Have you read something that you really enjoyed and want to give others a reason to try it out because it fits a square? Want to solicit help finding things to read that fit squares? This is a great place to do that.

This thread will contain one top level comment for each Bingo square. In order to preserve the organization and readability of this post, please limit recommendations to only replies on those top-level comments. We will be removing comments that don’t follow this rule for for this specific post.

Markdown Card

A B C D E
1 Number in the Title Author from a Different Continent Featured Creature Minority Author Now a Major Motion Picture
2 Independent Author Set in War Orange Crush Short and Sweet Banned Book
3 Based on Folklore Title: [X] of [Y] FREE SPACE - Off Your TBR Pile LGBTQIA+ Lead Saddle Up
4 New Release Alliterative Title Judge A Book By Its Cover Award Winner Gamble, Game, or Contest
5 Steppin’ Up! Political Late to the Party Cozy Read Jerk with a Heart of Gold

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  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton was a fun take on an apocalypse book, from the perspective of the animals that are left behind. So my plan is to slot the sequel Feral Creatures in here.

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Suggestion: Richard Adams - Watership Down; Richard Adams - The Plague Dogs; Kenneth Grahame - The Wind in the Willows

      My card: Richard Adams - Shardik

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Suggestion: Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games; Clive Barker - The Damnation Game

      My card: Agatha Christie - The Sittaford Mystery

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      Suggestions: Becky Chambers (I think all of her books qualify) - Monk & Robot; Diana Wynne Jones - Howl’s Moving Castle

      My card: Heather Fawcett - Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    3D LGBTQIA+ Lead: A main character identifies as LGBTQIA+. HARD MODE: Includes a significant romantic relationship between characters that identify as LGBTQIA+.

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      Suggestion: any LGBTQIA+ romance, such as TJ Klune - Under the Whispering Door (or pretty much any other book by this author)

      My card: TJ Klune - Wolfsong

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      Suggestion: Margaret Owen - Little Thieves

      My card (I struggled to find something for this square that wasn’t romance, then gave up. I plan to try a couple of books, then the other recommendation here if I make it to this square and don’t have any luck…): Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko - Vita Nostra; Grace Draven - Entreat Me

    • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik and I have the last one yet to read. The main character definitely qualifies for this.

      It’s in the budding wizard goes to wizard school type genre, but is in a world where those budding wizards are exceptionally vulnerable to evil magical creatures that would like to consume them, and as such, the school is incredibly harsh and many don’t make it out Prior to the events of the trilogy.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • EyeBeam@literature.cafe
      4·
      3 months ago

      1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates – Sellar, Yeatman, and Reynolds.

      Worth all of its 116 pages. (Also valid for 1A, but I have other plans for that square.)

    • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Suggestion: any anthology, especially any edited by Ellen Datlow (books span multiple genres)

      My card: Ellen Datlow, ed. - Mad Hatters and March Hares

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    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.