Book Bingo Reading Recommendations
Find reading suggestions for each of the 2025 Book Bingo challenge categories. Browse lists created by staff from the King County Public Library System (KCLS) and The Seattle Public Library (SPL). This page also includes links to other resources online.
Categories
Author from Another Continent
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Historical Fiction or Nonfiction
Censorship
Disability
Dystopia
Flower on the Cover or in the Title
Found Family
Gender Bender
Great Escapes
Grief
Hope
Humor
Intergenerational Friendship
Monsters
New-to-You Format
Pacific Northwest Nature
Resistance
Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) Speaker (Past or Present)
Suggested by an Independent Bookseller
Suggested by a Library Worker
Author from Another Continent
Author from Another Continent
Seattle Picks: International Fiction.
A list of books by international authors selected by SPL staff.
International Authors Every Traveler Should Know.
A 2020 Passion Passport article on books from literary traditions around the world.
Popular Books Outside the United States | Book Riot.
A 2022 Book Riot article on Popular Books Outside the United States.
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Historical Fiction or Nonfiction
Historical Books by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Historical Fiction by Black Authors.
A Penguin Random House list of historical fiction by Black authors.
Understanding Asian American History and Anti-Asian Racism.
Explore the history of Asian Americans and Asians in America. Browse books that chronicle the impact of anti-Asian racism and stories of resilience. Curated by KCLS staff.
20 Must-Read Indigenous Historical Fiction Books Set on Turtle Island.
A 2023 Book Riot article on must-read Indigenous historical fiction.
2025’s Best Historical Fiction, BIPOC Edition.
A 2025 Book Riot article on the best BIPOC historical fiction.
Historical Fiction set in Asia.
A 2025 Five Books article on historical fiction set in Asia.
An SPL staff-created list of Native American nonfiction.
Censorship
Books about Censorship
Intellectual Freedom, Libraries and You.
A KCLS staff-created list on intellectual freedom.
Nonfiction Books About Censorship.
A 2022 Book Riot article featuring nonfiction reads on censorship.
Disability
Disability Reads
Celebrate Disability Pride Month.
Books for all ages, featuring characters living with a disability. Curated by KCLS staff.
20 Must-Read Fiction and Nonfiction Books about the Disability Experience.
A 2023 Guardian article of 20 Must-Read Books About the Disability Experience.
A website about a readathon with a focus on disabled authors and creators.
Dystopia
Dystopian Reads
New and classic titles written or inspired by Octavia Butler. Books on this list explore themes of independence, freedom, and survival.
Exploring Afrofuturism: A Multi-Media Journey.
Titles reinterpreting the Black experience through the lens of science fiction. Curated by KCLS staff.
The Future Is Now: 40 of the Best Dystopian Novels | Book Riot.
A 2023 Book Riot article on the 40 Best Dystopian Novels.
Flower on the Cover or in the Title
Books Featuring Flowers in the Cover Art or Title
Flower Fiction at the Bothell Library.
A list of books with flowers in the title, curated by KCLS staff.
Books With Floral Covers to Brighten Your Shelf | Penguin Random House.
A Penguin Random House post on Books With Floral Covers to Brighten Your Shelf.
Books with Flowers in the Title | A Curated Collection of Must-Reads.
A 2025 article from ArtSprout that features a mix of classic and contemporary books.
Found Family
Books Featuring Found Families
28 Incredible Books with the Found Family Trope.
An Epic Reads article on 28 Incredible Books with the Found Family Trope.
Found Family: Literature That Celebrates Families of Choice.
A 2020 booklist on Found Family, curated by staff at The New York Public Library.
Gender Bender
Gender Bending Books
Books about life outside the gender binary. Titles written by non-binary, Two-Spirit, or gender-nonconforming authors. Selected by KCLS staff.
Transgender Awareness Week and Day of Remembrance Reads.
Nonfiction books about transgender identity and the fight for trans rights. Selected by KCLS staff.
The Best Gender-Flipped Retellings.
A 2021 Book Riot article on gender flipped retellings.
