Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

This is where we will discuss and help each other out on what books to pick for the categories.

Here are the categories for next month's challege to give everybody time to scour their TBR lists, order or request books from libraries or bookstores, and suggest or talk about possible choices with group members.

The challenge is not officially open until the 1st of May, so no advance-reading...LOL

1. May: Read a book which title starts with "M".

2. Read a book picked from an May B-Day celebrant GR shelf. Be sure to specify whose shelf you pick it from.

3. Read a book whose author, setting or character is from Illinois. (Suggestions for this category is welcome on this thread.)

4. Mother Goose Day: Read a book that has a reference to a fairytale, either title, character or plot.

5. Mother's Day: Read a book about a single mother or an expecting mother or with "mommy" or "mother" in the title

6. Nurse's/EMT Week: Read a book where a character is in a medical profession or the story is set in a hospital.

7. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month: Read a book that has an athlete as a character or has a sports-themed plot

8. Read a book that has a "female profile" on the cover. (Be sure to post the cover.)

9. Read a Stand-Alone book. (Clearly stated that it is not part of a series.

10. Read a book from our group's shelf or if you joined the Pick-It-For-Me Challenge, your recommended book.

That's it, guys. Have fun putting your list together.

Also suggestions for next month's categories are more than welcomed.

Our B-Day girls for May:


5 - Nichole
9 - Melody
10 - Shazzy
11 - Isis FG (private profile, must be friends 2 see)
11 - Lady Ozma
11 - Lori M-K
17 - Tosca
24 - Amanda
29 - BriansGirl
29 - Ophelia
31 - Kenjii (private profile, must be friends 2 see)

You are such a godsend, Kasia. Thanks for doing the B-day links.

np

For those who need suggestions for category 7, check this thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Wow! That's some thread! It's even all broken down into subcategories... Thanks!

Still working on #3...

For #3 a suggestion. The Chicago Star Series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Don't most of those take place in Chicago?

Good question, Lara. I've read almost all of them, and for the life of me, I can't remember. I'll check them when I get home.

This is most definitely my favorite part of the challenges. Picking the books!!! LOL!

Isn't it fun?

Sometimes I think I have more fun choosing, listing and organizing the books I will read for the month so it will fit into the BOM groups and challenges I'm participating...LOL

Shazzy,

Are you talking about the Chicago Stars series books? If you are, I higly recommend them. They are funny, well-written, and sometimes poignant contemporary romance.

They should fit category #7, too.

Oh. That's right, Yz. It's about a football team, or members of that team. That works out perfect. And your welcome Shazzy.

Can I count a title with godmother for #5?

I think that will be okay, Kristen. Mother is part of the word, right?

yeppp! Woot!

Why not?

I've seen some members put in PC Cast's House of Night series books under the Illinois category. Can someone confirm if this series is set in Illinois?

PC Cast was born in Watseka, The United States according to GR. Watseka is a city in Illinois. With a city name as unique as that it's probably safe to assume she was born in Illinois.

Thanks for that info, Shanon. That's cool. I'll probably be using her as my Illinois' choice. She does currently live in Oklahoma, but state of birth is just fine.

Um, I think the House of Night series is set in Oklahoma, but I'll have to dig out a book to verify.

I googled Paranormal Romance Illinois, and it came up with PC Cast and CT Adams, both where born in Illinois but live elsewhere now. Although you might find more outwith the Paranormal genre.

Great research, guys. Okay, if the author is born in the chosen state, even if they currently live elsewhere, let's still accept them as representing that state. I think that will make it easy.

Non-fic: President Barak Obama is from Chicago, ILL(Born in HI I know lol). But its his hometown right? The Audacity of Hope is one title.

the illinois challenge is the one i'm going to have difficulty with. i've read all sep's chicago stars and i don't own any pc cast. anyone else have any suggestions?

Here is a list of books set in Chicago. I haven't had the chance to look through it yet but maybe you'll find something there...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

Jim Butcher's Dresden files is set in modern-day Chicago.

I suggest maybe trying Novelist.. which you can usually access through your local library and typing in "Illinois" in the search for describing a plot. That's what I did.

Wicked Burn by Beth Kerry is a book that takes place in Illinois and the writer is from ILL.

OK I need help for those who have read the entire Demonica series can Passion Unleashed go into the medical/Nurse/Emt category. I've only read Pleasure Unbound. I'll be reading Desire Unchained before the end of the month . I remeber Pleasure Unbound took part sometimes in the Demon hospital. So does Passion fit that category?

Jael wrote: "OK I need help for those who have read the entire Demonica series can Passion Unleashed go into the medical/Nurse/Emt category. I've only read Pleasure Unbound. I'll be reading Desire Unchained bef..."

I know Yz is not that big a stickler but I would say no because this book is about Wraith and he is not a medical professional. One brother is a doctor and one is an EMT but Wraith just hunts down things the hospital needs.

Query: Would Annie's song by Catherine Anderson fit for 5, Mother's day????

Since Annie becomes an expectant mother, I would say it definitely does. It's a wonderful book!

I feel silly asking this question, but can anybody recommend a PNR book that is a stand alone for # 9. It seems that everything I read is part of a series, even the few contemporary romance authors that I like.

Glori wrote: "I feel silly asking this question, but can anybody recommend a PNR book that is a stand alone for # 9. It seems that everything I read is part of a series, even the few contemporary romance authors..."

Heh, it's hard to find paranormal romance stand-alone...
I haven't read The Gargoyle yet, but I heard quite a lot of good about it.
There's also The Good Fairies of New York and Timeless Passion (time travel) which I plan to read soon...

That's all I can think of right now.

Loved The Good Fairies of New York! I read it a while ago..

Thanks Lori it looks like my search continues than

I just finished a book that takes place in Illinois - it's A Long Way From Chicago. It's a Newbery Award Winner & is about a couple of kids that spend a week with their grandma each month. A sweet read (and short).

Thanks for all the ideas guys. It certainly helped me!

http://www.northbrook.info/lib_illino...

thank you, google. the internet is really an amazing thing!

Hehe. That's a library about an hour away from me. How funny.

Annvelwis wrote: "Glori wrote: "I feel silly asking this question, but can anybody recommend a PNR book that is a stand alone for # 9. It seems that everything I read is part of a series, even the few contemporary r..."

Hi,

Thank you! I requested The Gargoyle from my library.

Brenda (natesmomb) wrote: "Glori wrote: "I feel silly asking this question, but can anybody recommend a PNR book that is a stand alone for # 9. It seems that everything I read is part of a series, even the few contemporary r..."

Thank you! I have to check it out. I prefer to have more than one option per category.

I finally ended up with Doctor's Orders by Sharon De Vita for my Nurse's/EMT week book, which will also fill the doctor category of the Men We Love challenge.

I've been struggling to find a Sports themed book.
I found Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins. The main female character is a sport's agent and there is a murder investigation in the Football world...
Does this count?

That counts, Michelle.

Yz wrote: "That counts, Michelle."

Thanks Yz, was hoping it might, it arrived today and I had a better look at it.

sure does Michelle, at least to me

Yz, would Kresley Cole's No rest for the wicked fit the fairy tale theme? Got faeries etc. in it. I am struggling to fit this one. Got just about all the rest sussed, but this one is a stumper. I see a lot of ppl reading Wickedly lovely but it is way down my list at present.

?

I don't remember any fairies in No Rest For The Wicked. I don't really know if that counts as a fairy tale theme - it's not really a fairy tale, at least no more than any other paranormal romance book... if by fairy tale you mean anything with a paranormal or fantastical element, then maybe, but otherwise my vote is no.