Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
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Elli's Monster Hunting Log
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Monster Hunting Directory
Greek Monsters (view spoiler)
Asian Monsters (view spoiler)
#4 Yeti
Urban Legends (view spoiler)
#4 Chupacabra
Fictional Human Monsters
#1 Fernand Mondego
#4 Randall Flagg
#5 O’Brian
Greek Monster #1
?Harpies (Easy)
? Task 1: Book length between 100 to 125 - How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
? Task 2: Features a feast or banquet - Sweep of the Heart
? Task 3: Contains a chase (car chase, foot chase, etc) - Eight Million Ways to Die
? Task 4: Character is royalty - Sweep of the Heart
? Task 5: Features a thief - Written in Red
- 15 Jan 23How it fits: Gertrude Hunt inn hosted an intergalactic spouse-searching event for the Ruler of the Dominion. Many feasts in the inn.
- 05 Jan 23How it fits: MC Matthew chased by a hitman
- 08 Apr 23How it fits: 138 pages
- 12 Oct 23***
Directory
Greek Monster #2
? Cerberus (Very Hard)
? Task 1: Book length between 500 to 650 - Turn Coat
? Task 2: Funerary celebration/service takes place - The Winners
? Task 3: Music MPG - Daisy Jones & The Six
? Task 4: Musical instrument on cover - The Violin Conspiracy
? Task 5: #3 in series - The Winners
- 05 Jan 2023How it fits: MPG Music
- 07 Feb 2023How it fits: (view spoiler) + Beartown #3
- 17 Jun 2023How it fits: 545pp
- 07 Nov 2023***
Directory
Greek Monster #3
?Kraken (How are you alive?)
? Task 1: Book length 800+ - Dragonfly in Amber
Task 2: Ship on cover
? Task 3: Author name (first or last) starts and ends with the same letter (e.g., Andromeda) - Salt to the Sea
? Task 4: Character goes swimming - Magic Tides
? Task 5: 8 in the series number (e.g., #8, #18, #0.8) - Murder in Little Italy
- 19 Feb 2023How it fits: Kate swam to safety at the end of the book
- 11 May 2023How it fits: Gaslight Mystery #8
- 16 May 2023How it fits: Ruta Sepetys
- 01 Nov 2023How it fits: 973 pages
***
Directory
Greek Monster #4
? Griffin (Mod/Hard)
? Task 1: Book length between 300 to 349 - Razorblade Tears
? Task 2: Set in United States - Razorblade Tears
? Task 3: Red cover The 7th Canon
? Task 4: "brave" or "courageous" in text - Kitty and the Midnight Hour
? Task 5: Cross on cover - Kings of the Wyld
- 23 Jan 2023How it fits: 319 pages , Set in Richmond, Virgina, US
- 03 Feb 2023How it fits: Red cover
- 08 Feb 2023How it fits: "brave" in text
- 30 May 2023***
Directory
Greek Monster #5
? Centaurs (Mod/Hard)
? Task 1: Book length between 300 to 349 - Pines
? Task 2: Forest on cover - Pines
? Task 3: Character is an archer - The Kingdom of Copper
? Task 4: MPG Classics - The Murder at the Vicarage
? Task 5: Character who is considered wise - The Murder at the Vicarage
- 14 Feb 2023How it fits: 320 pages , Forest on cover
- 23 Jan 2024How it fits: MPG Classics, Miss Marple is wise
- 27 Feb 2024How it fits: Dara
***
Directory
Asian Monster #1
?Jorogumo (Very Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 500 to 650 - Changes
? Task 2 : Tagged family (>10 times) - Please Look After Mom??
? Task 3 : Baby in story - Please Look After Mom??
? Task 4 : 8 in page count - A Place of Execution
? Task 5 : Character pretends to be someone else - Changes
- 01 June 2023How it fits: 480 pages
- 20 June 2023How it fits: 554 pages
- 13 Sep 2023How it fits: MPG family , Ch1 "the baby lived with your sister-in-law.."
