...God, can I read all of them? :D I love your picks, really. <3 I got them all on my TBR..
Can we be best friends? :D
I think that I'll go for To Kill a Mockinbird this month. My frien..."
LOL! SO glad you found some good books in those recs. Let me know how you enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird. It such a long time ago that I read it...

Thx Jane! Most of my faves are on that list, lol
Photojim - No chance me giving up on this challenge, I love it:-) Anyway, Debbie is doing a great job with it!
BTW Debbie, if you need to repair the orphans, I'm ready to do another round of recs in the morning!

Can you believe that we actually have 101 recommendations given, wow - cool :)


Friends A friend recommended Marked. Since you have a lot of paranormal novels, I decided to give you this one. It's an amazing novel, an amazing series. You're going to love the paranormal aspect, and you really see the characters grow. I've also had Stray recommended to me, and it was amazing also, more shapeshifters than vampires.
Romance: So going with the fact that I think you really like paranormal novels, this book had an amazing romance. It was beautiful, captivating and just awesome. Cry Wolf. The only thing is that the book kind of already started in On the Prowl with a novella. So while you won't get confused, the story does pick up beautifully, you will sort of feel as if you're missing something. I'm also going to cheat and suggest The Secret because I read this book when I was 11 and reread it periodically every year, it's amazing, a favorite and I hope you'll like it too if you read it.
Intense: The Lovely Bones was an amazing book that I found heart wrenching. It was a very powerful book.
Emotions: I couldn't decide if I wanted to put this book under intense or here, so since it's both it's going here. Wideacre was intense, disturbing, eye opening and ultimately enjoyable. You can't put it down even though you might want to. You just HAVE to know. Keep in mind that it's a trilogy.
New: Neither this series nor this author is new, so I'm kind of copping out here, but a new book is coming out in June, called Smokin' Seventeen. You can start the series of with One for the Money and thank me later. =]
Don't Forget: I noticed Inked on your TBR list, so DON'T FORGET! I haven't read her second series, but I read the Cassandra Palmer series and it was really good, so hopefully you'll get into Karen Chance.
Support: I think that since we both have Assassin's Honor in our TBR lists, we should get to it! We can read it together.
Bonus: I think Strange Angels would be a good recommendation for a sort of friend theme, especially since you have a lot of paranormal type of books in your lists. But I also think that The Wallflowers series is an amazing show of friendship. It's also pretty different from the things I noticed in your TBR list, so here's the first one Secrets of a Summer Night.














Friends :
The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey, or The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia" by Debbie Viguié: I was recommended the Once Upon a Time series by someone on this site a couple months ago, and these two books were my favorites in the series, maybe because I had enjoyed the Disney versions so much back in the day:-)
Romance :
Option 1: Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot (well, apparently by Princess Mia Thermopolis Renaldi) - A great historical romance by the author of the princess diaries, and a sweet romance I sighed about for days
Option 2: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George - A retelling of one of the North's myths, loosely based on Beauty and the Beast
Option 3: The Prize by Julie Garwood, is probably one of my favorite historical romances of all times.. It's not YA, but it's a very sweet and wonderful romance I reread every four months since it was recommended to me last May, lol..
Intense :
Option 1: Ella Enchanted by Lois Lowry: My favorite Cinderella retelling ever! My copy is so worn out the pages are taped in, lol! So much better than the movie (and very different, by the way!).. This book always makes me laugh, and I always finish it with a big smile
Option 2: Wings by Aprilynne Pike - Ok, confession time: I actually only started this book, but once I realized it was a series, I knew I had to wait till the third book was out as well before reading the first.. So I'm still waiting, but the half I did read had me wanting more:-)
Emotions :
Option 1: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - A wonderful first book in a YA paranormal series with a seemingly ordinary girl, and the cute yet scary guy who's pursuing her.. This series has me on the edge of my seat wondering what'll happen next, lol
Option 2: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is not romance, but is a heartwrenching book about how one young girl gets through her childhood in Nazi Germany by stealing books.. Fabulous book that had me wiping away tears. But if you want a book in the same theme, I'd recommend Number the Stars by Lois Lowry that's a little less intense.
New : I'm not sure what's new to you, so I'll share some of my "new" authors.
Option 1: Beastly by Alex Flinn - If you like Beauty and the Beast, this is a great modern YA retelling that I've read at least half a dozen times! I heard there's a movie coming out, but I'd recommend reading the book first!
Option 2: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. A light read filled with magic and love: I discovered SAA in Madrid a month ago, and fell in love with all her books. Definitely worth trying!
Don’t forget :
OK, I'm editing this part after finally having a look at your shelves: City of Bones and Strange Angels were both first in a series that I'm following and that I love.. Great characters, and a great plot I hope you'll enjoy!
Support :
Option 1: Evernight by Claudia Gray I just got the last book in the series, and don't know if you've read this yet, but I'd be willing to read this again before reading the latest installment!
Option 2: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Another series I need to reread before buying the last two books! Read this when it came out a couple years ago, so I've forgotten most of it, although I remember loving it!
Bonus :
Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot: I remember loving this YA by Meg Cabot.. It's a historical romance, with Nicola, a hopeless romantic as the heroine.. I won't say more, but friendship is a main componant in the story!

So, as a Virginian, I was curious as to where you had b..."
I'm up in Northern VA Pam, what part of the state are you in?




Hi Monica - yes, you troll. :) Start around page 7 or 8 of this topic...
As a bit of a cheat, you could go to the first page where the partners are chosen. Debbie has a mark against each person's name which indicates whether the member has completed their picks and if they have received their recommendation. (Can't remember which mark means what offhand...)

As a bit of a cheat, you could go to the first page where the partners are chosen. Debbie has a mark against each person's name which indicates whether the member has completed their picks and if they have received their recommendation."
Thank you Jane, I'll start trollin'.

Monica, you are one of us that has not gotten recommendations yet. I am just about ready to do a re-mix and since you have checked in and given out the recommendations, you will be added.

Alexis
Debbie
Joyce
Yz the Whyz
Melissa (jandmterry)
BJ Rose
taita
Lady Allison St. Vincent
Katie
comfort - private
Shona
Toya
Melanie
Valerie (Varuca1)
Jess (riotxjess)
Monica
and thanks to all the wonderful people we have in this group I do have enough volunteers to be the new pickers.

Friends : Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath (recommended by GR friends)
Romance : The Secret by Julie Garwood
Intense : Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Loved it, couldn't put it down!)
Emotions : Rainwater by Sandra Brown (Short book, but really good.. made me cry)
New : Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (Read this recently & loved it)
Don’t forget : Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (From your tbr list - haven't read this yet, but I love this author!)
Support : The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (not on your tbr list, but I see that you've read some of her other books. This one's been on my tbr list for a while, would love to read it with you.)
Bonus : The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Books mentioned in this topic
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (other topics)The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (other topics)
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (other topics)
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (other topics)
The Black Lyon (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lara Adrian (other topics)Susan Elizabeth Phillips (other topics)
Nalini Singh (other topics)
Nalini Singh (other topics)
Larissa Ione (other topics)
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BTW Molly Harper's Nice Girl..."
Eeek! How does one clean up a baby powder mess like that? You add water, and the whole thing will turn to mush!
BTW, Brenda, for my Picks, I think I will read To Do List and would like to do the buddy read The Blaze Collection: Her Sexy Valentine\Play with Me\The Charmer if you are up to it.
If I get the chance, I will also make a crack at The Hollow; we carry it at my store.