Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

The Amazing Race Team Challenge - Round 2
September 13, 2020 through November 8, 2020
It's Not a Sprint, It's a Marathon!

Team 6:
✓ CB
✓ Laura ..devouring books like crumpets
✓ Hazel
✓ Sassafrass

The Amazing Race Team Challenge - Round 2
September 13, 2020 through November 8, 2020
It's Not a Sprint, It's a Marathon!

Tracking :
Task 1 - 0. As a team select your favorite month of 2019 (because 2020 basically SUCKS!) and each player reads a book initially published in that month. No pass for this task. 9.13.2020 - 9.16.2020
Task 2 - 1. Each player reads a book by the same author, teams decide author - no pass for this task. 9.16-19.2020
Task 3 - 6. Read 4 books with fewer than 500 reviews. 9.19.2020 - 9.20.2020
Task 4 - 21. Each teammate reads a book with a night sky on the cover, no pass for this task. 9.21.2020 - 9.24.2020
Task 5 - 19. Each teammate reads a book another teammate read and rated 4 Stars or higher in the last 3 months. No pass for this task. 9.24.2020 - 9.27.2020
Task 6 - 14. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with Contemporary Romance as MPG. 9.27.2020 - 9.29.2020
Task 7 - 36. Read 6 books with animals on the cover. 9.29.2020 - 10.2.2020
Task 8 - 44. Read 6 books by authors who use initials in their name. 10.2.2020 - 10.4.2020
Task 9 - 52. Read 6 books with the same color cover, teams decide color. 10.4.2020 - 10.7.2020
Task 10 - 70. Read a minimum of 1200 pages in books of the same sub-genre, but by different authors. 10.7.2020 - 10.10.2020
Task 11 - 17. Read 4 books written by a male author. 10.10.2020 - 10.14.2020
Task 12 - 41. Read 6 books with over 10,000 ratings. 10.14.2020 - 10.18.2020
Task 13 - 33. Read 6 books in the same sub-genre, teams decide. 10.18.2020 - 10.21.2020
Task 14 - 63. Read a minimum of 1200 pages in books tagged 'magic' or 'magical'. 10.21.2020 - 10.24.2020
Task 15 - 91. Add up the years of the teammates' births and each teammate reads a book with that minimum number of pages. For example, teammates were born in 75, 83, 87 and 94 - each teammate reads a book at least 339 pages long. No pass for this task. 10.24.2020 - 10.27.2020
Task 16 - 96. Read a minimum of 1200 pages with the sun or the moon on the cover, teams decide which. 10.27.2020 - 10.30.2020
Task 17 - 18. Read over 750 pages in books tagged/shelved with 'favorite'. 10.30.2020 - 11.1.2020
Task 18 - 46. Read over 1000 pages in books written by duo authors. 11.1.2020 - 11.5.2020
Task 19 - 104. Read 8 holiday books. 11.5.2020

Information required when posting your completion/s:

Task
Book/cover link
Page numbers with source
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary.
Date Completed.
Rating/Review.

There is a 150 page minimum for books, rereads and audios ok. Books may only be used once per player during the challenge. Players may read the same book for a task unless otherwise specified. Books do not have to be romance, but must be fiction.

**For this challenge, use the GR Kindle first edition page count if available. Ebook page count will be acceptable if no Kindle page count available. The acceptability of other page counts will be made on an individual basis**

Please note that a rating is now required in your completion posts! A small review is also welcome. 😊

I think most of you know each other, at least a little, but feel free to introduce yourself again. Please give any relevant information, especially time zone as that helps know when it is best to communicate. 😊

Please select a team leader to help keep track of where your team is in any given task. And as necessary guide discussions for task decisions. Any teammate can report your completions though.

Remember, it is the team's responsibility to notify the host (me) if a teammate fails to complete the task in a timely manner or otherwise goes missing! I am not checking all the team threads regularly to notice and may only check when notified a task is complete.

PS - If you want to be known as anything other than Team 6, you are free to come up with a team name. 😉

Hey guys we got our thread!!!! yay

Hello 👋

I’m Hazel, 37 from Glasgow Scotland. I’m getting fatter by the day as working from home I can’t stop eating caramel digestive biscuits! I’m married with an 11 year old football crazy son but I love football too so that’s ok. I sing whenever I can (not anywhere at the moment as singing is banned) and I’m in 2 bands. I love reading and haven’t been able to say no to a challenge yet! I like reading a bit of everything.

At the moment it’s just after 8am for me. I’m on British Summertime at the moment which is GMT+1.

Looking forward to this challenge with you all! Xx

Hello! I’m from Northeast Ohio, which means I am enjoying all the beautiful Fall days I can before the brutal winter days begin. Especially this year even more so. I work in the financial industry, but have been working from home since all this began. Not sure when I’ll actually be back in an office again. To keep me sane these days, I have been reading even more books, and improving my yoga practice as well.

