2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ARCHIVE: Monthly Challenges
>
October - Monster Mash
MONSTER MASHParticipants
Brittany (msg 55): 2/3
Cindy (msg 26): 0/8
Debra (msg 16): 2/5
Hela (msg 14): 0/5
Jenny (msg 43): 1/4
Laura (msg 89): 0/1
Sabah (msg. 17): 0/2
Sunshine (msg 57): 0/2
Suzanne (msg 36): 2/5
Completed 🥳
🧛♀️SarahKat (msg 8): 5/5
🧛♀️Janine (msg 60): 3/3
🧛♀️Ziggy (msg 18): 5/5
🧛♀️oshizu (msg 3): 7/4
🧛♀️Mie (msg 12): 4/3
🧛♀️ Rachael (msg 5): 4/4
🧛♀️ Trisha (msg 20): 2/2
🧛♀️ Amy (msg 11): 5/5
🧛♀️Linda (msg 44): 6/4
🧛♀️Sarah (msg 105): 5/5
🧛♀️Lynn (msg 37): 3/2
🧛♀️ Carmen (msg 4): 10/10
🧛♀️ Crystal (msg 22): 3/3
🧛♀️ Melissa (msg 28): 11/11
🧛♀️ TerryJane (msg 29): 15/14
🧛♀️ Nicole (msg 31): 18/5
🧛♀️ Jennifer (msg 24): 2/2
🧛♀️ Samantha (msg 41): 3/3
🧛♀️ Charity (msg 21): 5/5
Stats
I'll be sharing group progress in four phases: Days 1-8, 9-16, 17-23, and 24-31.
Phase 1: Books read/pledged: 20/116 (17.2%); Challenges begun/done: 0/26 (0%).
Phase 2: Books read/pledged: 52/124 (42%); Challenges done/begun: 2/26 (7.7%).
Phase 3: Books read/pledge: 69/132 (52.3%); Challenges done/begun: 7/28 (25%).
Phase 4: Books read/pledged: 123/130 (94.6%); Challenges done/begun: 19/28 (67.9%)
(Updated on 2 November through msg 136)
I'm inviting at least four supernaturals to my bash!Progress: 6/4
My party guests:
✔️1. Vampire: Certain Dark Things
✔️2. Kandra: The Bands of Mourning
✔️3. Witch: Brownies and Broomsticks
✔️4. Victor's creature: Frankenstein
✔️5. Cyborg: Frankissstein: A Love Story
✔️6. Necromancer: Gideon the Ninth
7. Druid: Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Hola!My guests list includes:
1. Vampires:
✔️The Golden Lily
✔️The Indigo Spell
2. Witches:
✔The Witches of Eastwick
✔Brownies and Broomsticks
3. Shape-Shifters/Beasts:
✔The Ventriloquist's Tale
✔️Beauty in Autumn
✔El reino de este mundo
4. Sorcerers/Goblins (and other creatures):
✔Olvidado rey Gudú
5. Zombies:
✔Warm Bodies
6. Ghosts:
✔️Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
PROGRESS: 10/10
The song is going to be in my head all month now XDMy guest list is:
✅ A wizard: The Colour of Magic finished 3 October, ⭐⭐⭐ with review
✅ A vampire: Fevre Dream finished 23 October, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ with review
✅ Witches: A Secret History of Witches finished 18 October, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Daemons: The Secret Commonwealth finished 8 October, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ with review
COMPLETED: 4/4
Welcome to Monster Mash, Carmen and Rachael.@Rachael
Regarding your uncertainty about The Secret Commonwealth's daemon, I personally am counting any supernatural as a "monster."
It's up to you!
OK. I'm going to go for 4 books. Not all monsters are evil, so I'm going to say daemons are monsters too
I'll sign up for 5!Vampire
Dracula
Werewolf
Wolf, Vol. 1: Blood and Magic
Cyborg
Descender, Vol. 3: Singularities
"Creatures"
Bird Box
Undecided (zombie/Frankenstein's maybe)
If I were to read A Discovery of Witches, the blurb mentions daemons, witches and vampires. Would that be three invitations? Or should I stick to one monster/supernatural being per book? A Discovery of Witches is 579 pages, so I'll want to pick accordinglyl. The Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris would include lots of invitees also -- shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, witches and faeries, at the very least.
