Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

September 2016 Pick-It-For-Me Challenge

What is the Pick-It-For-Me Challenge?
The Pick-It-For-Me (PIFM) Challenge 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 may ask for repicks if:
☕ The book(s) picked for you are not yet released.
☕ You have already read chosen book(s) and they are on your ‘read’ shelf.
☕ 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 the book is:
☕ Not available at your library.
☕ From 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:

What are your thoughts on breakfast?
I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…
It’s a great way to start the day!
Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

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


IMPORTANT DATES
Sign ups — Open until August 23 (7 pm US CST)
Picking — Due by August 27 (7 pm US CST)
Repicks — If necessary, will be assigned and follow the picking deadline

For your convenience — Time Zone Converter

☕ 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 FAQs. 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 shelves for favorite books and authors. In addition, you might consider updating your profile. You can include information about your favorite books/authors/themes/genres (of themes/books 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 pairing and your picker may not see your message and does not need to rely on the information when choosing for you.

Pickers
☕ Please remember this is primarily a romance readers group. Thus, most, if not all, your picks should fall in the romance category. There are various sub genres within the romance category—Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Erotica, M/M, Urban Fantasy, etc. If your pickee reads a wide variety, you could add a non-romance book 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 have never read any of the author’s work previously.

Helpful Book Selection Hints
☕ 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 to see what genres/authors 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 books in a genre you are not familiar with (e.g., Erotica, YA, GLBT)…Contact the Mod’s or the month’s organizer for guidance

☕ Include a variety of books (e.g., shorter page count, new addition to their ‘to-read’ shelf, older book on their ‘to-read’ shelf)…This variety give 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.

Sign ups
Current through post 52

I eat breakfast in the morning(ish)…when I remember…
LaurLa — 04-challengs-to-pick
Danielle — next-months-books or pifm
Aneerah (private)
Fran (private) — a-pifm-shelf
Jojo — 2016-mng
Zorina — to-read
Cecily — to-read
Cher — to-read
Runell — to-read
Ashley — to-read

It’s a great way to start the day!
Martha — pick4me
Tina Theresa — to-read
Pam — to-read
MountainKat — to-read-asap
Aminko — picking-shelf
Pamela — to-read
Vandhana — to-read
Adriana — to-read
Nora — to-read

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!
☘KathyD☘ — cp-pick-it-for-me
☼♎Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress☼♎ — pick-it-for-me or botb-tbr
Rachel C. — meet-n-greet-picks-august-sept-2016
Diane ~Firefly~ — mng-picking
Kait — to-read
fleurette — meet-n-greet-old or meet-n-greet
Elke — on-deck-4-chlges
♎Nereta♎ — to-read
Jody — pifm
Shelby — current-challenge-to-reads
Sandra — pifm
ThatEzi — audibook or review-books or meet-greet-recs
Valerie — to-read
Susan A — pick-from-here
Donna — 2016-meet-and-greet
Desiree — rrrc-to-read
Suzanne — to-read

Pairing
Within each group, each person picks for the person below them. The last person in the group picks for the first person. For example, Zorina picks for Ashley.

Current through post 97
✔ = picks made

I eat breakfast in the morning(ish)…when I remember…
✔Ashley — to-read
✔Danielle — next-months-books or pifm
✔Jojo — 2016-mng
✔Fran (private) — a-pifm-shelf
✔Cecily — to-read
✔LaurLa — 04-challengs-to-pick
✔Runell — to-read
✔Aneerah (private)
✔Cher — to-read
✔Zorina — to-read

It’s a great way to start the day!
✔Tina Theresa — to-read
✔Vandhana — to-read
✔Pamela — to-read
✔Aminko — picking-shelf
✔MountainKat — to-read-asap
✔Pam — to-read
✔Martha — pick4me
✔Nora — to-read
✔Adriana — to-read

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!
✔Valerie — to-read
✔Donna — 2016-meet-and-greet
✔Diane ~Firefly~ — mng-picking
✔Shelby — current-challenge-to-reads
✔Sandra — pifm
✔Susan A — pick-from-here
✔Desiree — rrrc-to-read
✔ThatEzi — audibook or review-books or meet-greet-recs
✔Elke — on-deck-4-chlges
✔Jody — pifm
✔Rachel C. — meet-n-greet-picks-august-sept-2016
✔Suzanne — to-read
✔fleurette — meet-n-greet-old
✔Kait — to-read
✔♎Nereta♎ — to-read
✔☼♎Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress☼♎ — pick-it-for-me or botb-tbr
✔☘KathyD☘ — cp-pick-it-for-me

Repicks
Nancy H
✔Mindy

Picking Rules for September

Please make sure to pick 4 books new to your pickee, as well as 4 books from your pickee’s designated or ‘to-be-read’ shelf, for a total of 8 books!

