Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Interactive/Other Challenges
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Meet & Greet Challenge Round 71 (Aug/Sep) - Reading
PLEASE - remember this challenge takes effort and time for members to go through your reading list.DO NOT SIGN UP unless you are prepared to participate and reciprocate with picks.
**PLEASE post IN THIS THREAD if you have been delayed** with your picks for whatever reason (we ALL understand real life getting in the way and are very happy to wait). Just let us know what is happening. (I don't have a lot of time to chase members when they are late, so I would greatly appreciate not having to do this 🥰)
I STRONGLY suggest that everyone clicks on the 'Notify me when people comment' link at the bottom of this thread so that they know when activity/commenting is happening. That way you should not miss people asking where your picks are :)
BONUS PICKSSome members like to receive more picks than from just their group. If you would like to participate in bonus picks, please note this in your sign up post. If you sign up for bonus picks, you MUST pick for every other person in the bonus picks group. This includes members who were in your original group - they will receive two sets of picks from you. Please do not recommend the same books to a member that is in both your original group and the bonus pick group - a clean set of picks is required.
Please be aware that the bonus pick group could be comprised of only a few people OR be at least the size of another full group.
Since the completion of this challenge is directly tied to the Groupings, please delay your bonus picks to other members until 22 July.
Everyone may start on their bonus picks once it hits 12.00 am in New Zealand
Local time: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock...
(12 hours ahead of UTC/GMT)
Sign ups by SUNDAY 20 July 4.00pm EST US*Jane - picking shelf Rereads ✅
christene - z mng picking
Julie - challenges pick list
LaurLa - 01 pick me please
*Jamie - open series Rereads ✅
Hazel - mng selects leave from 20 July
*Shelby - meet and greet to read **diff shelf for bonus** Rereads ✅
*Carrie - read my shelves Rereads ✅
Avid Reader & GG - meet and greet to pick from
*MKat - meet n greet options Rereads ✅
*Anja - 2025 mng challenge
R E C - meet n greet pick shelf
MrsGeo - 8 2025 rr tbr
SusanA - mg pick from here
*KarenH - meet and greet Rereads ✅
Grace - meet and greet Rereads ✅
Ela (mouse) - meet n greet Rereads ✅
*Connie N - meet greet options Rereads ✅
Aminko - next up 2025
Chiara - meet greet challenge
*Elizabeth - aug sep 2025
Jessica - pick it for me
*Christy - up next
Carmen TBST - meet greet picks
~Melissa~ - meet n greet Rereads ✅
*Cheryl - meet greet
Jenner - meet n greet pick shelf Rereads ✅
Diane Firefly - mng picking
*Wealie - 0 picking
*Raine - 2025 pifm
RaeRae - meet and great
KathyD - pick shelf audio Rereads ✅
Avigail - tbr for challenges Rereads ✅
Nadine - 2025 challenge pick shelf
Sassafrass - 2025 1 pifm aoc
Chan - to read
Tink Magoo - to read
Anissa - rr mng picking
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Bonus pickersstart picking at 12.00am 22 July NZ time for all participants regardless of your country
Local time: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock...
*Jane - picking shelf Rereads ✅
*Jamie - open series Rereads ✅
*Shelby - current challeges to read **diff shelf for group** Rereads ✅
*Carrie - read my shelves Rereads ✅
*MKat - meet n greet options Rereads ✅
*Anja - 2025 mng challenge
*KarenH - meet and greet Rereads ✅
*Connie N - meet greet options Rereads ✅
*Elizabeth - aug sep 2025
*Christy - up next
*Cheryl - meet greet
*Wealie - 0 picking
*Raine - 2025 pifm
Groups allocatedsoon after 20 July 4.00pm EST US
Group 1
Aminko - next up 2025
Anissa - rr mng picking
Anja - 2025 mng challenge
Avigail - tbr for challenges Rereads ✅
Carmen TBST - meet greet picks
Chan - to read
Cheryl - meet greet
christene - z mng picking
Connie N - meet greet options Rereads ✅
Grace - meet and greet Rereads ✅
Jane - picking shelf Rereads ✅
Jenner - meet n greet pick shelf Rereads ✅
KarenH - meet and greet Rereads ✅
LaurLa - 01 pick me please
MrsGeo - 8 2025 rr tbr
R E C - meet n greet pick shelf
Shelby - meet and greet to read **diff shelf for bonus** Rereads ✅
Tink Magoo - to read
Wealie - 0 picking
Group 2
Avid Reader & GG - meet and greet to pick from
Carrie - read my shelves Rereads ✅
Chiara - meet greet challenge
Christy - up next
Diane Firefly - mng picking
Ela (mouse) - meet n greet Rereads ✅
Elizabeth - aug sep 2025
Hazel - mng selects leave from 20 July
Jamie - open series Rereads ✅
Jessica - pick it for me
Julie - challenges pick list
KathyD - pick shelf audio Rereads ✅
~Melissa~ - meet n greet Rereads ✅
MKat - meet n greet options Rereads ✅
Nadine - 2025 challenge pick shelf
RaeRae - meet and great
Raine - 2025 pifm
Sassafrass - 2025 1 pifm aoc
SusanA - mg pick from here
Remember:If you have a private profile, you MUST OPEN YOUR PROFILE for the duration of the picking. No exceptions.
