Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

What is the Pick - It - For - Me Challenge?

The Pick-It-For-Me Challenge (PIFM) is a challenge which works pretty much like secret santa. You sign up, get assigned someone to pick for and get given a set of rules for choosing the books for your person. The assignment method and book selection rules change each month so it’s always new and always different.

For this challenge, you need to either HAVE YOUR PROFILE SET TO PUBLIC (preferable), or make the person who will be doing the recommending to you, your friend.. On top of that, I strongly recommend keeping your bookshelves updated, otherwise you might end up with a recommendation for something that you have already read.

After sign ups are closed I'll put your names and any extra info I’ve asked for into a magical PIFM randomiser and select you someone to choose for. This will get posted along with the rules for this month.

Whilst you're doing that, someone else is doing your picks for you. When you receive them you pick a book off the list and get reading. You only have to complete one book to have completed the challenge, although many of us end up completing more because we just can't resist a list of books to read.

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


INFORMATION NEEDED TO SIGN UP:

Please sign up in this thread – with the following information in your signup post.

How much do covers influence you? Which book are you most like to buy on impulse? One with a...
a. Man in uniform (police, fire, military)
b. Dark mysterious character biting someone's neck or hiding in the darkness
c. A woman in period dress
d. Cover showing two guys and a girl


IMPORTANT DATES:

Sign up will remain open through to May 28th (8 pm EST – Australian time).

You’ll have until JUNE 2nd 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 challenge specific FAQ posted at: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3... Message number 70.

PICKING RULES

This month’s theme: Reading Moods

From Their TBR Shelves
1 - Pick a book that makes you feel intrigued (by the storyline/cover whatever you choose)
2 - Pick a book with a cover that makes you laugh or feel happy
3 - Pick a book that makes you envious that it's on their shelves.

From Your Read Shelves
4 - Pick the last book that made you feel so good you rated it 5 stars
5 - List the book you would curl up with on a stormy night
6 - List the book you pick up when you most need a pick-me-up or a laugh

Buddy Reads
7 - Pick the next book you want to read from your TBR shelf
8 - Pick the book from their TBR shelf that you are seriously considering adding to yours.

Signups removed to save space :)

PICKS

Choose for the person below you within your chosen option. E.G. ~Megan~ picks for Emily who picks for Kate. Last person on the list for your chosen option picks for the person at the top. E.G. Macwolf01 picks for ~Megan~.

Option A. (Man in Uniform)
~Megan~
Emily
Kate
Heather
Cathy
Autumn
Lili
KarenH
Alexis
Valerie ~Varuca~
Penney
Jane(PS)
Sue
Layla
Rena
Macwolf01


Option B. (Mysterious Biting Character)
Laura
Kami
Inga
Aleksandra
KarenF
Lacy
Cacophony
Shellbelle
Liv
Diane ~Firefly~
Amy
Melissa**
Shell
Debbie
Lindsey
Joyce
Miss
Daffodil
Suzanne
Katherine
Sarah
Vi
Anna
AlbertaJenn
Mandy
Pollyanna


Option C. (Period Dress)
Moulin
Elke
Katy-Lou
Cathy Amanda
D.G. ~Saucy Vixen~
Caroline
~Sara~
Gigi
Taita
Roxy
Sandy
Ari
Emily
Pam


Option D. (Two Boys and a Girl)
Tania
LethalLovely
Polina
Katie
MountainKat
Fran
Sheswitches
Dee
AshleyAlexis
Tugce Nida
Tiffanny
Kerste
Photojim

JUNE PIFM BUDDY READ THREADS

**If you're going to do a buddy read please start up a thread in the Dare You To Read Section - that way others can join in.**

Also please note - that you don't have to have the books recommended to you in order to participate (they won't count for this PIFM challenge - but you're still welcome)

Psy-Changlings (Starting with Slave to Sensation) - Nalini Singh
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

Hot in Here by Sophie Renwick
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

Soulless by Gail Carriger
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

I'm in Tania! I'll go with the 'man in uniform' even though covers don't really influence me at all (other than to wish they were more tasteful - I should clarify and say 'less fabio'!)...

I don't know!!! lol! why couldn't there be an option for the bare-chested guy!! but right now, probably the two guys and a girl - I seem to be on a bit of a menage kick

Jane (PS) wrote: "I'm in Tania! I'll go with the 'man in uniform' even though covers don't really influence me at all (other than to wish they were more tasteful - I should clarify and say 'less fabio'!)..."

That is where ereaders come into their own...

Too true! I try to get my 'bodice-rippers' on ebook for sure!!

yeah. I'm in.

I'm in. Probably a woman in a period dress.

Photojim wrote: "yeah. I'm in."

For which cover Jim? - speak now or I shall put you down option c. (kidding I wouldn't do that to you... or would I?)

I'm in and I'm going with Dee and Switchie and say d. 2 guys and a girl

I'm in and I would read it all! I like it all, so this is difficult. But based on what I have been reading lately I will pick B, no C....Just kidding. I will go with B.

I am in. I would go with C a women in a period dress.

i'm in! i think i'm going to say d.

Sorry, Tania. I haven't had a chance to actually read the challenge. I saw the title "June PIFM" and I said, 'Hell Yeah.'

I'll have time to read it tomorrow and will let you know which I'm in for.

I'm in this month. And Mt. TBR says that I buy them all!

But since I have to pick I'll say, B - mysterious neck biting folks.

I'm in after a two month hiatus!

Covers don't really influence me. I've actually learned to be wary of beautiful covers since they tend to hide crappy books. But if I DID, I'd go for d) teh human hotdog.

