Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

The Amazing Race Team Challenge - Round 11
April 26, 2025 through June 22, 2025
Run hard. Eat cupcakes!

Team:
★ Jessica
✓ Diane
✓ DeeNeez
✓ Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆

The Amazing Race Team Challenge - Round 11
April 26, 2025 through June 22, 2025
Run hard. Eat cupcakes!

Tracking:
Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day. 4.26.2025 - 4.28.2025
Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task. 4.28.2025 - 4.30.2025
Task 3 - 7. Read 4 books that are stand alones. 4.30.2025 - 5.2.2025
Task 4 - 3. Each player reads a book by a new to you author - no pass for this task. 5.2.2025 - 5.3.2025
Task 5 - 12. Read a book recommended to you by a teammate - no pass for this task. 5.4.2025 - 5.6.2025
Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0. 5.6.2025 - 5.8.2025
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition. 5.8.2025 - 5.10.2025
Task 8 - 52. Read 6 books with the same color cover, teams decide color. 5.10.2025 - 5.12.2025
Task 9 - 64. Read 6 books not set on a continent of a teammate. Space does not count - must be a real continent. 5.12.2025 - 5.14.2025
Task 10 - 35. Read 6 books first published between 2011 and 2020. 5.14.2025 - 5.16.2025
Task 11 - 9. Each player reads a book in the same series, teams decide. No pass for this task. 5.16.2025 - 5.17.2025
Task 12 - 76. Read 6 books with a specific item on the cover, team selects item. 5.18.2025 - 5.20.2025
Task 13 - 95. As a team, select an animal. Read 8 books tagged with that animal. 5.20.2025 - 5.22.2025
Task 14 - 50. Read 6 books set in the same location, teams decide the location. 5.22.2025 - 5.24.2025
Task 15 - 108. As a team, select a season and read a minimum of 1500 pages of books set in that season. 5.24.2025 - 5.26.2025
Task 16 - 71. Pick another team and each member reads one book that was read by a member for this challenge. No pass for this task. 5.26.2025 - 5.28.2025
Task 17 - 72. Read 4 books published in the decade of a teammate's birth, team decides which teammate. 5.28.2025 - 5.30.2025
Task 18 - 65. Each player reads 2 books in a series, teammates can read the same or different series. 5.30.2025 - 6.1.2025
Task 19 - 85. Each teammate reads a debut book by an author. No pass for this task. 6.1.2025 - 6.3.2025
Task 20 - 116. Read 8 books with an average GR rating over 4.0 AND over 2500 ratings. 6.3.2025 - 6.5.2025
Task 21 - 110. Read 8 books with a tattooed cover model. 6.5.2025 - 6.7.2025
Task 22 - 88. Read 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which. 6.7.2025 - 6.9.2025
Task 23 - 109. Read 6 books with or without facial hair on a male cover model. Teams decide. 6.9.2025 - 6.11.2025
Task 24 - 121. Pick another team in this challenge and each member reads two books read by members of that team in the last 6 months and rated a minimum of 4 stars. No pass for this task. 6.11.2025 - 6.15.2025
Task 25 - 125. Each teammates reads 2 books initially published in the current month of any year with an average rating of 4.0 or higher. No pass for this task. 6.13.2025 - 6.15.2025
Task 26 - 114. The last person on your team alphabetically selects a book or series and everyone reads the selected book a book in the selected series. 6.15.2025 - 6.17.2025
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years. 6.17.2025 - 6.19.2025
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover. 6.19.2025 - 6.21.2025
Task 29 - Last Task - Read a book 235 pages or over. 6.21.2025

Information required when posting your completion/s:

Task
Book/cover link
Page numbers with source
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary.
Date Completed.
Rating/Review.


**Remember to use the first edition Kindle page count only! If your page count comes from a Kindle edition published on the initial publication date on the editions page, it will count. If your page count comes from a Kindle edition labeled '1st edition', it will count. If your page count comes from the earliest dated English language Kindle edition, it will count. I am looking for one of those three things when confirming your books! As long the page count you list is correct, I will accept any link to the book. Ebook page count will be acceptable if no Kindle page count available. The acceptability of other page counts will be made on an individual basis.**

Please note that a rating is now required in your completion posts! A small review is also welcome. 😊

I think most of you know each other, at least a little, but feel free to introduce yourself again. Please give any relevant information, especially time zone as that helps know when it is best to communicate. 😊

Please select a team leader to help keep track of where your team is in any given task. And as necessary guide discussions for task decisions. Any teammate can report your completions though. I will use the team leader as a point of contact if needed.

