Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Archive - Pass The Parcel
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PtP - Surfing the Stacks (2)
1. Introduce yourself to your team. Let your team members know where you are from. This is a 'nice to know' when categories are announced and when team-mates can expect other members to post their book choices.2. Team Captain - reserve a couple of posts in this thread tracking your team's book selection and completion. (Alternatively they could convert a chat comment to the tracking post/s.)
3. Name your team. Using this round's theme of Couch Surfing, come up with a fun name. Given we are an open/public group with no age limit, so please make sure any chosen name is smart, not smutty ;)
Please PM your name to Jane(PS) by 5 March.
4. If you have a private profile, please 'friend' your team-mates. This is really important, because without this, your team-mates can't see your shelves to select a books under option 2. (It will also help with one of the categories in this round!)
5. Please post your book selections/completions in the format provided below. (This format is also posted in both the Q&A and Sign-Up threads.) We need to know the week that each book corresponds to, the page numbers, and how the book qualifies including links to lists/shelves (where applicable), etc. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt - link it*!
* don't link to your review in your completion post - reviews in your completion posts should be included in full in that post.
You don't want to start reading a book and then find it doesn't meet the requirements because some information (eg page count or theme link) was missing from your original post.
I will be monitoring this and your book will not be considered complete until I am satisfied that your selection and completion posts comply with the format rules of the challenge.
Remember - you can ONLY change your book selection in the week that the theme is called.
6. You MUST check in with your team each week, ideally once the theme is announced. Please let your team know if you expect to have spotty communication or are on holidays or having an operation, etc.
7. When you post the completion of your book, you must post a review; enough for us to know you have actually read the book. Please don't link to a review. You must post the review in this thread.
8. Re-reads are allowed but you can't read the same book twice within this challenge.
9. There is no prize for the winning team - bragging rights only :)
10. Each week, the theme will be announced in the Q&A/Announcement thread. The full list of themes announced during this round will be maintained in msg 1 of that thread.
The Rule on the Pass Option
* Each team can only have ONE member using their pass each week.
* Each member can only use that pass once each 5 weeks.
* This means that one or two team members (dependent upon the size of your team) will miss using a pass in each 5 week block.
* No-one can use the pass option in the last week of the challenge.
* In the final week Option 2 has altered and I will be allocating each team another team from which their book selection must be chosen :)
Key selection and completion post information. You must have ALL elements in your book posts.For the initial selection post Option 1 I need:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
How the book qualifies - please insert a link to the qualifying bookshelf/list.
If the theme is based off the bookcover or a letter in the title etc, please just repeat the theme.
For the initial selection post Option 2 I need:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
Name of the team-member, their star rating, the date they read the book.
For the completion post I need:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Rating (1-5)
Review
Please DO NOT CHAT in these selction/completion posts. It needs to be super clear.
If you 'waffle' about your decided book - please REPOST your selection once you decide. DO NOT go back and edit your waffling post.
I'll be tracking each team's progress separately, using the Captain's summary in each team's thread to check for accuracy.A summary chart will be posted in the last week to let teams know their progress against other teams :)
Pass The Parcel Team - Round 16 CouchsurfingPotential Tasks
1. Couchsurfing is a global app that connects travellers with couches in new locations
* Read a book with furniture on the cover.
2. For a small fee each month, you access a global database of couches.
* Read a book you bought on sale, at no charge, or you accessed for free (Kindle Unlimited counts).
3. Not sure about you, but those couches sounds dirty!
* Read a book with a 'dirty' colour on the cover - eg black, brown, tan.
4. "You have friends all over the world, you just haven't met them yet."
* From this round's players, find another member whose books interest you - select a book (any book, does not have to be one that they have read) to read from their bookshelves and become friends. Select your book from a player who is not already a friend.
You may friend each other and use each other's bookshelves - but it must be a new connection since the beginning of this round. A player in your team that you friended at the beginning of the challenge counts.
You must link to the bookshelf of your new friend to show their book that you have selected.
5. Couches are available all over the world.
* Read a book where at least one MC travels to a new location (on holiday, for work, relocate - whatever).
Qualification may be found in precis, main page, tag/shelf or list.
6. Couchsurfing is a global community of 12-14 million people in more than 200,000 cities who share their life, their world, their journey. There are 550,000 events across the world to meet up with members.