I have played on various team challenges with both Hazel and Sass before, and look forward to getting to know you Laura. Can’t wait for this challenge to begin, will be fun!

One thought that occurred to me, because of our various time zones, we should maybe agree that whoever reads the last qualifying book in a task should go ahead and post the team completion post.

CB wrote: "One thought that occurred to me, because of our various time zones, we should maybe agree that whoever reads the last qualifying book in a task should go ahead and post the team completion post."

That’s a good idea!

Hey so im Laura... Im 32 from the Isle of wight in UK... My mum moved to Cyprus when i was 8 so was between countries..... Met my hubby when i was visiting kefalonia when i was 18 married and two kids later boys 3 & 5.... Usually im a receptionist/bookings manager at an adults only hotel and spa & part time in Jewelers seasonally but since the kids only working part time, this year not at all.

Admittedly during lockdown we had baking days with Kids.... And wine for mummy when they fell asleep at bedtime!!! so i am extra cuddly atm!!!!

I love scrapbooking and doing crafty bits..... usually i Audiobook as i fiddle..... i swim usually every morning early before it gets too hot, but in the winter i am as active as an uncharged Oral B toothbrush!

I know Hazel from another group we in together... i think i have played with sassafrass (diddnt you used to have lips as a profile pic???) if so then i have been on a team with you a couple of times too CB look forward to playing with you! Also i agree on last to post checking in!!!!


Anyone have team name ideas... team 6 a bit boring!

Hey, everyone! I'm Sassafrass. And Yes, I had lips as my profile pic for years. I'll probably get back to that at some point...

I'm in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia so I'm on EST. My husband and I both doctors and we have two teenagers so life is a bit messy right now. This challenge hopefully will help keep me sane. I was running so much during this pandemic to help reduce stress that I've got a stress fracture that I'm trying to heal so I can't run right now. So, reading is my only escape ATM (well that an peloton -- I do love that bike).

I read a bit of everything but mostly contemporary romances of all types. I do read any inspirational/Christian books unless it's by mistake or I have no other choice and Historical isn't a favorite either. Anything else, I can make a go of it!


I'm total rubbish when it comes to names but I'll try to think up a few.

I’ll get the ball started by throwing out some team name ideas - trust me, you will not hurt my feelings if you do not like any of these. 😁 Just think it sometimes helps to get ideas flowing as a group.

All Booked Up
Novel Nomads
In Book Pursuit
Paperback Pilgrims
Dashing Book Divas
Spine Crackers

they all fab... i especially like spine crackers and paperback pilgrims is there any way we could make either of them a racy name....

to get the jist what i mean.... and example

speedy spine crackers

If we Can think of any more race names from CBs ideas???

I like Book pursuit And speedy spine crackers

Some other suggestions not very good ones though 😂
Reading over the line
Tearing through the tomes/task list

I like Speedy Spine Crackers as well! It has both the race and book elements, with alliteration thrown in too.

I’m happy with that

Me too

ok cool!

I'll inform MKat. :)

Do we automatically get the first task or do we have to request it?

We automatically get it.

For a minute I thought our team name was TART 😂 took me a minute this morning to realise what it was.

Hahaha

Task 1 for all teams!

0. As a team select your favorite month of 2019 (because 2020 basically SUCKS!) and each player reads a book initially published in that month. No pass for this task.

For this task we are using the initial publication date. If one is listed at the top of the editions page, use that. Otherwise I will be looking for the first published date of an English language edition. Remember to use the first English language Kindle edition for your page count and ensure that your completion posts contain all the required information listed in message #3 of your team thread.

What we going for May or September? I have books for both?

Let’s do September.

So excited for this challenge to begin!

I am going to read by Sawyer Bennett

We should have done November 2019 because it works with PTP. LOL

Sassafrass wrote: "We should have done November 2019 because it works with PTP. LOL"

lol yes your right! still i finished my book for that.....

I have seen this... had a busy morning will find something and start ASAP

Ok so i will start

it also free on Amazon today if anyone stuck and on Audible escape...... im gunna audio i have about an hour left in my current read and i will start x

I’m going to read the sawyer Bennett book also

Completion Post - Task 1
0. As a team select your favorite month of 2019 and each player reads a book initially published in that month. Month chosen - September 2019


Code Name: Sentinel by Sawyer Bennett
Pages: 189 (GR)
How book qualifies: Published September 10th, 2019
Date Completed: 9/14/2020
Rating: 4⭐️

I was not a fan of the first book in this series, but this installment was thankfully much better. I enjoyed the interactions between the two main characters, both of whom were likable (one of my issues with the first book). I also enjoyed that the heroine, Barrett, was the ultimate brainiac, with multiple degrees and PhDs, and the hero really appreciated that and was proud of her and her accomplishments - and that right there made him an even sexier hero. Barrett did have her one TSTL moment, but I will forgive that as I can see where it was necessary to move the story forward. Not a complicated book, but overall a good “woman-in-jeopardy” plot that was a nice, easy read.

do we have to do reviews of our books? NEVER MIND, I actually read the instructions. LOL

CB wrote: "Completion Post - Task 1
0. As a team select your favorite month of 2019 and each player reads a book initially published in that month. Month chosen - September 2019

[bookcover:Code Name: Sentin..."

