The Challenge Factory discussion

News Alert: Godzilla is rampaging again! The city of Toyko must be saved!

How it works:
For this challenge, you and a partner will each choose a Japanese monster (kaiju) from the list. You cannot pick the same kaiju that your partner is reading for.

Each kaiju will have four tasks. You must read one of those tasks. Each task will score points. The higher the points, the harder the task. The 4 point task will always be the same: Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU. You can use or ignore the articles 'a', 'an', 'the'.

When both partners have finished reading their books, post a message on the Battle thread that you are ready for your fight with Godzilla. The moderator will use random.org to pick a number between 7-10 for Godzilla. If the total of your points ties
or is higher than Godzilla's number, you win.

Each partner will then pick another kaiju from the list (remember, it cannot be the same monster that your partner chooses) for another battle with Godzilla. This will continue until you have read for all the kaiju on the list.

If the partnership has won five or more of the battles with Godzilla by the time you have read for all the kaiju on the list, then Godzilla returns defeated into the ocean. I shudder to think what will happen to Tokyo if you don't :)

✱ Books must be 140 pages.
✱ Re-reads and audio books are okay.
✱ Page count for audio books will be determined by the first paper version shown on Goodreads. From the book's page, select “all editions”, then find the first paper edition as your guide.

Sample Completion Post:
Kaiju:
Book:
Date:
Number and Task:
How it fits the task:

Kaiju list and Battle scores:

Abir
Anguirus
Biollante
Destoroyah
Ebirah
Gigan
King Ghidorah
Mothra
Orga
Rodan
Titanosaurus


Vi
Anguirus
Biollante
Destoroyah
Ebirah
Gigan
King Ghidorah
Mothra
Orga
Rodan
Titanosaurus


Battles
1. Anguirus and Rodan win
2. Biollante and Gigan win
3. Destoroyah and Mothra win
4. Ebirah and Biollante win
5. Gigan and Ebirah win
6. King Ghidorah and Anguirus win
7. Mothra and Destoroyah win
8.
9.
10.

Hey Abir. How are you? I’m Vi, I live in Netherlands. Nice to meet you!

Hey Vi. I'm Abir, from Algeria. I'm doing great, thanks. Can't wait to start this challenge with you. Let's make it the best ride possible.
If it's okay with you Vi I'm going to start the Kaiju list from the top, so my first monster would be Anguirus.

Let's have a great challenge together.

I'll go in random order. I'll start with Rodan.

so do we post our choices somewhere or do we just post it here??

First battle choice:

Abir - Anguirus
Vi - Rodan

I've posted in the battle thread and linked it here. hopefully we'll get it soon.

Abir wrote: "so do we post our choices somewhere or do we just post it here??"


Here. I'm a nosy moderator and I watch for kaiju decisions :)

For Abir

Anguirus



Godzilla’s first foe, the legendary Anguirus. Another quadruped, Anguirus has a much more prehistoric look to him, taking many features from the Ankylosaur. He has a long snout like a crocodile and a turtle-shell back covered in spikes. Though he and Godzilla start off fighting each other in Godzilla Raids Again, they spend most of the series as good pals. Aside from Godzilla, Anguirus has one of the series’ greatest roars. A great monster, and a great friend. But also a great foe. Those Raids Again fights are no joke.

3 point task - Read the first book in a series
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that has been tagged 'Humor' or 'Humour'
6 point task - Read a book with the word 'Great' in the title

For Vi




Rodan is very popular, one of the all-time legendary monsters. But consider this: Rodan’s design, while classic, is just a bit on the boring side. On top of that, he and Godzilla don’t actually fight all that often. They’re good pals in most of their appearances together. Rodan certainly isn’t a poor monster, but when it comes to the big ones, he’s a little on the overrated side.

3 point task - Read a book with 10,000+ ratings
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that is tagged 'Classic'
6 point task - Read a book with less than 100 ratings

Lanelle wrote: "Abir wrote: "so do we post our choices somewhere or do we just post it here??"


