The Without Looking Challenge

I got this idea from @jessethereader on YouTube, so credit to him.

HOW IT WORKS: Using numbers to lead you to specific books on your bookshelf, see if you can answer the following questions about the books without looking them up!

THE QUESTIONS: - Without looking at the description, tell us what the book is about!

-Without looking it up, what is the genre of this book?

- Without looking at the book, tell us what is on the cover!

- Without looking it up, what is the main character's name?

- Without looking, name a side character!

- Guess how many pages the book has without looking! (If you guess 25 below or 25 above the number, you can count it as a win!)

- Without looking it up, what rating did you give this book? If you land on a book you haven't read, pick a new set of numbers.

- Without looking, where does this book take place?

- Without looking, what are the parent's names?

- Without looking at the hardback, what colour is the book under the dust jacket?

- Without looking, is there anything on the hardback? Like an imprint or an image of some sort?

- Without taking the dust jacket off, what is the colour of the font on the hardback?

- Without looking do the chapters have titles or are they just numbered?

- Without looking at the book cover, does it have an award on it?

- Without looking, does this book have any author blurbs on the front cover?

- Without looking, does the book have a description on the back?

- Without looking, does this book have an author photo?

- Without looking it up, is this author using a pen name?

- Without peaking, what POV is this book written in? 1st or 3rd?

- Without looking are there any pictures or graphics in this book?

- Without looking, does it have an epilogue?

- Without looking, does this book have a prologue?

- Without looking, is this book signed?

- Without looking, do the page numbers have a design above or below them or none at all?

- Without looking, do the chapter headers have designs on them?

- Without looking, are the acknowledgements in the front or the back of the book?

- Without looking, what year was this book published?

- Without looking, what year did you read this book?

So without further ado, here we go! I talked my friends into sending me sets of numbers that correspond with my shelves to figure out which books to use, then grabbed some extras from a random number generator.

Okay, so my first set of coordinates is 6, 3. Wind In The Willows. Without looking at the description, tell us what the book is about! So I've never read the original, but I've read the picture book version to my sister a few times. This book is about a bunch of animals who live by the river. Mr Rat, Mr Toad, Mr Mole (I think?) and Mr Badger (Again, not sure.) Mr Toad is arrested and put in jail. (THE ROAD CAN BE A NIGHTMARE FOR A HEDGEHOG... Sorry I'll leave now.) He escapes and meets back up with the others but weasels have taken over his manor. There's some kind of fight and they win back the manor, bla bla bla. It's been a long time since I've read this so let me go check... I WAS CORRECT, YES!

Next up is 20, 19 (Thank you, Jess). The Wizards Of Once by Cressida Cowell. -Without looking it up, what is the genre of this book? I actually never finished this one, but I do remember that there's a lot of magic so its probably fantasy. Let me check... Right again, this is going well!

Next is 10, 20. The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone. - Without looking at the book, tell us what is on the cover! I haven't read this book in a few years now, but I'm like 90% sure it's got the skeleton dude on the front in a forest with some big massive fire. RHiANNA.EXE IS PROCESSING So the fire's smaller than I thought, and there's also two out of three of our main characters on the front but everything else was right, so... Half a point?

Now we have 17, 15. Skycircus by Peter Bunzl, the third book in the Cogheart quartet. - Without looking it up, what is the main character's name? I'm actually 100% sure of this one! *air punch* This book follows Lily Heartman, a girl living in a kind of steam-punk-Victorian-era-world. I didn't actually like Lily much, to be honest, and I preferred her friend Robert a lot more. I think that's why Moonlocket is my favourite of the series. So let me check her name... AND IT IS LILY HARTMAN! I HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!

Next is 18, 5. Once Upon A Dream by Liz Braswell. - Without looking, name a side character! Oh god, I've not read this book in forever... I remember it's Sleeping Beauty but she didn't wake up... So maybe the fairy, Merriweather? Aurora still has her gifts because I'm pretty sure she mentions them when she- Nevermind that's too big of a spoiler. But yeah I'm going with Merriweather, let's go find out if I'm right. So, I couldn't find any mention of the fairies names in online summaries I looked at to check, but they were in the book, so I'm assuming the names are the same.

And coming in at number six we have 15, 13. Ah, my nostalgia shelf. The 52-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffins and Terry Denton. - Guess how many pages the book has without looking! (If you guess 25 below or 25 above the number, you can count it as a win!) Hmmm... It's kind of that in-between length so somewhere around 200? Yeah, I was miles off its 328.

The seventh book today is 9, 13. Oh, boy it's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. - Without looking it up, what rating did you give this book? If you land on a book you haven't read, pick a new set of numbers. Okay, I'm pretty sure I gave this book 2 out of 5. Why not one? Because the premise of a book about Harry's kids isn't bad. And I liked Albus and Scorpius's friendship. And Albus being in Slytherin was a nice touch. Ginny's characterization was... Okay. So let me go check what I gave it... 3 out of 5. Wow. Past me, I'm in shock.

