The Challenge Factory discussion

Buffy needs help slaying all those vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness.
She needs 'Scoobies'. A Scoobie is a loyal friend who uses various methods to assist in Buffy's fight against evil creatures.

You can become a Scoobie.

Challenge Begins: August 1, 2025


HOW TO PLAY:
1. Look at the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode list.
2. Choose an episode and post it on your thread.
3. The moderator will then post the related episode information and tasks.
4. Once you complete one of the tasks, post in your thread and in the Reporting thread the following:

Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Task:
How it Fits:
Next Episode Choice:

Rules:
Books must be 140+ pages.
Audio books must be 3+ hours long.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode List
Season 1
1. Welcome to the Hellmouth
2. The Harvest
3. Witch
4. Teacher's Pet
5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
6. The Pack
7. Angel
8. I, Robot... You, Jane
9. The Puppet Show
10. Nightmares
11. Out of Mind, Out of Sight
12. Prophecy Girl

Season 2
1. When She Was Bad
2. Some Assembly Required
3. School Hard
4. Inca Mummy Girl
5. Reptile Boy
6. Halloween
7. Lie to Me
8. The Dark Age
9. What's My Line?: Part 1
10. What's My Line?: Part 2
11. Ted
12. Bad Eggs
13. Surprise
14. Innocence
15. Phases
16. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
17. Passion
18. Killed by Death
19. I Only Have Eyes for You
20. Go Fish
21. Becoming: Part 1
22. Becoming: Part 2

Welcome to the challenge, Catsalive.

Which episode would you like to start with?

I'll start at 1 & move down, thanks.

Catsalive wrote: "I'll start at 1 & move down, thanks."

That makes sense.

1. Welcome to the Hellmouth
When teen vampire slayer Buffy tries to start a new life at Sunnydale High, she discovers that the school sits atop a demonic dimensional portal.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. with a teenage MC
2. where the MC begins a new life
3. written by an author you have just discovered
4. with two words in the title that begin with the same letter
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: The Clock Strikes Twelve by Patricia Wentworth
Date: 2/8 4.5★
Task: 4
How it Fits: two words in the title that begin with the same letter
Next: The Harvest

Well done!

2. The Harvest
Buffy and her friends encounter a powerful vampire bent on opening a portal to a dimension inhabited by demons.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. about friendship
2. with a powerful MC (your definition)
3. with an author's initial found in PORTAL
4. with a habitation on the cover
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass
Date: 3/8 5★
Task: 4
How it Fits:
Next: Witch

Well done!

3. Witch
Buffy suspects she has a witch on her hands when the cheerleading squad falls victim to sudden blindness and spontaneous combustion.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. tagged "Witch" or "Witchcraft"
2. that you can hold in your hands (not an audio book)
3. where a significant character that has a disability
4. with "fire" in the text of the book
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb
Date: 6/8 4★
Task: 4
Fit: "A fire simmered low in a silver hearth" p.31
Next: Teacher's Pet

Well done!

4. Teacher's Pet
Buffy's biology teacher is killed by a giant praying mantis that assumes the form of a beautiful substitute teacher.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. with biology on the cover (a living organism)
2. where someone dies
3. with 400+ pages
4. where the MC is described as beautiful or handsome
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: The Lawson Sisters by Janet Gover
Date: 7/8 3.5★
Task: 1
Fit: living organisms on cover - birds & plants

Next: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Well done!

5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
With Buffy preoccupied by her date with Owen, Giles is trapped by a group of vampires seeking to raise a powerful leader.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. that is the first in a trilogy or series
2. with 2, 0, or 5 in the publication date
3. where someone is trapped (your definition)
4. with a group of something on the cover
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Taking Tom Murray Home by Tim Slee
Date: 10/8 3★
Task: 2
Fit: pub. 22/7/2019
Next: The Pack

Well done!

6. The Pack
Xander and several other students are possessed by the spirit of a demonic breed of hyenas that wreak havoc at the high school.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. where the MC is a student
2. that you possess (a book that you have purchased)
3. with double vowels in a word in the title
4. set in Africa
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Winds of Evil by Arthur W. Upfield
Date: 11/8 4★
Task: 2
Fit: I own it
Next: Angel

Well done!