TerryJane wrote: "If I were to read A Discovery of Witches, the blurb mentions daemons, witches and vampires. Would that be three invitations? Or should I stick to one monster/supernatural being per book?"Yes, you would invite one guest per book.
And you are free, of course, to switch around your categories during the month. For example, you initially count a Sookie Stackhouse book for your vampire guest, but later find another enticing vampire book. You could then switch your Sookie Stackhouse guest for a faerie instead.
It's entirely up to you. :D
I will go for 5 please! I will list them after I figure it out.5/5-- Challenge Complete!
1. WITCHES-- Captivated & Entranced
2. VAMPIRES, TELEPATH, SHAPESHIFTER-- Dead Until Dark
3. WERE-HUNTERS, DARK-HUNTERS, DAIMONS-- Dark Side of the Moon
4. GHOSTS-- A Ghost for Christmas
5. IT-- It
My house will be haunted by at least 3 monsters this month - scary!4/3 - COMPLETE ✔️
📗 Evil pixie - The Opal Deception
📗 Demon warlock - The Lost Colony
📗 Vampire - Certain Dark Things
📗 Wizard - Storm Front
Welcome, SarahKat, Amy, and Mie!@TerryJane
I hope you will join us, too! Your party doesn't have to have a huge guest list.
@Carmen
Oh my, what a guest list! Are you hiring caterers and waiters?
@SarahKat
I love that you're inviting a cyborg!
@Amy
Can't wait to see what you'll be reading!
@Mie
Here's hoping that we both enjoy reading Certain Dark Things! 😊
Hela wrote: "Can manga and comics characters be invited?^^"Yes, of course, they are more than welcome. It's your party! (^_^)
Welcome to Monster Mash!
Sign me up for 5Vampire-The Vampire's Throne10/8/19
werewolf-Blood Lust10/24/19
Zombie-Rot & Ruin
Witch-Shadow of Night
Ghost-The Winter Ghosts
I’m in for 2, might add more later.#1
#2
Completed: 0/2
Hi oshizu, I'm inviting two guests to the party -1. Vampire
Dracula - Completed.
2. Monstrous/demon clown (not sure what it really is)
It - Completed.
Thanks!
I’m going to invite at least 5 guests. 5/5
1. Witch - These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling 10/15/19
2. Ghost - Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab 10/17/19
3. Evil Fairies - Faefever by Karen Marie Moning 10/20/19
4. Werewolves - Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs 10/27/19
5. Vampire - The Awakening by L.J. Smith 10/28/19
3/3
A warm welcome to Monster Mash for Trisha, Charity, and Crystal!
I would like to do 2, with the option of 2 more, time permitting:I’m inviting:
1) Monsters- Frankenstein DONE
2) Black Cat and Raven- The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings DONE
Late arrivals if the party lasts long enough-
3) Cyborg- Cinder
4) Beasts-The Eye of the World
2/2
Jennifer wrote: "I would like to do 2, with the option of 2 more, time permitting:"@Jennifer
Yay, a big Monster Mash welcome to you and your guests!
MONSTER MASHDuration: October 1 - 31, 2019
I am in for 8
Ghoul:
Vampire:
Cindy, welcome to Monster Mash.I'm a big fan of Tokyo Ghoul, too!
I am inviting 13 monsters to the party, so far 11 have arrived:XX1. Ghosts (Ghostland) -- the ghosts have arrived!
2. Werewolf (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, invitation pending)
XX3. Fairies--have arrived! They unexpectedly came to the party and didn't stay long--only one page--but they are there! (The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis--I didn't expect fairies in a non-fiction book about TB)
XX4. Lobstrocities -- have arrived! (The Drawing of the Three)
XX5. Enchanted Beast (A Curse So Dark and Lonely) -- has arrived!
XX6. Aliens (Fortunately, the Milk) -- have arrived!
XX7. Faded Girls (Her Body and Other Parties) -- have arrived!
XX8. The reanimated dead (The Essential Edgar Allan Poe) -- have arrived!