* That's a lot of numbers! Read a book with at least three zeros in its page numbers, average rating, total ratings and publication date combined.
This may alter during the week that you read the book (in the case of ratings), so please take a screenshot or have it verified by your Captain, another team member or me - whoever is available. You may use any edition of the book, but please make sure the link goes through to the correct edition that is to be verified.
7. The concept was created when Casey Fenton found a cheap flight to Iceland but didn't have anywhere to stay. Being an enterprising fellow, instead of settling for a pricey hotel Fenton hacked into the University of Iceland’s student database and e-mailed 1,500 students asking for a place to stay. Almost 100 people replied.
* Read a book on one of the following lists (sadly, the hacker lists aren't long enough ;):
Gay Romance with Bookish, Nerdy, Geeky Characters
I love your quirks - Best Romance Heroines that are odd in a good way
Romance novels with STEM heroines
Jazzy Creature Feature - Nerds, Geeks, Geniuses, Hackers, Klutzes
8. The app was created by Casey Fenton, Daniel Hoffer, Sebastian Le Tuan and Leonardo Bassani da Silveira - encouraging a mingling of cultures.
* Read a book with interracial/interspecies MCs.
Qualification may be found in precis, main page, tag/shelf or list.
9. Rediscover your own city.
* Read a book set on your continent.
Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand can combine to allow a greater book selection.
Please state your region in your post.
10. This is an adventure!
* Read a book tagged 'adventure'.
Qualification may be found in precis, main page, tag/shelf or list.
11. One of Couchsurfing's values is to 'stay curious'.
* Read a book that is not currently on your bookshelves.
The DATE that you add the book to your bookshelf must be in the week that this task is announced. State the date you added the book to your shelves.
12. So now I digress - its time to just surf!
* Read a book set in a beach town or on the coast.
Cities that sit on the ocean will count.
Qualification may be found in precis, main page, tag/shelf or list.
13. Surf your own shelves.
* On your preferred TBR shelf, look at the beige bar at the bottom of the page - on the sort function, click on 'random' and then read one of the first 3 books that now appear at the top of your shelf.
14. Surf GR
Click on the drop-down Browse menu (next to My Books in the top GR banner), click on Explore, click on Romance under the Genres listing on the far right, click on your preferred type of romance (keep refining as wished using the Genre lists).
* Read any of the books that appear on that actual page without clicking further on the lists, OR read a book by one of the authors that appear on that page. If you select the author option, you many read any book by that author.
15. Finally, no matter where you stay on your adventures when couchsurfing or otherwise, please keep your wits about you.
* Read a book with the letters W I T S in the title, series and/or author's name (any combination).
Themes Called Each WeekWeek 1 - Task #4 “You have friends all over the world, you just haven't met them yet."
Week 2 - Task #12 “So now I digress - its time to just surf!”
Week 3 - Task #2 “For a small fee each month, you access a global database of couches.”
Week 4 - Task #10 ‘This is an adventure!”
Week 5 - Task #9 “Rediscover your own city.”
Week 6 - Task #14 “Surf GR”
Week 7 - Task #15 “Finally, no matter where you stay on your adventures when couchsurfing or otherwise, please keep your wits about you.”
Week 8 - Task #5 “Couches are available all over the world.”
Week 9 - Task #3 “Not sure about you, but those couches sounds dirty!”
Week 10 - Task #11 “One of Couchsurfing's values is to 'stay curious'.”
Week 5Selection Posts
CB: Twilight’s Herald
Jodi: What’s Mine and Yours
M: Bittersweet
Mary-Megan: One Perfect Summer
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter): SVU Surveillance
Susan: One to Watch
Completion Posts
CB: Message 143
Jodi: Message 177
M: Message 127
Mary-Megan: Message 141
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter): Message 123
Susan:
Week 10Selection Posts
CB: Cream of the Crop
M: Make it Sweet
Mary-Megan: With the Fire on High
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter): The Marine’s Secret Daughter
Susan: Our Souls at Night
Completion Posts
CB: Message 221
M: Message 230
Mary-Megan:
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter): Message 229
Susan: Message 235
Week 11 Selection Posts
CB:
M:
Mary-Megan:
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter):
Susan:
Completion Posts
CB:
M:
Mary-Megan:
Sarah (The Bookish Knitter)
Susan:
Hi Team, I’m CB and I’ll be your Super-Duper Host for this Challenge. I think this is my 4 PtP Challange (I lose track!) and I have been especially enjoying these various GR challenges throughout COVID. If anyone has any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.I live in Northeast Ohio, which has seen this year (in my opinion) a brutal winter and I am so ready for Spring! Like many people I have been working from home throughout all this and I feel like I’m working even more hours than I did before 🤯 Thankfully, I’ve also been reading a lot more too. I generally read Urban Fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary M/F romance.
