Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

2018 July PIFM Challenge

What is the Pick-It-For-Me Challenge?

The Pick-It-For-Me Challenge (PIFM) is a reading challenge where each participant gives and receives book recommendations based on a given a set of rules. The assignment method and book selection rules change each month so it’s always new and always different.

The idea of the PIFM challenge is that you will get new-to-you books and authors selected for you as well as a push to read some books that have been lingering on your shelves. You may not be interested in the new books recommended, which is why you also get a minimum of four books from your shelf.

You only have to read ONE book to complete this challenge!

After signups are closed, your names and any extra info will go into the super secret PIFM randomizer and it will select someone for you to recommend books to and someone to give you recommendations. This list will be posted along with any specific picking rules for the month.

In order to participate you need to either HAVE YOUR PROFILE SET TO PUBLIC (preferable), or friend the person giving you recommendations. PLEASE NOTE: if you choose to keep your profile private, it is your responsibility to send a friend request to the person picking for you as soon as possible after the matchups are posted. Whether your profile is private or not, it is also very important that your profile be set to receive Private Messages (PMs) in case anyone needs to reach out to you (mods, organizer etc.)

Everything gets done in this thread so be sure to come back often!!!

Repicks:
You can ask for repicks if:
✱ The books picked for you are not yet released.
✱ If you have already read the chosen book(s) and they are on your ‘read’ shelf.
✱ If you did not receive four picks from your ‘to-read’ shelf, with at least one from your preferred shelf.

You may NOT ask for repicks because:
✱ A book is not available at your library.
✱ A genre or author you don’t enjoy.

INFORMATION NEEDED TO SIGN UP
Please sign up in this thread with the answer to the following question:

✱✱ Who are you going on vacation with this summer? ✱✱

a) Family - who else would I go on vacation with?
b) Friends - a getaway with my closest pals
c) By myself - a solo adventure
d) No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work

✱✱ If you have a preferred shelf, please list it along with your pick! ✱✱

IMPORTANT DATES
Sign ups will remain open until June 23 3 pm US EDT.
For your convenience a Time Zone Converter.

You’ll have until June 27 8 pm US EDT to make your recommendations.

Please do not start reading your book(s) until the first of the month. You then have the entire month to read your pick(s) and give some feedback.

If you’re new please read the PIFM Guidelines and FAQ. If you have any questions that are not addressed there, please feel free to ask!


✱Please note that late sign ups will be included at the host's discretion and no one will be included after re-picks are assigned!✱

TIPS TO MAKE THE CHALLENGE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE!


Pickees
✱ To help your picker understand the type of books you like or are currently reading, please make sure your ‘read’ shelf is up to date. You can create shelves for books you DNFed (Did Not Finish) or authors that don’t work for you as well as favorite books and authors. In addition, you might consider updating your profile. You can include info about your favorite books, authors, genres, themes or tropes (or themes/tropes you dislike – i.e. secret baby).
✱ Please do not specify likes/dislikes in the sign-up thread. This information will not be included in the pairings and your pickee may not see your message and does not need to rely on that information when making picks.

Pickers
✱ Please remember this is primarily a romance readers group. Thus, most, if not all, of your picks should be romance. There are various sub genres within the romance category - Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Erotica, M/M, Urban Fantasy. If your pickee reads a wide variety, you could add a non-romance as a choice.

✱ Choose at least 4 new titles for your pickee. These can be brand new to them (not found on any of their shelves) or a book found on their shelves if they've never read any of the author's work previously.

A few hints to help with book selection:
✱ Check the book’s publishing date. Select "date pub" from the checkbox selections and save.
✱ Check pickee's personalized shelves, especially their exclusive shelves. A personalized shelf is one the member has created. (e.g., 'to read next', 'favorites' ‘didn’t like’)
✱ Make sure the books you choose are not on their 'read' shelf. Just because it isn't rated doesn't mean it wasn't read.
✱ Look at your pickee's 'read' shelf and see what genres they have recently read or read the most. Reviewing their ‘read’ shelf might help you in choosing something they are interested in reading right now.
✱ If your pickee reads lots of books in a genre you are not familiar with (erotic romance, GLBT, YA, etc.) Contact the Mods or the month's organizer for guidance.
✱ Include a variety of books (e.g., shorter page count, new addition to their 'to-read' shelf, an older book on their 'to-read' shelf) This variety gives your pickee options when choosing the book or books they will be reading this month. Use the sort feature within their shelves to determine date a book was added, published or read; page numbers, ratings, etc.

