Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Archive - Pass The Parcel
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PtP - Poisoned Pages (10)
Completion Post-Week 7:
Magic Burns, Ilona Andrews
4 Stars
Read: 4/23
Review: I'm liking this series. I read the 1st 2 via audio...the narrator, Renée Raudman, is very good.
Kate is a very strong character with interesting skills that I haven't quite figured out how she acquired. I think I might need to go back and read book 1 as some of the details that carried over were a bit fuzzy for me this book.
In this story there are a couple of what I perceive as younger children...one a young girl that Kate takes under her wing. I really enjoyed this particular relationship. The other, Red, turns out to be a very selfish boy...someone who betrays 'his girl'.
Of course there's Jim...who I'm hoping ends up 'getting Kate' someday soon. The relationship reminds me of a similar relationship in a mystery series I'm reading (Blackbird Sisters).
Another aspect of this writing that is vital to the story and something the author does so well, is the description of the settings...it's fairly easy to picture 'the mess' Atlanta must be in...for this story it was 'the honeycomb'.
I'll recommend this series to anyone who enjoys PNR.
Tammie wrote: "Just checking...I don't see a completion post from you for week 6...it's fine...I assume you are still reading that one. Just wanted to do a dbl check since you just posted the finish for week 7. Thanks!"Yes, the book I picked for week 7 is a library book that is due soon, so I jumped it over the week 6 book, which I own. I'll get on that one ASAP.
Week 7 - Completion PostOption 2
Book:
The Negotiator by Avery Flynn
Pages: 274
Read by Nicole P on 11/2/17 and rated 4 stars
Completed: 4/26/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Sawyer Carlyle is an uptight workaholic with a mother determined to get him away from his work by finding him a wife. She is constantly parading wife-candidates in front of him. As a joke, his brother places an add for a "personal buffer" to help Sawyer keep his mother away. Clover Lee is a free-spirit who works odd temp jobs to fund her travels. She responds to the ad and Sawyer hires her - much to his own surprise since it was a fake job. Soon the fake job turns into a fake engagement as a way to keep his mom off his back while he finishes up a big project. This was a fun book with fun characters and some hot, sexy times. I really liked Clover and Sawyer, and learning more about why they did what they did. I also liked Hudson and I'm looking forward to reading his story
SandyL wrote: "Week 7 - Completion PostOption 2
Book:
The Negotiator by Avery Flynn
Pages: 274
Read by Nicole P on 11/2/17 and rated 4 stars..."
I've added this to my tbr...looks like it fits with my fav genre.
SandyL wrote: "Week 7 - Completion PostOption 2
Book:
The Negotiator by Avery Flynn
Pages: 274
Read by Nicole P on 11/2/17 and rated 4 stars..."
Glad you liked it as much as I did! The whole series was fun :)
Week 6 - Completion Post Option 1
Book: Good Bones by Kim Fielding
Pages: 195
Completed: 4/26/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
It's tough being an architect and a werewolf. Especially if you've fallen in love with your hot hill billy neighbor. Fielding is really good at putting sweet guys in very strange situations and letting them figure their way out, so this book is more about Dylan figuring out how to have a relationship rather than figuring out how to be a werewolf. Of course, the latter condition makes the former situation a bit more complicated! I think I want to hunt down the next few in this series.
Completion Post – Week 7
, Rebecca Zanetti – 4/23/18 – ✮✮✮✮✰Review — I have loved this series so far, and this book is no exception! I am so glad to finally know Sammy’s secret, but it was a bit anticlimactic for me. I had a difficult time accepting Tace’s post-Scorpius persona...I get it, I just don’t like it. Thankfully, he starts to come back to himself a bit, but that dark edge will always remain. These two make a good pair, but there are times I wonder if they are a true “forever” pair. There was lots of stuff happening in this installment and I look forward to seeing how the story progresses in the coming books!
Week 8Option 1
15. Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings.
Option 2
Key date: 27 Ocotber 2017
Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads when you post your selection and completion posts.
Week 8Selection Post – Option 1
, Lara AdrianPage Numbers ➔ 387
How the Book Qualifies ➔ 18,971 Ratings
Week 8 - Selection PostOption 1
Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings.