Look forward to getting to know everyone! Once you have introduced yourself, we’ll also need to start coming up with some ideas for a team name. Thanks!
Hi there! I'm new to this challenge, but I am excited to give it a shot! I did the last Bachelor challenge for the first time and I loved it. So I'm really looking forward to giving this one a shot! I'm probably going to have lots of questions until I get it down lol.I'm a stay at home Mama to 2 boys. Both of them are doing distance learning so that has helped me get more reading time in. We're all book worms so make a point to read each day.
I read a lot of dark/bully reads, enemies to lovers and sports romance. I don't read much MM. Historical and fantasy/paranormal, ect are not my thing.
I'm excited to get to know others on the team! Happy reading!!
Some name options50 shades of lounging (slumming) (bumming)
Baby Got Couch
Your couch or mine
Hello, this is my fourth time doing this challenge but I had to take some time off when I was working on my MLIS, but now I have the degree and more time to read. I work in a library in the fiction department, so books are my livelihood. I live alone with my kitty baby and spend my time reading, watching tv, and writing books that never leave my laptop. I read a lot of contemporary, small-town M/F romance and historical fiction. I'd dabbled a bit in historical romance (it's all Bridgerton's fault) but I've never done M/M and contemporary romances told in first person drive me crazy. I will say that I am a bit of a slow reader so it usually takes me a couple days to get a book done, but I will get them done in the week. There's one category (adventure) where I kind of want to do an audiobook, which make me fall behind, but I would only be behind by one and still in the game.
For team names:
Books and Chill
Surfing the Stacks
Reading the Waves
Book Bums
Page Potatoes
Hi M and Mary-Megan! You both have excellent team name suggestions, and are clearly more creative than I am 😆 I’ll try and see if I can’t come up with some thoughts as well.I love sports romances too, M - I’m currently reading a book by Meghan Quinn, my first by her. I don’t know what it is about a hot guy that plays sports, but I’m in.
And I’ve been hearing so many great things about The Bridgertons, I know I need to watch this show.
CB- I am a sucker for sports haha. They get me every time. Sports AND a bad boy = me swooning! Meghan Quinn's baseball series is some of my favorite reads and book boyfriends! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi thereJust checking in. I love the name Surfing the Stacks or Reading the Waves. Both are such cute names. Either of those have my vote
Hi all! My name is Sarah and this is one of my favorite challenges!
This Friday (the start date for the challenge) is actually my birthday, so I am hoping that will being us extra luck :)
I'm from Toronto, Canada - married, no kids (unless you count the furry four-legged ones). I do work full time, but we are still in a bit of a lock down situation so I am working from home. Bonus extra reading time!
I love romance (of course), especially contemporary - second chance, enemies to lovers and road trip are some of my favorites. I saw some of you talking about loving sports romances and I do as well! I am partial to baseball though.
I'm loving the team names the rest of you have come up with. My favorites would be Reading the Waves and Books and Chill.
This Friday (the start date for the challenge) is actually my birthday, so I am hoping that will being us extra luck :)
I'm from Toronto, Canada - married, no kids (unless you count the furry four-legged ones). I do work full time, but we are still in a bit of a lock down situation so I am working from home. Bonus extra reading time!
I love romance (of course), especially contemporary - second chance, enemies to lovers and road trip are some of my favorites. I saw some of you talking about loving sports romances and I do as well! I am partial to baseball though.
I'm loving the team names the rest of you have come up with. My favorites would be Reading the Waves and Books and Chill.
