Last week I read a post about reading bingo on a blog I follow, Whispering Gums. It wasn’t until after I commented about what fun it would be to participate in, that I realised the bingo card pictured looked a bit familiar: I had of course downloaded it at the beginning of the year and then promptly forgotten about it. So, in the spirit of being an organised reader, I decided to fit my reading to the bingo challenge in hindsight – in the hopes that this might actually be possible!
A Book with more than 500 pages:
This is easy, I love huge books. The one I’ve chosen for here is a whopper at 770 pages, The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati, an absolutely stunning start to a new series for her.
A Forgotten Classic:
I’m not sure how forgotten it is, perhaps it’s more just underestimated, but I read Haxby’s Circus by Katherine Susannah Prichard and wondered why I hadn’t read it earlier. It was such an excellent study of a long lost way of life.
A Book that became a Movie:
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Although I will confess I watched the movie first and loved it so much I then immediately read the book. But originally, the book came before the movie, so it definitely fits here.
A Book Published this Year:
I have read so many books published this year! A random pick… To Become a Whale by Ben Hobson. Destined to one day be an Australian classic, I feel quite certain about this!
A Book with a Number in the Title:
A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay. Beautiful in a hundred different ways!
A Book with a Mystery:
I read a few of these this year. Nine Lessons by Nicola Upson tops them all though. Incredible crime fiction with two mysteries to solve!
A Book by a Female Author:
Well, this is a tough one…said no AWW participant ever! Okay, let’s go with… Fortunate Friends by Louise Guy. A look at the many ways in which winning the lotto can change your life.
A Funny Book:
This one is super easy to pick! Girl in Between by Anna Daniels. Entirely hilarious right the way through. I loved it.
A Book with Non-Human Characters:
All the Galaxies by Philip Miller. A book with a young man reincarnated as his long dead but still beloved dog attempting to make sense of his life and death in a galaxy where the dead go – among other things. An incredibly complicated book that was incredibly easy to read.
A Book Written by Someone Under Thirty:
Ache by Eliza Henry Jones. I’m constantly astounded by her talent. Her writing is divine.
A Book with a One Word Title:
Lea by Pascal Mercier, a German translated novel about a father’s grief and guilt. Stunning literary fiction.
A Book of Short Stories:
I tend to avoid short stories, even a novella is pushing it for me, but I do actually have a title for this square. A Bouquet of Love, edited by Monique Mulligan, was a sweet collection of romance stories centred around a wedding boutique. It was very enjoyable and had me questioning my bias against short stories. Perhaps when they’re all linked like these were, I feel I can still ‘get into’ the book.
A Book Set on a Different Continent:
The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith was set in the US, very much a different continent to Australia! Quite a remarkable novel, I enjoyed it immensely.
A Book of Non-Fiction:
Normally I would struggle with this, but I’ve read a few non-fiction titles this year. Slow by Brooke McAlary was quite interesting and rather different to my usual reading material. A beautifully presented book too.
The First Book by a Favourite Author:
Now this is tricky and I’m going to fudge it a bit by nominating The Florentine Bridge by Vanessa Carnevale, her first and only book so far, but she’s become an instant favourite of mine and I feel certain I will love her next one just as much as her first.
A Book you heard about Online:
Dear Life by Meghan Quinn. It popped up in my Facebook newsfeed and the cover grabbed my attention. Three clicks later and I was engrossed!
A Best-Selling Book:
Because I read a lot of new releases, which haven’t been out long enough to be best-selling yet, this is trickier than I thought. I’ll nominate The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood. I’m pretty sure I saw it ranked high on Booktopia’s best-selling chart at the time the television series was captivating all of us.
A Book Based on a True Story:
Another easy one! Codename Suzette by Anne Nelson, an account of a remarkable woman and her efforts to save Jewish children from extermination during WWII.
A Book at the Bottom of Your To-Be-Read Pile:
The bottom of my TBR is a place I haven’t seen for quite some time! However, I did dig deep to locate The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey and I was so glad that I did. Such a beautiful story with a remarkable source of inspiration behind it.
A Book Your Friend Loves:
Which friend? I’m usually the one who does the recommending! My friend Amanda from Mrs B’s Book Reviews loved Le Chateau by Sarah Ridout and unsurprisingly – because we have very similar tastes – I loved it too.
A Book that Scares You:
The Way Back by Kylie Ladd. Every parent’s nightmare unfolded in precise detail. Stunning and yes, truly frightening.
A Book that is More than Ten Years Old:
I’d say it’s safe to say that Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is more than ten years old!
The Second Book in a Series:
Force of Nature by Jane Harper. A very good second instalment too!
A Book with a Blue Cover:
How random! Why not pink, green or yellow? How to Stop Time by Matt Haig is very blue. And very good too!
And this leaves me with my Free square:
Decisions, decisions! The Last Hours by Minette Walters was quite fantastic. And there was no historical fiction square so it seems like a good utilisation of my free square.
So there you have it, reading bingo for 2017. I enjoyed this so much, I’ll definitely play reading bingo again next year. But perhaps I’ll throw in the extra challenge of creating my own card at the start of the year. I’ll see how I go and let you know if I do.
Happy New Year!
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