WELCOME TO THE 2nd ANNUAL !BOOKS@LEMMY.WORLD BINGO 2025! - Lemmy.World
Want to read more, but need motivation or direction? Want to gamify or expand
your reading? Try book bingo! Our hope with this challenge is to provide a fun
way for you to keep up with your recreational reading goals throughout the next
12 months. #### How Does It Work? The goal is to read something that fits the
theme for each bingo square in any single row, column, or corner diagonal of
your choice (one work per square). You’re welcome to complete the entire card
(or multiple cards) for an additional challenge goal, but you only need to check
off a single line of 5 squares to complete the challenge. So what can you read?
Well, anything you enjoy, really. There’s no requirement to consume any
particular kind of work, so any length, format, subject, or genre is totally
fine. Want to read graphic novels, audiobooks, poetry, 10-page memoirs, or works
in other languages? No problem. There’s no bingo police, either! If you think
you can make a well-reasoned argument for why something fits the spirit of a
square, go for it. There’s even a process for substituting a square if it
doesn’t quite fit your preferences. We hope you’ll participate in the community
throughout the year by posting what you’re reading in the weekly “What are you
reading?” thread, and by helping others with recommendations. In mid-April,
2026, we’ll put up a turn-in post to collect everyone’s cards. After the thread
closes at the end of April, we’ll use the submissions to put together a summary
of the results, and to determine eligibility for community flair (currently not
possible, but maybe in the future!) or some other recognition. If you want to be
included, please make sure to contribute to that post, even if you’ve made other
bingo posts or comments during the year. #### Rules - You must read a different
work for every square you complete, even across multiple cards. There’s no
problem, however, with overlapping other reading challenges that aren’t
associated with c/Books. - Repeating authors on the same card isn’t forbidden,
but we encourage you to read different authors for every square on a card. -
Likewise, we encourage you to primarily read things you haven’t read before. -
If you’re having trouble filling a certain square, you are welcome to substitute
any non-duplicate square from last year’s card
[https://lemmy.world/post/14905693]. The center square (C3) is the one
exception, and is not eligible for substitution. Please limit your substitutions
to one per card. - The 2025 challenge runs May 1st, 2025 – April 30th, 2026.
Anything you finish during that time period is eligible, as long as you were no
more than halfway through on May 1st, 2025. #### Upping the Difficulty Want an
additional challenge? Try one of these, or come up with a variation of your own
(and share them!). - Hard Mode: This is just a stretch goal for those interested
– it does not convey any greater achievement. Most square descriptions include
an optional extra restriction, which you can do or ignore on a square-by-square
basis. It’s up to you! - Genre Mode: Read only one genre. - Review Mode: Write a
review (ratings alone don’t count) for the books you read for bingo, either here
on c/Books, a personal blog, Bookwyrm, The Storygraph, Hardcover.app, or
elsewhere. ### The Card 2025 Bingo Card
[https://literature.cafe/pictrs/image/ea4bea0b-e2d9-43de-b3db-63848d5f1a39.png]
Full Size Card
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fc2sWiaEvXutTcD90TGX-_l9oysTo-hj/view?usp=drivesdk]
### Squares in List Form ### The Squares #### Row 1 - 1A Number in the Title:
The work must have a number in the title that’s not a just a volume/version
number. Example: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. HARD
MODE: Only numbers in the title. - 1B Author from a Different Continent: The
author(s) resides on a different continent than you do. HARD MODE: The work
required translation to be published in your native language. - 1C Featured
Creature: A sentient non-humanoid is the primary PoV, or a non-humanoid creature
holds such a prominent role that the work would be completely different without
them. Examples: Call of the Wild by Jack London or Old Yeller by Fred Gipson.
HARD MODE: Not a sci-fi/fantasy creature. - 1D Minority Author: The author is a
member of a generally underrepresented or marginalized demographic where you
live, such as LGBTQIA+ or BIPOC. HARD MODE: Belongs to more than one minority
group. - 1E Now a Major Motion Picture: The work has been adapted into a show or
single episode, movie, play, audio drama, or other format. HARD MODE: Watch or
listen to the adaptation as well (rewatches are ok!). #### Row 2 - 2A
Independent Author: Read a work self-published by the author. Any work later
published though a conventional publishing house doesn’t count unless you are
reading it before the switch, and its rerelease date is after April 30th, 2026.
HARD MODE: Not published via Amazon Kindle Direct. - 2B Set in War: The work
takes place with an active war in the foreground or background. The characters
do not need to be directly involved in combat, but the war’s presence must be a
primary driver of the narrative. HARD MODE: There are more than 2 factions in
the war. - 2C Orange Crush: The title, a prominent element of the cover, or the
narrative involves some form of orange (color, word, or fruit). HARD MODE: The
work you chose uses multiple types of orange features. - 2D Short and Sweet:
Read a individual piece of work under 170 pages or 40,000 words. HARD MODE: Read
a collection of this type of short work. - 2E Banned Book: Read a work from the
ALA’s (American Library Association’s) list of the top 100 banned books in the
US 2010-2019 [https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2019].
