r/Fantasy’s Book Bingo is back, and with it comes my favorite period on the reading calendar: the massive influx of recommendations and churning of the TBR that comes from a new Bingo card with 25 different categories to satisfy.

Filling out a card requires reading–between now and March 31, 2024–25 books by 25 different authors, each meeting a category laid out in one of the 25 squares (for full rule details, check out the official announcement). I’ve filled out cards three years running, and after approaching the first year thinking that a single card would be a difficult challenge, I’ve managed to complete themed secondary cards three years running as well (though I haven’t gotten my second 2022 card up on the blog yet).

If there is a purpose to Bingo apart from just having fun, it’s encouraging diversified reading. Any given reader is bound to see something on the card that forces them outside their comfort zone, and prohibiting the reuse of authors means that Bingo participants can’t just stick to a handful of old favorites. But the more one reads, the less challenging Bingo becomes. I still had a blast tearing through my TBR to see what might work for last year’s Bingo, but I managed to get a full card completed without ever picking something up specifically to serve as a Bingo book. That’s one of the reasons people attempt themed cards–and why the Bingo leaders even have one potential theme idea (hard mode) built-in to the card: to introduce more of a challenge.

But unlike last year, this year’s card already looks like much more of a challenge, even without doing any special theme. I’ve decided to add a personal difficulty rating to each square, based purely on how likely I am to fill it twice–after all, doing two cards has become a bit of a tradition–without making any special effort to branch out from my usual reading. And this year, there’s more than one I’ve rated “very hard.” I’m not sure I would’ve rated a single square “very hard” last year. So let’s take a look, with me providing recommendations, mining my TBR for likely candidates, and soliciting recommendations from the audience.

Title With a Title

Read a book whose title includes a title–a job title, a military rank, a title of nobility, etc. Hard mode: it cannot be a royal title.

My Recommendations

I adore The Steerswoman series by Rosemary Kirstein, as well as Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. All are hard mode. There are also some late-series gems like The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft and The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, for anyone who happens to be mid-series.

Candidates from my TBR

The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain has been on my list for years now, as has The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu, Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Reddick, and Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell. Plus, I still need to get to Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, and there’s no way I’m missing Martha Wells’ upcoming Witch King.

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I’ll be very surprised if I don’t hit at least twice in the course of my ordinary reading. And if I don’t, I have plenty of options.

Superheroes

Heroes, villains, capes. You know the drill. Hard mode: not DC or Marvel.

My Recommendations

Look, I enjoyed Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots, but this square is about as far from my ordinary reading as you can get.

Candidates from my TBR

I’ve been wanting to read Nick Harkaway for a while now, and a blogger friend recommended his Tigerman, so that may be where I start. I’ve also heard a lot of good about Catherynne M. Valente’s The Refrigerator Monologues, though I haven’t had outstanding luck with her work in the past. I suppose I also have a couple graphic novels on my shelf from when I decided I wanted to know what the comic book people were on about, so maybe I finally read one of those?

Expected Difficulty

Very hard. I will probably not encounter any in the course of my ordinary reading, and there aren’t a whole lot of options on the TBR.

Bottom of the TBR

Read a book that’s been on your TBR the longest (or, if you don’t keep a formal list, read a book that you’ve been meaning to read for a very long time). No hard mode.

My Recommendations

Everyone’s TBR is idiosyncratic, so I can’t tell you what’s been on yours the longest. But if you’ve been book friends with me for a while, I’ve probably been recommending stuff off my first ever “five stars of the year” list for at least 2.5 years.

Candidates from my TBR

Is this the year I finally read Malazan or Kingkiller Chronicles? Or do I finally pick up The Grace of Kings, which my notes say I’ve been “about to read next” for at least three years now? Terry Pratchett’s Mort and Mur Lafferty’s Six Wakes would also fit just fine.

Expected Difficulty

Hard. With reading so heavy on new releases, I won’t organically encounter any deep-TBR material unless it gets picked up by a book club. But there are also lots of options on the TBR (by definition), and this will be a nice excuse to read them.

Magical Realism or Literary Fantasy

Read a book that portrays magical or unreal elements in otherwise mundane environments. This is hard to strictly define, but look for the sorts of books that are as likely to appear in literary or general fiction sections of bookstores than they are the fantasy section. (No, low fantasy is not magical realism.) Hard mode: not one of the 30 books in this recommendation thread.

