Open Thread: Scavenger Hunts
This year, I participated in Beat the Backlist (2017), which had a Harry Potter theme. As part of this, there were four scavenger hunts, three of which I completed. Let’s take a look at them!
First was “Harry’s Trunk”, five items associated with Harry Potter throughout the series.
SNITCH
A character wins a battle for their side
“The Immortal Iron Fist: The Last Iron Fist Story”–Iron Fist defeats a bunch of HYDRA agents.
CLOAK
A character receives a gift from an unexpected source
“Blade of the Immortal Omnibus 1”–Manji gets immortality worms from a Buddist nun.
HEDWIG
A book featuring a beloved pet.
“Classic American Short Stories”–in “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, Rip has a beloved dog named Wolf.
BROOMSTICK
A book featuring unusual transportation
“Showcase Presents: Rip Hunter…Time Master”–time machine!
LIGHTNING-BOLT SCAR
A character with scars
“The Fall of the Towers” by Samuel R. Delany–Arkor, like all telepaths, is marked with a triple scar.
Next up, the Weasley family, nine books reflecting the many members of that clan.
ARTHUR: A character who works with or is fascinated by technology. “Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 3: Reason”–Kat is a whiz with technology, who at one point built her own flying vehicle.
MOLLY: A protective mother or mother figure. “Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott”–Lady Treherne is very protective of her daughter and the rest of their family, even when it goes against their own plans.
BILL: Someone who works with money or finance. “Futaba-Kun Change! Vol. 1” by Hiroshi Aro–Negiri is an entrepreneur and money-spinner.
CHARLIE: A character who meets a supernatural creature. “Platinum End Volume 1” by Ohba & Obata–Mirai meets an angel.
PERCY: A social climber. “Siege 13” by Tamas Dobozy–Ilona in the story “The Beautician” is only too ready to expose another character’s dark past to enhance her standing at the social club.
FRED: A character with a wicked sense of humor. “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson–Long John Silver is more into the long con than the immediate prank, but his sense of humor is wicked indeed.
GEORGE: Two characters who are inseparable. “A Shadow Bright and Burning” by Jessica Cluess-Lamb and Wolff, who are always together.
RON: An underrated friend. “A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin–Samwell is a better friend to Jon Snow than he had ever guessed.
GINNY: A character who meets their celebrity crush. “The Big Time | The Mind Spider and Other Stories” Entertainer Lili meets the British poet, Bruce Marchant, who died in WWI, and who she greatly admires.
And then the big one, Seven Years at Hogwarts, with six books for each Harry Potter volume.
PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
SORTING HAT/HOUSES
A book representing your house colors.
“The Tuesday Club Murders” by Agatha Christie–the 100th Anniversary Edition cover has blue (looks bluer in real life) and bronze for Ravenclaw.
FIRST QUIDDITCH MATCH
A character that flies
“Essential Daredevil, Vol. 4” by Gerry Conway–technically the Owl glides, but it sure looks like flying.
TROLL IN THE DUNGEON
A book about/featuring trolls
“Goblin Quest” by Jim C. Hines–By the time our protagonist reaches them, the trolls have been killed by an even stronger monster.
INVISIBILITY CLOAK
A character who can become invisible (or is good at remaining hidden)
“The Book of Andre Norton”–In “All Cats Are Gray”, the alien is a color human eyes can’t see.
FORBIDDEN FOREST DETENTION
A character that gets detention/punished
“Twice Told Tales” by Nathaniel Hawthorne–In “Endicott and the Red Cross”, several people are punished for various crimes, including a man condemned for being a “wanton gospeler.”
CHESS GAME/SORCERER’S STONE
A book involving a real-world game with a magical twist
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline–Several real-world games, including Dungeons & Dragons, are played in virtual reality.
CHAMBER OF SECRETS
FLYING CAR
A book with a vehicle that does something it shouldn’t.
“Three In One” edited by Leo Margulies–In the story “There Is No Defense” by Theodore Sturgeon, a spaceship which crew is certainly dead continues to fight just fine.
CHAMBER THREATS /PETRIFIED
A character that starts falling ill
“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom–Morrie has ALS.
DUELING CLUB
A book featuring a duel between characters.
“The Ferguson Rifle” by Louis L’Amour–Ronan Chantry and Rafen Falvey have a fistfight which turns into a knife fight to settle matters.
POLYJUICE POTION
A character who can shapeshift.
“A Clash of Kings” by George R.R. Martin–Jaquen H’ghar can change his entire face with the wave of a hand.
DIARY
A book featuring a journal (entries, character writes in one, etc.)
“Jefferson’s America” by Julie M. Fenster–frequent quotations from Lewis & Clark’s journals.
BASILISK
A book with a fierce monster.
“Showcase Presents: Batman Volume 6” by Frank Robbins–Kirk Langstrom’s serum turns him into the monstrous Man-Bat, who fiercely battles Batman.
PRISONER OF AZKABAN
BLACK DOG
A book featuring a death omen.
“Oni Press Starter Pack 2016”–In the ‘Helheim’ story, Rikard keeps having visions of his corpse with eyes weeping blood.
KNIGHT BUS
A character that runs away.
“Kings & Queens of Great Britain” by Antony Mason–Bonnie Prince Charlie flees to Skye after his defeat at Culloden.
DEMENTOR
A book with a soul sucking villain.
