Is this for real? How are we seriously supposed to do this?

-- 06 May 2014 12:56 pm --

Also, books 8 and 9 are the same.

-- 06 May 2014 01:02 pm --

15 and 16 are too.

I got several of them... It's not that hard if you know a lot of books..

I did notice the duplicates though.

I've got one.

Knowing a lot of books isn't the same as knowing book covers by vague imagery.

I have to agree. I've read a lot of books, and I don't recognize most of these. I think a better idea would be to keep the covers at full quality, and just black out the titles...

That would probably be too easy. Depending on the book. There isn't really a good way to do this kind of thing. I love the idea, but putting it into practice is difficult.

Well, I've got two of them. *shrugs*

Don't worry too much. For the first two days or so, there will be no hints. Point values will be tripled though. I don't expect most people to get them all during this time. After that, and you will be warned to allow you to submit your answers before the point value drop, clues will be given. I was able to identify 7 on my own (GG put together the images), curious to see which people get.

Now Book 8 is missing.

Edit:

Oh, just saw the note.

-- 07 May 2014 10:57 am --

Now I'm getting some. I found a trick to this.

-- 08 May 2014 09:57 am --

Alright, I got 13 for sure and one more maybe. I'll wait for the clues for the rest.

How about those hints?

I've got the last for SURE.

My apologies for not posting this sooner:

1) A zebra may have this
2) No, no, that is for Santa
3) And the people you'll see
4) Book about a loveable family with no relation to candles
5) A small orange
6) I come boldly, trusting only
7) The cover may be blue, but this author is green
9) Hungry anyone?
10) M&M (A movie was made)
11) One Splendiferous Hog (Not sure this word was actually used, but it could have been!)
12) Captain Caspian
13) 24601
14) Be careful what you wish for, you may end up with a stump
15) No jumping to conclusions! (Though I hear it is a fun place)
16) There is a Christmas Doll
17) Not of the Island
18) This book tells the sad story of WWII

If the event is over please post the answers, for reference.

We're going to keep the hints up for a few days so people can still guess, and then we'll release the answers.

Answers please?

Thanks for reminding me, bookworm!

1. A Bad Case of the Stripes
2. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
3. Oh! The Places You'll Go
4. The Penderwicks
5. Clementine
6. Redeeming Love
7. The Fault in Our Stars
9. The Hunger Games
10. Marley and Me
11. Charlotte's Web
12. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
13. Les Misérables
14. The Giving Tree
15. The Phantom Tollbooth
16. Little House in the Big Woods
17. Anne of Green Gables
18. Number the Stars

I got a couple more with the clues, but they were posted too late to submit as additional answers.

I got before the clues:
A Bad Case of Stripes
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Oh, The Places You'll Go
Redeeming Love
The Hunger Games
Charlotte's Web
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Les Misérables
The Giving Tree
The Phantom Tollbooth
Little House in the Big Woods
Anne of Green Gables
Number the Stars

I got after the clues:
The Fault in Our Stars
Marley & Me

I didn’t get:
The Penderwicks
Clementine


My trick, if anyone was curious, was making the images smaller. It’s the only way to see anything, they’re way too abstract otherwise. At original size the only one I got was The Hunger Games.

I actually had noticed that, and was concerned that they would make them all too easy. Good thing I didn't try to make them even harder...

Since I couldn’t come up with the real books at first, I made my own.
The titles are simply the first phrase that came to mind when I looked at the cover. I then came up with ideas of what the stories would be about.


Book 1: Mario Man Adventures
A kooky quest through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Book 2: Minecraft Pig: A Coming of Age
A pig journeys aimlessly across the land building life experience with each newly rendered terrain.

Book 3: Under the Umbrella Tree
The storyteller reminisces about a profound event they experienced in the shade at the shore of a peninsula.

Book 4: Cloud City Conspiracy
There are rumors Administrator Calrissian has made a deal with The Empire. Could it be true?

Book 5: Metroid Origins: Samus Unmasked
Who is Samus Aran really? Where did she come from, and where is she going?

Book 6: Ruby Under Rock
This is a metaphorical title. It’s a tale of two couples who have separate but parallel series of events which illustrate that to develop a treasured relationship you have to overcome challenges, just as you have to mine through tough rock to find a beautiful ruby.