I’m really enjoying it. I’m at 70% so will definitely be finished today. Will try and read at lunchtime.

Completion Post - Task 1
0. As a team select your favorite month of 2019 and each player reads a book initially published in that month. Month chosen - September 2019

Book: Code Name: SentinelSawyer Bennett
Pages: 189 (GR) as per kindle edition in above link
How book qualifies: Published September 10th, 2019
Date Completed: 15 September 2020
Rating: 4⭐️
Review: The second instalment in this series tells the story of Cruce rushing to help protect the niece of his former ‘employer’ now the president of the USA. I enjoyed getting more information on some of the characters of Jameson security and the interaction between the MCs. Looking forward to the next one in this series.

Completion: Task 1

Park Avenue Player
Pages: 435 (kindle)
Date completed: 9/15/20
How it fits: Published 9/22/2019
Rating: *3.5 STARS*

Ok, so the thing that ticks me off about this writing duo is the "gotcha" moments that always seem to show up in their stories. But I KNEW what was coming with this one. It didn't help not piss me off though because they always do this. I loved the story otherwise, and I just hate they way those big "reveals" are always thrown into the story. Sometime, a love story can just be a love story, right?

Ah well. I should have know what I was getting into when I picked a book by this duo. It enjoyed the majority of it anyway.

@Laura, when you are done, will you please post our completion?

Thanks!

oh and Laura, did you see that Audible escape is ending November 1?

that is going to be a sad day for me! I loved that program. :(

Sassafrass wrote: "Completion: Task 1

Park Avenue Player
Pages: 435 (kindle)
Date completed: 9/15/20
How it fits: Published 9/22/2019
Rating: *3.5 STARS*

Ok, ..."

This book is on my TBR list, and I almost read this for this task. I know exactly what you mean about the “gotcha” moment, Sass - I read Stuck-Up Suit by these authors not too long ago, and experienced exactly that same annoying big reveal moment. Didn’t realize it was such a thing with these two authors 🤔

Yep. It’s definitely a thing. I actually stopped reading books by them because of it. This is the first one I’ve ready by both of them in a while.

Sassafrass wrote: "oh and Laura, did you see that Audible escape is ending November 1?

that is going to be a sad day for me! I loved that program. :("

They have Audible Plus starting... im sure once that gets going it will be good!!!!

I nearly finished will check us in when im done x

I hope it’s good. The romance selection that they have right now is not.

Completion: Task 1

The Deal - Stella Gray

Pages: 273 (kindle)
Date completed: 9/16/20
How it fits: Published 9/9/2019
Rating: 2 STARS

A bit of a weird one that didn't make much sense and neither character really endeared themselves to me.....

Victoria comes across as very petulant and childish and to be quiet honest very stupid...... This deal of Marriage, her tuition payed and a rich husband after meeting him once, and she expects to actually have a relationship with him and a romantic cherry popping... a marriage like that is a convenience not a love story....

Still Stephen does throw mixed signals like a shared bedroom, Still hes about as warm as my fridge freezer and has the personality of it too.....

Of course they do Rumple the sheets eventually after Stephen throws her a bone

Its all a bit of a hot mess really.... dont think i will carry it on.....

Task 1

As a team select your favorite month of 2019 (because 2020 basically SUCKS!) and each player reads a book initially published in that month. No pass for this task.

Hazel Code Name: Sentinel
CB Code Name: Sentinel
Sassafrass Park Avenue Player
Laura The Deal

Checked in

Sassafrass wrote: "I hope it’s good. The romance selection that they have right now is not."

I know but once Audible escape stops im sure some Authors may move over... well i hope so anyway, at the moment there isnt much that interests me, i brought KU for a few months so i borrow the boxsets and buy the audible companion for like a 5er that you keep even if you stop KU i treat myself every so often so i have a few at the ready should i leave Audible packets, they are offering a free trial run so i will try it in November when escape finishes and if i like it will carry it on x

Here is Task 2:

1. Each player reads a book by the same author, teams decide author - no pass for this task.

Please include the selected author in your completion posts.

Lauren Blakely for this one?

Yea I'm good with that

Sounds like a plan!

I’m going to read