Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Introduce Yourself
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Tips and Recs for New Members
I signed up a while back but became active in the group since June of this year. :)My favorite is probably the monthly challenge because it's a bit like picking books to read out of hat and I like that element of surprise. :) That's why I also like the Pick it for me challenge. :)
My advice is not to be intimidated and jump in. Everybody is very nice and you're not competing with anybody but just trying to (hopefully) find new authors or organize your reding a bit. Also don't be stressed out and start slowly...join one or two challenges and go from there. :)
I dived in head first...I think I did my first official challenge in like March, but I had lurked around the group before that...like DG said, find one or two challenges that are of interest to you - like the Featured Author or the Pick It For Me and go from there...
I had already become a member of the Christine Feehan group which has a lot of cross-over members. Being good at just 'commenting' I jumped straight in to that group. I joined this group about 2 weeks later (late Sept/early October?) thinking I would just chat, but couldn't help myself and 'read the month' - it was great 'cos it made me read books that I had pushed aside due to lack of impetus. I was able to mold which books to read but still left a great selection. And it was fun, sort of testing yourself... Soon after I also joined the Author of the Month (Gena Showalter). I am so glad I did - I loved the book I read! I'd been avoiding it for over 9 months... So the RRRC group for me makes me reprioritise my reading to test other authors or revisit ones I haven't enjoyed previously. I also feel compelled to finish the book. (I used to be bad at not completing a book if it didn't grab my interest early on. Very naughty.)I think I am currently in 5 challanges and I still consider myself a new member!! (Well - I have only been here for 2 or so months... When are you no longer 'new'??) I say, just jump in, 'cos everyone is really friendly and a fount of knowledge on authors and books...
I've been participating in this group since March 2010. Everyone is very nice and supportive. I feel like I personally know some of the people on here. :-) I have been introduced to authors and genres I probably never would have considered reading before. I am now addicted to challenges!
I would recommend jumping in on a single book challenge like Featured Author or Pick It For Me. I really like the seasonal and multi-month challenges (such as Toy Stories) since you don't feel as pressured to speed through your books. On the monthly challenge, I seldom go for 10, especially if one of my books is a chubby chunkster!
If you're new, feel free to comment and post to your heart's content. Suggest new challenges, or create your own dare. Most of all...have fun!
I guess I joined this group almost two years ago, hard to believe and I was a lurker until last month. I don't know what made me decide to join in with the fun, I just got an urge one day to do so. I have so far done last month's Pick it for me challenge, which I thought was a lot fun. I am now in the midst of the Inverno challenge. I have also signed up for the A - Z title challenge. The Featured Author challenge may be fun too. I am curious to see who the Author is for January. I have so many books just sitting around and doing the challenges is really inspiring me to finish some books. I liked the Pick it for me challenge, because I was suggested a book which I really loved, Vampire Academy and now I am seriously obsessed with this series. I finished the second book in the series today and I bought the next two books with my Christmas present, a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card.So, my advice like everyone else has mentioned, give a challenge a try. Join in the fun. Once you do one, you will find it all very addictive but very very fun.
I joined in September and was mostly using this site to look up reviews. But in October, I decided to join some reading challenges. I joined 3 challenges (Monthly Challenges, Pick It For Me and Feature Author) in October and have been doing it since. The thing I really like about the Monthly Challenge is that there's 10 categories and it forces me to try out new genres and authors. The Pick It For Me challenge allows me to browse my partner's book shelves which often leads to new books on my TBR and getting awesome recommendations. The Feaure Author Challenge allows me to discover more authors.I really like the camaraderie of this group and being able to discuss the books I read. So feel free to make a comment or ask a question here and there.
I've been a member since April 2009 - I think this was the 2nd group I joined. I go through phases of being really active to not being around much. Depending on how busy real life gets. I would say take your time, look around participate in the threads that really interest you but don't let it upset you if you don't complete every challenge. It's about having fun and being able to share your love of books with like minded people. We are all really friendly and willing to help with any queries.
