2021 Book Bingo

I’ve seen the /r/Fantasy Book Bingo cards before a number of times, but this is the first year that I think I’m actually going to try it. I’ve gotten away from my previous reading lists, but this sounds like a great way to find new things / read a few that are out of my comfort zone. I do read a crazy amount, so I should be able to find time for 25 specific books–but then again, there are a few rules that might make this more interesting:

Rules:

  • Must be speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, horror with speculative elements)
  • Limit the number of novellas (fewer than 40k words or defined by the author as such) or combine them
  • A book of short stories counts
  • Graphic novels/manga should be treated as novellas
  • Web novels count (if they’re long enough)
  • Audiobooks count

Luckily, there’s a rather active recommendations thread. Compare that against my to reads (still 600+ strong) or just whatever jumps out and I should be good to go!

This post will automatically update as I add more books. My current plan is to put each book in each category that it would work for, but when a book only fits in one category, I’ll remove the other books from that category or otherwise mark it. Click any cover to read my review! Onward!

Note: While I’m reading them, I’m mostly going to assign books to multiple squares. As I fill in more of the sheet, I’ll clean that up.

2021 Book Bingo

SFF anthology or collection

Attack on Titan, Vol. 1

Set in Asia (Hard: by an Asian author)

r/Fantasy A to Z Genre Guide (Hard: by a BIPOC author)

Found Family (Hard: featuring an LGBTQ+ character)

First person POV (Hard: Multiple)

r/Fantasy Book Club (Hard: with participation)

New to you author (Hard: haven’t heard much about)

Gothic Fantasy (Hard: not in the Book Riot article)

Mexican Gothic

(Hard Mode)

Backlist book (Hard: published before 2000)

Revenge-seeking character (Hard: revenge as the major book plot)

Mystery plot (Hard: not primary world urban fantasy)

Six Wakes

(Hard Mode)

Comfort read (Hard: that isn’t a reread)

Wild Sign

(Hard Mode)

Debut novel (Hard: published in 2021)

Tales of Nezura: Book 1: The Zevolra

(Hard Mode)

Cat squasher (500+ pages; Hard: 800+ pages)

SFF-related nonfiction (Hard: published in the last 5 years)

Latinx or Latin American author (Hard: with fewer than 1000 Goodreads ratings)

Self published (Hard: with fewer than 50 Goodreads ratings)

Tales of Nezura: Book 1: The Zevolra

(Hard Mode)

Forest setting (Hard: for the entire book)

Annihilation

(Hard Mode)

Genre mashup (Hard: of three or more genres)

Gideon the Ninth

(Hard Mode)

Has chapter titles of more than one word (Hard: for every chapter)

The Midnight Library

(Hard Mode)

___ of ___ (Hard: and ___)

First contact (Hard: that doesn’t lead to war)

Project Hail Mary

(Hard Mode)

Trans or Nonbinary (Hard: protagonist)

Debut author (Hard: with an AMA)

Witches (Hard: as the main protagonist)

A Great and Terrible Beauty

(Hard Mode)
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