7. Angel
Buffy discovers Angel's dark secret and hesitates to do anything about it, which could spell danger for someone she loves.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. where someone is described as angelic
2. with a dark cover (your definition)
3. that you have hesitated to read (has been on your TBR list for a while)
4. where the MC is in danger
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb
Date: 13/8 4★
Task: 4
Fit: MC puts herself in danger to catch a terrorist
Next: I, Robot... You, Jane

Well done!

8. I, Robot... You, Jane
Willow's new Internet chat buddy turns out to be a powerful demon electronically unleashed from a centuries-old, newly digitized book.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. that is new to you
2. where the MC gets a new friend
3. that you got electronically
4. that is at least a century old (written before 1925)
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Date: 16/8 4★
Task: 1
Fit: new book & author
Next: The Puppet Show

Well done!

9. The Puppet Show
Buffy suspects that a ventriloquist's dummy may be harvesting organs from classmates performing in a talent show.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. listen to an audio book
2. where the MC is considered no dummy (is quite smart)
3. where an organ is mentioned in the book (heart, lungs, livers, brains)
4. with a talented MC (your definition)
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
Date: 17/8 2.5★
Task: 3
Fit: "An ache for him chewed at my heart." p.12
Next: Nightmares

Well done!

10. Nightmares
A series of strange occurrences lead Buffy and her friends to discover that their worst nightmares have literally become reality.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. from a series of 10+ books
2. with a title that begins with a letter found in STRANGE
3. that someone else rated 1 star
4. tagged "Realistic Fiction"
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: The Best Intentions by Candice Hern
Date: 18/8 2.5★
Task: 3
Fit: a few 1-star ratings
Next: Out of Mind, Out of Sight

Well done!

11. Out of Mind, Out of Sight
When an invisible menace starts attacking students and faculty at Sunnydale High, the Scooby Gang traces the problem back to Cordelia.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. with an invisible person on the cover (in other words, no humans)
2. where the MC gets attacked
3. set in a location name that begins with a letter in SUNNYDALE
4. with "trace" or "traces" in the text of the book
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Cats, would you be interested in continuing with the Buffy episodes? I have Season 2 available. There are 22 episodes in Season 2.

Lanelle wrote: "Cats, would you be interested in continuing with the Buffy episodes? I have Season 2 available. There are 22 episodes in Season 2."

Yes.

Catsalive wrote: "Lanelle wrote: "Cats, would you be interested in continuing with the Buffy episodes? I have Season 2 available. There are 22 episodes in Season 2."

Yes."

Awesome. I'll add the list of Season 2 episodes to Message 2.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Book: The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams
Date: 20/8 3★
Task: 2
Fit: MC is attacked by Wolves & Harper
Next: Prophecy Girl

Well done!

12. Prophecy Girl
Giles discovers an ancient book foretelling Buffy's death at the hands of the Master.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. written by an author with an initial found in GILES
2. that is historical
3. that is set in the future
4. written by a master author (s/he was written over 12 books)
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: Whisky from Small Glasses by Denzil Meyrick
Date: 22/8 4★
Task: 4
Fit: author has >12 books published
Next: s2e1

Well done!

1. When She Was Bad
Buffy returns from summer vacation sporting an attitude and suffers from recurring nightmares involving the Master. Meanwhile, the Anointed One and his followers plot their revenge.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. set during the summertime
2. where the MC plays a sport (even once)
3. with a one (1) in the publication date
4. with all the letters of REVENGE in the title (just 1 E is okay)
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: A Proper Mistress by Shannon Donnelly
Date: 22/8 2★
Task: 3
Fit: pub. January 1, 2003
Next: s2e2

Well done!

2. Some Assembly Required
Two science club nerds use body parts to create the "perfect girlfriend" for a teenager who has been brought back from the dead.

To help Buffy slay vampires, read a book:
1. that is second in a trilogy or series
2. that is tagged "science" (can be combined with another word, like "fiction")
3. that someone else thought was perfect (rated 5 stars)
4. with the phrase "from the dead" in the text
5. with some sort of paranormal tag on the book's main page

Book: The Obedient Bride by Mary Balogh
Date: 23/8 2.5★
Task: 3
Fit: a number of people rated this 5★
Next: s2e3

Well done!