While there is no official (congressional) mandate proclaiming this holiday, September is considered National Breakfast Month! Proven to be the most important meal of the day, breakfast helps kick start brain functions and provides much needed energy to start the day!

Eggs and Bacon—No matter how you dish them up, eggs are a popular staple as a breakfast choice. Scramble, fried, hard/soft boiled, and so on, eggs can be turned into omelets that include cheese, veggies, and meat, or added to any number of bread options for a delicious sandwich. As their common companion, bacon (or sausage if you prefer) can add a crispy, greasy deliciousness to any great breakfast!
☕ choose a book with a character that has many friends or that is well loved; or that has been/will be/should be turned into a TV series/movie

Biscuits and Gravy—This good ole’ Southern-style breakfast is hardy and filling – and essentially has nothing nutritionally redemptive about it. Whether you are the ambition type who crafts this meal from scratch (kudos to you!) or pulls it together from canned biscuits and packet gravy, this breakfast choice will stick to your bones all day!
☕ choose a guilty pleasure or standalone book; or with a white cover

Cold Pizza—Although not a personal favorite, leftover pizza straight from the fridge is a quick and handy breakfast when you are on the go! As pizza cools overnight, the sauce and cheese take on a different flavor, making this breakfast choice of champions a new and different treat the second time around!
☕ choose a book/author you gave a second chance or one your pickee should give another try; or author who writes in more than one genre (e.g., contemporary and historical; new adult and paranormal)

Doughnuts—For those in a hurry who don’t have any cold pizza waiting in their refrigerator, doughnuts are a great choice! Whether you are a die-hard Krispy Kreme fan or love you some Dunkin’ Donuts, there is something for everyone—and you can score points when you bring a dozen (or so) into work with you! Popular doughnut flavors/types include, glazed, long john, Boston crème, sprinkles, and jelly filled.
☕ choose a book with more than 4.0 GR rating; or with a main character who is a “pleaser”; or with a sweet treat on the cover

Pancakes/French Toast/Waffles—One of the yummiest groupings of breakfast choices, pancakes, French toast, or waffles are a great way to get up and go in the mornings! All three treats can be dressed to the nines with fruits or chocolate, or simply with butter and maple syrup. In addition to dressing the golden outside, fruits or chocolate chips can be added to the batter so every bite is over-the-top delicious!
☕ choose a book with a yummy piece of eye candy on the cover or people are dressed up (formal wear) on the cover; or is part of a series

Cereal or Oatmeal—As an old favorite, cereal is one breakfast food you can do super healthy or so not! Popular cereal choices you can indulge in include Cheerios, Special K, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, or Mini Wheats. Another old favorite, oatmeal is a great way to wake up on a cold day. While often considered a boring standby, oatmeal is easily spiced up with sugar, syrup, or fruit.
☕ choose a book with a bunch of colors or crazy patterns on the cover; or a “standby” book you love/book by an author your pickee has rated highly

Fresh Fruit—In the morning, fruit is easily digestible and an efficient source of energy for the day! Additionally, fruit can be cut up and added to other breakfast favorites, including oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, and waffles. Popular breakfast fruits include mango, apples, bananas, berries, grapefruit, and oranges.
☕ choose a lighthearted/easy book; or book from a series that is an offshoot of another series or that has characters that overlap series’; or with an orange, red, yellow, or green cover

Bagels—The thickest, heaviest form of breakfast toast, bagels make a wonderful, satisfying breakfast that will fill you up and keep you going through your busy morning. Bagels offer savory choices, as well as sweet ones, for whatever mood you are in.
☕ choose a long (thick) book; or with main characters that are complete opposites of each other

Am I the first?!!? Do I get a prize? Anywho....
I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…

challenges-to-pick

LaurLa wrote: "Am I the first?!!? Do I get a prize? Anywho....
I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…

challenges-to-pick"

ummmmm....yup, you're first....no prize though....just some great books to pick from for September! =)

I'm in. You can pick from these shelves
pick it for me & botb-tbr

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!
:)

I'm in! mng picks aug sept

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

I'm in. It's a great way to start the day!

Pickit4me

I'm in and I love breakfast!

shelf: mng_picking

I'm definitely a 'Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!' Yummmmm.

I'm in. It's a great way to start the day.

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

I'm In .... I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…

Shelf: Preferred Shelf

Shelf: PIFM Shelf

I'm in. Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

My preferred shelf is meet-n-greet-old‎ but there are no many books on it, so pick also from meet-n-greet‎‎

I am in!

***Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!


Please pick from my On deck 4 chlges

It's a great way to start the day...

I'm in! (Private profile- I am happy to 'friend' anyone who picks for me)

I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember........

