Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

2016 October PIFM Challenge

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

The Pick-It-For-Me Challenge (PIFM) is a reading challenge where each participant gives and receives book recommendations based on a given a set of rules. The assignment method and book selection rules change each month so it’s always new and always different.

The idea of the PIFM challenge is that you will get new-to-you books and authors selected for you as well as a push to read some books that have been lingering on your shelves. You may not be interested in the new books recommended, which is why you also get a minimum of four books from your shelf.

You only have to read ONE book to complete this challenge!

After signups are closed, your names and any extra info will go into the super secret PIFM randomizer and it will select someone for you to recommend books to and someone to give you recommendations. This list will be posted along with any specific picking rules for the month.

In order to participate you need to either HAVE YOUR PROFILE SET TO PUBLIC (preferable), or friend the person giving you recommendations. PLEASE NOTE: if you choose to keep your profile private, it is your responsibility to send a friend request to the person picking for you as soon as possible after the matchups are posted. Whether your profile is private or not, it is also very important that your profile be set to receive Private Messages (PMs) in case anyone needs to reach out to you (mods, organizer etc.)

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

Repicks:
You can ask for repicks if:
✱ The books picked for you are not yet released.
✱ If you have already read the chosen book(s) and they are on your ‘read’ shelf.
✱ If you did not receive four picks from your ‘to-read’ shelf, with at least one from your preferred shelf.

You may NOT ask for repicks because:
✱ A book is not available at your library.
✱ A genre or author you don’t enjoy.

INFORMATION NEEDED TO SIGN UP

Please sign up in this thread with the answer to the following question:

**What makes you smile (the most)? **

A. A yummy dessert
B. Sleeping late
C. A warm, sunny day

✱✱ If you have a preferred shelf, please list it along with your pick! One preferred shelf only, please!✱✱

IMPORTANT DATES

Sign ups — Open until September 23 (10 am US EST)
Picking — Due by September 27 (10 am US EST)
Repicks — If necessary, will be assigned and follow the picking deadline

For your convenience, a time zone converter

Please do not start reading your book(s) until the first of the month. You then have the entire month to read your pick(s) and give some feedback.

If you’re new please read the PIFM Guidelines and FAQ . If you have any questions that are not addressed there, please feel free to ask!


✱Please note that late sign ups will be included at the host's discretion and no one will be included after re-picks are assigned!✱

TIPS TO MAKE THE CHALLENGE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE!


Pickees
✱ To help your picker understand the type of books you like or are currently reading, please make sure your ‘read’ shelf is up to date. You can create shelves for books you DNFed (Did Not Finish) or authors that don’t work for you as well as favorite books and authors. In addition, you might consider updating your profile. You can include info about your favorite books, authors, genres, themes or tropes (or themes/tropes you dislike – i.e. secret baby).
✱ Please do not specify likes/dislikes in the sign-up thread. This information will not be included in the pairings and your pickee may not see your message and does not need to rely on that information when making picks.

Pickers
✱ Please remember this is primarily a romance readers group. Thus, most, if not all, of your picks should be romance. There are various sub genres within the romance category - Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Erotica, M/M, Urban Fantasy. If your pickee reads a wide variety, you could add a non-romance as a choice.

✱ Choose at least 4 new titles for your pickee. These can be brand new to them (not found on any of their shelves) or a book found on their shelves if they've never read any of the author's work previously.

A few hints to help with book selection:
✱ Check the book’s publishing date. Select "date pub" from the checkbox selections and save.
✱ Check pickee's personalized shelves, especially their exclusive shelves. A personalized shelf is one the member has created. (e.g., 'to read next', 'favorites' ‘didn’t like’)
✱ Make sure the books you choose are not on their 'read' shelf. Just because it isn't rated doesn't mean it wasn't read.
✱ Look at your pickee's 'read' shelf and see what genres they have recently read or read the most. Reviewing their ‘read’ shelf might help you in choosing something they are interested in reading right now.
✱ If your pickee reads lots of books in a genre you are not familiar with (erotic romance, GLBT, YA, etc.) Contact the Mods or the month's organizer for guidance.
✱ Include a variety of books (e.g., shorter page count, new addition to their 'to-read' shelf, an older book on their 'to-read' shelf) This variety gives your pickee options when choosing the book or books they will be reading this month. Use the sort feature within their shelves to determine date a book was added, published or read; page numbers, ratings, etc.

If you want to volunteer to make repicks:
✱ We love that you want to help out, but please remember those who need picks have been waiting for a long time already. Please only volunteer if you are able to make the repicks within a few hours of the deadline. Thank you!