If you want to volunteer to make repicks:
✱ We love that you want to help out, but please remember those who need picks have been waiting for a long time already. Please only volunteer if you are able to make the repicks within a few hours of the deadline. Thank you!

2018 July PIFM Challenge - Participants

Hidden to prevent confusion.(view spoiler)[Hidden to prevent confusion.
Family - who else would I go on vacation with?:
LaurLa - 04-challenges-picklist
Fran(Private) - a-pifm-shelf‎
Elke - on-deck-4-chlges
Carina - nextofftheshelf
Carrie - soonish
Hazel - on-kindle
Mary-Megan - june-july
Nancy H
Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress - meet-greet-picks
Sonja - pifm
Romanticbookworm - pick-for-me
Ashley
Alexa
MountainKat - to-read-asap
Andrea

Friends - a getaway with my closest pals:
Ezinwanyi - audio-unread
HeatherMarie - unread-deadtree or unread-kindle

By myself - a solo adventure:
Courtney - pfm-july

No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work:
jenny - to-read-soon
Chiara - 2018-reading-challengest
fleurette - meet-n-greet
Diane ~Firefly~ - next-to-read
KathyD - pick-shelf-must
Rebecca
Laura - pick-for-me
~KarenH~ - can't-wait-to-read
(hide spoiler)]

2018 July PIFM Challenge - Picking Rules

I want to thank Mary-Megan for creating this challenge, she was unable to host due to her own family vacation! But she created the fun that follows. =)

For a number of us, the months of June, July, and August mean summer and with that comes the memory of time off from school and vacation. How many of you remember the first school assignment being an essay about what you did on summer vacation? Let’s take a look at some vacation plans those essays might have detailed.

Stayed home - “I didn’t do anything this summer, just stayed at home and played with my friend and read books and played video games.”
Recommend a book that…
✏️ has best friends in it
✏️ features a character who is a loner or shy
✏️ has a single person on the cover

Summer School - “I got stuck going to school this summer because I failed History. The classroom was so hot and I didn’t get to sleep in ever.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ involves a school or has a character that is a teacher or student
✏️ is YA or a book with a child/ren
✏️ is labeled historical romance or historical fiction

Went to Grandma’s - “I was shipped off to Grandma’s house so that my parents could have some ‘alone time.’ We made cookies every day.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ features a parent or grandparents
✏️ features someone who works with food (chef, baker, waitress, bartender, etc)
✏️ has food on the cover
✏️ has a mainly black and white cover

Camping - “I went camping. The ground was hard, there were no bathrooms, but we had s’mores and told ghost stories by the fire.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ is categorized as paranormal, fantasy, sci fi, or horror
✏️ has a character who works with outdoors (park ranger, rancher, etc)
✏️ has a cover with an outdoors scene
✏️ has a green or yellow cover

A trip to Europe - “I went to Europe and saw the Queen, the Eiffel Tower, and went for a gondola ride in Venice.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ takes place in a European country
✏️ features royalty or a wealthy character
✏️ has a red or purple cover

Theme parks - “I went to Disney and Universal and Seaworld. There were so many rides!”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ is labeled adventure, thriller, or suspense
✏️ takes place in Florida or California
✏️ features an animal on the cover or in the story
✏️ has a couple embracing on the cover

A cruise - “I went on a cruise and didn’t get seasick. I read by the beach and went snorkeling. I even pet a stingray and got a serious sunburn.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ takes place in a tropical location
✏️ has a cover with the beach or water or the sun
✏️ has a cover with a lot of blue

Road trip - “I went on a road trip. There was so much driving in the car my butt went numb, but we saw the world’s largest ball of twine, so that was cool.”
Recommend a book that...
✏️ involves a road trip or travel
✏️ takes place in a state that Route 66 goes through (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or California)
✏️ features a character in law enforcement or the military
✏️ has a mode of transportation on the cover (car, train, plane, bike, etc)

Please make sure you pick 4 new-to-them books and 4 from their to-read or preferred shelf for your pickee. If a preferred shelf is given, at least one book must come from that list!

2018 July PIFM Challenge - Pairings

Please pick for the person below you on each list with the last person picking for the first person. For example, Mary-Megan picks for Romanticbookworm and Alexa picks for Mary-Megan.

✓ = Picks made.

Updated through message #136.

