Two years down 2021, 2022 and yet another one to go!

Much more breathing room last year than the year before (two weeks!) and I’ve already been reading more this year, so I’m confident. Let’s do it.

As a side note, if anyone I know wants to read along on any of these, drop me a line. Love to chat about books. 😄

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

Official thread

Recommendations thread

Books by category on storygraph

This post will automatically update as I tag books and I’ll post ~if~ when I finish! I’m going to go for hard mode again as much as possible. Should be fun. :D

2023 Book Bingo

by Margaret Atwood Hard Mode ✓ Title with a Title Read a book in which the novel title contains a job title, military title, or title of nobility such as locksmith, lieutenant, or lord. This title can be something that is bestowed upon a character (such as “hero”) and it can include fictional titles that are only in the setting, such as Legendborn by Tracy Deonn*.* Hard Mode: Not a title of royalty.	by Scott Westerfield Hard Mode ✓ Superheroes Story focuses on super powered individuals. You know, heroes and villains and capes. Hard Mode: Not related to DC or Marvel.	by Peter Watts Hard Mode ✓ Bottom of the TBR Read one of the books that’s been on your To Be Read pile (TBR) the longest. If you do not keep a TBR, read one of the books that you have been meaning to read for the longest time but haven’t yet. Hard Mode: None. Actually finishing a book you’ve been putting off for so long is already hard enough.	by Peng Shepherd Hard Mode ✓ Magical Realism or Literary Fantasy Read a book that portrays magical or unreal elements in an otherwise realistic or mundane environment. These books are often found on literary fiction shelves and book lists and not always shelved as genre fiction. This is a hard square to pin down as what makes something literary or magical can often come down to vibes, so use your best judgment. No saying A Game of Thrones is literary fiction since there aren’t a lot of magical elements. Check out this thread for further ideas and guidelines. Hard Mode: Not one of the thirty books in the linked thread.	by T. Kingfisher Hard Mode ✓ Young Adult Read a book that was written for young adults. Hard Mode: Published in the last 5 years.
by Yoon Ha Lee Hard Mode ✓ Mundane Jobs The protagonist has a commonplace job that can be found in the real world (so no princes or monster hunters!). We are also excluding soldiers as they are already extremely prominent in SFF. Hard Mode: Does not take place on Earth.	by Naomi Novik Hard Mode ✓ Published in the 00s Read a book that was published between 2000 and 2009. Hard Mode: Not in the top 30 of r/Fantasy’s Best of 2023 List.	by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman Hard Mode ✓ Angels and Demons Story must feature angels or demons or both in a prominent role. Hard Mode: The protagonist is an angel or demon.	by Ted Chiang Hard Mode ✓ Five SFF Short Stories Any short SFF story as long as there are five of them. Hard Mode: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection.	by Dean Koontz Hard Mode ✓ Horror Read a book from the horror genre. Hard Mode: Not Stephen King or H. P. Lovecraft.