BTW, I wonder if:

a. Man in uniform (police, fire, military) = Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance
b. Dark mysterious character biting someone's neck or hiding in the darkness = Paranormal Romance
c. A woman in period dress = Historical Romance
d. Cover showing two guys and a girl = Erotic Romance

I'm in, and since the "bare-chested guy" option was left out, I guess the next best thing would be A - a man in uniform.

I'm in!! and I'm going to have to go with option A - a man in a uniform!

can't wait!

I'm in I am a B - A man biting someone's neck or hiding

Oh my... June already?
I'm in! and I guess I'd be more likely to buy on impulse a book with a hunk in a tight uniform on the cover, so I'm an A.

I'm in for B.

I'm in! I will choose option B.

Dee wrote: "I don't know!!! lol! why couldn't there be an option for the bare-chested guy!! but right now, probably the two guys and a girl - I seem to be on a bit of a menage kick"

Bare-chested guy with a six pack! I really don't care if he is wearing uniform pants while biting the neck of a woman in a period dress while they are in the arms of another bare-chested guy....

I'm in for D.

That time already? This challenge sounds interesting. Count me in please.

I'm most likely to buy books with a braw laddie in a kilt, but since that's not an option... I select C - Period Dress.

MountainKat wrote: "Bare-chested guy with a six pack! I really don't care if he is wearing uniform pants while biting the neck of a woman in a period dress while they are in the arms of another bare-chested guy...."

Sounds like my kind of book.

Wow, time sure flies faast. But my posts getting lost sure don't.

Aanywaay, I'm not really a covers girl. There are some covers that catch me (lately, it's been YA) but those bodice-rippers and me don't get along at all. And thanks me for buying that e-reader. It sure helps when i read the occasional HR.

Based on the choices, I'd go for a man hiding in the darkness. I (my squeamishness) has just progressing past vampire. So, my choice would be a B .

I'm in! Right now I would go with a Man in Uniform cover!

MountainKat wrote: "Bare-chested guy with a six pack! I really don't care if he is wearing uniform pants while biting the neck of a woman in a period dress while they are in the arms of another bare-chested guy......."

when you find this book, please let me know immediately ;)

I'm in! I'm with MountainKat, but if I have to choose, I'll go with option A....swords come with uniforms right???

I'm in and I'll go with option A.Man in Uniform :)

I'm in for B!

OK, now that I've actually read the thread, I'm still in. Covers, covers, covers, what's under the covers?

I usually buy books with a light fun cover done in bright primary colors. That tells me that it is a light contemporary romance. .

These are just examples of the type of covers I'm talking about. Bright cover and a catchy title is usually enough to tell me it's a contemporary romance. Also, all books I've picked up and read in the past couple of months.

I also read quite a number of PNR books. So obviously the dark mysterious character appeals to me too. However, I pick those on recommendation by someone here or in another group. I don't think I've bought any of those based on cover.

And finally, I do like books with pics of two guys and a girl on the cover. It either means erotica or a love triangle. Either way it's usually a good story. This is probably the biggest group of impulse buys/pick ups based on cover alone.

Finally, there is nothing that will turn me off from a book faster than put people in period costume on the front cover. Brain switches off and I say, "Next!"

So my choice is ANYTHING BUT C if you need a body to even out a group. But forced to pick one, I guess I'd say D.

Covers don't usually influence me but if it did, it would be C. I love historical romance.

Oooh, too bad we can't combine options or pick more than one. I'd be tickled pink if there was combo choice of C and D!

see, Jim, we told her to put you down for C ;)

I'm in and guess I'm a B.

I would be a B and I'm in.

Can't... decide... which... one... to... pick!

Um, okay, if I was buying a book just strictly on the cover & wasn't allowed to read the back, then I would choose B.

BDBDBDBD. . . May I have the combo platter, please?

I try not to let covers sway me, that road leads to disappointment. But if I'm just book browsing, a neck biter would probably influence me to at least pick it up and flip it over, maybe take a peek inside. Then if the first few pages grab me, I'm likely to buy it. That combined with the fact that the majority of what I read lately has a vampire-werewolf-shapshifter-alien theme means I'll go with B.

I'm in!

I don't buy books because of covers either. BUT if I had to pick a choice, I'd go with C.

Hi I'm In!! I normally go for covers, so I fancy C :-) x x

Count me in. I don't usually buy books because of a cover but if I do it has to be Option A for me.

I'm in for B. I'm not a cover person. Man, some of the covers out there are absolutely horrible and have nothing to do with the actual story. I admit I've thought about doing dust jacket switches.

I'm a C; I always pick up a book when there's a pretty dress on the cover!

I do look at book covers, although I feel cheated when books are reissued with new covers just to promote sales. Like, reissuing books with the movie tie in cover to cross sell books to movie goers makes me roll my eyes in disgust.

I'm in and I would say C, though you're killing me here with having to pick just one.

Also...a million internet cookies to the person who finds a cover that features all four.

@Roxy, I totally agree. I also hate it when the person featured on the cover looks nothing like the description within the story.

The best example I've ever seen of this happening is in Suzanne Brockmann's Tall Dark and Dangerous series. She spent the entire series talking about how drop dead gorgeous Lucky was. The sort of man that gives Brad Pitt an ugly complex and gets his way by merely smiling in a persons direction.

The cover when it came out looked like this...

The author actually used to send out yellow smiley face stickers for people to put over his face she was that mad.

I'm in and I go for b. Dark mysterious character biting someone's neck or hiding in the darkness. Paranormal Romances are my favorite. Vampires are sexy.