Hi Susan and Sarah! Thanks for your thoughts regarding team names, this is helpful. We have one more team member to check in, and then we can start voting on the top choices.And happy early birthday, Sarah! I hope it does indeed bring us good luck for this challenge 🍀😁
Ok, it seems we are one of the teams that still has a team member yet to check in - per Jane’s recent post, she is looking to have us start to narrow in on team names, as we may do an early challenge start.As such, let’s start looking at a couple of the team name suggestions, especially the ones that people have already mentioned they have liked:
Surfing the Stacks
Reading the Waves
Books and Chill
50 Shades of Lounging
Of these 4, which ones do you all like best for our team name?
CB wrote: "Ok, it seems we are one of the teams that still has a team member yet to check in - per Jane’s recent post, she is looking to have us start to narrow in on team names, as we may do an early challen..."Yes - just go ahead with your team plans and if Aparna turns up, great - otherwise you will just be a team of 5 😍
I like Surfing the Stacks and 50 Shades of Lounging. I'm down for whichever one :) Excited to be playing!
I like Reading the Waves or Surfing the Stacks.
I vote for Surfing the Stacks!
Ok, I think we have a winner! Surfing the Stacks has a majority vote, so I will let Jane know that will be our team name. Thanks everyone for all your feedback!
I didn't introduce myself.I'm Susan and I live in Las Vegas, NV and have lived here since I was 8 months old. I've been here for 55 years. I'm married to a wonderful man. We've been married for almost 35 years. April 4th will be 35 years. We have 7 children (6 boys and 1 girl) they're ages are 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 26 tomorrow, and 22. Everyone asks if my daughter was last and she is actually my 30 year old. Mt hubby and I have 12 grandkids. Best thing EVER!
I love to read and scrapbook. I read pretty much everything although not a huge fan of horror. I hate to be scared but lately I keep thinking I should try one horror book. If anyone has a good recommend for me to try a horror book please let me know.
Susan Congrats on 35 years! April 4th will be 51 years for my parents.
If you aren't a big fan of horror but want to try something in the genre, try Jennifer McMahon (Winter People, Night Sister, or her new one The Drowning Kind). They're creepy but not terrifying. I think it's a nice horror/psychological thriller blend.
We have an early start!! Week 1
Option 1:
4. "You have friends all over the world, you just haven't met them yet."
* From this round's players, find another member whose books interest you - select a book (any book, does not have to be one that they have read) to read from their bookshelves and become friends. Select your book from a player who is not already a friend.
This doesn't have to be from your team - it can be anyone who is playing in this round.
You may friend each other and use each other's bookshelves - but it must be a new connection since the beginning of this round - from sign up - NOT from today. A player in your team that you friended at the beginning of the challenge counts.
You must link to the bookshelf of your new friend to show their book that you have selected. If linking to a bookshelf is hard, note the date that they added the book to their shelves.
Note the date you became friends (which you can find on your friend list). I don't need to see a link or other justification - just the date.
The series rule can be applied to this task - that is, you may use the next book that you are up to in a series to the one you find on your new friend's shelf.
Option 2:
Key date - 4 September 2020
A book on your team mates 'read' list AND rated at least 3 stars and read on or after the key date.
Option 3:
Pass
This can only be used once each 5 weeks. Only one team mate can use this option each week.
Week #1 - Selection Post
Against the Wind by Kat Martin
Pages: 397
How the book qualifies: Read by Mary-Megan March 31st, 2012
I sent her a friend request March 4th, 2021
I hope I did this correctly, please let me know if I need to make any changes :)
Against the Wind by Kat Martin
Pages: 397
How the book qualifies: Read by Mary-Megan March 31st, 2012
I sent her a friend request March 4th, 2021
I hope I did this correctly, please let me know if I need to make any changes :)
𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟏: 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏Book-
Hosed by Pippa GrantPages - 276
How it qualifies - CB and I became friends on Feb 26th for this challenge. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Book is on read shelf - Jan 20, 2019
Week #1 - Selection Post (Option #1)Bookcover/link: The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Page numbers: 378 pages
How the book qualifies - I friended Sarah {The Bookish Knitter on March 4 and she read this book on November 8, 2020. link to Read list
Looks great, team! I’ll be posting my selection shortly as well
Week 1 - Selection PostOption 1
Hate the Player by Max Monroe
Pages: 366 (GR)
How the book qualifies: Became GR friends with M on 2/26/2021, and book is on her Want to Read shelf (added 9/22/2020)
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 # 1
by Pippa Grant𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 276
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 - 3/6/21
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝟏-𝟓) - 3.5/4
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - What do you get when you take a shy video game programmer, one super duper hot fireman and a pet racoon that goes by the name George Clooney ---- Lots of fun and quirkiness. Golly, I giggled. This was adorable and just what I needed as a little palate refresher after so many dark reads.