My only complaint is that I have now been introduced to around 100 new authors and a lot of back catalogue's to work through! ;) My molehill of a tbr is now a mountain range and I don't have as much time to read as I did but I'm still having fun - I've made some good friends and even had chats with some of my favourite authors! It's a bit surreal at first when you find yourself playing facebook games with someone you've admired from afar!
I have only been around a couple of months and i love these forums.I love to read but was very lazy in my reading(must have been in a slump).Now i am very disiplined thanks to these threads and everybodys encouragement.I especially love the challenges.I also really love researching new books and reading reviews.I gotta say my wallet is taking quite a beating but i am enjoying every minute of it!!
this group is really fun, i've been in since december and it has helped me increase my reading! :) so far, ive read 4 books in a row and that's an achievement! hahah i love reading but i lack the motivation to read more and RRRC has pushed me to widen my reading experience through the challenges. now im signed up for a-z reading challenges and the monthly challenges. but i'm so busy at school i havent got the time to check up on my reading! and i wasnt able to finish my february books and march is kicking in! to top it off, i'm having such a hard time finding my post in the threads and editing it! how do i manage??? anyone willing to advice a rookie?? :)
Hi Twila - glad you are enjoying this group!To manage your challenges, create your own reading list. That way, you just update your posts in that thread, then copy them to the challenge that you want to update... Check out someone else's reading list for how they structure them. (The member's reading lists are about half way down the list of discussions. The first thread in that discussion topic has a master list of ppl with reading lists which Yz's set up to link directly to each member's reading list discussion thread. Just post on that thread if you want Yz to add you...)
Hope this makes sense... and good luck... :)
Jane (PS) wrote: "Hi Twila - glad you are enjoying this group!To manage your challenges, create your own reading list. That way, you just update your posts in that thread, then copy them to the challenge that you..."
wow that's a great idea :) can anybody in the group do a reading list?
Yes - just follow your nose. My first post was me testing that I had set it up right :)
Hello :) I just joined this group about a week ago and so far I am enjoying the group. I love your challenges so far im in one and hopefully Ill be able to join more. I have a 10 month old baby and my time for reading is very limited but I hope to meet the challenges and maybe join more as the time goes by!
Carlota wrote: "Hello :) I just joined this group about a week ago and so far I am enjoying the group. I love your challenges so far im in one and hopefully Ill be able to join more. I have a 10 month old baby and..."Happy to have you join us. Have fun with the challenges.
If you have any questions, just ask. Everybody here is friendly and helpful.
Hi! I'm Cindy. I've been active in the SOS group joining challenges there. I've seen some of those members working on challenges here and thought I would check it out!I tend to read more when I have a specific goal in mind. Since I have something like 800 books here still to read - I need all the help I can get!!! LOLOL
Love getting recommendations of new authors and new series to start. It's also great when I'm not sure about starting a series of books I may have had TBR for a couple of years (or more - yes....I have those). I can ask the members if someone else has read them and it helps me to decide if I still want to keep them around!
I was browsing Google for romance audiobook titles and ran across your discussion on narrators. I listen to audiobooks while working and go through LOTS of them. Frequently, I put a book aside because of the narrator so this discussion looks to be most helpful. I'm always looking for new authors, my tastes are pretty eclectic (other than torture/rape as entertainment) although since I work alone in closed public buildings, I stay away from the scary/thriller stuff. So, I am delighted to have found this group and hope to find *readers* with similar tastes with whom to discuss narrators and books.
Aryn wrote: "I was browsing Google for romance audiobook titles and ran across your discussion on narrators. I listen to audiobooks while working and go through LOTS of them. Frequently, I put a book aside beca..."Great to have another 'listener' Aryn :) There are quite a few of us who listen to audiobooks. I'm a traveller, so I find then invaluable. When I read one I generally mention that in my review... And others will just randomly mention it when they are discussing a book in one of the threads. Good luck finding more of them. And hope you enjoy this site!