XX9. Wizards (Howl's Moving Castle) -- have arrived!
XX10. Vampire bunny (Bunnicula) -- has arrived!
XX11. Creatures (Bird Box) -- have arrived! (aaaaaaaagh!)
XX12. Evil spirits (The Shining) -- have arrived!
13. Supernatural cat (M Is for Magic) -- invitation pending
I'm inviting 14 guests to my party. Maybe more... MONSTER MASH - Monthly Challenge
Duration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Progress: 15/14 -- COMPLETE 10/30/19
My Guest List
👻 *1. Zombie: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (film)
👻 *2. Alien: Nightflyers (TV series)
👻 3. Demon: The Girl On Legare Street
👻 4. Ghost: The Strangers on Montagu Street
👻 5. Witch: The Witch's Daughter
👻 *6. Troll: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (movie)
👻 *7. Basilisk: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (movie)
👻 *8. Werewolf: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
👻 *9. Dragon: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (movie)
👻 *10. Centaur: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (movie)
👻 *11. Giant: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (movie)
👻 *12. Goblin: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (movie)
👻 *13. Vampire: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (movie)
👻 *14. Faun: Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun (movie)
👻 15. Vermicious Knid: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
*Bonus: Movie or TV series tie-in
Melissa wrote: "Please sign me up!I am inviting three monsters to the party (to start with):
1. Ghosts (Ghostland, invitation pending)
2.
3."
@Melissa
A hearty welcome to Monster Mash!
Looking forward to learning who you'll be inviting. :)
@TerryJane
Good gracious, TerryJane, what a party!!!!
Color me impressed. :D
I'll attempt 5 Guests. Not sure who I'm inviting yet.(We had more attendees than expected. ^^;)
A Witch- Amalie in Mistletoe Meltdown
A Vampire- Makoto in Happiness, Vol. 5
A Timesuck- Saga, Vol. 7
A Dread Naught- Saga, Vol. 8
A Jorōgumo- Shadow of the Fox
A Chimera- Loa in Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 8
A Centaur- Firenze in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
A Kitsune Biju- Kurama in Naruto (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 24: Includes vols. 70, 71 72
A Werewolf- Miss Lupescu in The Graveyard Book, Volume 1
An Ushi-Oni Biju- Eight-Tails in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Vol. 1: Naruto Next Generations
A Shuten-douji - Hakka/Guardian of the Gate in The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 10
A Nue- Aoi/Omamori-sama in The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 11
A Ghost- Suki in Soul of the Sword
Living Walls (yokai)- The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 12
An Octopus-like Creature- Koro-Sensei in Assassination Classroom, Vol. 6
A Kaiju- My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 3
An Electric Eel- Human Hybrid- Teruo in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 4
An Ayakashi- Kasha in The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 13
Goal Met So Far: 18/5
Amy wrote: "Updated message 11-- 1/5-- Witches"Nice, Amy! The first book read for this challenge!
Nicole wrote: "I'll attempt 5 Guests. Not sure who I'm inviting yet."Welcome to the challenge, Nicole!
oshizu wrote: "Nicole wrote: "I'll attempt 5 Guests. Not sure who I'm inviting yet."Welcome to the challenge, Nicole!"
TY! ^_^
2019 Reading ChallengeOctober - Monster Mash
Duration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Progress: 2 out of 2
We're having a frightfully good party and we're inviting all of our favorite fictional monsters. Build your guest list with monsters big and small. Any book involving a make-believe monster will count (i.e., not humans who engage in monstrous acts). Bonus scares and kudos to you if you choose classic or modern Hollywood monsters or others that tie into our yearly theme.
How to Participate
1. Build Your Guest List. These are the monsters you will invite with the book that relates to them.
2. Let the emcee (challenge leader) know when your monsters arrive (i.e., when you complete a book).
Example
(view spoiler)
1. Spirit Walker: The Gaslight Dogs by Karin Lowachee - *** - 10/15/2019 - 368 Pages
2. Werewolf: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh - **** - 10/21/2019 - 432 Pages
MONSTER MASHDuration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Completed: 3/2 as of October 27!!
Snuck in a cozy read which counted as another ghost!
