2024 Book Bingo

Let’s do it again!

Previous years:

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

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

2024 Book Bingo

First in a Series

Read the first book in a series.

Hard Mode: The series is more than three books long.

The Haunting of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Hard Mode ✓


Alliterative Title

Read a book where multiple words in the title begin with the same letter. For example, Legends and Lattes, A Storm of Swords, Children of Blood and Bone.

Hard Mode: The title has three words or more that start with the same letter.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

by Jules Verne

Hard Mode ✓


Under the Surface

Read a book where an important setting is either underground or underwater.

Hard Mode: At least half the book takes place underground or underwater.

The Quantum Magician

by Derek Künsken

Hard Mode ✓


Criminals

Read a book in which the main character is a criminal. This could be a thief, assassin, someone who commits mail fraud, etc.

Hard Mode: Features a heist.

Dreams

Read a book where characters experience dreams, magical or otherwise.

Hard Mode: The dream is not mystical or unusual, just a normal dream or nightmare.

The Voyage of the Basilisk

by Marie Brennan

Hard Mode ✓


Entitled Animals

Read a book that has an animal in the title. The animal in the title does not have to appear in the story. Examples: The Raven Tower, Wolfsong, A Feast for Crows.

Hard Mode: The animal in the title is a fantasy or sci-fi creature, i.e. The Last Unicorn, Leviathan Wakes, or The Kaiju Preservation Society.

The Sea of Trolls

by Nancy Farmer

Hard Mode ✓


Bards

Read a book in which the primary protagonist is a bard, musician, poet, or storyteller.

Hard Mode: The character is explicitly called a bard.

Prologues and Epilogues

Read a book that has either a prologue or an epilogue.

Hard Mode: The book must have both.

Self-Published or Indie Publisher

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

Romantasy

Read a book that features romance as a main plot. This must be speculative in nature but does not have to be fantasy.

Hard Mode: The main character is LGBTQIA+.

Dark Academia

Read a book that fits the dark academia aesthetic. This includes school and university, secret societies, and dark secrets. Does not have to be fantasy, but must be speculative.

Hard Mode: The school itself is entirely mundane.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

by Susanna Clarke

Hard Mode ✓


Multi-POV

Read a book with at least three point of view characters.

Hard Mode: At least five point of view characters.

Published in 2024

A book published for the first time in 2024 (no reprints or new editions) First translations into your language of choice are allowed.

Hard Mode: It’s also the author’s first published novel.

Jade Legacy

by Fonda Lee

Hard Mode ✓


Character with a Disability

Read a book in which an important character has a physical or mental disability.

Hard Mode: A main character has a physical or mental disability.

Published in the 1990s

Read a book that was published in the 1990s.

Hard Mode: The author, or one of the authors, has also published something in the last five years.

Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins - Oh My!

Read a book featuring orcs, trolls, or goblins.

Hard Mode: As a main character.

Space Opera

Read a sci-fi book that features a large cast of characters and has a focus on social dynamics which may be political or personal in nature. Set primarily in space or on spaceships.

Hard Mode: Written by an author of marginalized gender identity (e.g. women, trans people, non-binary people).

Author of Color

Read a book by an author of color.

Hard Mode: Must be a debut novel published in the last five years.

Survival

Read a book in which the primary goal of the characters and story focuses on survival. Surviving an apocalypse, surviving a war, surviving high school, etc.

Hard Mode: No superviruses or pandemics.

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

by K.J. Parker

Hard Mode ✓


Judge A Book By Its Cover

Choose because you like its cover.

Hard Mode: Pick the book based only on the information available on the cover. No reading the blurb!

Set in a Small Town

The primary setting is a small town.

Hard Mode: The small town can be real or fictional but the broader setting must be our real world and not a secondary world.

Five SFF Short Stories

Any five short stories or novelettes.

Hard Mode: Read an entire speculative anthology or collection.

Perdido Street Station

by China Miéville

Hard Mode ✓


Eldritch Creatures

Read a book featuring a being that is uncanny, unearthly, and weird. This can be a god or monster from another plane or realm and is usually beyond mortal understanding. See this link for further information.