Next book is 11, 20. How To Fight A Dragon's Fury by Cressida Cowell. - Without looking, where does this book take place? To be totally honest, I'm not even halfway through this series. But I'm assuming that it's set on Berk? At least partly? ---- Apparently it's set in both the Isle Of Berk and the Kingdom Of The Wilderwest, so I'm counting that as a win!

Number nine is 10, 2. Dragon Daughter by Lis Flanagan. - Without looking, what are the parent's names? I haven't read this book but judging from the title.. One of them's a dragon??? I checked and the author says "Milla doesn’t have a living mother in the story, but she does have two older women who both love and protect her in different ways. They might seem like opposites but there’s a scene near the end where they are united and single-minded in action. There’s Josi, the down-to-earth cook of the household who has hidden skills and whose temper and cursing are legendary. Then there’s the elegant Duchess Serina, who sees more than anyone realises and who uses her healing talents for the good of her people. Both women have secrets, and they each reach a tipping point, where everything changes for them."

Moving on! 11, 4. Sputnik's Guide To Life On Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce. - Without looking at the hardback, what colour is the book under the dust jacket? Oooh, I actually know this one! On the hardcover is a repeating pattern of a dog wearing a space helmet, which will make sense if and when you read the book.

Next to be chosen was 18, 12. The Abduction by John Grisham. - Without looking, is there anything on the hardback? Like an imprint or an image of some sort? I have the paperback copy... So I don't know. Sorry

3, 6. Harry Potter and The Order Of The Pheonix. - Without taking the dust jacket off, what is the colour of the font on the hardback? I'm pretty sure it's exactly the same as the dustjacket, so lot's of colours. The spine is read and yellow, so I'll go for that. Correct!

5, 20. Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library - Without looking do the chapters have titles or are they just numbered? I'm pretty sure that they are just numbers. Yup, the chapters are numbered!

17, 1. High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson. - Without looking at the book cover, does it have an award on it? So this book was pretty new when I bought it. And I'm pretty sure it hadn't won an award. It might have since, but I don't think my copy has an award on the cover. And it does not!

17, 7. The House On Hummingbird Island by Sam Angus. - Without looking, does this book have any author blurbs on the front cover? I never finished this book, but I'm pretty sure it did have something from an author on the cover. But I don't know for certain. There isn't. Welp. Moving on!

17, 10. Unhooking The Moon by Gregory Hughes. - Without looking, does the book have a description on the back? Yes it does. But it's small. Most of the back cover is taken up by a conversation quoted from the book. Right again! Yay! (Why am I like this?)

10, 5. The Night Spinner by Abi Elphinstone. - Without looking, does this book have an author photo? I haven't read this book yet. So I'm going to guess. Yes??? ...There isn't. But it has reminded me I need to read that one.

5, 1. Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend. - Without looking it up, is this author using a pen name? I don't think so... I watched an interview she did recently and they called her Jessica then, so I assume not. And it is her real name!

13, 25. Wildspark by Vashti Hardy. - Without peaking, what POV is this book written in? 1st or 3rd person? I can't remember. This is one of my absolute favourite books as well. Maybe 3rd? I hope I'm right because I love this book to the ends of the earth. Yes! It's third person!

5, 1. Looking For Alaska by John Green. - Without looking are there any pictures or graphics in this book? Well, on the most part, no. But on the Before/After pages, there's a flower. So yes. But this is a new copy because my last one went missing. I haven't read it since. So I don't know if this one still has that. ... There are graphics. But not flowers, they're hearts. But I'll give myself it anyway.

1, 5. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. - Without looking, does it have an epilogue? Ah, my Rick Riordan shelf. Rick makes a big point of wanting to leave his endings open. So no, this book does not have an epilogue. It's also the first of a series, so an epilouge would be a bit weird. *How To Train Your Dragon staring at me* No offense.

1, 12. The Tyrants Tomb by Rick Riordan - Without looking, does this book have a prologue?

No, it does not. It is the fourth book in the series, and I'm 99% sure that no Rick Riordan book has a prologue anyway.

2,5. The Sword Of Summer by Rick Riordan. (Another Rick Riordan book?) - Without looking, is this book signed? Considering I'm both broke and British, do you really think I own a signed Rick Riordan book? No.

16, 10. Eloise Undercover by Sarah Baker. - Without looking, do the page numbers have a design above or below them or none at all? I haven't read this in years, do you expect me to remember? I don't think it does, but I have no idea. I am correct! Yay! (No, really, why am I like this.)

16, 8. Wonder by R.J Palacio. - Without looking, do the chapter headers have designs on them? Well, the dividers between POVs do. The chapters, I'm not too sure... Yes? They don't. Oof.

6, 14. Swallowdale by Arthur Ransom. - Without looking, are the acknowledgements in the front or the back of the book? I'm pretty sure the back. I check and there don't seem to be any acknowledgments... Weird.

15, 12. Buttercup Sunshine and the Zombies of Dooooooooom by Colin Mulhern. - Without looking, what year was this book published? I think it was 2018, I remember Mr Mulhern talking about it... It was 2018!

12, 9. This Book Is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch. - Without looking, what year did you read this book? I was about 8... So 2015-ish? And that was the year!

Well, that's all. Hope you enjoyed the post. If you want to see more challenges like this in the future, let me know in the comments!

- Rhianna