Sign Ups

A. A yummy dessert
Donna
Vandhana
ThatEzi Audiobook Review books
NancyH
Aneerah (private profile)
Kimberly
Tink Magoo is bad at reviews own-it-already
LaurLa 04-challenges-to-pick
Pam


B. Sleeping late
Alexis
Cher to read
Kait
Sandra pifm
KathyD cp-pick-it-for-me
Jojo 2016-mng
macwolf01-elise
MountainKat to-read-asap
Cecily epl to read
Zorina
Diane firefly mng picking
Nora to read
Shelby current-challenge-to-reads
Ashley
KarenH


C. A warm, sunny day
Pamela
Elke on-deck-4-chlges
Danielle next-months-books, pifm
Fran a pifm shelf
Aminko picking shelf

2016 October PIFM - Picking Rules


**Please make sure to pick 4 books new to your pickee, as well as 4 books from your pickee’s designated or ‘to-be-read’ shelf, for a total of 8 books!

October 7th is World Smile Day!
Harvey Ball, the creator of the smiley face image, thought that we, all of us, should devote one day each year to smiles and kind acts throughout the world. He declared that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smile Day. His foundation continues this tradition since his passing in 2001. His motto was 'Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile!'

1. Recommend a book that made you smile/laugh
2. Recommend a book with a face on the cover- bonus if the face is smiling!
3. Recommend a new release that you have been waiting for, or your pickee has on their tbr/preferred shelf
4. Recommend a book written by one of your or their favorite romance authors
5. Recommend a romance with a celebration in the story- maybe a wedding, or a honeymoon, or a ball - any life event that brings a smile
6. Recommend a shorter story, one that can be read when you have a little time to yourself
7. Recommend a romance with a sweet, sexy, and/or swoon-worthy hero
8. Recommend a romance set on a tropical island, or exotic location or somewhere you would enjoy travelling to.

Pairings

Within each group, each person picks for the person below them. The last person in the group picks for the first person. For example, Pam picks for Tink Magoo.

A. A yummy dessert and C. A warm, sunny day
Tink Magoo is bad at reviews own-it-already
Aminko picking shelf
Kimberly
Danielle next-months-books, pifm
Pamela
Vandhana
LaurLa 04-challenges-to-pick
Fran a pifm shelf
NancyH
ThatEzi Audiobook Review books
Aneerah (private profile)
Donna
Elke on-deck-4-chlges
Pam


B. Sleeping late
Cher to read
KathyD cp-pick-it-for-me
MountainKat to-read-asap
macwolf01-elise
Nora to read
Cecily epl to read
KarenH can't wait to read
Shelby current-challenge-to-reads
Sandra pifm
Ashley
Jojo 2016-mng
Diane firefly mng picking
Alexis
Zorina
Kait

If your name has an * next to it, you have given your picks-


A. A yummy dessert and C. A warm, sunny day
*Tink Magoo is bad at reviews own-it-already
*Aminko picking shelf
Kimberly
*Danielle next-months-books, pifm
*Pamela
*Vandhana
*LaurLa 04-challenges-to-pick
*Fran a pifm shelf
*NancyH
*ThatEzi Audiobook Review books
*Aneerah (private profile)
*Donna
*Elke on-deck-4-chlges
*Pam


B. Sleeping late
*Cher to read
*KathyD cp-pick-it-for-me
*MountainKat to-read-asap
macwolf01-elise
*Nora to read
*Cecily epl to read
*KarenH can't wait to read
*Shelby current-challenge-to-reads
*Sandra pifm
*Ashley
*Jojo 2016-mng
*Diane firefly mng picking
*Alexis
*Zorina
*Kait


Repicks-

Fran picks for Danielle
KarenH picks for Rebecca

I haven't done a PIFM in so long. I've spent most of the year stuck in a YA Fantasy books obsession. So I'm excited to finally be getting back into romance novels again!

I'll go with B sleeping late. It never happens with my 2 year old! I dream of it! ;)

A: A yummy dessert

I'm in. I love sleeping late
to read

Sleeping late, definitely. Zzzzzz... :D

I'm in. I love sleeping late (what's seldom is wonderful!).

pifm

A warm, sunny day :)

I am in :)
A yummy Dessert :)

In.
A nice dessert of course
Audiobook Shelf or Review books or meet-greet recs

i'm in...this is a tough one, but i have to go with sleeping late! =)
cp-pick-it-for-me

Alexis wrote: "I haven't done a PIFM in so long. I've spent most of the year stuck in a YA Fantasy books obsession. So I'm excited to finally be getting back into romance novels again!

I'll go with B sleeping la..."

Welcome back to the challenge, Alexis!

Cher wrote: "I'm in. I love sleeping late
to read"

Hi Cher!