Reed by Sawyer Bennett
Pages: 189
How it fits: 2,539 ratings as of 4/27/18
Option 1Week #8: Ratings
Booklink: Blackwood by Celia Aaron
Page numbers: 270 (Kindle Edition)
Qualifies: 3,191 ratings as of 28/04/2018
Week 8 - Selection Post Option 1
Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings.
Booklink: The Service of the Sword by David Weber (and others)
Pages: 665
How it fits: 3,841 ratings as of 4/28/18
Completion Post-Week 8:
Ransom, Julie Garwood
4 Stars
Read: 4/29
Review: I waivered between 4 and 5 stars on this one...it's a re-read, which is my 'qualification' for the 5th star...I'm glad I did re-read it.
The characters are so well developed you can picture being there. Classic Julie Garwood...you get the bantering and the female MC keeping the males 'on their toes'.
This book takes place at the time of King John and the detail of the period I believe is correct. The bad-buys are extremely barbaric in their treatment of Gillian and Alec. In the end, there are two HEA's in this book and Garwood has you wondering for most of the book if Bridgid is her sister...is she?...you'll have to read the book...I'm not going to tell!
I highly recommend this book and this author!
Completion Post – Week 8
, Lara Adrian – 4/29/18 – ✮✮✮✮✰Review — WOW! There is a lot going on in this installment! Dragos and the Order both stepping it up and deliver game-changing blows to each other. The Order loses a member and gains one in this book...and the first young of one of the warriors enters the picture. Not to mention there was some nice time spent with Lucan and Gabrielle and Savannah’s sister.
At its heart, though, this story is Hunter’s and Corinne’s. We met Corinne toward the end of the last book and this book picks up a short time after the Breedmates located and freed some of Dragos’ captives. I want to love this couple because they have both been through horrible abuse and neglect, but I just couldn’t connect with Corinne. Hunter has been around for the past few books, so it was nice to see him start to experience life outside of the rigid confines of his upbringing. Together they are not a bad couple, but I felt like there wasn’t a strong enough connection to justify the blood bond. Hopefully, I can see more of them in the future and change my mind.
Completion PostWeek #8: Ratings
Booklink: Blackwood by Celia Aaron
Rating: ★★★ (30/04)
This had a slow start. Elise Vale is supposedly going to be digging in a small county in order to gather evidence that will help in her doctorate thesis. But its just a front for her other plan to search specifically the Blackwood Estate. She is looking for something and if the owner of the property would cooperate with her, she will make a plan B. The owner of the estate, Garrett Blackwood, is the town's recluse. As hot and delicious as he may be, there is something more sinister and dark to him. Elise is instantly attracted to him and she gets her chance of getting into his house when she is viciously attacked one day in the woods. While she heals she gets to know Garrett despite his gruffness. But there is something else at work in the small county and surrounding woods. And before long Garrett is helping Elise in her quest for justice, even though she is still wary.
The book had some dark sexual themes. I wasn't too impressed with Elise. She was too brazen and stupid for my liking. The suspense was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but the the storyline was predictable.
Week 7: Completion Post
Bookcover/link: The Colour of Magic
Rating: 5 stars
Completed: 29/4/18
Review:
A world supported on the backs of 4 large elephants, and sporting them is a massive flying turtle, we find our selves watching the events of an inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on a hundred little legs, and dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet... Literally the edge - the world in this universe is a flat disc.
I love this book so much!!! I love Death in this, hes such a great character. And Twoflower is so silly optimistic attitude and naive, and I just want to hug him close and never let him go. He's so precious. The incompetent and cowardly failed wizard Rincewind falls into Twoflower's wildly crazy life that he doesn't want to be apart of - bless him. Twoflower tries to see everything and Rincewind tries not to die a long the way.
Week 8: Selection Post - Option 1
Book: Winter
Page numbers: 827 pages
How the book qualifies: Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings. This book has 130,493 Ratings.
(view spoiler)
Week 8 - Completion PostOption 1
Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings.
Reed by Sawyer Bennett
Pages: 189
How it fits: 2,539 ratings as of 4/27/18
Completed: 4/30/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Reed Olson has a type - tall, blonde, big boobs. But he's starting to get bored and knows it when his new neighbor, Josie Ives, pounds on his door at 1am complaining about the noise his current Screaming Barbie is making. Josie is nothing like Reed's regular type - she's short, with brown hair and average sized boobs. What starts out as a friendship blurs into something more, but neither one is looking for much more than friends with benefits....right? Well, we all know how this ends, but it was a fun and easy story getting there. Not as much going on in this book - it was much shorter than the others and not much drama - but still a nice, sexy read. I am looking forward to Marek's story - that one sounds like there will be plenty of drama!