**Remember to check that other members can access your bookshelves and that they are not set to private for the duration of picking AND that you can receive private messages.
Refer instructions on how to make sure you receive messages.
If you haven't played for a while or new to the challenge, you are likely blocking all PMs.
BONUS picks may start 22 July 12.01 am NZ time
Time converter: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock...
(12 hours ahead of UTC/GMT)
I really don’t understand what’s going on but I’m in😂
I’m in for regular please https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
* I leave for holiday on 20 July. I should have WiFi but just in case there are any delays with my picks*
I'm in for regular and bonus please. :)Regular - Meet and Greet to Read
Bonus - Current Challenge to Reads
Me please! Regular and bonus - rereads are awesome!!Please use my meet-n-greet-options shelf - thanks!
Jennifer wrote: "I really don’t understand what’s going on but I’m in😂"Hi Jennifer - if you want to join the challenge, you need to post a shelf for members to pick from.
Refer to the details in msg 1 on how to create a shelf if you don't already have a 'picking' shelf. Ideally you add up to 100 books to the shelf.
Carolyn wrote: "I am in!!"Don't forget to add a shelf for picking! I'll put you on the list once you do that :)
🐝 Updated to herehttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Please let me know if I've missed you or some element of your sign up :)
Another 4 days (or so) till sign up closes :)
I can't believe I almost missed the signup. 😳I'm in for regular picks.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Hi Jane. Please add me to the regular group only. Thank you!https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
1 August - 30 September 2025
This is a challenge for the hordes of members who need help selecting their next book to read. This is basically a group Pick-It-For-Me challenge WITHOUT the new book recommendations or categories. It is a two (2) month challenge and will be repeated every two months so long as there is significant interest.
This challenge is limited to members who are 18 years or older. This is one of the very few age-restricted challenges in our group. There are many other challenges to choose from for those under 18.
Depending on the number of sign-ups for this challenge, groups will consist of 15-20 people.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
20 July 4.00PM US EST (SUNDAY) - SIGN-UPS close date! Please allow a few hours for the groups to be posted. Once the groups are posted, picking for the groups will then commence.
22 July 12am NZ - picking starts for the bonus group.
31 July - PICKING due date! Picks for all group members must be completed.
1 August - OPENING date - Start reading!
INSTRUCTIONS: Step by step
1. Each participant must create a shelf and include on that shelf books that they would like to read in the coming two months. You will need to have at least 30-40 books on this shelf and you must post the link to that shelf when you sign up. If you participated in the last MnG, you may use the same shelf with updated books.
Participants also appreciate not having too many books on that shelf - they want to select something you really want to read or be pushed to read. Try to keep the shelf under 100 books.
2. Sign up by the close date, posting the link to your shelf.
3. Once sign-up closes, each person will recommend to every other person in their group THREE (3) books selected from each member's nominated shelf. Recommendations will be sent via PM (private message) - NOT in the thread.
If you have a private profile, you MUST OPEN YOUR PROFILE for the duration of the picking. No exceptions.
If you are new to the challenge, please make sure your privacy settings are set to 'anyone' being able to send you private messages. Refer below for how to do this.
