Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Completion Post
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years.


Book: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Author Olga Tokarczuk
Pages 290 GR 1st English edition
How it fits: First published (Polish version) November 2009
Read: 18-June
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Review: It's hard not to compare this to An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good but here instead of an intelligent, funny and lovable old lady, we get one who spends the majority of her time shouting at men who are never going to pay any attention. It feels like she's spiralling and maybe a little crazy as the men around her suggest.

I'm all for protecting animals, I hate the idea of hunting, but harassing and attacking people is not the way to handle it. This book just made me feel sad and though I loved the twist at the end, it wasn't enough for me to forgive the uncomfortable build-up.

Completion Post
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years.


Book: Practical Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pages 322 GR 1st edition
How it fits: First published July 1995
Read: 19-June
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Review: This is one where the movie was definitely better than the book. In fact they felt like different stories. This book starts after Gillian and Sally lose their parents and go to live with their aunts (who are terrible people), and ends when Sally's children are older teens. Sally, and later Ben, were the only likable characters but even Sally was problematic at times. This book lacked a clear narrative or a clear main character, it was just odd, and if I hadn't watched the movie over 10 times in my life I might not have enjoyed it at all.

Completion Post
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years.


Book SOS Hotel: End of the Road
Adam Vex
Pages 212 GR kindle first edition
How it fits: First published May 30, 2025
Finished Jun 19
Rate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
I want to cry with sadness, and I want to cry with joy. Sadness that this is their last book, joy for a wonderful happy ending for our trio. Their last adventure takes them to Florida, and of course mayhem ensues. Our heroes to the rescue! Yet, again Tom Collin’s rescues our heroes. Tom really does need his own story. Highly recommend this series!!!

How many books did we complete? I think we have 8…or is 9

I posted our completion.
I think we are competing next for first place along with team 1 &10

Msg….
MountainKat | 30695 comments ‼️ PLEASE TAKE NOTE! ‼️

With the challenge ending on Sunday, June 22nd, there will a minor change to the last task. Beginning on Friday, June 20th, when teams post their completions and get a new task, they will all get the same task - except for the final teams racing for the win. Those teams will all get the same task, but a different one from the other teams so they will not be able to prep in advance for the dash to the finish. For this task, instead of just completing it, you will continue reading to add to the total number of books read for your team. There will be no passes for the last task and to complete it, every team member must complete a book for the task and contribute to the overall book count. So, the task is considered ‘completed’ when every team member has read one book for the task, but you can continue reading in order to increase your overall book count for the task in case that is needed for a tie breaker. In the event that two or more teams are tied based on the number of tasks completed, the team with the highest book count will win The Amazing Race Team Challenge!

**Remember if your completion posts are incomplete or have the wrong page count, your books will not count. So help each other out by checking the posts!**

‼️ 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. ‼️

Posting that your team has completed the last task in the Q&A thread is not necessary as I will be checking all the team threads when the challenge ends.

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Completion Post
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years.

Summer Sons 372pg
completed 06/18/25

How it qualifies: First published September 28, 2021 Odd mon..."

Please correct to the first edition Kindle page count (384). Thanks.

DeeNeez wrote: "I posted our completion.
I think we are competing next for first place along with team 1 &10"

One more task before the last one. Barring either team falling behind, it is down to you and Team 1. Team 10 is alone in 3rd, they dropped a day last week.

Here is your next task!

Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.

Books selected for this task need to have a hat on the cover. You can use any edition's cover to qualify. Please include the qualifying cover in your completion post. Any kind of hat will work for this task - baseball cap, cowboy hat, beanie, etc. A hood or scarf does not work for this task. Remember to use the first edition Kindle page count.

Yes I was wondering if we would get a new task today or of she will wait and give us all one at the same time tomorrow.

I need a book where MC proves or tries to prove the innocence of another character. Anyone have one that comes to mind?

Yikes, does this mean we need to finish this HAT task in 24 hrs in order to get final task tomorrow?!

I’m starting with then

Hat on the cover. I gotta go with what I have available right now. Jim butchers “storm front”

I think if we finish today. We get a new one tomorrow for the final sprint

🤣 how I didn't see Kat's message right above mine

Jessica- harry has to prove he’s innocent of murder to the white council. Which is the law of beings. If that counts. In the book I’m reading

Yep. Complete to get new talk tomorrow. My book is like 372 pages long. Depending on what others are reading. You might be able to get away with a short book

MountainKat wrote: "Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Completion Post
Task 27 - 102. Read 8 book published in odd months and odd years.

Summer Sons 372pg
completed 06/18/25

How it qualifies: First pub..."

Updated

Ahh.

What page count do I have to use

Storm Front 336pg
says
Published September 25th 2007 by Roc
1st, Kindle Edition, 336 pages

But there is also

Storm Front
Format
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published
April 1, 2000 by ROC

I know this book itsn't 253 pages, I've read it several times, it's closer to 400.

Can I use the 336pages, since it does say 1st edition?

amazon says
the first kindle edition is 332pgs

I'm gonna ask on the Q/A

@everyone in case you didn't see it. We still have 48 hours to complete this task, and both us and Team 1 will receive the final task on Saturday, then have until the challenge finishes to read as many books as possible. I will try and find the exact time est

Okay, I thought tomorrow they would post the last task.
That makes it easier.

Can't find the exact time but I'm sure Kat will let us know when she posts the final task.

For this one I'm listening to

218 pages
302 pages

That's encouraging Jessica. Although it will leave us with only one day for the final task, and we all have to read at least one book then too!