Cassie returns home to Happy Cat to help her sister out. She takes over the reigns of her sister's company. She's soooo far out of her comfort zone there though. She has no clue how to run a adult toy factory. One that is the talk of the town. It's on everyone's radar.
It seems like it's one mishap after another for her and the company. Many in the town want it shut down. So you've got a touch of a mystery who done it thrown in with all the sexy comedy.
There wasn't really any drama or angst. Just pure entertainment!
Hi everyone - Jodi is going to join your team 😊She should be along soonish.
Hi Jodi, welcome to the team! As you can see we just started the challenge a couple of days ago, so plenty of time to make your Selection Post. Just a reminder to the team that final Selection Posts are due before the end of day this upcoming Thursday.
Have you participated in past PtP challenges before? If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. 😊
Mary-Megan wrote: "Susan Congrats on 35 years! April 4th will be 51 years for my parents.
If you aren't a big fan of horror but want to try something in the genre, try Jennifer McMahon (Winter People, Night Sister, ..."
I LOVE that your parents are going on 51 years of marriage. I know my hubby and I will make it to the 50's too. He is my best friend and the love of my life still after all these years.
I just picked up Winter People so thank you for recommended it to me. Now I'm really excited to read it.
Completion Post - Week 1
Hate the Player by Max Monroe
Date read: 3/7/2021
Rating: 3⭐️
I love a good Hollywood romance, and this all took place on the set of a rolling Hollywood film, but this was just too NA for me. The heroine, Birdie, in particular was too immature in her actions and comments that I actually grew to dislike her, but there was a bit of this immaturity vibe overall to the book and in how a number of the characters interacted with one another, which is a big part of why I thought this book was just ok. The chemistry between Andrew and Birdie was good when they were not fighting, but there was honestly just too much fighting between them, and for no good reason that I could see. And once they fell for each other, I was just over them and the fighting by that point and was ready for the book to also be over.
Week 1- Selection PostOption 1
The Worst Best Man
Pages-368
How it Fits- I sent a GR's friend request today (3/7/21) to Sarah {The Bookish Knitter} and she had the book I wanted to read on her read list. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... She added this book on (11/17/2020) and she read this book on (2/4/2121) she rated it 3 stars.
I’ll add my official selection post tomorrow, when I get my iPad back but I’m reading The Worst Best Man too.
Completion PostWeek #1
Book-The Worst Best Man
Rating- 3 Stars
Review- The book was enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone that like romance. Lina is a jilted bride that was left at the alter. The groom (Andrew) didn't have the decency to show up and explain so he sent a text to his brother who was the best man. He wanted Max to tell Lina he wasn't going to be there. He also said that he took Max's advice and decided he wasn't ready for marriage. The only problem is Max was drunk the night before and couldn't remember what advice it told his brother. 3 years later and Max, Andrew, and Lina are all working for the same person and Max and Lina are paired off. Needless to say Max and Lina decide to have a fling. It was a good book and what made it really good is the fact there was communication, I hate when the 2 MC's don't talk and assume. Drive me nuts. It was refreshing to have a book where they actually talk.
Looking good everyone! Tracking updated through here.Jodi, if for any reason you don’t get your iPad back today and you need one of us to post your Selection Post for you, please just let us know, happy to help.
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
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With the Fire on High (other topics)
Cold Hearted Baller (other topics)
Trophy Husband (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Logan Chance (other topics)Lauren Blakely (other topics)
Lauren Blakely (other topics)
Logan Chance (other topics)
Kristen Callihan (other topics)
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Super-Duper Host
✔CB
Couch-Slouchers
✔M
✔Susan (jazz)
✔Mary-Megan
Aparna✔Sarah (bookish knitter)
Jodi