I rarely read such books, but I have these scheduled for October and they should work:
Buried Bones
Ghost: Beloved
Demon: My Best Friend's Exorcism
(Thank you to oshizu!)
A demon.
I hated this book so much that I refuse to even give it a "1" rating! UGH!! TRIGGER WARNING: Animal/Pet and Death. Well not just death--murder!
Lynn wrote: "MONSTER MASHDuration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Since I rarely read any books that would qualify, I'll say 1 for now...and I don't even know what "one" that might be!
We'll see...
Wait! How 'bout a ..."
A ghost would qualify.
Also, isn't there a demon in My Best Friend's Exorcism?
oshizu wrote: "Lynn wrote: "MONSTER MASHDuration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Since I rarely read any books that would qualify, I'll say 1 for now...and I don't even know what "one" that might be!
We'll see...
Wait!..."
*Shakes head in embarrassment*
Yes, oshizu, I assume there is a demon in My Best Friend's Exorcism. I need you to help me planning for all these challenges!! ;) I will update my post!
Lynn wrote: "oshizu wrote: "Lynn wrote: "MONSTER MASHDuration: October 1 - 31, 2019
Since I rarely read any books that would qualify, I'll say 1 for now...and I don't even know what "one" that might be!
We'..."
Haha, I only noticed because I'd "perused" your Roll Your Credits post. *coughs
I would like to invite 3 to start. Subject to change.1. Witch: The Witch's Daughter ✔️
2. Wizard: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ✔️
3. Ghost: The Turn of the Screw ✔️
3/3 Complete!
Suzanne, Lynn, and SamanthaYay, welcome to Monster Mash!
Can you sign me up for 4 initially please?
1/4 completed
1. Witch/Vampire
2. Ghost
3. Fairy
4. Zombie - London
1/4 completed
1. Witch/Vampire
2. Ghost
3. Fairy
4. Zombie - London
I'll sign up for 4 to start things off.√1. Creatures - Bird Box by Josh Malerman
√2. Vampire or empousai/Kelli - The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
√3. Monster - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
√4. Witch/Dido - A Candle in Her Room by Ruth M. Arthur
√5. Giant/ Porphyrion - The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
√6. Leucrota / Halcyon Green - The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan
Welcome to Monster Mash, Jenny and Linda!Oooh, a fairy guest! What book will that be?
Updated msg 3My first guest to arrive is an Aztecan vampire!
Certain Dark Things (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)
Progress: 1/4
oshizu wrote: @Carmen Oh my, what a guest list! Are you hiring caterers and waiters?..."
I think I'll go for a buffet thing, LOL.
Message #4 updatedPROGRESS:1/10
First appearance: A gang of morois, damphirs, alchemists, vampire-hunters, and one witch who sneaked in, too.
Updated message 11-- 2/5Dead Until Dark-- this book had a telepath, a shapeshifter, and vampires.
So far my party includes vampires, a telepath, a shapeshifter, and 3 witches
Message #4 updatedPROGRESS:2/10
Another gang of vampires (morois and damphirs), alchemists, and witches have joined the party, and a little demon sneaked in this time.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Faefever (other topics)The Awakening (other topics)
Storm Cursed (other topics)
Tunnel of Bones (other topics)
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ana María Matute (other topics)Karin Lowachee (other topics)
Nalini Singh (other topics)
Josh Malerman (other topics)
Patrick Ness (other topics)
More...
Duration: October 1 - 31, 2019
We're having a frightfully good party and we're inviting all of our favorite fictional monsters. Build your guest list with monsters big and small. Any book involving a make-believe monster will count (i.e., not humans who engage in monstrous acts). Bonus scares and kudos to you if you choose classic or modern Hollywood monsters or others that tie into our yearly theme.
How to Participate
1. Build Your Guest List. These are the monsters you will invite with the book that relates to them.
2. Let the emcee (challenge leader) know when your monsters arrive (i.e., when you complete a book).
Example
I am inviting five monsters to the party:
1. Changeling: The Changeling
2. Vampire: Vampires in the Lemon Grove
3. Werewolf: Mongrels
4. Zombie: Zone One
5. Witch: Bruja Born
This party will be "emceed" by oshizu.