Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

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.

After signups are closed, I'll put your names and any extra info I’ve required into the super secret PIFM randomizer and select someone for you to choose for. This will get posted along with the rules for the month.

While you're doing your picks, someone else is doing picks for you. Once you receive them, you pick a book off the list and get reading. To complete the challenge, you only have to read 1 (one) book but many of us end up reading more because we just can't resist a list of books to read.

In order to participate you need to either HAVE YOUR PROFILE SET TO PUBLIC (preferable), or make the person who will be giving you recommendations your friend. On top of that, I strongly recommend keeping your bookshelves updated; otherwise you might end up with a recommendation that you have already read.

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


***TIPS TO MAKE THE CHALLENGE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE!***

1. Check the publishing date of the book before recommending it. To check the publishing date, from your pickee's to-read or similar shelf choose shelf settings, select "date pub" from the drop down selections and save/close the menu.

2. Check pickee's personalized shelves, especially their exclusive shelves - it could be very helpful in recommending something they want to read. A personalized shelf is one that a member has labeled themselves, for example, 'to read next', 'can't wait to read', 'favorites'.

3. Look at your pickee's 'read' shelf and see what genres they have recently read the most. That might help in choosing something they are interested in reading right now.

4. Please make sure the books you choose for your pickee are not on their 'read' shelf. Just because it isn't rated doesn't mean it wasn't read. Sometimes the reader may choose not to rate a book.

5. Although Buddy Reads are no longer going to be offered as a category, if there is a recommendation that you give your pickee that you would like to read with them, please feel free to suggest a Buddy Read with them. You can PM each other and discuss it.

6. If your pickee reads lots of books in a genre you are not familiar with (erotic romance, GLBT, YA, etc.), feel free to contact either Fran, Dee, Jane or the month's organizer and they can try to point you in the right direction for recommendations.

7. If possible, try to include a shorter book, a longer book, a new addition to their 'to-read' shelf, and and older book from their 'to-read' shelf. This gives them a variety of options to choose from. You can sort the shelves by many features - ratings, date read, date added, date published, #of pages and many other items from the shelf settings as described in tip #1. And they can be sorted by ascending or descending order as well.

8. Please choose at least 4 new titles for your pickee. These should be brand new to them and not found on any of their shelves. Part of the fun of this challenge is discovering new books to read, adding new titles to the ever-expanding tbr shelf. The remaining 4 titles should come from your pickee's tbr or preferred shelves.

This is my own personal tip:

9. Please remember this is a romance readers challenge, so unless you KNOW your pickee would prefer something else (something off their preferred shelf, for example) most, if not all, of your picks should be romance. There are many different sub genres and related types of books - Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Erotica, Urban Fantasy even. Take a look at your pickee's read shelf and see if they read non-romance genres before making your suggestions.


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

**Grease is the Word! Who were you most like, wish you were most like or want to take to the dance - Sandy, Rizzo or Frenchy?**

For those of you unfortunate to have never experienced Grease, I am truly sorry. This should help:
Sandy is the Good Girl, Rizzo is the Bad Girl, and Frenchy is the Ditz with a heart of gold.

And maybe this will get you in the mood - Summer Nights!

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

IMPORTANT DATES
Sign ups will remain open until June 27th (4 pm PDT).

You’ll have until July 1st (4 pm PDT) to make your recommendations.

You then have till the end of the month to read your pick 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 add a new comment rather than updating a previous post or your progress will likely be missed. It is also very helpful if you add more information like "I finished another pick" or "I finished my third book for this challenge" and mention if your pick was a buddy read. Thanks!***

2013 July Pick-It-For-Me Challenge ~ Participants

Updated 6.27.13, through message #101.

Sandy:
~KarenH~ - cant-wait-to-read
Jane (PS) - one from each if possible q3gb2013 and must-read-mmpb
Sallie(Shuga)
Elizabeth
Arena
Susan A - pick-from-here, not TBR
Zara - Please pick from any of my w2r lists.
Ashley(Joined April 2013)
Vilda - to-read-extra-attention
Nadine - pick from this list
Eziwanyi~For you, Agron
Fran - pifm-shelf
Debra
Jojo
Skandia
Nancy
Katie
Carla
Alexis
Bre
Sandy
Ashley(Joined August 2010)
Yz the Whyz
Amy
Shelley
Gea
Becca
MountainKat - to-read-asap


Rizzo:
Brandilyn - mm-gang-bang-choices
Elke(Private) - also use my "on deck shelf"
Tiff
Penney
Dee - please pick at least a couple from my to-read-2013 shelf (but not all of them)
Pam
Runell
Shatan
Gigi - please pick from my rrr-pickitforme shelf
Joyce
Nichole - Please choose some from my "pick me-pick me" shelf.
Irina
Roxy
Sassafrass - Please use my "read-this-next" shelf
Nikita
Kami
Brett
Suzanne
Diane ~Firefly~
Macwolf01 [Elise]
Coffeentea
Melanie - owned, owned-kindle or asap-reads
Lorena
Daffodil


Frenchy:
Breann
Erin
Jane - 000next
Amy J.
Dawn (Kat N Hat)
Ab2y
Ruth Ann
MsTerious
Angi


Where Needed:
Ty
Lacy

2013 July Pick-It-For-Me Challenge ~ Picking Rules


♪ It is the summer of 1978 and John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are singing and dancing their way into our hearts! ♫ We can all sing along as we go back into a simpler time with Danny & Sandy and Rizzo & Kenickie. But don't forget Frenchy and Putzie! ♭


Please remember to give at least 4 new picks and 4 picks from their to-read shelf, with at least 1 from their preferred shelf if listed!