If you are a non-American and there is a similar list for your region, that is
also a valid source for comparable information. Additionally, you can use the
content from the Wikipedia post on banned books
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_banned_books]. HARD MODE: One of the top
50 (or equivalent). #### Row 3 - 3A Based on Folklore: The narrative must be
based on a real world piece of folklore. Folklore encompasses fairy tales,
fables, myths, and legends. HARD MODE: Non-European folklore. - 3B Title: [X] of
[Y] - The title of the book must feature the format described, such as A Wizard
of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. HARD MODE: [X] of [Y] and [Z] (the
conjunctions can be flexible). - 3C FREE SPACE - Off Your TBR Pile: A book
that’s been on your TBR list for a long time. HARD MODE: Overlaps with at least
one other bingo square theme. - 3D LGBTQIA+ Lead: A main character identifies as
LGBTQIA+. HARD MODE: Includes a significant romantic relationship between
characters that identify as LGBTQIA+. - 3E Saddle Up: The narrative revolves
around someone whose identity is tied to being a rider of something, such as a
horse, dragon, or motorcycle. HARD MODE: The ridden creature/object is treated
as a character in its own right. #### Row 4 - 4A New Release: New for 2025/2026
(no reprints or new editions). First translations into your language of choice
are allowed. HARD MODE: This is the first work you’ve read by this author. - 4B
Alliterative Title: Many books boldly boast alliteration to attract audience
attention. HARD MODE: More than 2 alliterative words in the title, excluding
definite articles or conjunctions. - 4C Judge a Book by Its Cover: Chosen
because you like its cover (or cover analogue). HARD MODE: Picked using only the
information available on the front cover. - 4D Award Winner: Has won a notable
and widely regarded literature award. HARD MODE: More than one award. - 4E
Gamble, Game, or Contest: Features an organized gamble, game, or contest
(life-and-death or otherwise). HARD MODE: Take a gamble on a style or genre of
work you don’t typically read, as well. #### Row 5 - 5A Steppin’ Up!: Challenges
can come at you quickly, especially for those least prepared. Whether it’s a
major leadership position or suddenly being gifted a baby dragon, life is about
to get a whole lot harder and more complicated. HARD MODE: The primary PoV does
not assume the throne of a monarchy/empire. - 5B Political: Political movements
are a major driver of the work. HARD MODE: From the perspective of machinations
in the background, outside the typical positions of power or major government. -
5C Late to the Party: Apparently this is a really popular work, you just haven’t
gotten around to it yet. Read a book that you have seen recommended over and
over. HARD MODE: Not Harry Potter. - 5D Cozy Read: Cozies generally feature a
smaller cast of characters in a smaller location, emphasize community, highlight
successes and inspirational moments, and have a more optimistic and upbeat tone.
Above all, they have to have a satisfyingly happy ending. They offer comfort to
their readers and a safe escape from the realities of daily life. HARD MODE:
There is no hard mode, hard mode defeats the purpose of the cozy task. - 5E Jerk
with a Heart of Gold: A significant figure may be rude, gruff, or even
insufferable; however, beneath all that, a surprising kindness shows in the
right moments. Maybe they are bad at the whole feelings thing, are doing it to
hide a deep pain or maintain a position of responsibility, or maybe it’s just
all a façade, but their actions ultimately reveal a core of genuine caring. HARD
MODE: Not A Man Called Ove/Otto. ### Resources If you make or find any
bingo-related resources, ping or DM me so I can add them here. Thanks! - 2025
Bingo Recommendations List [InsertLinkHere] - The Storygraph Reading Challenge
[https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/ece752f3-9139-4eb3-89ee-8c5401674d8f]
### Appreciation - This challenge is inspired by, but totally separate from, the
one run by r/Fantasy on Reddit. We deeply appreciate the past organizers and the
work they did that we are now benefitting from. - 2025 bingo card font credits:
Parchment [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/parchment], by
Photo-Lettering, Inc.; Noto Sans
[https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Sans], by the Noto Project authors
[https://github.com/notofonts/latin-greek-cyrillic]. ::: spoiler MarkDown Card
(click to expand) --------------------------------- | | A | B | C | D | E |
|:—:|:—:|:—:|:—:|:—:|:—:| | 1 | Number in the Title [link] | Author from a
Different Continent [link] | Featured Creature [link] | Minority Author [link] |
Now a Major Motion Picture [link] | | 2 | Independent Author [link] | Set in War
[link] | Orange Crush [link] | Short and Sweet [link] | Banned Book [link] | | 3
| Based on Folklore [link] | Title: [X] of [Y] [link] | FREE SPACE - Off Your
TBR Pile [link] | LGBTQIA+ Lead [link] | Saddle Up [link] | | 4 | New Release
[link] | Alliterative Title [link] | Judge a Book by Its Cover [link] | Award
Winner [link] | Gamble, Game, or Contest [link] | | 5 | Steppin’ Up! [link] |
Political [link] | Late to the Party [link] | Cozy Read [link] | Jerk with a
Heart of Gold [link] | :::
Jennifer Hamilton, MD PhD
Glenn Fleishman
Charlie Stross
Christian Selig
Rod Hilton