Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Since Tricia had, due to real life responsibilities, informed us that she will not be able to run this challenge for April, I'm temporarily taking over.

I'm running this thread to see who are interested for April.

Here are Tricia's instructions for this challenge:

Explanation:
Ever do a secret santa or xmas exchange?
This is JUST like that, except instead of a gift you will be giving the person, it will be the choice of BOOK they must read for the month.

We will be doing this via sign ups, then the names will be randomly done and assigned.
Whatever name you get, you choose the book they must read, preferably the book chosen should not be in their TBR list. This is the whole point of the challenge! ;)
After the book is read they will post that they are done as well as how they liked the book chosen, with a short or long review.

Post in this thread if you are interested please! Also post with questions if you are unsure.
(clearly mark that you are playing in your post please also!)

Signing up period will remain open until March 30. I'll announce the pairing on March 31st. Then you have up to the third of April to choose your recommendation.


BOOK CHOOSER => Particpant

Yz => Kasia (Yz has chosen for Kasia: Dark Lover by JR Ward)

Lori => Lara (Lori has chosen for Lara: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare*)

Kasia => Amanda (Kasia has chosen for Amanda: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry*)

Tricia => Annvelwis (Tricia has chosen for Annvelwis: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter)

Courtney => Sherrill (Courtney has chosen for Sherrill: Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich)

Sarah => Adrienne (Sarah has chosen for Adrienne: Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian*)

Lara => Yz (Lara has chosen for Yz: Causing Havoc by Lori Foster)

Glori => Courtney (Glori has chosen for Courtney: Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz)

Amanda => Mel (Amanda has chosen for Mel: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead*)

Melody => Annie (Melody has chosen for Annie: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine*)

Mel => Barbara (Mel has chosen for Barbara: Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh)

Jes => Glori (Jes has chosen for Glori: Black Ice by Anne Stuart)

Tosca => Melody (Tosca has chosen for Melody: One Bite with a Stranger by Christine Warren*)

Christel => Jes (Christel has chosen for Jes: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith)

Annvelwis => Sheree (Annvelwis has chosen for Sheree: Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon)

Sherrill => Tricia (Sherrill has chosen for Tricia: Babe in Ghostland by Lisa Cach)

Moss => Sarah (Moss has chosen for Sarah: Marked by Moonlight by Sharie Kohler*)

Sheree => Jodz (Sheree has chosen for Jodz: Heartmate by Robin D. Owens*)

Annie => Lori (Annie has chosen for Lori: Scent of Shadows by Vickie Petersson*)

Jodz => Christel (Jodz has chosen for Christel: Any Way You Want It by Kathy Love)

DarkHeart => Moss (DarkHeart has chosen for Moss: Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian*)

Adrienne => Tosca (Adrienne has chosen for Tosca: Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice)

Barbara => DarkHeart (Barbara has chosen for DarkHeart: Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren*)

To explain these are NOT pairs. One person chooses for another person in the group. All names have been chosen out of the virtual hat (so to speak)

The name after the arrow is who you are choosing the book for.

Okay, guys, some have chosen more than one book to recommend. I'm going to post only the first choice, but an * after the book title means there are options available.

Also, if your profile is set to private, be sure to invite as a friend the person who is assigned to you so they can take a peek at your shelves.

Happy reading, everyone!

I'm in.

I'm in

Me too.

I'm in.

(And thanks for taking this month over Yz :)
I usually do alot of stuff here at work and well its summer and I work for an A/C company! lol So its getting busy.)

I'm in.

(No problem, Tricia. Just let me know, when you are freer on which month, you want it back...It's good for business to be busy...goes far for job security..LOL)

I'm in.

I'm in.

I'm in.

I'm in.

Hi! I'm new but I'd love to join in this challenge. :O)

Please count me in.

signing up

Yes please! I'm in.

I am in too!!!

I'm in.

I think I can handle this...please count me in.

I'm in.

Count me in again thanks :-)

Just bumping this up..in case there are still some who are interested in signing up before I close it tomorrow evening...

Hope it's not too late! I'm in, too

Am i too late to sign up?

Oh go on, I'll give this a go. =)

*Also, does it have to be a certain type of book?

OOOI'll have a go:)

Jodz wrote: "*Also, does it have to be a certain type of book?"

Well, most of us take a look at the person's shelves to get a fair idea of what they like, and then recommend something. As much as possible, it should not be on their TBR list, but that is negotiable.

The goal of the challenge is to discover new books or authors.

Thanks for clearing that up Yz =)

Last bump before I finalize the list.

I'm in.

Kasia,

My choice has been inspired by one of your comments in the photo thread. I'm recommending JR Ward's Dark Lover. I think it is about time for you to meet the Brothers.

Christel,

My choice for you is Jacquelyn Franks - Noah (Nightwalkers Series #5)

Jodz wrote: "Christel,

My choice for you is Jacquelyn Franks - Noah (Nightwalkers Series #5) "

Jodz,

Just curious. Why the fifth book in the series? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to start at the beginning?

she has read the previous 4.