Remember, it is the team's responsibility to notify the host (me) if a teammate fails to complete the task in a timely manner or otherwise goes missing! I am not checking all the team threads regularly to notice and may only check when notified a task is complete.

PS - If you want to be known as anything other than Team 9, you are free to come up with a team name. 😉

Woohoo! Keeping in the theme of wine for team name… how about:

Wine Not?
Viva la Vino

Yay We are up. This one should be fun

Name suggestion.

You're the wine that I want

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Yay We are up. This one should be fun

Name suggestion.

You're the wine that I want"

Nice one!

List of names suggested so far:

You're the wine that I want
Wine Not?
Viva la Vino

I love all three. If I had to pick, maybe Wine Not?

Has anyone got the notifications to work yet?

Notifications haven't been working for me for months. I just keep a bunch of Goodreads tabs open and check them all a couple of times a day on my laptop.

I like You're the Wine that I Want, by Happy with Wine Not too.

Jessica, or Dee, are either of you gonna be our unofficial leader?

I bow to Jessica as team leader!

We really need to start the prep.

Like vote on some of these where we need to agree.

Same author, Same Series, Published in same month, and so on.
So that when those categories get called we don't spend 3 days voting. We can just look at our answers and pick a book.

Important Info

Link to Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Completion Post Template
(view spoiler)[Task
Book/cover link
Page numbers with source
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary.
Date Completed.
Rating/Review. (hide spoiler)]

Current Standings
1st:
2nd:
3rd:

Team Decisions
Task 1 - Alice Winters
Task 9 - Cut & Run
Task 29 - Law Enforcement
Task 49 - Month prior to being called 2025
Task 50 - Location
Task 51 - Alice Winters
Task 52 - Black
Task 53 - member's hometown
Task 12 Recommendations
Task 64 - Continents ( South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica)
Task 70 - MM Romance (different authors)
Task 71 - Chase the Rainbow
Task 72 - Decade: 90's (Jessica)
Task 73 - Author
Task 74 - birth month
Task 75 - Title starts with...(articles excluded)
Task 76 - Fire or Snow
Task 79 - Enemies to Lovers
Task 82 - Different books in same series
Task 88 - Car
Task 91 - Minimum page count: 285
Task 92 - Future
Task 93 - List: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Task 95 - Tagged Wolf
Task 96 - Moon

Task 23 - RRRC moderators


Task 69 - Award nominated

Task 80 - Decades 20, 10, 00,
Jessica: pre 00's
Skye:
Dee:
Diane:

Task 90 - Sequential Months
Jessica:
Skye:
Dee:
Diane:

Task 94 - Sequential Years
Jessica:
Skye:
Dee:
Diane:

Task 99 - Top 5's

I think a spreadsheet would be good. And columns we can vote.
I can make one if you want. It wouldn't take me long.

Jessica, I sent you a pm.

I do have a suggestion for # 56
A list with over 100 books on it.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

Has 3100 mm romance books on it.
Something there that everyone likes.

Votes

Please copy and paste the below template and fill out. I will do extra votes later on.

Your birth Month and Year:
Your hometown:
Sun or Moon on the cover:
Set in the Past or in the Future:
Car, Motorbike, Airplane or Boat on the cover:
Cover color preference:
Month and year of publication preference:
Romance Trope suggestions:
Listopia list suggestions
Author suggestions:
Series suggestions:
Series where everyone must read a different book:
Profession suggestions:
Item on cover suggestions:
Tagged animal: Dog or Wolf?

Lastly please do a post with your top 5 book recommendations, preferably available on KU though doesn't need to be all

Your birth Month and Year: March 1991
Your hometown: Bristol, England
Sun or Moon on the cover: Either
Set in the Past or in the Future:Future
Car, Motorbike, Airplane or Boat on the cover: Car
Cover color preference: Black
Month and year of publication preference: April or May 2025
Romance Trope suggestions: Enemies to Lovers
Listopia list suggestions:
Author suggestions:
K A Merikan
Alice Winters
Alessandra Hazard
Nicky James
Series suggestions:
The Hitman's Guide
Valor and Doyle Mysteries
Marshals (Mary Calmes)
Series where everyone must read a different book:
Tales from the Tarot
Carnival of Mysteries
Blue Water Bay
Profession suggestions: Royalty
Item on cover suggestions:
fire or snow
Water
Mountains
Tattoo
Crown
Tagged animal: Dog or Wolf? Wolf

