It’s Book Bingo Time!

(Image taken from the Book Bingo card, illustrated by Tessa Hulls)

Now is the time of year where I attempt to read 24 specific books without also falling behind on summer new releases. That’s right, it’s Adult Summer Reading Book Bingo time!

This is actually only my second year participating in this event, co-hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures and the Seattle Public Library. Last year it was startlingly easy for me to complete the challenge, as in addition to pandemic lockdown, our beloved dog was very sick so I spent a lot of time reading in the vet’s parking lot and an equal amount of time stress-reading at home.

This year, my dog is thankfully in much better health and lockdown appears to be coming to an end locally, but I still suspect I will spend a lot of time at home reading.

Why I Love Book Bingo

I enjoy a reading challenge like this because it gets me to explore outside of my comfort zone. For instance, on my own I would pretty much never read a book about Sports. I am the least sporty person you will ever meet. I’ll probably end up looking for a book about some weird sport, like dog sledding, or some sci-fi/fantasy book that centers space ship racing or monster hunting.

It also gets me to look at the bookcases around my house and assess all the books I’ve bought but not yet read, to see which ones might fit into a bingo square.

I especially appreciate how there are squares which promote authors from marginalized groups. We could all do to diversify our shelves (whether physical or virtual). And there are some genres which readers might generally avoid, such as romance and speculative fiction. Readers are encouraged not just to engage with Capital L Literature, but with beach reads, poetry, graphica, and a variety of non-fiction topics.

Also, I was homeschooled in a small town. I never got to do the summer reading challenges that other kids did. I never earned a personal pan pizza for my voracious reading habits. SAL and SPL don’t give out pizzas, either, but I’m an adult so I buy myself a pizza to celebrate my book bingo prowess.

Why I’m Gonna Fill All the Squares

Because I’m a perfectionist, that’s why.

Libraries are Awesome!

The other thing I like about things like summer reading challenges is they show how cool libraries are. The library doesn’t only provide temporary free book loans; it also does things to promote a love of literacy and learning (among many many many other things). SPL librarians curate some really thoughtful and interesting lists of suggestions for the bingo squares, introducing readers to books they might not have encountered before.

Are You Doing a Summer Reading Challenge?

Are you participating in Book Bingo or another summer reading challenge? If so, let me know if you’d like any reading recommendations — especially for science fiction, fantasy, romance, LGBTQIA, BIPOC, or AAPI authors. You can leave a comment on the blog or use my contact form.