Romance Audiobooks discussion

Have any ideas/suggestions that might be interesting for the group? Post them here and Samantha & I will respond.

I just thought of a challenge idea: what if we did a monthly challenge for specific authors, and the group voted on which author for each month?

An author of the month? We’d take nominations each month and then vote? Listen to at least one book that month?

Love it!

I think this is a great idea, Mary. I love a monthly challenge.

I got this monthly challenge idea from the other group I am a member of.
The mod(s) who will lead the challenge will pair you with someone who answered the questions in a compatible way, and the two of you will choose a book to read together for the month. This is all in an effort to decrease that TBR (to-be-read) list.

When you sign up, please answer this question:
1. What three genres are you interested in reading next month? (Please list specific genres and don't just say you would read "anything")

You will (to the best of our ability) be paired with someone who answers the questions in a compatible way.

You will be notified of your TBR twin by the end of the month.

If this is chosen, it can be started by January 2021 ☺️

Note: please make sure you can receive messages in order to participate. It also helps (but is not required) for your profile to not be set to private. Please also don't sign up more than once! It messes with the pairings if we don't catch it.

Thanks, Alyana! I’ve done something similar in another of my groups where participating members are randomly paired and each chooses a book that is on both member’s TBR. That way each truly reduces their TBR and has a buddy to read with.

Another variation of this is where two are randomly paired and each selects a book appearing on their shared shelves where one of the members has read the recommended book and rated it at least four stars.

I like the idea, just not having to analyze preferences for the pairings. I’m lacking the time.

I can probably lead this challenge if that's okay?

I really appreciate the offer, Alyana, but this is a moderator function.

I see. No problem.

<3 I was inspired by the fact that I see a LOT of Sarina Bowen books pop up in the 1M minute challenge. I realized I'm not the only one binging Sarina in here, and I thought it would be fun for us all to find some other faves.

Whatever the inspiration, it’s a great suggestion, Mary. Samantha and I are working through how to best orchestrate this for 2021.

We are excited for this new challenge, Mary. Thank you.

Would it be possible to pin the rest of the ongoing challenges to the top of the Challenge folder? Things like the All About Romance, Big Listen, and Series Catch Up challenges are posted at the beginning of the year, but they get buried under the monthly and quarterly challenges. It's not a terrible hardship to scroll down, but it would be slightly more convenient if they were at the top with the rest.

Mary, that would be an incredible amount of pinned topics, which defeats the purpose.

Most members have resolved the issue by creating Personal Challenge Logs where you can link all of your challenges under one topic page. Here’s a link to mine if that’s helpful.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

What do you think?

I understand. It is a lot! Thanks for the suggestion to link in my personal. I hadn't considered that before.

One more thing…

Here’s a link to instructions on how to customize your links:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I was wondering if anyone else might be interested in updating some of the genres in the All About Romance challenge next year. I love it, but I would also love to see new or expanded genres.

Ideas for reference:
Historical Romance - Regency ---> Foreign Historical (Scottish, Asian, African, etc...)

Paranormal Romance ---> Fantasy Romance or Sci-Fi Romance

We've had YA/NA in the past, but it might also be fun to see Women's Romance (lead is over 40).

Thank you, Karin! I’ll be happy to add these and any others.

I like that idea, Karin.

What about creating a topic for the annual Popsugar Challenge. The latest dropped on 11/1 and it's beaut. 40 + 10 advanced prompts.


🌻A book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot
🌻A book that features a platonic friendship between a man and woman
🌻A book you meant to read in 2025
🌻A book that starts with the letter "Z"
🌻A book about women astronauts
🌻A book with an overweight main character whose story isn't about losing weight
🌻A book about a granny hobby
🌻A book about a sexless marriage
🌻A book with a "type C" character
🌻A book about a horse or with a horse on the cover
🌻A book with a dad as the primary caregiver
🌻A book with "pop" or "sugar" in the title
🌻A book featuring a character with a hidden past
🌻A book set in Michigan or written by an author from Michigan
🌻A book about new beginnings
🌻A book less than 260 pages
🌻A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics
🌻A love story that defies social boundaries
🌻A book about teen angst
🌻A book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree
🌻A book about a bachelorette trip
🌻A book about a book club
🌻A book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't
🌻A book about postpartum
🌻A book that explores influencer culture
🌻A book with a character who navigates infertility
🌻A book with a character who has curly hair
🌻A book about debt
🌻A book that takes place during harvesting season
🌻A travel ghost story
🌻A book that makes you feel FOMO
🌻A book with an underwater civilization
🌻A book about college
🌻A book with a trans or nonbinary protagonist
🌻A book that makes you want to travel to Italy
🌻A book about a mob (fiction or nonfiction)
🌻A book about a pop star
🌻A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title
🌻A book with a character who runs a marathon
🌻A book outside your comfort zone


Advanced Prompts
💐A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook
💐A book inspired by a real song, album, band, or artist
💐Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (1)
💐Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (2)
💐A book that features birding
💐A sapphic comic
💐A book told entirely through letters
💐A book with a shadow daddy
💐A book with a mention of your zodiac sign
💐A book about Afrofuturism

Would love to see a challenge or personal reading goal folder dedicated to GR Choice Awards - Romance nominees, should anyone want to read all or get recommendations for titles from annually:

2025: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
2024: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
2023: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
2022: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
2021: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...