Your link does not work for 'to read' shelf. If you could fix it that would be great, thank you!

A yummy dessert!

I am in!

A warm sunny day for me!! :D

Please pick from my On deck 4 chlges

I'm in!

A warm sunny day for me (that's why I live in Arizona) :)

Please pick from either Next Month's Book List or Pick it For Me Shelf

I'm in

Definitely Sleeping Late

Please pick from 2016-mng

I'm in, its been awhile ... can't wait to see what gets picked.

I'm definitely Sleeping Late

I'm in! Sleep hasn't been my friend lately, so any sleep I get is good! I'm going to go with Sleeping Late!!

Please use my to-read-asap shelf - thanks!

I've got everyone up to here. Please let me know if I've missed you!

I'm in!! I like to sleep late, definitely makes me the happiest!!

epl-to-read

Fran wrote: "Cher wrote: "I'm in. I love sleeping late
to read"

Hi Cher!

Your link does not work for 'to read' shelf. If you could fix it that would be great, thank you!"

Hi Fran

I've fixed the link now. to read

Cher wrote: "Fran wrote: "Cher wrote: "I'm in. I love sleeping late
to read"

Hi Cher!

Your link does not work for 'to read' shelf. If you could fix it that would be great, thank you!"

Hi Fran

I've fixed the..."

Thanks Cher! I've updated it :)

Updated to here

I'm in and I love "Sleeping in late" or rather just lazying up in the bed with a book and hot coffee.

I added my shelf to my post #27
forgot the first go around
If whoever picks me checks out my "stand alone," "First in series" or "Next in series" shelf it will be a little easier and will less likely choose a book that I am not at yet. (They are just basically, a breakdown of the shelf I added)

Wow, that is a hard choice. I think I'm going to have to go with sleeping in late.

shelf - mng_picking

I'm in and I will go with C. A warm, sunny day :)

pifm shelf- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I'm in.
A warm yummy dessert.
Please choose from my monster tbr file so that I can reduce it.

I'm in. A warm sunny day makes me smile!

My shelf picking-shelf

I'm in and I pick A. a warm yummy dessert (chocolate brownie cake)

Please use my own it already shelf if you can find whats needed on there.

They're all good things, but with the state of my current rest I think I'm going to have to go with B) Sleeping Late. :)

Current Challenge to Reads

I added links to Post 16
thanks

Welcome to the October PIFM everyone!!

Updated to here :)

ThatEzi wrote: "I added links to Post 16
thanks"

I added the first two shelves next to your name, Ezi. It is usually one preferred shelf, but I've added links for two for this round for anyone who has posted them. :)

I'm in!! A yummy desert makes me smile the most!!
04-challenges-to-pick

Sleeping late.

A yummy dessert

Only 24 hours to go until rules and pairings are posted!!


Updated to here :)

I'm in!!! I'll go with B: Sleeping Late

Please use my cant-wait-to-read shelf...thanks!

Sign ups are closed.......rules and pairings will be up shortly!

Rules posted in message #6

Pairings posted in message #7

Have fun everyone!!

Please remember, only 8 books need to be recommended, but if you want to add more, you are welcome to. Sometimes there are a few gems you just don't want to leave off, but only 8 titles are required :)

Hi NancyH!

Here are your picks, I hope you find something here you like :)

1. Recommend a book that made you smile/laugh
Apples Should Be Red-new- older, super funny couple
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda- new- this is so good- funny, touching

2. Recommend a book with a face on the cover- bonus if the face is smiling!
Bossman- new

3. Recommend a new release that you have been waiting for, or your pickee has on their tbr/preferred shelf
The Diva Serves High Tea- tbr- newest release on your tbr

4. Recommend a book written by one of your or their favorite romance authors
Yours Until Dawn-tbr- I love this author, and I really enjoyed this one.
Manhunt or Thanksgiving- new- you seem to enjoy this author and these are two of my faves by her (oldies but goodies, light and fun)

5. Recommend a romance with a celebration in the story- maybe a wedding, or a honeymoon, or a ball - any life event that brings a smile
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories- new- a great bunch of holiday celebration short stories

6. Recommend a shorter story, one that can be read when you have a little time to yourself
Simple Need- tbr
First to Fall- new- group buddy read for Oct and it's free on Amazon

7. Recommend a romance with a sweet, sexy, and/or swoon-worthy hero
One Hot Scot- new
Real Men Last All Night- tbr

8. Recommend a romance set on a tropical island, or exotic location or somewhere you would enjoy travelling to.
Summer at Seaside Cove- tbr- seaside at North Carolina coast. Fun, interesting characters
Ice Blue- tbr- I would love to visit London :)

Happy Reading!