***
Directory
Asian Monster #2
?Babi Ngepet (Moderate)
? Task 1 : Book length between 200 to 299 - Legends & Lattes
? Task 2 : Black cover (>50%) - 你是我的荣耀 You’re My Glory
? Task 3 : Author initials in SWINE - Before I Go to Sleep
? Task 4 : Rich MC - 你是我的荣耀 You’re My Glory
? Task 5 : Something is stolen - Legends & Lattes
- 09 June 2023How it fits: FL is a top celebrity - definitely rich
- 16 July 2023How it fits: 296 pages, magic artifact got stolen
- 08 October 2023How it fits: Author initials S & W
***
Directory
Asian Monster #3
?Tambuakar (Moderate)
? Task 1 : Book length between 200 to 299 - A Wizard of Earthsea
? Task 2 : Waterbody in title - A Wizard of Earthsea
? Task 3 : Jellied or eel in text - Dragonfly in Amber
? Task 4 : Book set in the 1900s - Dragonfly in Amber
? Task 5 : Extinct animal mentioned - Magic Claims
- 12 August 2023How it fits: 210 pages , 'sea' in title
- 21 July 2023How it fits: prehistoric animals mentioned
- 01 Nov 2023ch7 "...baby eel on his fork"
Set in 1968, Inverness, Scotland
***
Directory
Asian Monster #4
Yeti (How are you alive?)
? Task 1 : Book length over 800 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Task 2 : Book set (over 50%) in Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and/or India
? Task 3 : Snow on cover - The Snow Child
? Task 4 : Title starts with a letter in YETI - Exit Strategy
? Task 5 : 2 in pages count - Exit Strategy
- 31 July 2023How it fits: starts with 'E' , 172 pages
- 07 November 2023
- 16 March 2025How it fits: 815 pages
***
Directory
Asian Monster #5
? Aoyin (Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 350 to 450 - Remarkably Bright Creatures
? Task 2 : Animal with hooves on cover - Stormsong
? Task 3 : white cover (>50%) - Remarkably Bright Creatures
? Task 4 : Mountains on cover - The Easy Life in Kamusari - 14 Oct
? Task 5 : Tagged classic (>10 times)
- 15 Apr 23How it fits: 368 pages & mostly white cover
- 14 Oct 23
- 09 Nov 24 How it fits: MPG Classic
- 24 January 2025How it fits: Horses have hooves
***
Directory
Urban Legend #1
? La Llorona (Very Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 500 to 650 - The City of Brass 572pp
? Task 2 : MC is a mother - Sweep of the Blade
? Task 3 : TEARS in title - The City of Brass
? Task 4 : Set in Mexico or the Southwestern United States - Clean Sweep - Red Deer, Texas
? Task 5 : Blue text on cover - Clean Sweep
***
Directory
Urban Legend #2
? - completed on 21 Sep 2023Teke Teke (Moderate)
? Task 1 : Book length between 200 to 299 - Sweep in Peace
? Task 2 : MC rides on a train
? Task 3 : Cover shows half of something - Sweep in Peace
? Task 4 : Author's debut book - Bunnicula
? Task 5 : Title starts with letter found in TEKE
- 24 Jan 2023How it fits: 237pp , half of Dina's face
- 28 August 2023How it fits: MC travels by train to visit another character , starts with 'T'
- 21 Sep 2023***
Directory
Urban Legend #3
? - completed on 04 July 2023Barguest (Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 350 to 450 - The Cruel Prince
? Task 2 : Character's death important to plot - The Cruel Prince
? Task 3 : Only colors on cover are black, red and white - The Red Palace
? Task 4 : MC gets lost - The Cruel Prince
? Task 5 : MPG Classics - The Stepford Wives
- 06 Mar 2023How it fits: 370pp , the King died
- 08 Jun 2023
- 04 July 2023How it fits: MPG Classics
***
Directory
Urban Legend #4
Chupacabra (Very Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 500 to 650 - 嫡嫁千金(完结篇上下)The Rich Young Lady
Task 2 : Set in Spanish speaking country
? Task 3 : GOAT in title (letters) - How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
? Task 4 : Animal (not human) on cover - A Natural History of Dragons
? Task 5 : MPG Historical Fiction - A Natural History of Dragons
- 21 Jun 2023
- 15 Mar 2024
- 19 July 2024***
Directory
Urban Legend #5
? caught on 09 Aug 2024Mothman (Hard)
? Task 1 : Book length between 350 to 450 - Hench
? Task 2 : Light source on cover - A Monster Calls
? Task 3 : Author identifies as male - A Monster Calls
? Task 4 : Published in September - Hench
? Task 5 : Book set in a state that contains the Appalachian mountains - Murder in Chinatown
- 15 Mar 2023How it fits: 416pp , published in 22 September 2020
- 03 Feb 2024How it fits: Moon on cover, Male author
- 09 Aug 2024How it fits: Set in NYC
***
Directory
Fictional Human Monsters #1
Fernand Mondego (The Count of Monte Cristo) Hard
? Task 1 : Book length between 350 to 450 - Iron and Magic
? Task 2 : MC betrays or is betrayed - Graceling
? Task 3 : Stone building on the cover - Immortal in Death
? Task 4 : "ND" together in author name - Magic Triumphs
Task 5 : Set in France, Italy, or on the Mediterranean
- 26 April 2024How it fits: Katsa felt betrayed by Po when she figured out his true Grace.