Family - who else would I go on vacation with?:
✓ Mary-Megan - june-july
✓ Romanticbookworm - pick-for-me
✓ Carina - nextofftheshelf
✓ Carrie - soonish
✓ Andrea
✓ Ashley
✓ Fran(Private) - a-pifm-shelf‎
✓ Elke - on-deck-4-chlges
✓ LaurLa - 04-challenges-picklist
✓ Nancy H
✓ Hazel - on-kindle
✓ Sonja - pifm
✓ MountainKat - to-read-asap
✓ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress - meet-greet-picks
✓ Alexa

Friends - a getaway with my closest pals & By myself - a solo adventure:
✓ Ezinwanyi - audio-unread
✓ Courtney - pfm-july
✓ HeatherMarie - unread-deadtree or unread-kindle

No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work:
✓ Diane ~Firefly~ - next-to-read
✓ Laura - pick-for-me
✓ ~KarenH~ - can't-wait-to-read
✓ jenny - to-read-soon
✓ KathyD - pick-shelf-must
✓ fleurette - meet-n-greet
✓ Rebecca
✓ Chiara - 2018-reading-challenges

Latecomer:
✓ Suzanne - Hazel made picks.

2018 July PIFM Challenge

I'm in! D for me :'(
My preferred shelf: to-read-soon

c) Solo... but for the rest of the summer. (d)

pfm-july

Unfortunately I'm in D :(

My shelf is: 2018-reading-challenges

Me please!!! I am A... in just a week :-)
04-challenges-picklist‎

I'm in D. I just started new job

My shelf: meet-n-greet‎

I'm in! (private profile, happy to friend anyone who picks for me)

I'm an A.....vacationing with family :)

PIFM shelf- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I am in!

"A" for me....I am going to Europe this summer with my hubby!

Please pick from my On deck 4 chlges

A ) use nextofftheshelf

D for me.

Next To Read

A for me,
Soonish shelf please.

I’m in again - A for me 27 days and counting😀

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

i'm in with d...no vacay for me!
pick-shelf-must

Hehehe. I’m going on two trips. One with hubby and kids next week and in July, a couples cruise with my two besties & their husbands
So I’m A/B
My shelf: Audio Unread

B unread deadtree or unread kindle

D No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work

A for me (currently at Disneyland with the family)

Please use : June-July

Definitely A

I'm in and A
Shelf: M&G

me too
Pick-for-me shelf

d) No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work
But i work on One of the Greek islands so its not too bad.... we are going Skiing in the winter instead and Also to Athens!!!

EEK I almost missed this one! Thank goodness for your emails, Fran!
Let's see... it's either A or D - planning to go somewhere in August with family, but we haven't bought flights yet and I don't have much vacation left... I'm gonna be optimistic and say A - Family!! Final answer! Trying to plan an RV trip with my parents, hubs and kids! :)
PIFM shelf, please!

Laura wrote: "me too
Pick-for-me shelf

d) No vacation this summer - I’m stuck at work
But i work on One of the Greek islands so its not too bad.... we are going Skiing in the winter instead and Also to Athens!!!"

Laura which Island do you work on? My parents live in Rhodes. 😃

It will be A if I get my way and talk my other half round :). if not then D :( but going to be optimistic and say A :).

Please use my Pick For Me shelf please

Mary-Megan wrote: "A for me (currently at Disneyland with the family)

Please use : June-July"

I was there on Wednesday too!

A. to-read is my shelf. or something along those lines!

A for me please.

No special shelf here.

I'm in! I'm a D, although I'll have lots of family visiting me this summer so in a way I suppose I could qualify for A, too! =)

Please use my cant-wait-to-read shelf...thanks!

Well, I'm going to say A for me. I'm not really going anywhere, but we are going to be playing with visiting family - including a 4th of July BBQ and a trip to Disneyland!

Please use my to-read-asap shelf.

Hopefully A....maybe we’ll get away, at least for a weekend?!?
Please use my “To Read” shelf.

Just a little bit left to sign up and I finally got the participant list updated! It's been a busy few days...

Signups are closed. I will be back shortly with the rules and pairings! It might take a little longer than usual though, my computer is being super slow this morning...

Rules are posted above in message #4 and pairings are in message #5.

Have fun everyone!

Karen H
my picks for you!
Stayed home - Recommend a book that…
✏️ has a single person on the cover

Summer School - Recommend a book that...
✏️ involves a school or has a character that is a teacher or student

Went to Grandma’s - Recommend a book that...
✏️ features a parent or grandparents/ black white cover

Camping - Recommend a book that...
✏️ is categorized as paranormal, fantasy, sci fi, or horror

A trip to Europe - Recommend a book that...
✏️ has a red or purple cover

Theme parks - Recommend a book that...
✏️ features an animal on the cover or in the story

A cruise - Recommend a book that...
✏️ has a cover with a lot of blue

Road trip - Recommend a book that...
✏️ features a character in law enforcement or the military


Enjoy

MountainKat, I pick for you! I’m in the middle of prep for a huge birthday party tomorrow for my son. I’ll have your picks Sunday night or Monday morning!