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

I am in again!

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

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

I'm in!
Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

shelf: pifm

I'm in again...

So here's the thing. I love breakfast foods, but I almost never actually eat breakfast at actual breakfast. So I guess I'll go with Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

It's just usually eaten at Brunch or Lunch or Dinner. ;)

Current Challenge to Reads

I enjoyed the partner challenge so I'll give this a go.

I'm a bit like Shelby, I don't really have a breakfast time (the joy's of shift work!). So probably I love breakfast.....morning, noon, night, bring it on!
(Just curious, what's the idea of the breakfast question?).

pifm

Sandra wrote: "(Just curious, what's the idea of the breakfast question?)."

Just a method to group people up for pairings. Sometimes it is a hint at what the rules are going to be about, but not always. =)

And I'm in of course! Breakfast is a great way to start the day! (Though I have been known to have breakfast for dinner now and then.)

Please us my to-read-asap shelf - thanks!

MountainKat wrote: "Sandra wrote: "(Just curious, what's the idea of the breakfast question?)."

Just a method to group people up for pairings. Sometimes it is a hint at what the rules are going to be about, but not a..."

Ah mystery solved! It just seemed like a really random question!

They often are! Just part of the fun.=)

I haven't done this for ages - but I'm in this month.

Breakfast is definitely - when I remember

My shelf is 2016-mng

I'm in!!! breakfast is a great way to start the day!

My shelf is Picking Shelf

First reading challenge for me...
It’s a great way to start the day!

Im in
I eat breakfast every morning. I don't play with my oatmeal & eggs!

I will say "Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!"
Audiobook Shelf or Review books or meet-greet recs

Pamela wrote: "First reading challenge for me...
It’s a great way to start the day!"

Hi Pamela, glad to see you just jumping in! If you have any questions, just ask - everyone is super friendly and helpful too!

I am in :)
Its a great way to start the day :)

I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…

Hi everybody, missed the August PIFM, thank you for the reminder MountainKat.

ThatEzi wrote: "Im in
Audiobook Shelf or Review books or meet-greet recs"

Hey Ezi!
I need a group to add you too. Could you please answer the following question? Thanks much!

What are your thoughts on breakfast?
I eat breakfast in the morning…when I remember…
It’s a great way to start the day!
Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

Hi All...I was MIA for the weekend, but I have the participants list current to message 34. Thank you MountainKat for the reminder message you sent! And welcome to all the new participants!

I'm in!! Thanks for the reminder!!
I eat breakfast in the morning... when I remember... (but I usually don't at all, makes me feel ill)

I'm in first challenge for me. It's a great way to start the day!

☘KathyD☘ --

I'm checking to see if you think it is okay for me to sign up --

I can get my picks done ASAP. However, I leave for vacation on Aug 25 and I may not be able to check in at all Aug 25 - 27. So if either the person who picks for me, or the one I pick for has a question, I may not see it until later in August.

Is this okay or should I skip September?

Thanks

Susan A wrote: "☘KathyD☘ --

I'm checking to see if you think it is okay for me to sign up --

I can get my picks done ASAP. However, I leave for vacation on Aug 25 and I may not be able to check in at all Aug 25..."

Hey Susan...Thanks for checking in! The picking rules will be up tomorrow evening around 8:00...so that gives you a small window of time to get your picks finished. If there are any questions, we can cross that bridge when you get back!

How does that sound?

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "Susan A wrote: "☘KathyD☘ --

I'm checking to see if you think it is okay for me to sign up --

I can get my picks done ASAP. However, I leave for vacation on Aug 25 and I may not be able to check ..."

Sounds good. Thanks. I'll get my shelf together and officially sign up tonight

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "ThatEzi wrote: "Im in
Audiobook Shelf or Review books or meet-greet recs"

Hey Ezi!
I need a group to add you too. Could you please answer the following question? Thanks much!

What are your thoug..."

I added it this morning in the same post.
Sorry

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

pick from here

I'm in!! I eat breakfast in the morning..when I remember (or hungry)

my to read

I'm in! And I eat breakfast when I can remember.

I eat breakfast in the morning(ish)…when I remember…

ThatEzi wrote: "☘KathyD☘ wrote: "ThatEzi wrote: "Im in
Audiobook Shelf or Review books or meet-greet recs"

Hey Ezi!
I need a group to add you too. Could you please answer the following question? Thanks much!

Wh..."

Thanks Ezi! No apologies needed! =)

Hi everyone! I haven't done this challenge before but my friend/coworker Desiree is joining this as her first challenge, so I thought I'd join her.

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!


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

Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!

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

I'm in! "Breakfast?! I LOVE breakfast…morning, noon, night, bring it on!"