by Alec Hutson Hard Mode ✓ Self-Published OR Indie Publisher Self-published or published through a small, indie publisher. If the novel has been picked up by a publisher, it only counts for this challenge if you read it when it was still self-published. Hard Mode: Self-published and has fewer than 100 ratings on Goodreads, OR an indie publisher that has done an AMA with r/Fantasy.	by Melissa Bashardoust Hard Mode ✓ Set in the Middle East/Middle Eastern SFF Read a book that is set in the Middle East or in an analogous setting that is based on real-world Middle Eastern settings, myths, and culture. See these pages for more info on which countries and regions qualify: Wikipedia page for the Middle East, SWANA page. Example novels would include The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty and The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad Hard Mode: Author is of Middle Eastern heritage.	by Ness Brown Hard Mode ✓ Published in 2023 A book published for the first time in 2023 (no reprints or new editions). Hard Mode: It’s also a debut novel–as in it’s the author’s first published novel.	by Micaiah Johnson Hard Mode ✓ Multiverse and Alternate Realities Read a book in which the setting contains at least two universes, dimensions, planes, realities, etc. that characters within the book can travel between. Multiple worlds in the same physical plane of existence - such as planets within a universe - would not count for this square. Hard Mode: Characters do not walk through a literal door in order to get to another world.	by Tade Thompson Hard Mode ✓ POC Author Author must be Person of Color. Hard Mode: Novel takes place in a futuristic, sci-fi world. NOTE: this is now a recurring, yearly square but the hard mode will be changing every year to keep it exciting.
by Alastair Reynolds Hard Mode ✓ Book Club OR Readalong Book Any past or active r/Fantasy book clubs count as well as past or active r/Fantasy readalongs. See our full list of book clubs here. Hard Mode: Must read a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion.	by Catherynne M. Valente Hard Mode ✓ Novella Read a work of fiction of between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Hard Mode: Novella is NOT published by Tordotcom Publishing.	by Peter S. Beagle Hard Mode ✓ Mythical Beasts Read a book that prominently features at least one mythical beast, meaning a creature that doesn’t exist in reality. See this Wikipedia page for an idea of what counts. Hard Mode: No dragons or dragon-like creatures (e.g. wyverns, Draccus in Kingkiller).	by Leigh Bardugo Hard Mode ✓ Elemental Magic Read a book that has elemental magic. The primary magic within the world deals with the classical elements: Earth, Wind/Air, Water, and Fire. Hard Mode: Not V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series or Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series.	by Genevieve Gornichec Hard Mode ✓ Myths and Retellings Read a book that is based on a myth or preexisting story. Hard Mode: Not Greek or Roman mythology.
by T.J. Klune Hard Mode ✓ Queernorm Setting A book set in a world where queerness is normalized, accepted, and prevalent within communities. Characters are not othered, ostracized, or particularly remarkable in any way for their queerness. Hard Mode: Not a futuristic setting. Takes place in a time akin to ours, in the past, or in a fantasy world that has no science fiction elements.	by Brandon Sanderson Hard Mode ✓ Coastal or Island Setting Story features a major setting that is near or surrounded by the sea. Hard Mode: The book also features sea-faring.	by Juliet Marillier Hard Mode ✓ Druids A book that heavily features druids. This can be a classic druid, a priest or magician in Celtic lore, or a magic user whose powers stem from nature. Hard Mode: Not The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.	by John Scalzi Hard Mode ✓ Featuring Robots Read a book that features robots, androids, clockwork machines, or automatons. Hard Mode: Robot is the protagonist.	by Ada Hoffmann Hard Mode ✓ Sequel Read a book that is a sequel to another SFF book. Hard Mode: Book 3 or on in the series.