Just joined the group yesterday, the first group I have joined. I am not really sure how these things work, so will probably browse around a little bit. I am always looking for new recommendations and unknown (to me) authors. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with this group I thought I was an avid reader until I saw some of your lists!!
Nicola wrote: "Just joined the group yesterday, the first group I have joined. I am not really sure how these things work, so will probably browse around a little bit. I am always looking for new recommendations ..."Cool. What are some of your favorite books? Narrators? Print or audio?
Aryn wrote: "Nicola wrote: "Just joined the group yesterday, the first group I have joined. I am not really sure how these things work, so will probably browse around a little bit. I am always looking for new r..."Aryn wrote: "Nicola wrote: "Just joined the group yesterday, the first group I have joined. I am not really sure how these things work, so will probably browse around a little bit. I am always looking for new r..."
I prefer print, but my reader has got me hooked now. I am also beginning to listen to audio books for the first time ever - which is a big change for me. I always have one form of reading material in my hands! I like a wide variety of genres, but am a sucker for romance. Current favorite book "Night Circus", but constantly looking for new favorites. Loved Harry Potter and The Hunger Games even though they are YA.
What are your favorites?
Pretty much anything by Jennifer Crusie, although I notice I needed a second reading on most of her stuff to fully appreciate them. Kate Atkinson is amazing, although not romance. Rob Thurman is AMAZING, although again, not romance. I really like Kevin Hearne's Hounded, although not the rest of the series. Thomas Perry is great. Loretta Chase is great for romance. Dana Stabenow, Janet Evanovich for mind candy, Margaret Maron, Jenna Black's Devil Inside series. Molly Harper's stand-alones and first in a series. The Charlie Davidson series. Meljean Brooks's Iron Duke. More to the point, I really do not like victim books or books about betrayal/no choices. Or books with protagonists who are established as generally TSTL. Not that I object to people being that way, we all do dumb stuff, but it isn't my idea of entertainment. Nor is torture (goes back to that victim/no choices thing.)
Nicola wrote: "I am always looking for new recommendations and unknown (to me) authors. "Welcome Nicola.
If you want new recommendations, try to join the monthly Pick it For Me Challenge. The one for January is already closed but you could join in February (the signups start after the 20th.)
Welcome Eloiseot! We have all age groups here, so I'm sure you'll find plenty of people to 'talk' to :) Check out the fun & games area and poke your head into the challenges - you are welcome to chip in on all threads... The common denominator is that we all enjoy a good romance!
Does anyone know why all of a sudden, when I post the covers of the books I've finished a challenge, they are now posting vertically rather than horizontal. I haven't change any of the html commands I've always used.
Hi Ceej,It's a bug on GR. They are aware of it but because there are so many bugs they are trying to fix right now, that one is low on the priority list. I personally think it's super annoying!
There is a way to fix this however! Place a code, such as < i > (without the spaces) on the line above the bookcover code and < /i > (without the spaces) after the last bookcover you want listed, and for some reason this will list them horizontally (at least for now until it's fixed).
But make sure to put the code on the line ABOVE the first bookcover code, not on the same line. For some reason this is the only way it works.
Bless you Fran! That worked. muchas gracias
Ceej wrote: "Bless you Fran! That worked. muchas gracias"You're welcome Ceej- glad it worked!
I was searching for some groups and run across this one I might can't read every book in the challange because of our library don't get very good books in alot but i will try
Welcome Shannon :) There are lots of challenges to choose from - hopefully some will sync well with your library's selection. Good luck!