4. Members choose ONE (1) book from each set of recommendations, removing that selected book from their nominated shelf (to reduce multiple selections of the same book) and placing it in another shelf to track this challenge. I would suggest that you create a second shelf for these selections for ease of tracking.
5. When picking starts I will open the participants thread for each member to post their list of selected books.
6. Once the challenge opens on the first day of next month, mark off each book on your challenge list as it is finished, noting the date completed. Update your completion rate at the top of your list throughout the challenge - e.g. "Completed: 3/15". Please feel free to post feedback on each book in the discussion thread :) You cannot start your book until the first day of the month.
Do not repost your list in the Participants Thread - you will maintain your list in the original post.
To complete this challenge, you must read at least five (5) books from your chosen list. You may, of course, complete the full list.
There will be two threads for this challenge:
* Sign Up/Reading thread. All sign-ups, chat and questions occurs in this thread.
* Participants' Lists thread. This is only for the final book list for each participant. The participants' thread will be locked until we are ready to start picking.
You cannot start picking for your group members until groups are posted.
RULES/TIPS:
* You ONLY select books from the pickee's nominated shelf.
* You must nominate 3 books for each set of picks.
* Book nominations and selections do not need to be in any order.
* You can add/subtract books on your own picking list at any time during the sign-up and picking process. (However if a book has already been recommended during the picks prior to swapping it off your list, this recommendation stands valid.)
* If you recommend a book from a series, please ensure that it is the next book for the reader in that series.
* If a book from a series is recommended but it is not the next book for the reader in that series and it is on your nominated shelf, please feel free to substitute the appropriate book for that recommendation.
* The 3 books recommended must be in different series or stand alone books. Your picks need to provide a variety of choice!
* You may put re-reads on your nominated picking shelf if desired. (This means the book may already be 'read' and rated - but if it is on that shelf, these books are fair game for the pickers.)
* You must have completed picking for your group members by the picking due date.
* You may use books planned for other challenges in this challenge and vice-versa unless otherwise specified in the alternate challenge(s).
* There is NO minimum page number requirement in this challenge.
* Books may be from any romance sub-genre, but we are a romance group so please keep your books on your nominated shelf to the romance or popular fiction genres.
* Remember - if your profile is private, you will need to OPEN YOUR PROFILE FOR THE DURATION OF THE PICKING PERIOD otherwise members will not be able to access your nominated picking shelf.
* Feel free to 'friend' all the members of the group, as this will make picking much easier and faster.
* A member can ask for repicks from another member if they have already selected all three of the nominated books. For this reason, it is important that members move books off their nominated picking shelf as soon as they have made their selection.
* When providing feedback in the Reading Thread, please ensure that key plot points are hidden behind the spoiler 'tag' - <'spoiler>blah plot point blah<'/spoiler> (ignoring the apostrophes which have been inserted to show the formula).
* If you have a book that you can't finish (DNF), you are welcome to go back to the original picks from that member and select another book. You cannot ask for new picks. You may count as 'finished' a DNF book if you have read at least 50% but that book must then be marked as a 'DNF' in either your review or appropriately shelved as such on your GR bookshelf.
Our members read a variety of romance sub-genres. You do not need to have read the book that you recommend, nor do you have to have knowledge of the sub-genre that may predominate any of the shelves. How you select books from the nominated shelves is entirely up to you.
How to create a new bookshelf:
* Go to My Books
* Click on edit next to 'bookshelves' on top left
* Type in the name of your shelf and click 'Add'
* Customize the shelf as desired
How to include the link to your new bookshelf:
(Once you have your bookshelf created)
* Right click on the bookshelf hyperlink (green text that takes you to the page)
* Select 'Copy link' from the menu that appears
* In your sign up post, right click again and select 'paste'
-> the link to your bookshelf should now show in that post
How to ensure you will receive private messages:
Before the challenge starts please make sure you can receive private messages (using a computer) (aka you are accepting messages from other members):
* click on your profile (top right)
* click on the profile link
* next to your name at the top, click on the 'edit profile' link
* go to the settings tab
* scroll to Privacy and allow 'anyone' to send you messages (under 'Who can send me private messages')
Please remember:
YOU ARE NOT SIGNED UP UNTIL YOU POST A LINK TO YOUR SHELF.