Katherine wrote: "Week 7: Completion Post
Bookcover/link: The Colour of Magic
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
A world supported on the backs of 4 large elephants, an..."
This books sounds very interesting...different...adding to my tbr
@Katherine...moving forward, would you add the date you finished your book to the completion post...thanks much!
I just added to my post when I finished it. :D
I just wanted to check, but is passing still a possibility at this point? I may have to pass this week due to a family emergency...if not, no worries...I won't let you all down! =)
☘KathyD☘ wrote: "I just wanted to check, but is passing still a possibility at this point? I may have to pass this week due to a family emergency...if not, no worries...I won't let you all down! =)"No one else has requested a Pass Kathy...so yes. I'll put you down...I hope everything is a-OK!
☘KathyD☘ wrote: "I just wanted to check, but is passing still a possibility at this point? I may have to pass this week due to a family emergency...if not, no worries...I won't let you all down! =)"Just to clarify...we're talking about week 9...correct?
yes...for the week that will be called on Friday
☘KathyD☘ wrote: "yes...for the week that will be called on Friday"Just do a selection post when week 9 is announced and note the pass on it please Kathy.
Best wishes! Hope the emergency works out ok.
Jane (PS) wrote: "☘KathyD☘ wrote: "yes...for the week that will be called on Friday"Just do a selection post when week 9 is announced and note the pass on it please Kathy.
Best wishes! Hope the emergency works o..."
Thanks Tammie and Jane! I'm hoping not to need to use it, but I wanted to ask in enough time. =)
Week 8 - Completion Post Option 1
Read a book that has 2,000 or more ratings.
The Service of the Sword by David Weber
Pages: 665
How it fits: 3844 ratings as of 5/3/18
Completed: 5/3/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
Does exactly what it says on the tin, with all the authors doing it in their own styles.
I liked Jane Lindskold's women, enjoyed seeing Honor for a little while in Timothy Zahn's entry, am amazed that an story by John Ringo had no prostitutes in it (maybe because he had a co-author, Victor Mitchell), although his solo story of course starred one. Sometimes I wonder if Ringo realizes that there are many women in difficult situations who don't turn to prostitution, but that he's less likely to meet them in a whorehouse. Eric Flint had fun with Havenites, and Weber himself gave us another heroic Greyson middy.
Week 9Option 1
16. Read a book with an actor or entertainer in the storyline.
Hollywood Romance Novels
Romance With Actors/Actresses/Acting
Actor and Actresses in Category Romance
Romance with Extra Drama!
Best Gay Romance Involving Performing Arts
MM bookshelf 'Profession - Actors'
If you use Option 1 your book MUST be chosen from one of the above lists-here's the link to the original post/links-> https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Option 2
Key date: 3 November 2017
Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads. when you post your selection and completion posts.
Option 1Week #9: Entertainer
Booklink: Runaway Groom by Lauren Layne
Page numbers: 235 (Kindle Edition)
Qualifies: #88 Romance with Actors/Actresses/Acting
I can't see the list for MM Bookshelf 'Profession - Actors' -- it says it's part of a private group. Am I doing something wrong?
Beth wrote: "I can't see the list for MM Bookshelf 'Profession - Actors' -- it says it's part of a private group. Am I doing something wrong?"Beth...I believe you just need to be part of that group to see it...I’ll clarify with
Jane that it’s not a link error...
I guess I'll join another group. Next thing I'll be drawn into their monthly books and challenges and discussions and then I'll never stop reading!
Hi Beth - you need to be a member of the MM Romance Group to see the shelf. It’s a private group since they have some threads that have nude men 🙃 (The Group membership is way bigger than this one.) But so long as you are 18 years old or more, the Mods will accept your request. It’s a fun group if you are interested and nearly all my friends that read MM are members.
I’d add a link to the Group but I’m on my phone.
Here's the link:https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
They have a few requirements re info on your GR profile before you join eg DOB, but you could take the info off your profile after acceptance. (I wouldn't leave that up there!)
Generally they are pretty quick with the acceptance (you'll know if you are 'in' once you receive an email from one of the Membership members) but they could be busy :D
Beth wrote: "I guess I'll join another group. Next thing I'll be drawn into their monthly books and challenges and discussions and then I'll never stop reading!"They have an equivalent of this challenge (called Bingo) but its already playing at the moment ~ Lisa (Juicy Fruits Capt) organises it. Plenty of time to check them out before a new team challenge starts over there :D
(A heap of their members are playing this game here this year ~ hence the bookshelf ;)
Week 9 - Selection PostOption 1
Sweet Cheeks by K. Bromberg
Pages: 347
How it fits: #106 on Hollywood Romance Novels
Selection Post - Week 9 - Option 2
Zack, Sawyer Bennett (book 3 in Cold Fury series)
Pages: 325 (I'll be doing audio)
How Qualifies: Kathy D read Reed (book 10 in series) on 4/2/18-4 Stars
Hey Pages...we're almost to the end! This coming Friday will be our final 'regular' call before the Final Round which starts on May 18In order to 'compete' for the winning title I'll share a couple of things I've done in the past. Most of you I believe have done this for awhile...so if you have something that works better for you...great and feel free to share.
1) Team-wise, everyone must be finished with all 10 rounds by May 18
2) I usually go through the options that are left and find the shortest book I can and get them all on hand so I'm ready to read pronto.
IF for some reason, I can't find something...I start going through all of the other teams for an Option 2 as this final round we cannot use our own team members list for Option 2...we have to use a team that will be assigned to us. We won't know what that team is until May 18. I do this because I get most all of my books from the library.
3. Realize this last round...to win...all of us would need to be finished reading within hours of the call. I've yet to play this game and the winner not be called on Saturday following.
So...if we really want to try...apart from bribing Jane...which absolutely does not work...we'll have to resort to strategy. Perhaps we could find a few books we could all choose from and try to have a bit of fun with this...I'm open for just about anything...thoughts welcome!
Week 9: Selection Post - Option 1
Book: Someone Else's Fairytale
Page numbers: 356 pages
How the book qualifies: Read a book with an actor or entertainer in the storyline. List: Hollywood Romance Novels - page 1, #37
Tammie wrote: "Hey Pages...we're almost to the end! This coming Friday will be our final 'regular' call before the Final Round which starts on May 18In order to 'compete' for the winning title I'll share a coup..."
I'm in agreement with Tammie :) I've been on her team once before, and her methods work because we won that round.
For those not in the US, we'll have to wake up extra early but it's worth it for the win!
selection posts Option 2: Week #9
Book: Once More With Feeling
Page numbers: 251
Name of the team-member, their star rating, the date they read the book: Tammie gave this 4 stars on 1/24/18
So, strategy wise, I should be lining up a short entry for:Summary of Themes Remaining
4. Read a book with a 'brother/s' from one of the following lists:
5. Read a book with academics/scientists from one of the following lists:
8. Read a book with a jealous character from one of the following lists:
9. Read a book with an MC who earns their living from the land using one of the following lists:
11. Read a shorter book with 100-200 pages.
12. Read a book with a blue collar MC from one of the following lists:
14. Read a book where the MC is in disguise from the following lists:
I had actually looked up options for them, but I wasn't thinking of length and some I just assumed I could get from the library. I will try to find good speedy options in the next few weeks.
Tammie wrote: "So...if we really want to try...apart from bribing Jane...which absolutely does not work...we'll have to resort to strategy..."ROFLMAO!!!
SandyL wrote: "I hope everything is ok KathyD!"Thanks Sandy! Actually, my mother-in-law passed away Thursday evening. As upset as my husband and I are that she is gone, we are also glad that she is no longer in pain. I was hoping to sneak a book in this week, but that is so not happening. =(
☘KathyD☘ wrote: Thanks Sandy! Actually, my mother-in-law passed away Thursday evening. As upset as my husband and I are that she is gone, we are also glad that she ..."So sorry to hear that KathyD. My condolences to you and your family.
I'm so sorry for your loss KathyD, but glad she is at peace.
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Do you want me to edit my completion post above, or just be better in the future?..."
Sorry I missed this Beth...if I don't have a finish date, I list the date you post.
Just checking...I don't see a completion post from you for week 6...it's fine...I assume you are still reading that one. Just wanted to do a dbl check since you just posted the finish for week 7. Thanks!