Here. I'm a nosy moderator and I watch for kaiju decisions :)"

Thanks Lanelle! We appreciate the nosiness :)

Completion Post 1



Kaiju: Rodan
Book: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
Date: 31 May
Number and Task: 4 point task
How it fits the task: Title begins with A - KAIJU

Next monster: Gigan

Completion Post 1

Kaiju: Anguirus
Book: شاي بالنعناع by أحمد خالد توفيق
Date: 06/06/2023
Number and Task: 5 point task - Read a book that has been tagged 'Humor' or 'Humour'
How it fits the task: it's tagged Humour

Next Monster: Biollante

Battle 1



Abir
Anguirus - 5 points

Vi
Rodan - 4 points

Godzilla - random.org says 9 points

And the winners are Anguirus and Rodan! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Biollante



The main thing about Biollante is how visually striking she is, almost beautiful. Which makes sense as she was created by a scientist who combined Godzilla DNA with the DNA of his dead daughter and injected it into a rose. She’s not even all that villainous until the Godzilla genes take over and turn her into a crazy monster. Supposedly, Biollente can never die due to her ability to regenerate wounds and turn into a cloud of spores if things get too heavy. That means she’s still out there somewhere, just waiting to bloom.

3 point task - Read a book by a female author
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with clouds on the cover
6 point task - Read a book where a significant character is a scientist of some kind

For Vi

Gigan



Gigan is just amazing, a kaiju who seems built from the ground up by a malevolent child. He has knives going up the back of his head, which combined with his beak, makes him seem like he started as a chicken. That beak, however, is flanked by two more knives. Also, instead of arms? More knives. That would normally be enough, but no. Gigan also has a table saw coming out of his torso. The craziness doesn’t stop there. Gigan enjoys modifications in Final Wars that turn his knife arms into chainsaws. Because at that point, why not?

3 point task - Read a book with the word 'knife' or 'knives' in the text
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with a young child as a significant character
6 point task - Read a book with just a human torso on the cover

Completion Post 2



Kaiju: Gigan
Book: Happily Ever Ninja
Date: 8 June
Number and Task: 5 point task
How it fits the task: The MCs have 2 young kids.

Next monster: Mothra

Hey Abir, how’s it going with your book?

I'll add it today. I'm so sorry, I have been occupied w8th the floods in my area and now it's a unexpected heat wave, so it has been hectic. I'm sorry I kept you held up though

Oh my god. Don't worry about it. How are you and your family with the flood and the heatwave? So sorry to hear about it.

Vi wrote: "Oh my god. Don't worry about it. How are you and your family with the flood and the heatwave? So sorry to hear about it."

Thanks for understanding. Well, during the flood we were cut off from the rest, power was down, supplies were short. But we pulled through, thank God. Now we are trying to survive the 45 C° heatwave.

I also finished my book and posted everything

Completion Post 2

Kaiju: Biollante
Book: The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter BY Theodora Goss
Date: 22/06/2023
Number and Task: 6 point task - Read a book where a significant character is a scientist of some kind
How it fits the task: Beatrice is a botanist

Next Monster: Destoroyah

Battle 2



Abir
Biollante - 6 points

Vi
Gigan - 5 points

Godzilla - random.org says 10 points

And the winners are Biollante and Gigan! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Destoroyah



A fan favorite, and for good reason. Destoroyah was designed as the ultimate Godzilla foe, as he came from the same oxygen destroyer that took out the original Godzilla. In his final form, he means serious business, looking like a big, thick demon straight from Hell. But Destoroyah also starts small, as a collection of little demons that kill humans like monsters from a horror film (including mini-mouths that totally rip-off Alien). Toho needed a monster that would take Godzilla’s final Heisei movie out with a bang. And they got one.

3 point task - Read a book with "favorite" in the text
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that is tagged 'Horror'
6 point task - Read an anthology (collection of short stories)

For Vi

Mothra



No monster enjoys more personality and mythology than Mothra. There is so much to her. For starters, her look is absolutely iconic. She comes in two forms. A whole culture worships her, usually represented by miniature identical twins. She has her own theme song. Her offensive techniques are surprisingly varied and deep. And if one Mothra dies, there’s always another one to take her place. Sometimes two! Mothra is the benevolent protector we deserve, always there to sacrifice herself for the greater good. That’s a nice way of saying she dies a lot.

3 point task - Read a book that comes in more than one form (i.e., paperback, hardback, ebook, audio book)
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with twins in it (must be more than a mention)
6 point task - Read a book where more than two people die (3+)

Completion Post 3

Kaiju: Destoroyah
Book: Strange Tales From The Scriptorian Vaults BY Sammy H.K. Smith
Date: 05/07/2023
Number and Task: 6 point task - Read an anthology (collection of short stories)
How it fits the task: The book is a collection of short stories

Next Monster: Ebirah

Completion Post 3



Kaiju: Mothra
Book: Don't Tell by Karen Rose
Date: 24 June
Number and Task: 6 point task
How it fits the task: More than 3 people die by the male antagonist.