Happy Birthday to your son! No hurry on the picks. =)

Laurla,

I will have your picks up on Monday!

Hey Jenny! Here are my picks for you. We definitely have some stuff in common, but it's a pretty specific group. Since I wanted to find as many as I could that you'd be interested in, some of the new to you picks are on your shelf. There's no indication that you've read the authors before though, so they still qualify as new. I hope you find something here that excites you!

Stayed home - “I didn’t do anything this summer, just stayed at home and played with my friend and read books and played video games.”
TBR: The Goal
New: The Hooker and the Hermit

Summer School - “I got stuck going to school this summer because I failed History. The classroom was so hot and I didn’t get to sleep in ever.”
TBR: Beautiful Mistake
New: The Governess Affair

Went to Grandma’s - “I was shipped off to Grandma’s house so that my parents could have some ‘alone time.’ We made cookies every day.”
TBR: Down London Road
New: Into the Fire

Camping - “I went camping. The ground was hard, there were no bathrooms, but we had s’mores and told ghost stories by the fire.”
TBR: Love and Other Words
New: Exclusively Yours

A trip to Europe - “I went to Europe and saw the Queen, the Eiffel Tower, and went for a gondola ride in Venice.”
TBR: Royally Matched
New: The Swedish Prince

Theme parks - “I went to Disney and Universal and Seaworld. There were so many rides!”
TBR: The Year We Fell Down
New: Barely Breathing

A cruise - “I went on a cruise and didn’t get seasick. I read by the beach and went snorkeling. I even pet a stingray and got a serious sunburn.”
TBR: The Hating Game
New: Sweet Little Lies

Road trip - “I went on a road trip. There was so much driving in the car my butt went numb, but we saw the world’s largest ball of twine, so that was cool.”
TBR: End of Day
New: The Perfect Play

Happy Reading!

Ezinwanyi,
I'll have your picks up Monday night.

Laura

We didn't have a ton of books in common, which left me with plenty of options for new books for you. I hope you enjoy your picks.

Stayed home: Slouch Witch by Helen Harper is a great read. Ivy loses her comfortable, boring life when she is accidently tied to Winter to work with Arcane Branch. Or check out Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan where a woman has a premonition a plane will be hijacked and hopes the SEALs on the flight will help her stop it.



Summer School: Check out Fear University by Meg Collett. Or The Deal by Elle Kennedy which has the star hockey player making a deal to help improve his grades by pretending to be her boyfriend so the football player will notice her. One of my favorite characters ever.



Went to Grandma’s: Batter Up by Robyn Neeley. Or a strange world where families control aspects of life (water, sun, chaos, etc) and what happens when many of them are wiped out in Warrior from the Shadowland by Cassandra Gannon



Camping: Charmed & Witchy: Demon Isle Witches: A Legacy of Magic by Ruby Raine. Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett starts a great four book series where bartender Arcadia searching for a demon to clear her parents' name.



A trip to Europe: Check out England in Black Annis: Demon Hunter by Aubrey Law. Or see if a thief can steal from a dragon and survive in Dragon Bound



Theme parks: Check out one of the best UF series out there with Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews. Kate Daniels is awesome! Or see what happens when a human insurance inspector goes to Alaska to find out why a company's trucks keep being hijacked and they try and keep their secrets in Kodiak's Claim by Eve Langlais




A cruise: Check out The River Witch by Helena Rookwood. Or Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep where a young thief is forced to be a bodyguard in a world where monsters exist.



Road trip: The princess travels quite a bit on her quest to right her world in Spelled by Betsy Schow. Or check out this small California town settled by shapeshifter families and what happens when they hire a sheriff and don't share the secret in Shifting Dreams by Elizabeth Hunter

Hi Carmen! Here are your picks, I hope I found some good ones for you. =)

Stayed home:
NEW: Defiant by Pamela Clare - Love anything she writes!
TBR: Dirty by Kylie Scott - I'm enjoying this series!

Summer School:
NEW: The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen - This series was so good, and I'm not a YA fan!
TBR: Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland - Loved this one!

Went to Grandma's:
NEW: Dear Bridget, I Want You by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this, don't know why because I like the authors.
TBR: Delicious by Susan Mallery - I read this series years ago and like them a lot!