I am reading Skeletons in the Closet which has 367 pages.

Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Storm Front 336pg
says
Published September 25th 2007 by Roc
1st, Kindle Edition, 336 pages

5 stars
I do love Harry Dresden.

This one also has one of my favorite quotes.

“Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face.”
― Jim Butcher, Storm Front

I think the greatest thing about this whole series, is I can talk about it for hours with my brother.

I read of few of his too, before I started reading MM books, and Harry is awesome!

Completion Post:

Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Book: Skeletons in the Closet
Author: Nicky James
Pages: 367 Kindle ed
Finished: Jun 19
How it fits: Cover model wearing hat
Rating: 4. 5 stars
Review: Love Nicky James' writing and am really liking Diem and Tallus, even though Diem is VERY difficult to like. So hard to believe that a man built like him can have such a skewed view of himself thanks to the abuse he received from his dad growing up. And honestly, well done, for having him struggle daily and back slide and keep striving. And for Tallus to have to deal with him with nothing but his instinct and empathy must have been very challenging to write. I love seeing the Valor and Doyle series characters pop up in this one, and I am so cheering for them. Will continue to read the series.

Total pages read so far: 336 + 367 = 703

Am going to assume I don't need to start another book as both Jessica and Dee have 2 listed?? (I could tho)

I finished my 2 books..posting soon. Need to write up review first…

Completion Post
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Red Dirt Heart
Author N.R. Walker
Pages: 186 GR a kindle first edition
How it fits: cowboy hat on cover
Finished Jun 19
Rate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
An exceptional story! I could feel the heat, and taste the damn red dirt. You could really feel what life is like on the Australian outback station. As for Travis and Charlie, great relationship building. This story was all Charlie's POV. I'd like a story from Travis' view next.

Completion Post
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Book Red Dirt Heart 2
Author N.R. Walker
Pages: 272 GR kindle first edition
How it fits: 2 cowboys hats on cover
Finished Jun 19
Rate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
Still loving Travis and Charlie. Just as wonderful as the first book. Even though I wanted to thwack Charlie upside the head the first half of the book, it made the romantic emotions even stronger later, it was a perfect ending. But the best part was that baby kangaroo, Matilda!

Total pages so far
(336 + 367 + 186 + 272)=1,161

Completion Post
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Book: Love Me Again
Author: Max Walker
Pages: 302 GR kindle
How it fits: model wearing a baseball cap
Date read: Jun 20
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I actually really enjoyed this however, there were some plot choices that were a bit ridiculous. If you adopt an attitude of 'just go with it' I think you'll have a good time. The characters are lovely, the narration by Greg Boudreaux is always excellent and the mystery is a lot of fun, though not very clever.

336+367+186+272+302=1,463

Is anyone reading another or should I start The Hunt ?

Go for it. Hubby’s car is not working. Got to drive to cell phone service area so I can make arrangements with tow truck

That's great if you don't mind

Jessica wrote: "Completion Post
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Book: Love Me Again
Author: Max Walker..."

Umm excuse me Max Walker, you should be on the cover, not just writing the book.
🌶🌶🌶

Completion Post Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Book: The Hunt
Author: J.M. Dabney
Pages: 218
How it fits: hat on cover
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I loved the dark, gritty, noir vibe of this book. Kirt Graves deep voice was perfect for Ray, a detective framed as being corrupt and kicked off the force. He's now a private detective fed up of following cheating wives, when a serial killer appears with similar patterns to one he chased a long time ago. The investigation leads him to Andrew, whose roommate has just been murdered. Ray must find the serial killer while also keeping Andrew safe.

I'm so excited to get our final task!

I wonder what time it will come in!

I'm hoping to get a book or two to fit in SH or Quest.
But if not, it's okay. We'll still have a little over a week to catch up.

We have a few hours before we go to the fair. I'm hoping I can find an audio and listen while we go through the exibits.

I'm gonna be a BAD girl today. I haven't had real sugar in forever.
I'm gonna have a funnel cake. I know it's gonna spike my blood sugar horribly. But I've been so good, and I haven't had one the last 2 fair years. One time isn't gonna kill me.

DeeNeez wrote: "Completion Post
Task 28 - 86. Read at least 1500 pages in books with a hat on the cover.


Red Dirt Heart
Author N.R. Walker
Page..."

Please correct to the first edition Kindle page count (196). Thanks.

Here is your last task!

Last Task - Read a book 235 pages or over.

June 22nd, the last day of this challenge, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the result of the Earth’s axial tilt being about 23.5º relative to the orbit of the sun. In celebration of the start of astronomical summer, read books with a first edition Kindle page count of 235 pages or over.

Remember completion posts with errors or missing elements will not count towards your team total or the completion of this task. The task will be considered ‘completed’ when each team member has completed one book for this task, additional books will count towards a tie breaker if necessary. Help each other out by double checking posts are complete with the first edition Kindle page count!

There is no need to post a team completion in the Q&A thread, I will be checking all team threads at the conclusion of the challenge. 😊

I am going to attempt two books from The Last Picks series. (8 and 9)

I'm gonna start with
Dead Weight and When Haru Was Here

Hoping I can get them done today. Idk about tomorrow.

Thank goodness it's so broad. Other challenges, I'm coming to catch up!

Other than the fair, I don't have any plans this weekend, so I'm gonna go hard and try to catch up with Quest.

I've only got the 1 that qualifies for SH, so I'll do it first.