“The Sundered Worlds” by Michael Moorcock–The alien players of the Blood Red Game attempt to destroy their opponent’s very sense of self.
FIREBOLT
A character gets an item upgrade.
“Platinum End, Vol. 2” by Ohba & Obata–Metropoliman gets several new sets of arrows and wings.
TIME-TURNER
A book about time travel.
“Doctor Dead: A Percy & Quincey Adventure” by Tyler Tork–A character travels back through time and meets themself.
BUCKBEAK
A character with an unusual mount.
“The Black Stallion Challenged” by Walter Farley–Both the Black and Flame are unusually intelligent as well as strong and fast.
GOBLET OF FIRE
WORLD QUIDDITCH CUP
A book featuring a big sporting event.
“The Perfect Horse” by Elizabeth Letts–Begins with the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT SELECTION
A character chosen for a challenge/trial/test.
“Vagabond Volume 2” by Takehiko Inoue–Inshun chooses to accept Musashi’s challenge over his rival’s.
HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL
A book with a deadly reptile.
“The Invisible Library” by Genevieve Cogman–Cyborg alligators kill several people.
MERMAIDS / GOLDEN EGG
A book featuring an underwater excursion.
“The City of Shifting Waters” by Pierre Christin–New York City has been flooded, requiring out heroes to go underwater to learn what the villain is up to.
MAZE/LABYRINTH
A book with a maze.
“Ambassador of the Shadows” by Pierre Christin–Point Central has been added to by alien races for millenia with no plan, so its interior is labyrinthine, and no full maps exist.
HARRY/VOLDEMORT DUEL
A book where the hero and villain have an epic fight.
“The Play of Death” by Oliver Potzsch–Jakob and Poxhannes have a battle on top of a mountain, falling off and on ledges.
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
EXPELLED FROM HOGWARTS
A character gets kicked out of somewhere.
“King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” by Martin J. Dougherty–Lancelot is exiled from Camelot for the whole Guinevere thing.
UMBRIDGE / DETENTION
A villain you love to hate.
“Dawn of the Arcana 1” by Rei Toma–King Guran, who sentences a servant to death for dressing the princess funny.
DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY
A book about a revolution.
“The Rebels” by John Jakes–The American Revolution!!
OCCLUMENCY LESSONS
A character trains to defend him/herself.
“Showa: A History of Japan 1939-1944” by Shigeru Mizuki–Private Mizuki is given military training…it doesn’t help much.
O.W.L.S
A character has to take an important test.
“Haikyu!! 1” by Haruichi Furudate–Hinata and Kageyama must win a three-on-three game of volleyball to prove they’ve learned teamwork.
PROPHECY / DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES
A book with a prophecy.
“Fire-Tongue” by Sax Rohmer–“Fire-Tongue” has been prophesized to take over the world.
HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
BORGIN AND BURKES
A book with a creepy shop/store.
“The Pavilion” by Hilda Lawrence–The owner of Mayer’s Drugstore is creepily obsessed with the Herald family, and very interested in what they purchase. (Might have something to do with all the deaths.)
POTIONS
A book with a character who cheats.
“Life Is Beautiful” by Sarah M. Johnson–Jacob cheats on Sarah with another woman.
PENSIEVE
A book featuring flashbacks / memories.
“Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 1” by Yasuo Ohtagami– Both Daryl and Io flashback to important times in their past.
FELIX FELICIS
A book about luck.
“One Night in Sixes” by Arianne “Tex” Thompson–Sil’s gambling luck turns when he deliberately gives up the chance to own slaves, but is it good luck or bad?
LOCKET/HORCRUX
A book with an item that seems like one thing, but is another.
“One Piece Volume 28: Kampfteufel Viper”: The Impact Dial looks like a harmless seashell, but is a powerful weapon.
DUMBLEDORE
A book with a heartbreaking death.
“Black Hat Jack” by Joe R. Lansdale–The title character sacrifices himself to allow Deadwood Dick to escape.
DEATHLY HALLOWS
WEDDING
A book with a wedding (that ends in disaster.)
“A Storm of Swords” by George R.R. Martin–all the weddings go bad, but there’s one that’s iconic.
CAMPING
A book where the characters go camping.
“Army Wives” by Midge Gillies–During the Crimean War, wives shared tents with their husbands near the front line.
GRINDELWALD VS DUMBLEDORE
A book with characters who used to be friends but are now enemies.
“A Feast for Crows” by George R.R. Martin–Jaime and Cersei used to be lovers, but now Jaime is so disgusted with her that he has Cersei’s letter begging for help burned.
DOBBY
A book that makes you cry.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo–so much death, so avoidable.
HOGWARTS BATTLE
A book where the characters band together to accomplish a goal.
“Cells at Work 01” by Akane Shimizu–the white blood cells engage the strep invaders while the platelets work to seal the wound.
ALWAYS
A book featuring an epic love.
“The Book of Cthulhu” edited by Ross E. Lockhart–Basil and Rosemary in “The Infernal History of the Ivybridge Twins”; the prompt says “epic” not “wholesome.”
And I’m not going to be able to complete “Hermione’s Library”, one book title for each letter of the alphabet, in time.
How did you do with any reading challenges this year? Have you read or plan to read any of the books on these lists? Are you doing a challenge next year? Please let me know!