Next monster: Biollante

Battle 3



Abir
Destoroyah - 6 points

Vi
Mothra - 6 points

Godzilla - random.org says 9 points

And the winners are Destoroyah and Mothra! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Ebirah



Ebirah might just be a giant crab, but he has personality. For some reason, his entire existence is to guard one island and murder anyone who tries to enter or leave it. That’s it. He doesn’t seem to even move. But that dedication to his task is admirable. Furthermore, he seems like an especially grumpy monster, even though he barely has a face. Godzilla literally declaws him, which is maybe more gruesome than he deserves. But also, don’t mess with Godzilla.

3 point task - Read a book with 300+ pages
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book set on a small island
6 point task - Read a book with a dedication to someone at the beginning

For Vi

Biollante



The main thing about Biollante is how visually striking she is, almost beautiful. Which makes sense as she was created by a scientist who combined Godzilla DNA with the DNA of his dead daughter and injected it into a rose. She’s not even all that villainous until the Godzilla genes take over and turn her into a crazy monster. Supposedly, Biollente can never die due to her ability to regenerate wounds and turn into a cloud of spores if things get too heavy. That means she’s still out there somewhere, just waiting to bloom.

3 point task - Read a book by a female author
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with clouds on the cover
6 point task - Read a book where a significant character is a scientist of some kind

Completion Post 4

Kaiju: Ebirah
Book: The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic BY Leigh Bardugo
Date: 13/07/2023
Number and Task: 5 point task - Read a book set on a small island
How it fits the task: One of the stories is set on an island

Next Monster: Gigan

Kaiju: Biollante
Book: The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
Date: 12 July
Number and Task: 5 point task
How it fits the task: Clouds on cover



Next monster: Ebirah

Battle 4



Abir
Ebirah - 5 points

Vi
Biollante- 5 points

Godzilla - random.org says 8 points

And the winners are Ebirah and Biollante! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Gigan



Gigan is just amazing, a kaiju who seems built from the ground up by a malevolent child. He has knives going up the back of his head, which combined with his beak, makes him seem like he started as a chicken. That beak, however, is flanked by two more knives. Also, instead of arms? More knives. That would normally be enough, but no. Gigan also has a table saw coming out of his torso. The craziness doesn’t stop there. Gigan enjoys modifications in Final Wars that turn his knife arms into chainsaws. Because at that point, why not?

3 point task - Read a book with the word 'knife' or 'knives' in the text
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with a young child as a significant character
6 point task - Read a book with just a human torso on the cover

For Vi

Ebirah



Ebirah might just be a giant crab, but he has personality. For some reason, his entire existence is to guard one island and murder anyone who tries to enter or leave it. That’s it. He doesn’t seem to even move. But that dedication to his task is admirable. Furthermore, he seems like an especially grumpy monster, even though he barely has a face. Godzilla literally declaws him, which is maybe more gruesome than he deserves. But also, don’t mess with Godzilla.

3 point task - Read a book with 300+ pages
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book set on a small island
6 point task - Read a book with a dedication to someone at the beginning

Completion Post 5

Kaiju: Gigan
Book: The Spy Who Loved Her BY Melissa Schroeder
Date: 24/07/2023
Number and Task: 3 point task - Read a book with the word 'knife' or 'knives' in the text
How it fits the task: "You want me to knife a man." Chapter Three

Next Monster: King Ghidorah

Kaiju: Ebirah
Book: Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier
Date: 24 July
Number and Task: 6 point task
How it fits the task: There is a dedication at the beginning - To my grandson, Angus.



Next monster: Anguirus

Battle 5



Abir
Gigan - 3 points

Vi
Ebirah- 6 points

Godzilla - random.org says 9 points

And the winners are Gigan and Ebirah! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

King Ghidorah



When picking the number one Godzilla foe, it has to be this three-headed dragon with no arms. What is it about Ghidorah? He’s just so cool, from his first appearance in 1964 to his most recent battle in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. When you think of Godzilla fighting a monster, that monster is almost exclusively Ghidorah. He can fly, shoot lightning out of his mouths, latch onto Godzilla with his three mouths, and do some real stomping damage as well. He is visually and offensively a perfect counterpart to Godzilla, as his many appearances make clear.