♮ Summer Nights: Pick a book that includes young love, first love, love at first sight or is set during summer.

Hopelessly Devoted to You ♫: Recommend a sweet, feel good book.

♪ Greased Lightnin': Suggest a book that involves cars, mechanics or any blue collar workers.

Beauty School Dropout ♫: Recommend a YA book, or a book that is set in a school, involves students or teachers, or has kids in it.

♬ Born to Hand Jive: Pick a book that has dancers, musicians or entertainers of any sort.

There Are Worse Things I Could Do ♪: Suggest a book where someone feels they have been betrayed or hurt, makes a big mistake, has to earn trust, or is in denial about something.

♫ You're the One That I Want: Recommend a book where someone undergoes a transformation or misrepresents themself or makes a grand gesture.

We Go Together ♬: Pick a book with best friends, opposites attracting or things that go well together.

2013 July Pick-It-For-Me Challenge ~ Pairings

Please pick from the person below you in your group. The last person on the list will pick for first person on the list. For example, Fran picks for ~KarenH~.

Picks are due by July 1st (4 pm PDT).

Updated 8.6.13, through message #503.

✓ = Picks made.
★ = At least one book read.

Sandy:
★ ✓ ~KarenH~ - cant-wait-to-read
★ ✓ Nadine - pick from this list
★ ✓ MountainKat - to-read-asap
★ ✓ Arena
★ ✓ Eziwanyi~For you, Agron
★ ✓ Bre
★ ✓ Shelley
★ ✓ Becca
★ ✓ Nancy
✓ Yz the Whyz
★ ✓ Ashley(Joined August 2010)
★ ✓ Vilda - to-read-extra-attention
★ ✓ Jojo
★ ✓ Elizabeth
★ ✓ Gea
★ ✓ Alexis
★ ✓ Debra
★ ✓ Katie
✓ Ashley(Joined April 2013)
★ ✓ Skandia
★ ✓ Amy
✓ Zara - Please pick from any of my w2r lists.
★ ✓ Carla
✓ Sallie(Shuga)
★ ✓ Sandy
★ ✓ Susan A - pick-from-here, not TBR
★ ✓ Jane (PS) - one from each if possible q3gb2013 and must-read-mmpb
★ ✓ Fran - pifm-shelf


Rizzo:
★ ✓ Sassafrass - Please use my "read-this-next" shelf
★ ✓ Lorena
Irina
✓ Joyce
★ ✓ Nichole - Please choose some from my "pick me-pick me" shelf.
★ ✓ Brett
✓ Shatan
★ ✓ Roxy
★ ✓ Elke(Private) - also use my "on deck shelf"
★ ✓ Tiff
★ ✓ Diane ~Firefly~
★ ✓ Daffodil
✓ Melanie - owned, owned-kindle or asap-reads
★ ✓ Runell
✓ Dee - please pick at least a couple from my to-read-2013 shelf (but not all of them)
★ ✓ Brandilyn - mm-gang-bang-choices
✓ Suzanne
★ Coffeentea
★ ✓ Nikita
✓ Macwolf01 [Elise]
★ ✓ Kami
★ ✓ Penney
✓ Gigi - please pick from my rrr-pickitforme shelf
★ ✓ Pam


Frenchy:
★ ✓ Ruth Ann
✓ Dawn (Kat N Hat)
★ ✓ Ty
★ ✓ Lacy
★ ✓ MsTerious
★ ✓ Amy J.
★ ✓ Erin
★ ✓ Breann
★ ✓ Angi
✓ Ab2y
★ ✓ Jane - 000next

2013 July Pick-It-For-Me Challenge

Updated 8.6.13, through message #503

2013 July Pick-It-For-Me Challenge

Some end of the month stats for your enjoyment!

Overall in July we had 78% of the participants (49 of 63) report back that they had read at least one pick and many people read more than one pick! The Sandys really are the good girls with a 86% completion within that group and the Rizzos proved once again they don't care what other people think since I'm sure their 67% reporting was not because they didn't read their picks! The Frenchys proved they were no Beauty School Drop Outs with a respectable 82% reporting back that they read one or more of their picks.

We read a total of 114 books in July! There were 100 individual titles read. The most read book this month was Tangled by Emma Chase read by 5 of us - I'm sure it didn't hurt that this was the group monthly buddy read! The next highest was One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton read by 4 of us. Read twice each were Woke Up in a Strange Place by Eric Arvin, Something Like Summer by Jay Bell, Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec, Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl, Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy and Belong To You by Vi Keeland.