Book 7: Under the Sea
A teenager who has become disillusioned with the world takes up diving and finds new passion for life after discovering the amazing other world that exists underwater.

Book 8: Fried Fish
The storyteller opens by remarking that their favorite meal in the world is fried fish because it brings so many special memories. Each chapter then recalls a significant event in their life which all culminate in something having a connection in some way to fish. The storyteller closes by describing how whenever they smell or taste fish each of these events becomes more than just a memory, they become present again. The final sentence is the same as the first, “My favorite meal in the world is fried fish.”

Book 9: My Monkey and Me
A scientist training a monkey to communicate recounts how things changed from just an experiment to a profound experience that touched their life.

Book 10: Mushroom Cloud: An Apocalyptic Comedy
A very lighthearted take on a generally doom and gloom subject. A group of survivors from a nuclear war explore the wasteland and encounter a series of ridiculous and hilarious situations.

Book 11: Aliens Eat the Sun
A scifi suspense story. NASA spots a huge alien ship heading toward earth that will arrive in twelve days. Unsure if they come in peace or aggression, the world is divided between the hopeful and the panicked. Every nation comes together to form battle plans incase of attack, though they are unsure if they will actually be able to withstand one. The story explains the various preparations being made and scenarios being considered. When the ship finally arrives the world waits anxiously to see what will happen, but it simply continues past. Relief ripples across the globe that all the planning was unnecessary, until the aliens reach the sun. For reasons unknown, they begin to harvest it. The story ends with a group of scientists informing the world leaders that they estimate the sun will be depleted within a year, leaving humanity’s fate to the imagination of the reader, or a possible sequel.

Book 12: American Machine Thing
A story told from the point of view of an extraterrestrial society. The setting is unknown, other than it is a planet other than earth. One day a strange machine lands near their village. They do not know what it is or what purpose it was sent for, all they can tell is it came from America. They watch it for months as it goes about its work, taking readings and samples, unsure if it is simply gathering information, or if it is preparing for something more sinister.

Book 13: Nine Shades of Green
A botanist who originally loved his work has fallen into a routine of doing it because it is his job instead of because he enjoys it until one day he happens to notice that there are nine distinct shades of green on the same specimen. This simple yet incredible observation rekindles his awe for the beauty and wonder of nature.

Book 14: The Flight of the Bumblebee
It’s a normal day in the beehive until one of the bees starts feeling rebellious. He’s tired of always following the instructions danced by the other bees, why can’t he fly where he wants to fly? He sets off on his own to explore the world in freedom. At first he loves it, but eventually he realizes that being part of a hive isn’t really that bad. All the bees work together in support of the community. If they all just did their own thing they would all perish. He returns home with a new appreciation for doing his part.

Book 15: Our Cabin Home
The story of a young couple who move from a busy city to a remote cabin around the turn of the century because the husband found work on the plains. The wife has to adjust to the drastically different way of life as she is accustomed to living in high society. At first she is completely opposed to the change, but she gradually comes to appreciate the peace of the frontier.

Book 16: The Long Road to Nowhere
A young man decides he is not living life as fully as he should so he leaves his hometown on a journey of discovery and development. He visits many different places and has an experience in each one that helps him grow as a person. Nine months into his journey he is halfway around the world and reflecting on his new approach to life very pleased with how he has changed. But as he thinks about what he has learned he realizes that they were lessons he had really known all along. A series of flashback memories recount childhood incidents that parallel the events of the past months. These had provided opportunities for the same areas of growth, but with the eyes of his youth he hadn’t seen them. He hadn’t needed to travel around the world finding new experiences in order to grow, he merely needed to put a new perspective on the experiences he already had.

Book 17: When Lincoln Speaks
The inscription on the Lincoln Memorial reads “In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” Some people say it’s more than just a memory. They say the monument murmurs on quiet nights, uttering musings and insight from the former president on the situations of the present day. It’s just a story, respect for the history of the man memorialized there. Or is it? What if it were true? If The Ancient One does continue to offer his wisdom, can we afford to not listen to his words?

What will happen now?