3 point task - Read a book with 3 in the page count
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with a dragon in it
6 point task - Read a book with three mouths on the cover (can be a combination of human and animal mouths, but they must be easily visible)

For Vi

Anguirus



Godzilla’s first foe, the legendary Anguirus. Another quadruped, Anguirus has a much more prehistoric look to him, taking many features from the Ankylosaur. He has a long snout like a crocodile and a turtle-shell back covered in spikes. Though he and Godzilla start off fighting each other in Godzilla Raids Again, they spend most of the series as good pals. Aside from Godzilla, Anguirus has one of the series’ greatest roars. A great monster, and a great friend. But also a great foe. Those Raids Again fights are no joke.

3 point task - Read the first book in a series
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that has been tagged 'Humor' or 'Humour'
6 point task - Read a book with the word 'Great' in the title

Kaiju: Anguirus
Book: Kulti by Mariana Zapata
Date: 1 Aug
Number and Task: 5 point task
How it fits the task: MPG Humor



Next monster: Destoroyah

Completion Post 6

Kaiju: King Ghidorah
Book: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Date: 12/08/2023
Number and Task: 3 point task - Read a book with 3 in the page count
How it fits the task: the book is 355 pages

Next Monster: Mothra

Battle 6



Abir
King Ghidorah - 3 points

Vi
Anguirus - 5 points

Godzilla - random.org says 8 points

And the winners are King Ghidorah and Anguirus! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Mothra



No monster enjoys more personality and mythology than Mothra. There is so much to her. For starters, her look is absolutely iconic. She comes in two forms. A whole culture worships her, usually represented by miniature identical twins. She has her own theme song. Her offensive techniques are surprisingly varied and deep. And if one Mothra dies, there’s always another one to take her place. Sometimes two! Mothra is the benevolent protector we deserve, always there to sacrifice herself for the greater good. That’s a nice way of saying she dies a lot.

3 point task - Read a book that comes in more than one form (i.e., paperback, hardback, ebook, audio book)
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with twins in it (must be more than a mention)
6 point task - Read a book where more than two people die (3+)

For Vi

Destoroyah



A fan favorite, and for good reason. Destoroyah was designed as the ultimate Godzilla foe, as he came from the same oxygen destroyer that took out the original Godzilla. In his final form, he means serious business, looking like a big, thick demon straight from Hell. But Destoroyah also starts small, as a collection of little demons that kill humans like monsters from a horror film (including mini-mouths that totally rip-off Alien). Toho needed a monster that would take Godzilla’s final Heisei movie out with a bang. And they got one.

3 point task - Read a book with "favorite" in the text
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that is tagged 'Horror'
6 point task - Read an anthology (collection of short stories)

Completion Post 4



Kaiju: Destoroyah
Book: Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins
Date: 21 Aug
Number and Task: 4 point task
How it fits the task: Title begins with J

Next monster: King Ghidorah

Completion Post 7

Kaiju: Mothra
Book: TBefore the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
Date: 19/09/2023
Number and Task: 6 point task - Read a book where more than two people die (3+)
How it fits the task: Anna's father, Indira's grandmother and Jay's brother die.

Next Monster: Orga

Battle 7



Abir
Mothra - 6 points

Vi
Destoroyah - 4 points

Godzilla - random.org says 9 points

And the winners are Mothra and Destoroyah! *mighty roars are heard*

For Abir

Orga



A lot of Godzilla’s later enemies transform throughout the film, not emerging as their full selves until the final fight. Orga goes another route, simply beaming down to Earth when it’s time to fight Godzilla. His transportation evolves from a flying rock to an alien spacecraft, but he appears fully formed. This means we don’t get to know much about the monster. He looks cool, almost like a Pacific Rim monster, but doesn’t stand out among other monsters on this list. He does get points for trying to swallow Godzilla, though he learns the hard way why that’s a bad idea.

3 point task - Read a book set along the Pacific Rim https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific...
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book that is tagged "Science' or 'Science Fiction'
6 point task - Read a book from the Life Transformation Books list

For Vi

King Ghidorah



When picking the number one Godzilla foe, it has to be this three-headed dragon with no arms. What is it about Ghidorah? He’s just so cool, from his first appearance in 1964 to his most recent battle in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. When you think of Godzilla fighting a monster, that monster is almost exclusively Ghidorah. He can fly, shoot lightning out of his mouths, latch onto Godzilla with his three mouths, and do some real stomping damage as well. He is visually and offensively a perfect counterpart to Godzilla, as his many appearances make clear.

3 point task - Read a book with 3 in the page count
4 point task - Read a book with a title that begins with a letter in KAIJU
5 point task - Read a book with a dragon in it
6 point task - Read a book with three mouths on the cover (can be a combination of human and animal mouths, but they must be easily visible)