Hi - joined up this weekend. I have two kids 5 and 7. I loved reading before children, but I gave it up for their younger years. Now I'm back and I just purchased a Kindle. So I'm here looking for romance novel suggestions. Glad to see this group at GoodReads to offer me some new books to try.
hi I'm new just joined very recently but I m looking forward to this. I've joined one group and one challenge (pick it challenge) so far. but I'm still trying to learn all this so thanks for all tips. I love historical romance, romance pretty much just about everything n willing to read new things too
Welcome Kris and Debra! I hope you enjoy it here, there's lots of challenges to choose from and a great bunch of people too :)
Welcome Kris - geez, with a Kindle you will be unstoppable! Your credit cards will be groaning under all the books that you MUST have ;) ...Well, that's what happened to me anyway!
Debra wrote: "hi I'm new just joined very recently but I m looking forward to this. I've joined one group and one challenge (pick it challenge) so far. but I'm still trying to learn all this so thanks for all ti..."Welcome Debra! Good luck with the PIFM - a lot of us participate in that one. I think ppl enjoy the recommendation/'getting their picks' aspect as much, if not more, than the actual book reading. ;)
...Watch out, some of the members appear to get pretty impatient waiting for their picks, but it is all in good fun :)
Hi I'm new here, I just joined and I'm participating in the Feature Author Challenge, and I still trying to figure out what other challenges I should take :)
I'd suggest the monthly challenge as a good kick off point as well... You can choose your level of participation and generally slot books in that you already own pretty easily depending on the categories :)Here is a link to the November one: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Jane (PS) wrote: "I'd suggest the monthly challenge as a good kick off point as well... You can choose your level of participation and generally slot books in that you already own pretty easily depending on the cat..."Thank you a lot for the sugestion :) I'm participating on this challenge. I had a lot of fun picking the list and I'm ready to start reading :)
Hi everybody hope to have fun being around
Hi I'm a newbie grouper and looking to network some new pals who love to read and review. I tend to read a lot of romance but I'm a sucker for real feelings and characters who you can get to know on a personal level.Also looking to learn about 'the bloggers' referred to in the back of books. How do I become one? How do I join in? Any ideas will be appreciated.
Judy wrote: "Hi I'm a newbie grouper and looking to network some new pals who love to read and review. I tend to read a lot of romance but I'm a sucker for real feelings and characters who you can get to know o..."Hi Judy - Welcome to the group. You are sure to find some new friends to discuss the books you are reading - especially if you join in the challenges :)
I'm not a blogger so I have no idea how they work, but Dee may be able to help you. I'll let her know you are seeking some information on blogging.
Hi JudyWhen you talk about back of books - are you looking at the quotes from reviews?
Lots of those are from long established ppl - if you are just starting - use a free blog site like Wordpress or blogger - and start reviewing - do everything you read as you get established - you can decide if you want to focus on a specific genre (romance) or do a bit of everything
If you are willing to accept books for review what are your requirements - certain genres, will you respond to all requests etc - maybe get in with a couple of blog tour companies
There is really lots you can do
Dee,The Acknowledgements section where authors refer to the bloggers is what I'm asking for.
I am writing my first book and want in on some blogs so I can start to get a feel of how things work for when my work is finished.
Maybe this isn't the right forum for the question. But I'd love to participate anyway in some reading challenges.
I figured they were Facebook friends or ppl who follow the author on the author's blog, but I haven't taken much notice of those comments...
ahh, best bet is to just google blogs for whatever genre you write in, start following bloggers - look at submission requirements etc - if you want them to read/review upon release
However, with that in mind, I know it can be overwhelming for a new member to join an active group, and see the amount of unread threads that he/she has to tackle. I know I feel overwhelmed when I join a very active group that has been in existence for quite some time.
So in the spirit of being welcoming and all, I would like to invite our current members to stop by at this thread and share some tips to our newbies on how to get the most out of our group.
Tell us how you got started with the group. Recommend your favorite challenge/s. Share which threads/folders do you like hanging out the most. Give tips on how to overcome lurking and participate. Plus anything else you think will help a new member.
Thanks in advance and looking forward to another year of reading with everyone.