Hard Mode: The book is not related to the Cthulhu mythos.

Reference Materials

Read a book that features additional material, such as a map, footnotes, glossary, translation guide, dramatis personae etc.

Hard Mode: Book contains at least two types of additional materials.

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.

Full categories

    First in a Series

    Read the first book in a series.

    Hard Mode: The series is more than three books long.

    Alliterative Title

    Read a book where multiple words in the title begin with the same letter. For example, Legends and Lattes, A Storm of Swords, Children of Blood and Bone.

    Hard Mode: The title has three words or more that start with the same letter.

    Under the Surface

    Read a book where an important setting is either underground or underwater.

    Hard Mode: At least half the book takes place underground or underwater.

    Criminals

    Read a book in which the main character is a criminal. This could be a thief, assassin, someone who commits mail fraud, etc.

    Hard Mode: Features a heist.

    Dreams

    Read a book where characters experience dreams, magical or otherwise.

    Hard Mode: The dream is not mystical or unusual, just a normal dream or nightmare.

    Entitled Animals

    Read a book that has an animal in the title. The animal in the title does not have to appear in the story. Examples: The Raven Tower, Wolfsong, A Feast for Crows.

    Hard Mode: The animal in the title is a fantasy or sci-fi creature, i.e. The Last Unicorn, Leviathan Wakes, or The Kaiju Preservation Society.

    Bards

    Read a book in which the primary protagonist is a bard, musician, poet, or storyteller.

    Hard Mode: The character is explicitly called a bard.

    Prologues and Epilogues

    Read a book that has either a prologue or an epilogue.

    Hard Mode: The book must have both.

    Self-Published or Indie Publisher

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

    Romantasy

    Read a book that features romance as a main plot. This must be speculative in nature but does not have to be fantasy.

    Hard Mode: The main character is LGBTQIA+.

    Dark Academia

    Read a book that fits the dark academia aesthetic. This includes school and university, secret societies, and dark secrets. Does not have to be fantasy, but must be speculative.

    Hard Mode: The school itself is entirely mundane.

    Multi-POV

    Read a book with at least three point of view characters.

    Hard Mode: At least five point of view characters.

    Published in 2024

    A book published for the first time in 2024 (no reprints or new editions) First translations into your language of choice are allowed.

    Hard Mode: It’s also the author’s first published novel.

    Character with a Disability

    Read a book in which an important character has a physical or mental disability.

    Hard Mode: A main character has a physical or mental disability.

    Published in the 1990s

    Read a book that was published in the 1990s.

    Hard Mode: The author, or one of the authors, has also published something in the last five years.

    Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins - Oh My!

    Read a book featuring orcs, trolls, or goblins.

    Hard Mode: As a main character.

    Space Opera

    Read a sci-fi book that features a large cast of characters and has a focus on social dynamics which may be political or personal in nature. Set primarily in space or on spaceships.

    Hard Mode: Written by an author of marginalized gender identity (e.g. women, trans people, non-binary people).

    Author of Color

    Read a book by an author of color.

    Hard Mode: Must be a debut novel published in the last five years.

    Survival

    Read a book in which the primary goal of the characters and story focuses on survival. Surviving an apocalypse, surviving a war, surviving high school, etc.

    Hard Mode: No superviruses or pandemics.

    Judge A Book By Its Cover

    Choose because you like its cover.

    Hard Mode: Pick the book based only on the information available on the cover. No reading the blurb!

    Set in a Small Town

    The primary setting is a small town.

    Hard Mode: The small town can be real or fictional but the broader setting must be our real world and not a secondary world.

    Five SFF Short Stories

    Any five short stories or novelettes.

    Hard Mode: Read an entire speculative anthology or collection.

    Eldritch Creatures

    Read a book featuring a being that is uncanny, unearthly, and weird. This can be a god or monster from another plane or realm and is usually beyond mortal understanding. See this link for further information.

    Hard Mode: The book is not related to the Cthulhu mythos.

    Reference Materials

    Read a book that features additional material, such as a map, footnotes, glossary, translation guide, dramatis personae etc.

    Hard Mode: Book contains at least two types of additional materials.

    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.