The most popular authors this month was Emma Chase, read 5 times. Read four times each were Erin McCarthy and Jaci Burton. Jay Bell, Nalini Singh, Patricia Briggs, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Tara Sivec were read three times each. And we had twelve authors read twice each too!

I'm in! Love Grease, and I was Sandy all the way...

I'm in too - and I have to go with Sandy as well. At the age I was at the time of release, I don't think I was old enough to 'want' to be bad ;)

At least one book from each of these two shelves would be great: q3gb2013 and must read mmpb

BTW - love the theme, MKat. *grease is the time, is the place, is the way now, and grease is how we are feeling... da da da da* (Probably have some of the words wrong, but you get my groove!)

I would have to go with Sandy...I was only 14 or 15 when that movie came out - I didnt turn into the bad girl until my college years lol

I'm in. I didn't like this movie but I'll go with Sandy, as well.

I'm in i have to go with Sandy

I'm in.
Another Sandy.

Pick from here not from my TBR please.

In my head, I was Rizzo, but in actuality I was probably Sandy - so put me in whatever list you need!

I am the Same as Ty here...

I was a Rizzo in attitude but actions were like a Sandy. So put me in Rizzo since everyone else chose Sandy ;)

Please use my MM Gang Bang self.

I'm in and I'm definitely Sandy all the way. Please pick from any of my w2r lists.

I'm in, too...I'm definitely Sandy!

Hmmmm.... I'll say Frenchy :) Since I'm super indecisive! Love the theme, MK!

I'm in too. And I would consider myself a Sandy.


pick from this list

I am in...and even though I am a beauty school drop out...I am a RIZZO!! :D

Can who ever picks for me also use my "on deck shelf"!

I'm in!! Rizzo's definitely my girl! ;) But you can put me in Sandy too since I can be naughty and nice ;)

I am in, and I was definitely Sandy--naive and a hopeless romantic in love with all the losers, I mean bad boys in high school :)

I am in, and I was a good mixture of the 3 personalities and I loved them all. So, fit me in where you need more peeps!

Oops, I was so excited to see the challenge up last night that I forgot to add my preferred shelf! I'd love to have some picks from my cant-wait-to-read shelf. Thanks!

I love Grease!

I listened to that album all the time, I was 12 when the movie came out.

I was totally a Sandy in High School!

I would love a few picks from my pifm shelf

Grease, excellent! The movie was actually filmed at my high school. I was definitely a Sandy, but I always liked Frenchy in the movie, so I'll go with Frenchy.

I'm in I have been offline for a while n back now and I'm such a grease fan I m totally a sandy ! Love the movie

Everyone thought I was a "Sandy", but in truth I was "RIZZO" all the way ;-)

yeah, i'm probably a bit of all 3, but I identified the most with Rizzo in the movie - so i'm going to go that way ;)

please pick at least a couple from my to-read-2013 shelf (but not all of them)

Rizzo for me. This should be fun.

Erin wrote: "Grease, excellent! The movie was actually filmed at my high school. I was definitely a Sandy, but I always liked Frenchy in the movie, so I'll go with Frenchy."

That's awesome!

I'm in.

Hmm, I love this movie and though Rizzo and I are nothing alike in the fact that I don't act anything like her, she's my favorite because she tells you how it is and she's got a wicked sense of humor.

I'm in, I have never seen the movie. I'm going to go with Frenchy because I feel like a ditz. lol

Please pick from 000next

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

I'm in - at school while I seemed to be a bitch but that was to cover up that I was really a Sandy

I'm a good girl, so I'll pick Sandy.

Definitely Sandy - I loved her voice in that movie!

Okay, now I fee the need to watch this movie this weekend!

Lacy wrote: "Okay, now I fee the need to watch this movie this weekend!"

I watched it this week! Purely research you know... =P

MountainKat wrote: "Lacy wrote: "Okay, now I fee the need to watch this movie this weekend!"

I watched it this week! Purely research you know... =P"

LOL! I might have to partake in that kind of research! I need some more summer lovin'!

I'm in -- I'll go with Sandy.

Count me in! - Rizzo

I'm in for Frenchy

I'm in, and am sooooo Sandy.

Im in! Tough question. I have watched Grease a gazillion times. And, depending on whats going on in my life at the time, I have identified with all 3 at one point or another. However, put me down for Rizzo. I've always loved her no nonsense attitude- minus the Sandy-hate.

please pick from my rrr-pickitforme shelf

I'm a little bit of all three. People thought of me more as a Sandy but I definitely had a lot more Rizzo in there than met the eye (funny I just had a similar conversation with an old friend. so I'm going for Rizzo.

I'm in! I was always Sandy... never getting in trouble.

I'm Sandy, but in my head I'm Rizzo, so I'll go with that!
Please choose some from my "pick me-pick me" shelf.

I'm a Sandy on the outside and Rizzo on the inside :P But I'll go with Rizzo

I'm Sandy!

I'm Frenchy!

Heart of gold and knows how to hang with the bad girls and the good girls.

What a fun theme! I'm Rizzo. I seem like a Sandy, but I was the Rizzo in my group.