- 30 April 2024How it fits: Stone building in cover
- 11 May 2024How it fits: Ilona Andrews
- 12 May 2024How it fits: 394 pages
***
Directory
Fictional Human Monsters #2
? caught on 08 Feb 2025Commander Waterford (The Handmaid’s Tale) Hard
? Task 1 : Book length between 350 to 450 - Ruby Fever
? Task 2 : Red Cover - Ruby Fever
? Task 3 : "Wall" in text - I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons
? Task 4 : Book makes you uncomfortable (any reason) - This Dark Road to Mercy
? Task 5 : Book has been made into movie or tv show - 2001: A Space Odyssey
- 17 Nov 24How it fits: The violence of the murder..
- 10 Dec 24How it fits: ch2 "...fell off the wall"
- 06 Jan 25How it fits: 380 pages
- 08 Feb 25***
Directory
Fictional Human Monsters #3
? caught on 15 Mar 2025The Master/Missy (Doctor Who) Moderate
? Task 1 : Book length between 200 to 299 - Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach
? Task 2 : Character is a doctor (MD, DVM, PhD etc.) - Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach
? Task 3 : Author initials (all) in MASTER - Off to Be the Wizard
? Task 4 : Author or MC is trans or non-binary - Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach
? Task 5 : Tagged Time Travel (10 minimum) - Off to Be the Wizard
- 21 Feb 25How it fits: MPG Time Travel, Scott Meyer
- 15 Mar 25How it fits: 233 pages, Hamid is a doctor, MC Minh is non-binary
***
Directory
Fictional Human Monsters #4
Randall Flagg (The Stand) How are you alive
Task 1 : Book length 651+
Task 2 : Virus, bacteria or fungi important to the plot
Task 3 : Black bird on the cover
Task 4 : Disappointed in the ending of the book (your interpretation)
Task 5 : Good v Evil imagery
***
Directory
Fictional Human Monsters #5
O’Brian (1984) Moderate
Task 1 : Book length 200 to 299
Task 2 : MPG Classics
Task 3 : MC follows orders
Task 4 : Technology plays an important role in the plot
Task 5 : Rodent on cover (not a rabbit)
***
Directory
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Ruby Fever (other topics)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (other topics)
Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach (other topics)
Off to Be the Wizard (other topics)
2001: A Space Odyssey (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ilona Andrews (other topics)Ruta Sepetys (other topics)
1.) Each monster has a set of required tasks that must be completed in order to vanquish the monster.
2.) Books can be used to complete more than one task, but only for the same monster. If you can find a single book that meets all five tasks, congratulations, you defeated the monster with just one book! Expect other teams to notice this and copy your choice ;)
3.) Teams/individuals can have up to 5 monsters to vanquish at any time.
4.) Monsters are assigned at random and may be repeated by the same team/individual.
5.) We like players to be creative, that's what makes this fun. However, please do not hurt yourself over thinking the tasks. If there still is some indecision, post in the Q&A thread or just find a different book.
6.) Once you vanquish a monster and get a replacement it should be considered locked and you cannot swap out books.