Top 5 Recommendations

Sorry about that, I changed it so anyone can edit the spreadsheet

Your birth Month and Year: April 75
Your hometown: California
Sun or Moon on the cover: don't care, but will vote Sun
Set in the Past or in the Future: future, I like dystopia...but will go either way
Car, Motorbike, Airplane or Boat on the cover: Car or motorbike
Cover color preference: Black
Month and year of publication preference: month prior to it being called--2025
Romance Trope suggestions: I see dead people?
Listopia list suggestions https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9... Has 3100 to choose from
Author suggestions: Alice Winter or Josh Lanyon
Series suggestions: SOS Hotel
Series where everyone must read a different book: The Elite Series
Profession suggestions: Law enforcement
Item on cover suggestions: Shirt
Tagged animal: Dog or Wolf? Wolf

Lastly please do a post with your top 5 book recommendations
Happy Endings
The Cardigans
Liar City
Lust and Other Drugs
Skeletons in the Closet

Your birth Month and Year: Aug 56
Your hometown: Seattle (closest large city), Washington
Sun or Moon on the cover: Moon
Set in the Past or in the Future: Future
Car, Motorbike, Airplane or Boat on the cover: Car
Cover color preference: Grey or Blue
Month and year of publication preference: any month, 2025
Romance Trope suggestions: enemies to lovers
Listopia list suggestions The Best of Gay Romance
Author suggestions: Alice Winters , Josh Lanyon, Nicky James, Charlie Cochet
Series suggestions:
The Elite
Tales From the Tarot
Series where everyone must read a different book:
The Elite
Tales From the Tarot
Profession suggestions: Law Enforcement or Private Investigator
Item on cover suggestions: Male model
Tagged animal: Dog or Wolf? Wolf

Lastly please do a post with your top 5 book recommendations, preferably available on KU though doesn't need to be all

I vote for Wine Not? for team name… Does that make majority?

Diane voted You're The Wine That I Want. I voted Wine Not? But me and Diane are happy with either. Skye hasn't voted yet. If it's a tie I'll flip a coin.

I'm really sorry, I know you three love SOS hotel but I'm not a fan. Is there any other series we could do?

Jessica wrote: "I'm really sorry, I know you three love SOS hotel but I'm not a fan. Is there any other series we could do?"

Ok, changed my series to Cut & Run 😉

I'm always down for some Cut & Run.

I'm bad about always going with
Cut & Run
Prey
Among the Living
as my top 3 suggestions.
I was trying to step outside my regular box by suggesting something newer.
Sometimes the classics work for a reason.

I'm happy with either name.

Your birth Month and Year: April 1963
Your hometown: Toronto
Sun or Moon on the cover: Moon
Set in the Past or in the Future: Ugh -- past
Car, Motorbike, Airplane or Boat on the cover: Car
Cover color preference: Black
Month and year of publication preference: May 2024
Romance Trope suggestions: Friends to lovers/ Grumpy/Sunshine
Listopia list suggestions: Best Gay Romance if we can find it
Author suggestions: AJ Sherwood, Mary Calmes, Kaje Harper
Series suggestions: Bluewater Bay, Road to Rocktoberfest, Carnival of Mysteries, Friends of Gaynor Beach
Series where everyone must read a different book: As above or Fortune Favors the Fae or Tales from the Tarot
Profession suggestions: Cop, Military
Item on cover suggestions: something from The Hunt -- snow, flames or a book
Tagged animal: Dog or Wolf? Wolf

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "I'm happy with either name."

Me too!!!

How about these for 5 picks:

So, for 12. Book Recommendations, use the 5 picks?

25. one of the FACs -- what is that?

27. Published in year prior to 2020 -- 2019??

33. Same subgenre??

50. Set in Same Location -- London UK? New York?

53. Set in Same country outside US -- UK?? Australia?

58. Year joined RRRC? -- Me -- 2013

64. Continent one of us lives in -- are we all North America?

71. Janeylou's team??

73. Same author? Alice Winters?

75. Start with same letter, not include articles, so T and A aren't as useful

MountainKat wrote: "DeeNeez wrote: "What is FAC?"

Featured Author Challenge, it is now included the monthly challenge. If this task is assigned, I will include a list for all the authors for the selected time frame...."