Full categories

Title with a Title

Read a book in which the novel title contains a job title, military title, or title of nobility such as locksmith, lieutenant, or lord. This title can be something that is bestowed upon a character (such as “hero”) and it can include fictional titles that are only in the setting, such as Legendborn by Tracy Deonn*.*

Hard Mode: Not a title of royalty.

Superheroes

Story focuses on super powered individuals. You know, heroes and villains and capes.

Hard Mode: Not related to DC or Marvel.

Bottom of the TBR

Read one of the books that’s been on your To Be Read pile (TBR) the longest. If you do not keep a TBR, read one of the books that you have been meaning to read for the longest time but haven’t yet.

Hard Mode: None. Actually finishing a book you’ve been putting off for so long is already hard enough.

Magical Realism or Literary Fantasy

Read a book that portrays magical or unreal elements in an otherwise realistic or mundane environment. These books are often found on literary fiction shelves and book lists and not always shelved as genre fiction. This is a hard square to pin down as what makes something literary or magical can often come down to vibes, so use your best judgment. No saying A Game of Thrones is literary fiction since there aren’t a lot of magical elements. Check out this thread for further ideas and guidelines.

Hard Mode: Not one of the thirty books in the linked thread.

Young Adult

Read a book that was written for young adults.

Hard Mode: Published in the last 5 years.

Mundane Jobs

The protagonist has a commonplace job that can be found in the real world (so no princes or monster hunters!). We are also excluding soldiers as they are already extremely prominent in SFF.

Hard Mode: Does not take place on Earth.

Published in the 00s

Read a book that was published between 2000 and 2009.

Hard Mode: Not in the top 30 of r/Fantasy’s Best of 2023 List.

Angels and Demons

Story must feature angels or demons or both in a prominent role.

Hard Mode: The protagonist is an angel or demon.

Five SFF Short Stories

Any short SFF story as long as there are five of them.

Hard Mode: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection.

Horror

Read a book from the horror genre.

Hard Mode: Not Stephen King or H. P. Lovecraft.

Self-Published OR Indie Publisher

Self-published or published through a small, indie publisher. If the novel has been picked up by a publisher, it only counts for this challenge if you read it when it was still self-published.

Hard Mode: Self-published and has fewer than 100 ratings on Goodreads, OR an indie publisher that has done an AMA with r/Fantasy.

Set in the Middle East/Middle Eastern SFF

Read a book that is set in the Middle East or in an analogous setting that is based on real-world Middle Eastern settings, myths, and culture. See these pages for more info on which countries and regions qualify: Wikipedia page for the Middle East, SWANA page. Example novels would include The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty and The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad

Hard Mode: Author is of Middle Eastern heritage.

Published in 2023

A book published for the first time in 2023 (no reprints or new editions).

Hard Mode: It’s also a debut novel–as in it’s the author’s first published novel.

Multiverse and Alternate Realities

Read a book in which the setting contains at least two universes, dimensions, planes, realities, etc. that characters within the book can travel between. Multiple worlds in the same physical plane of existence - such as planets within a universe - would not count for this square.

Hard Mode: Characters do not walk through a literal door in order to get to another world.

POC Author

Author must be Person of Color.

Hard Mode: Novel takes place in a futuristic, sci-fi world. NOTE: this is now a recurring, yearly square but the hard mode will be changing every year to keep it exciting.

Book Club OR Readalong Book

Any past or active r/Fantasy book clubs count as well as past or active r/Fantasy readalongs. See our full list of book clubs here.

Hard Mode: Must read a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion.

Novella

Read a work of fiction of between 17,500 and 40,000 words.

Hard Mode: Novella is NOT published by Tordotcom Publishing.

Mythical Beasts

Read a book that prominently features at least one mythical beast, meaning a creature that doesn’t exist in reality. See this Wikipedia page for an idea of what counts.

Hard Mode: No dragons or dragon-like creatures (e.g. wyverns, Draccus in Kingkiller).

Elemental Magic

Read a book that has elemental magic. The primary magic within the world deals with the classical elements: Earth, Wind/Air, Water, and Fire.

Hard Mode: Not V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series or Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series.

Myths and Retellings

Read a book that is based on a myth or preexisting story.

Hard Mode: Not Greek or Roman mythology.

Queernorm Setting

A book set in a world where queerness is normalized, accepted, and prevalent within communities. Characters are not othered, ostracized, or particularly remarkable in any way for their queerness.

Hard Mode: Not a futuristic setting. Takes place in a time akin to ours, in the past, or in a fantasy world that has no science fiction elements.

Coastal or Island Setting

Story features a major setting that is near or surrounded by the sea.

Hard Mode: The book also features sea-faring.

Druids

A book that heavily features druids. This can be a classic druid, a priest or magician in Celtic lore, or a magic user whose powers stem from nature.

Hard Mode: Not The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

Featuring Robots

Read a book that features robots, androids, clockwork machines, or automatons.

Hard Mode: Robot is the protagonist.

Sequel

Read a book that is a sequel to another SFF book.

Hard Mode: Book 3 or on in the series.