My Recommendations

The first that comes to mind is Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray works too, and Lavie Tidhar’s Neom has some magical realism vibes, albeit in a future setting. R.A. Lafferty’s Choctaw epic Okla Hannali probably fits here too.

Candidates from my TBR

Is this the year I finally read Jorge Luis Borges or Gabriel Garcia Marquez? There are so many classic works of magical realism that have been translated from Spanish that I’m honestly not sure where to start, but I’m up for recommendations. I could also read Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities or Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and there are a few intriguing recommendations on r/Fantasy, like Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka.

Expected Difficulty

Hard. I doubt I’ll come across any in my normal reading, but there’s a lot on the TBR that I’ll get an excuse to dig into.

Young Adult

Read a book written for young adults. Hard mode: published within the last five years.

My Recommendations

I have loved more than a few YA books in the last couple years, starting with Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, and A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking T. Kingfisher.

Candidates from my TBR

I’ve been meaning to get to Frances Hardinge for ages, and this is probably time to give Unraveller a try. I’ll also be reading Brian P. Rubin’s Dim Stars as part of SPSFC. I also have The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera on my list.

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I would be pretty surprised not to hit this twice in the course of my ordinary reading. If I don’t, I have options.

Mundane Jobs

The protagonist has an ordinary job that can be found in the real world, excluding monarchs and soldiers. Hard mode: book does not take place on Earth.

My Recommendations

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking is a great choice here as well,  as is Josiah Bancroft’s Senlin Ascends, Robin McKinley’s Sunshine, and Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle, and there’s a whole lot of sci-fi that fits, like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Elder Race, Lavie Tidhar’s Neom, and Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea. 

Candidates from my TBR

Daniel Abraham’s The Dagger and the Coin series is on my list, as is Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes and C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series. Switching to new releases, I’m intrigued by Kemi Ashing-Giwa’s The Splinter in the Sky.

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I fully expect to hit this at least twice in my ordinary reading, and if I don’t, my TBR is full of options.

Published in the 00s

Read a book published between 2000 and 2009. Hard mode: not one of r/Fantasy’s top 30 most-popular novels.

My Recommendations

Last time I put in my top ten for r/Fantasy’s Top Novels poll, 30% of my ballot was made up of series published entirely in the 00s: Carol Berg’s Lighthouse Duet, Daniel Abraham’s Long Price Quartet, and Sherwood Smith’s Inda. If you enjoy epic fantasy, all three are tremendous. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts, The Quiet Invasion by Sarah Zettel, and Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko are also excellent.

Candidates from my TBR

I’ve been meaning to get to the next book in Kate Elliott’s Crossroads Trilogy, plus there’s Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, Sarah Zettel’s A Sorcerer’s Treason, Martha Wells’ Wheel of the Infinite, Lorna Freeman’s Covenants, and Karin Lowachee’s Warchild. A glance through my TBR also shows Kathleen Duey’s Skin Hunger, which I’ve rarely seen recommended and don’t even remember what put it on my radar, but it fits.

Expected Difficulty

Hard. I would’ve called this easy two years ago, but I’ve read so many of the 2000s works that had caught my eye, and my current diet of new releases and competition finalists is unlikely to deliver me any that fit this square. That said, there are still quite a few options on the TBR.

Angels and Demons

Read a book with angels and/or demons in a prominent role. Hard mode: the protagonist is an angel or demon.

My Recommendations

Turns out I don’t read much with angels and demons. Ryka Aoki’s Light From Uncommon Stars and C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters both immediately come to mind, but that’s about it.

Candidates from my TBR

Is this the square that gets me to finally read the Penric series–one of the few works by Lois McMaster Bujold that I haven’t read yet? Christopher Buehlman’s Between Two Fires is also on my list, and there’s always Good Omens. It also looks like Witch King may fit?

Expected Difficulty

Hard. Were it not for Witch King, I’d call this very hard, but that may give me one organic read, and there’s enough on the TBR to supply a second.

Five Short Stories

Read five pieces of SFF short fiction. Hard mode: read an entire collection or anthology.

My Recommendations

I review short fiction twice a month. Take a look at some of my round-up posts, I have a million recommendations. My 2022 Recommended Reading List has 30 or 40 just by itself. For hard mode, I’d recommend grabbing a collection by R.A. Lafferty or Sarah Pinsker.

Candidates from my TBR

I’m reading Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSaurus, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction every month this year. I’ll have five by next week.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. For obvious reasons.

Horror

Read a book from the horror genre. Hard mode: not King or Lovecraft.