12. Book Recommendations, use the 5 picks

25. one of the FACs -- what is that? TBD see above

27. Published in year prior to 2020 ..2019

33. Same subgenre MM Romance

50. Set in Same Location California

53. Set in Same country outside US -- UK

58. Year joined RRRC (not GR) 2022

64. Continent one of us lives in -- North America

71. Janeylou's team

73. Same author Alice Winters

75. Start with same letter, not include articles . S

64. Read 6 books not set on a continent of a teammate. Space does not count - must be a real continent.

Options are South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica

We do not need to choose the same continent

53. Each teammate reads a book set in one of your teammates' home town (born in, raised in, currently live in - all work), teams decide. No pass for this task.

For this I though we would use Toronto (Diane). Let me know if you would rather do Seattle/Washington or California

I have updated message 14 where there was a majority.

Things we still need to vote on:

Task 82 - Different books in same series
Carnival of Mysteries or Tales from the Tarot?
I vote Tarot but happy with either

Task 79 - Romance Trope
Enemies to Lovers was suggested by me and Dee. I need to know if Skye and Diane are happy with this, or we can go for Grumpy/Sunshine

Task 75 - Title starts with...(articles excluded)
Dee suggested S, are we all happy with this?

Task 74 - birth month
Choices are March, April, or August. I vote April?

Task 50 - Location & Task 53 - Member's hometown
How about we do Toronto for one and California for the other?

Task 27 - Year prior to 2020
All happy with 2019?

Task 80 - Decades 20, 10, 00,
Please devide decades among the three of you

Sequential Months and Years
Can I take 2025 and you devide 2024, 2023, 2022
Months I will take May, then you three devide Feb, March, April? I really don't mind which month if anyone wants a different group :)

We can always change things around when tasks are called depending on other challenges. For example, if Sun or Moon on cover is called, and you have a Bingo book with a sun on the cover, please ask us to swap rather than take on too much to read.
If someone has a book with a sun and another with a moon, we'll go with the original decision (which is this case in Moon).

If you come across any award nominated books, please post and I'll add them to message 14 so we're not scrambling when task 69 is called.

I missed 93. As a team, pick a Romance List from GR Listopia with less than 100 books on it, each teammate reads a book from that list

Options
Vikings
Unconventional Ending
Spoils of War
Time Travel

There's probably more so will keep looking over the next few weeks

ask 79 - Romance Trope
Enemies to Lovers was suggested by me and Dee. I need to know if Skye and Diane are happy with this, or we can go for Grumpy/Sunshine

Totally happy to read Enemies to Lovers.

Are we updating the spreadsheet or just referring to these messages?

I'll put all decisions in post 14 and also update the spreadsheet. We can use the spreadsheet to add book choices that fit the tasks.

For reading the same series, I do love Cut and Run, but I have read them all, and I am not too big on re-reads, I gotta be honest.

Diane wrote: "For reading the same series, I do love Cut and Run, but I have read them all, and I am not too big on re-reads, I gotta be honest."

What if we all read the same book? maybe a new release?

Cut & Run series finished. No new books .. ☹️

Go a head and just pick any series that the two of you want. I’m sure Skye and I can make do with whatever you pick. It’s just one book to read

DeeNeez wrote: "Cut & Run series finished. No new books .. ☹️

Go a head and just pick any series that the two of you want. I’m sure Skye and I can make do with whatever you pick. It’s just one book to read"

Sorry, I meant the first book in a new series released this year. Maybe from an author we all like.

Jessica wrote: "I missed 93. As a team, pick a Romance List from GR Listopia with less than 100 books on it, each teammate reads a book from that list

Options
Vikings
Unconventional Ending
Spoils of War
Time Trav..."

NO to Vikings!
First choice Time Travel
Second choice Unconventional Ending

Jessica wrote: "DeeNeez wrote: "Cut & Run series finished. No new books .. ☹️

Go a head and just pick any series that the two of you want. I’m sure Skye and I can make do with whatever you pick. It’s just one boo..."

Let’s just go for one of these. Both are fine with me.
The Elite
Tales From the Tarot

I'm good with those too.

First task tomorrow!! Gonna be a busy day.

I'm both excited and scared 😅

@Skye, I'm going to buddy read Skeletons in the Closetwith you for BQ

@Dee, I'll buddy read Every Move He Makes with you for Middle Earth