Am I not meant to pick a book from a series she has already began? Sorry i'm new to this. =S

Oh..no that's okay..

It's just normally what we do..but it's not a hard rule or anything, is to find a book or author that she hasn't read or is normally not in her TBR shelf.

The goal is to introduce a new book or author, you know, like widening a friend's reading horizon. Does that make sense?

Yep yep =) gotcha. ...Scrub my last choice then i'm off to hunt another lol
I read your post wrong yesterday and thought it HAD to be from the TBR list. I've got it now!!

No problem...have fun choosing.

It's actually not as easy sometimes. You have to sort of look at their shelves to get a feel of what they like, and then recommend something that you think will fit..

Good luck!

Okay my new choice is Kathy Love - Any way you want it.

One of my favourite reads of last year.
Hope you like it!!

Adrienne,

I'm not sure what you've already read, so I'm making a main suggestion and a backup.

My main suggestion for you is Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian.

In case you've read that, my backup is Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur.

Whichever you pick, I hope you like it!

Yz wrote: "Kasia,

My choice has been inspired by one of your comments in the photo thread. I'm recommending JR Ward's Dark Lover. I think it is about time for you to meet the Brothers.

[bc:Dark Lover|..."

Uhh, ohhh, thanks Yz! I guess I won't stay ignorant any longer.
;)

Sherrill,
My pick for you is Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich. I saw that you had read several of her other romance novels. This one was cute.

Ok Amanda, with almost 600 books on your TBR this was a bit of a challenge for me but I think I got it. Bear with me, 'cause this is gonna be a bit of a rant.

As my first choice goes: Lonesome Dove. It's my new all time favorite, and yes it's a western and I'm no particular fan of the genre, but this book was something else. So if you're up for a challenge (it's over 800 pages long) I hardly recommend it, just maybe don't pressure yourself to have it done by the end of this month. It's more like life-time long recommendation. Check out Charissa's review - it's really spot on.

If not that - then do yourself a favor and read The Red Tent. I know, it's on your TBR, but that book rocks my world and something tells me you'd love it too.

And last but not least, if you don't want to go for longish western, or for something you've already planned to read - grab Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I hold it in very high regard together with both previous nominations.

Whichever you choose Amanda, you can't go wrong with any of those.

1: 2: 3:

Okay, Moss, I've perused your lists and I've come up with two options for you.

Since this is a romance list, the first option is a PNR. I recommend Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian. You seem to like BDB, and Adrian's Midnight Breed series has a very similar vibe. I think it's a great series that has gotten better with each book and Lucan and Gabrielle are a good start to the series.

Now, if you'd like a UF book instead, I have to suggest the first in one of my favorite series Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. Mercy is one of the best written protagonists out there and her world is made up of complex and really likeable characters. No steamy romance here, but a couple of wonderful romantic interests. I can't recommend this one any higher!

Lara, it was so hard to decide for you because there are so many series that you haven't started yet! I know you like everything from YA to books that are a little on the steamy side...so I'm giving you two choices.

City of Bones which is the first book in a really good YA series. It's a little more UF than romance but I think you'd enjoy it. There is some romantic tension between the H & H, lots of suspense and action.

Dark Lover, first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood...just because I think everyone should read this fabulous, hot, hot, hot series.

Yz, I had a blast browsing through your shelves! LOL! I wanted to pick you something great since you did such a great job picking for me last month. So, for you I have chosen Causing Havoc (Fighter Series #1) by Lori Foster. I absolutely loved every one of her books in this series. What could be better than a bunch of Alpha males fighting and pining for a woman? I think you will really like Dean. I know I did.

Ok Jes I looked at your home page and it really did not give me that much info on you. So I checked your TBR and I see that there are alot of classics there. So I think I will pick a classic for you that I believe every young woman should read.

So I want you to read this book, " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. I know it is not a romance book, it is a classic though and I think you will enjoy reading it

Wow it was difficult to choose for you Annvelwis lol, you have read ALOT of books! hehe

I did manage to find one though!

[image error]

The Darkest Night Lords of the Underworld 1 by Gena Showalter

Tosca:: had a look thru your reading list::sooo many books :):: anyway knowing the sort of books that * rock your boat* i think you may like *Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice*

Tricia wrote: "Wow it was difficult to choose for you Annvelwis lol, you have read ALOT of books! hehe

I did manage to find one though!

[b:The Darkest Night Lords of the Underworld 1|476543|The Darkest Night..."

Thank you :)) I was somewhat worried that book chosen for me would be hard to get in duration of one month. I'm fairly sure I own this one, heh. I can't wait till April.

Yz: Can we start reading after midnight or do we have to wait till sunrise...? ;)

Barbara you have so many books on your shelves. It gave me a good idea on what books you like. For you I have chosen Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh.

If you can't get Angels blood in time my second pick is Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh.