Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Team members

Train Conductor:
★ Miriam

Travellers:
★ Samantha
★ Himanshi
★ Stefanie
★ Christina T
★ Shannon
★ Teresa

1. Introduce yourself to your team. Let your team members know where you are from. This is a great to know when themes are announced and when team-mates can expect other members to post their book choices.

2. Team Captain - reserve a couple of posts in this thread tracking your team's book selection and completion. (Alternatively they could convert a chat comment to the tracking post/s.)

3. Name your team. Using this round's theme of Around The World in 80 Days, come up with a fun name. We are an open/public group with no age limit, so please make sure any chosen name is smart, not smutty ;)

Please PM your name to Jane(PS) by early Wednesday 6 March.

4. If you have a private profile, please 'friend' your team-mates. This is really important, because without this, your team-mates can't see your shelves to select a books under option 2.

5. Please post your book selections/completions in the format provided below. (This format is also posted in both the Q&A and Sign-Up threads.) We need to know the week that each book corresponds to, the page numbers, and how the book qualifies including names to lists/shelves (where applicable), etc. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt - link it*!

* don't link to your review in your completion post - reviews in your completion posts should be included in full within that post.

You don't want to start reading a book and then find it doesn't meet the requirements because some information (eg page count or theme link) was missing from your original post.

I will be monitoring this and your book will not be considered complete until I am satisfied that your selection and completion posts comply with the format rules of the challenge.

Remember - you can ONLY change your book selection in the week that the theme is called.

6. You MUST check in with your team each week, ideally once the theme is announced. Please let your team know if you expect to have spotty communication or are on holidays or having an operation.

7. When you post the completion of your book, you must post a review; enough for us to know you have actually read the book. Please don't link to a review. You must post the review in this thread.

8. Re-reads are allowed but you can't read the same book twice within this challenge.

9. There is no prize for the winning team - bragging rights only :)

10. Each week, the theme will be announced in the Q&A Annoucement thread. The full list of themes announced during this round will be maintained in msg 1 of that thread.


The Rule on the Pass Option
* Each team can only have ONE member using their pass each week.
* Each member can only use that pass once each 5 weeks.
* This means that one or two team members (dependent upon the size of your team) will miss using a pass in each 5 week block.
* No-one can use the pass option in the last week of the challenge.
* In the final week if Option 2 is used, members must select their book from another team. This will be advised in the week 11 announcement.

Key selection and completion post information. You must have ALL elements in your book posts.


The format for selection posts Option 1:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
How the book qualifies - please link or name the qualifying bookshelf/list where applicable (link if possible).
If the theme is based off the bookcover or a letter in the title etc, please just repeat the theme.

The format for selection posts Option 2:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
Name of the team-member, their star rating, the date they read the book.


Format for completion posts:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Rating (1-5)
Review


Please DO NOT CHAT in these selction/completion posts. It needs to be super clear.

If you 'waffle' about your decided book - please REPOST your selection once you decide. DO NOT go back and edit your waffling post.

I'll be tracking each team's progress separately, using the Captain's summary in each team's thread to check for accuracy.

Week 1 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Stefanie - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post


Week 2 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Stefanie - Selection Post - Withdrawn
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 3 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 4 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 5 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 6
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 7 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 8 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 9 - Completed
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Himanshi - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 10
★ Miriam - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Samantha - Selection Post*
★ Himanshi - Selection Post
★ Christina T - Selection Post
★ Shannon - Selection Post - Completion Post
★ Teresa - Selection Post - Completion Post

Week 11
★ Miriam
★ Samantha
★ Himanshi
★ Christina T
★ Shannon
★ Teresa

Hey Team!

Looking forward to getting to know y'all :)

Hello My name is Samantha. I have been a member of goodreads for
7 years. I enjoy reading fantasy and young adult but really love all kinds of books. I have two daughter and live in Canada.

Hello! I’m Teresa and I live in Canada as well :) I have two daughters and read mostly mm romance in fantasy, sci fi, and paranormal genres though sometimes stray to YA

I’m going to my sister’s this week to help with my new niece Grace. I’ll be checking in periodically

Hey Teresa!
Hey Samantha!

If anyone has team name suggestions, please post them (I suck at coming up with team names)

Hey everyone! I'm Shannon and I live in Washington state with my hubby, 2 daughters, 2 dogs, 3 cats and my daughter's boyfriend. I only really read mm, any genre but contemporary is my fav.

Hi team! I'm Himanshi and I love reading paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comtemporary, ya/na and historical fiction. And I think I like the name "Reading is dreaming" for our team. What about you?

Hi, my name is Stefanie and I am from Germany. I love all kind of romance books but most of all comtemporary.

Himanshi wrote: "Hi team! I'm Himanshi and I love reading paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comtemporary, ya/na and historical fiction. And I think I like the name "Reading is dreaming" for our team. What about..."

I like Reading is dreaming for our team name.

I like Reading is Dreaming as well.

I like Reading is Dreaming (Thanks Himanshi!)

I think we're just waiting on Christina T and we'll all be checked in

No probs! I'm just glad everyone approves of it.

I just have have time for a quick hello. I'm here but work Grave Shift so I'm not online when many in the US are. Most of my online time happens on Wednesdays and Thursdays as those are my days off. I peek in on my phone here and there but posting on the app is kind of a nightmare. I'm cool with whatever name the majority votes for. I'll post more on Wednesday late night.

Hey Christina!

We're all checked in! Yay!

Unless anyone objects or posts another suggestion in the next few hours, I'm submitting "Reading is Dreaming" as our team name (figure 11 pm EST)

Is everyone ready to get started tomorrow?

Does anyone plan out their books in advance?
I have in some games, but mostly I check to make sure I have at least something for each category.

I sometimes plan, but I’m doing two different challenges so I need to play it by ear :)

Teresa wrote: "I sometimes plan, but I’m doing two different challenges so I need to play it by ear :)"

Yeah, I've got a few challenges going (plus ARCs coming in) so I loosely plan and see what will fit that week.

Just realized I never posted an actual introduction (oops!)

So I'm Miriam. I've played PtP several times, and I really enjoy this challenge. I read mostly different romance sub-genres: paranormal/UF, mystery/suspense, some contemporary, only a little historical (both M/F and M/M, with some menage mixed in). I live in coastal Georgia, USA.

I'm ready!! I don't plan ahead. I used to but I like to spend some time figuring out what to read.

I don't plan ahead. I just find a book that works.

I am planner 😊 so I‘ve already prepared my list but sometimes I will switch when I see an interesting book read by you or another friend

I'm not much of a planner either. Like Samantha, I too just find a book that works for me!

I'm hoping I'll be able to post the category here when Jane posts in a few hours, but if someone sees it before me, feel free to post to our group. I teach an after school program that goes from 4-6 est, so I might not see it until my kids go on break.

Week 1

Option1
1. Read a book where:
* the author or one of the MCs have their first and last name starting with the same letter OR
* the author or one of the MCs have their first and last name phoenetically sound as if they start with the same letter. Eg Phileas Fogg sounds as if his first and last name starts with an F.

Please show HOW this fits in the selection post given there are two options in this category.

Option 2
Book chosen from a team member's shelf that was read on the date below or more recently and rated at least 3 stars.
Key Date: September 7, 2018


Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads. when you post your selection and completion posts.

Week # 1
Bookcover/link The Bone Season
Page numbers 466
How the book qualifies - Author name starts with the same letter for first and last name- Samantha Shannon.

Samantha wrote: "I choose the author or one of the MCs have their first and last name starting with the same letter

Book is The Bone Season By Samantha Shannon"

Hey Samantha,

Can you post your selection again using the format in Post 3?
I want to make sure we stick to Jane's template to make it easy for her to identify our selection and completion posts.

Week #1
Option 1


Terrible Things by Beth Bolden
Pages: 357
Qualification: Author Beth Bolden both with B

Week #1
Option 1

Splat! by Alana Ankh
Pages: 127
Qualification:Author name starts with the same letter for first and last name

Week #1

Wild Hearts by Sharon Sala
Pages: 378
Qualification: Author's first and last name both start with the same letter "S"

Completion Post

Week #1
Option 1


Terrible Things by Beth Bolden
Pages: 357
Qualification: Author Beth Bolden both with B
Read: 3/8/19
Rating: ★★★★

This book should have had so many feels for me and at first it really did but it was the same thing over and over and over and the effectiveness kind of wore off. By the end of Leo's constant back and forth I didn't really care all that much. And that's a sad thing with such a promising start. I really did love both these guys but especially Caleb. We got a lot of backstory of the other characters in the band which will help with their books which I'm sure are coming. Pretty decent story just long.

Completion Post

Week #1
Option 1

Splat! by Alana Ankh
Rating: 4 stars
Review:

This was a reread for me. I still found it cute and entertaining. The parents were even more annoying, although you could definitely see that they truly thought they were doing the right thing for their child even if they were wilfully blind.

Week #1
Bookcover/link: Stealing His Heart
Page numbers: 240
How the book qualifies: author Bru Baker (both start with B)

Selection Post
Week 1
The Player
Author: Kresley Cole
Pages: 334
How the book qualifies: The MC of this book is named Victoria Valentine

Selection Post

Week 1 - Option 1
Some Guys Need a Lot of Lovin'

Pages: 180
How the book qualifies: author is Amy Andrews

Completion Post

Week #1
Bookcover/link: Stealing His Heart
Rating (1-5): 4 stars
Review: Danny is a werewolf, but one that has been taught to deny that side of himself outside of the monthly pack run. Although Danny runs a foundation for supernatural foster children, helping them hide their nature from the human world while still giving them room to explore their other side. When his apartment is broken into he meets Max, a detective and shifter (not the same as a were). There are certainly some sparks that fly (and rather quickly) between these two, but they do try to take it slow and build a relationship. I like that Max is dominate, but makes an effort not to completely take over. Danny has some issues with confidence, especially in the beginning, but it was nice to see him gain his footing through the story. Max and Danny have their communication issues, but that make sense when you figure they are still getting to know and trust each other.

I loved Max's family, they're a little wild and crazy but were exactly what Danny needed to have supporting him. There were a lot of different supernaturals in this book, though most are only mentioned, so there is a lot of room for more books to expand beyond just the werewolf/shifter characters.

This series is set in the same universe as the Camp H.O.W.L. books. Jackson from Hiding In Plain Sight (Book 3 in the Camp H.O.W.L. series) makes an appearance in this story, but you don't need to read that book to understand this story.

It is really quiet in here! how is everyone? I just finished a spell-a-thon challenge so my reading has now slowed down. I think I might do some planning for this challenge just to keep busy, lol

Same Teresa. I don't know what to do with myself only reading one book per week. Youtube? lol

I should have warned you that any team thread I'm in tends to be ultra quiet. I think the extra long week also makes it seem off in terms of timing.

Hi, I am really busy finishing a lot of staff at work before I go on maternity leave in three Werks. But I will finish my book before Friday

Completion Post
Week #1
The Player
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This was my first reread of The Player and I'm so glad that I finally got the time to do it. Since I already knew about the surprise that would unfold at the end, I got to see things clearly and in a different light. I remember when I first read this book, I was dreading the moment when Victoria would reveal the truth to Dmitri but this time I was anticipating it. I loved the chemistry between Victoria and Dmitri. Dmitri was by far my favorite character of the entire series. I loved Dmitri in a way that I never loved Maksim or Aleks. Hell I can freely admit that I didn't even cared about Maksim, let alone like him.

My favorite quote of this book:
“Imagine a pitch-black room with a single candle lit in the center," he said, his voice gone low. "The room is the world. You are the candle.”

And I think we can all agree with this:
I would prefer an honest madman than a sane liar.

New topic will be posted in a few hours (or several depending on when it goes up). Is everyone ready for a new week?

I may or may not be able to post the category here right away, if anyone else sees it first, feel free to post.