Camping:
NEW: The Player by K. Bromberg - So good, but a major cliffhanger - the second book makes up for it though!
TBR: Accidental Leigh by Melanie James - Looks good!

A trip to Europe:
NEW: Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young - This series is fabulous!
TBR: Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James - She writes such good books!

Theme parks:
NEW: The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis - Tilly and Dylan's story - so sweet!
TBR: Fatal Justice by Marie Force - I need to get to this one...

A cruise:
NEW: Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely - Follow up to Wanderlust - I'm looking forward to it!
TBR: Finding Kyle by Sawyer Bennett - FAC for July!

Road trip:
NEW: Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice - Love her writing - steamy and good!
TBR: Joy Ride by Lauren Blakely - This one was great!

Happy Reading!

~KarenH~ wrote: "Hey Jenny! Here are my picks for you. We definitely have some stuff in common, but it's a pretty specific group. Since I wanted to find as many as I could that you'd be interested in, some of the n..."

Hi Karen,
Thanks so much for the great picks! I added quite a few to my tbr and those that were already on it definitely moved higher on my list ;) Now I'm really looking forward to July!

Hi KathyD,
I have a busy day today but I'll have your picks up tomorrow! :)

Rebecca
We have so many books in common and your TBR pile is so enormous! It wasn't an easy task to find something truly new to you, so just a few books that are not from your shelf, sorry. Let me know if you need some re-picks. Happy reading!

Stayed home
TBR: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane (loner) - interesting world-building, some new ideas
TBR: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (single person on the cover) - PNR series with some fresh twists
NEW: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts (best friends, shy character) - one of Nora Roberts's paranormal trilogies

Summer School
TBR: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (school) - I loved it
TBR: The Magicians by Lev Grossman - set in a school of magic
NEW: Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick - historical paranormal

Went to Grandma’s
TBR: Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie (black and white)
TBR: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (food on the cover, bakery owner)

Camping
TBR: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (paranormal) - a really nice mystery series
TBR: Once Haunted, Twice Shy by H.P. Mallory (outdoors scene)
NEW: Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner (paranormal) - indi book with unusual heroine

A trip to Europe
TBR: Blood Price by Tanya Huff - (the royalty character) this series is a bit in the lines of Anita Blake
TBR: Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge (set in Europe) - a very nice urban fantasy series
NEW: The Evil Inside by Heather Graham (purple cover) - paranormal mystery series with ghosts, an easy read

Theme parks
TBR: Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs (animal) - I love this series more than Mercy one, give it another chance
TBR: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole (couple embracing on the cover)

A cruise
TBR: The Island by Heather Graham (tropical location) - nice beach read (I know, I know, we are both in D group of those who are stuck at work, but it's nice to read some beachy read from time to time)
TBR: Holiday In The Hamptons by Sarah Morgan (beach on the cover)

Road trip
TBR: Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb (police, motorcycle on the cover) - one of my favourite series ever
NEW: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (law enforcement) - great paranormal mystery series about a policeman in London
NEW: Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton (cop) - cozy paranormal mystery

Hi Diane ~Firefly~
These are my picks for you. I hope you'll like them :)

1. Stayed Home
TBR: Back to December by Lucy Gage (single person on the cover)
NEW: Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan (features a character who is lonely)


2. Summer School
TBR: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris (labeled historical fiction)
NEW: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (labeled historical romance)


3. Went to Grandma's
TBR: Peaches and Scream by Susan Furlong (has food on the cover)
NEW: The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry (black and white cover)


4. Camping
TBR: Moonshadow by Thea Harrison (tagged as paranormal)
NEW: Waterfall Effect by K.K. Allen (outdoor scene on the cover)


5. A Trip to Europe
TBR: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm (has a red cover, features royalty AND takes place in Europe!)
NEW: Royally Screwed by Emma Chase (features royalty)


6. Theme Parks
TBR: Falling for Trouble by Sarah Title (couple embracing on the cover)
NEW: The Best Man by Kristan Higgins (features an animal AND a couple embracing on the cover)


7. A Cruise
TBR: Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis (beach on the cover)
NEW: On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves (takes place in a tropical location)


8. Road Trip
TBR: Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor (features a character in the military)
NEW: After We Fall by Melanie Harlow (features a character in the military)

Sorry, I was volunteering at summer camp with kids this week and missed the sign up for PIFM. If there is a re-pick round for late comers I'll pick for someone. Thanks!

I would be happy to pick for you Suzanne if you’re looking to take part. Don’t know if that’s allowed or not?