I'm quite far in Act 1 and there are still no monster journal entries?

Problem is I have some contracts to kill monsters but I have no idea where to find them with the lack of info given in game.

You might want to consult your local librarian (Einar Gausel) or just head out and see what you can find out by studying the behaviour of the creatures (i.e. slaugther them basterds ;) ).

I've killed loads of drowners and nekkers but still nothing in my journal. That normal? Or does it only appear once I go to the library?

There's a second set of entries in your character screen (one of those other tabs in the menu popping up when hitting 'c'). Maybe the info you're looking for is there and the books only add an additional journal entry - I only finished the game once so far and bought the books, so I'm not sure about the exact mechanics.

Like the previous poster said, the complete entries can be found in your Knowledge tab under Character screen. The monster entries in the journal are surprisingly incomplete.

Once you have enough knowledge about the monsters (Level 2 out of 3 either via killing enough monsters or buying and reading a book on said monsters) consulting the quest section in the Journal provides information on completing the contracts. The section in Character screen provides information on weaknesses of said monsters.

Thanks. So the town is basically burnt down at the moment and the library doesn't show on the map. Is it gone?

I think it's intended then. Those character screen entries develop in three steps (depending on how many monsters of that type you killed). The books instantly unlock 3/3 and give you an additional journal entry (which is more like a bit of lore text, similar to the scrap of text underneath all the important data in TW1). So the character screen is 'knowledge' while the journal is 'lore' - at least concerning monsters. For potions it's a whole different story.

Long story short: No, it's not a bug. But I'd agree that it is flawed design and counter-intuitive - especially compared to TW1.

Or do you mean that the quest section of the journal is empty/still telling you to find out about the monsters? In that case, you either need to gather more knowledge, or it might even be a bug (which I didn't hear of so far, though).

I think Einar Gausnel (the dwarf selling books) is gone and does not return when the town gets burnt down. However chances are the nekkers and endregas might still respawn. So if you continue killing them you will gain enough Knowledge to learn how to destroy their nests.

Then again, you might already have enough Knowledge. Check either your journal (quest) or character screen to see.

Yup he's gone. If the town's burnt down I think you've left that side quest too late.

No it is showing in the quest section but there's not much info as to where they are. Just says "in the Flotsam area" that doesn't really help me, lol.

Guess I'll have to hit the library if I can find it. As mentioned above, not sure it still exists after the town burnt down. Doesn't show on the map. Then again the map hasn't been very helpful so far :-(

Yeah, but I don't know if the guy you have to go to in order to finish the contract is still there (I think not). You don't have to read the books as you can get the info by killing neckers and endregas in the forest. As far as I know all non-humans will have left which includes the bookseller.

Well, as far as I remember, it won't tell you where to find the nests anyway. You are supposed to search the woods south of Flotsam on your own. All you can find out is HOW to destroy the nekker nests / lure the endraga queens.

If you are referring to the location of those nests, they actually are not shown anywhere. The books won't help in this regard and the quest markers do not point to their location.

If you find that you could not locate those nests, the nekker nests are shown here: http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/The_Nekker_Contract

As for the Endrega's, they are close to where you see Endrega guards (or where larger amount of Endregas spawn). To be more explicit, they are close to the 2 tree symbols south of Flotsam in your map.

I think you're pretty much SOL, anyway - as noted in a few posts above. You better go back to an earlier save before the little kerfuffle at the Elven Ruins, because you will not be able to complete the side quests after that point.

Act1 is designed so that the side quests should be completed before the main quest gets too far (as in, Flotsam burned down is too far).