An annual community-created event with curated booklists featuring transgender characters.
Great Escapes
Escapist Reads
14 Armchair Travel Books Offering Idyllic Literary Getaways.
A 2024 Everand article on Armchair Travel Books Offering Idyllic Literary Getaways.
23 Authors on 26 Books They’re Reading to Escape the Present Moment.
A list of what authors were reading in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, from The Strategist.
The Ultimate Escape: 25+ Books You Won’t Be Able To Put Down.
2025 article from The Honest Talk on the ultimate escape books.
Grief
Books about Grief
Experiencing Grief and Trauma.
Books and resources addressing the topic of grief, selected by KCLS staff.
A list of books selected by KCLS staff on the topics of grieving and loss.
Next Chapter: Grief (Fiction).
A list of novels tackling the topic of grief, selected by SPL staff.
Next Chapter: Grief (Nonfiction).
A list of nonfiction reads tackling the topic of grief, selected by SPL staff.
Hope
Hopeful Fiction and Nonfiction
A list of inspirational titles, selected by KCLS staff.
Inspirational Books to Rekindle Hope.
A Penguin Random House post about inspirational books to rekindle hope.
10 Booker-nominated Books to Make You Hopeful for the Future.
The Booker Prize suggested ten books that provide hope for the future.
Humor
Humorous Reads
15 funny books for when you need some relief from a heavy world.
A 2024 article from blogger Modern Mrs. Darcy suggests a range of humorous books.
50 of the Funniest Books Ever Written.
A 2023 list of titles from Barnes & Noble on the funniest books ever written.
The Ultimate Summer Reading List: 15 Funny Books to Make You Laugh | Books | The Guardian.
A 2024 Guardian article on 15 Books to Make You Laugh.
Intergenerational Friendship
Intergenerational Friendship in Books
8 Books About Cross-Generational Friendships.
A 2020 Electric Lit article about intergenerational friendship reads.
8 of the Best Books About Intergenerational Friendships.
A 2024 Book Riot article highlighting novels about intergenerational friendships.
15 Books About Intergenerational Friendships.
BookBub shares titles featuring friendships forged between people decades apart.
A list of books showcasing meaningful friendships that span generations from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Monsters
Books about Monsters
Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere: Marvelous New Monster Novels for Your Bookshelf.
A 2023 Book Riot article on new novels about monsters for every taste.
Romance Readers Series: Monsters and Ghosts.
A list of romance novels that include love with a ghost or monster, created by KCLS staff.
“A Monster Can Look Like Whatever It Wants”-- The Allure of Literary Monsters.
A 2023 LitHub article on the allure of literary monsters.
Nonfiction About Witches, Ghosts, and Other Odd Creatures.
A 2023 Book Riot article on nonfiction about witches, ghosts, and other odd creatures.
Articles and essays about books featuring monstrous crimes on the Crime Reads website.
New-to-You Format
Hoopla Digital
Libby App
Pacific Northwest Nature
Pacific Northwest Nature Reads
Environmental and Social Justice.
Read books about protecting plants and animals, selected by KCLS staff.
Outdoor Adventures in the Pacific Northwest.
Find ways to spend time outdoors with this collection of guides, selected by KCLS staff.
Pacific Northwest Natural History - Flora, Fauna, and More.
A list of books on the flora and fauna of the PNW created by SPL Seattle Room librarians.
Resistance
Stories of Resistance
Indigenous Resistance Day Books for All Ages.
Books honoring pueblos' culture, history, and resistance to colonization, curated by KCLS staff.
Explore the Stonewall Riots and historic fight for LGBTQ+ equality. List curated by KCLS staff.
On Resistance and Radical Care: Books That Reveal the True Source of Collective Power.
Explore this 2022 Literary Hub list of titles about resistance movements.
Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) Speaker (Past or Present)
Books by Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) Speakers
Current and archived SAL events offer a wide array of authors to choose from.
Suggested by an Independent Bookseller
Visit any independent bookseller of your choice or browse the Indie Next List by IndieBound.org.