My Recommendations

Victor LaValle is an absolute treasure, and The Ballad of Black Tom and Lone Women are both excellent. If you want something with a horror premise but feels more like literary fiction, The Devil in Silver is also good.

Candidates from my TBR

I still need to read LaValle’s The Changeling. And also some Shirley Jackson. And I enjoy T. Kingfisher’s horror.

Expected Difficulty

Medium. I wouldn’t be surprised if I hit a sci-fi/horror or fantasy/horror work in my ordinary reading this year, and if I don’t, I have a couple that I’ve been actively trying to get to, and there’s a whole genre out there where I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Self/Indie-Published

Book is self-published or released through a small press. Hard mode: Self-published with less than 100 ratings on Goodreads or indie-published by a press that has done an r/Fantasy AMA.

My Recommendations

M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen is tremendous, as are Andy Giesler’s The Nothing Within and Three Grams of Elsewhere and J. Zachary Pike’s Orconomics. Lavie Tidhar’s Neom and Marie Brennan’s Driftwood are hard mode for small press, and Rory August’s The Last Gifts of the Universe and S.A. Tholin’s Iron Truth have been a couple SPSFC gems.

Candidates from my TBR

I want to get to M.L. Wang’s forthcoming Blood Over Bright Heaven, and I’ll be reading plenty more for SPSFC.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. I literally judge a self-pub competition.

Middle Eastern Setting

Set in the Middle East or in a Middle East-inspired setting. Hard mode: author is of Middle Eastern heritage.

My Recommendations

I’ve recommended Neom a few times already, but it’s hard mode here. The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin is also very good.

Candidates from my TBR

I suppose I can read Tidhar’s Central Station, or Chelsea Abdullah’s The Stardust Thief. Saladin Ahmed’s Throne of the Crescent Moon has been recommended a ton, and Sara Hashem’s The Jasad Heir is an upcoming release that I’ve heard a bit about. The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz is another one I’ve heard recommended a few times.

Expected Difficulty

Very hard. I don’t really expect to hit any in my ordinary reading, and while there are a few options that I’ve heard recommended, none of them have even made my formal TBR, let alone worked their way near the top. Recommendations welcome.

Published in 2023

Originally published in 2023. Hard mode: debut.

My Recommendations

Lone Women by Victor LaValle and Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey are fantastic. I also really enjoyed Lavanya Lakshminarayan’s The Ten-Percent Thief and Andy Giesler’s Three Grams of Elsewhere. 

Candidates from my TBR

Witch King. A Splinter in the Sky. Shelley Parker-Chan’s He Who Drowned the World. Josiah Bancroft’s The Hexologists if it doesn’t get delayed again.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. I have enough ARCs currently in my possession to finish this square five times over, let alone the myriad titles that are sure to catch my attention before next March.

Multiverses and Alternate Realities

The setting contains at least two realities/dimensions/planes of existence that characters can travel between. Hard mode: travel does not involve a literal door.

My Recommendations

Infinity Gate and Lonely Castle in the Mirror are great choices here, both hard mode. I also really enjoyed Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds. And Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi is tremendous.

Candidates from my TBR

I’ll undoubtedly read the next Wayward Children novella when it’s inevitably a Hugo finalist. I also have Robert Jackson Bennett’s City of Stairs on my list, as well as Laura Weymouth’s The Light Between Worlds and Zettel’s A Sorcerer’s Treason.

Expected Difficulty

Medium. I’d be surprised if I don’t hit it at least once in my natural reading, and I have lots of options for a second read.

POC Author

Author is a person of color. Hard mode: futuristic, sci-fi setting.

My Recommendations

So many. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. Kindred by Octavia Butler. I’ve mentioned Victor LaValle already. Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson. The Singing Hills Cycle. The Sword of Kaigen. I could go on.

Candidates from my TBR

The Grace of Kings makes another appearance here, as does A Splinter in the Sky and He Who Drowned the World. Fonda Lee’s Jade City and Wole Talabi’s Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon are on the list too.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. I can finish it twice with current ARCs alone.

Book Club or Readalong

Read a book that has been read by one of r/Fantasy’s book clubs or readalongs. Hard mode: actively participate in the book club/readalong.

My Recommendations

I co-lead r/Fantasy’s Short Fiction Book Club and Hugo Readalong, so jump on one of those. Or, if you’d rather not, most of my all-time favorites have been book club selections in the past: Kindred, The Eye of the World, The Fifth Season, The Long Price Quartet, The Lighthouse Duet, Inda. . . the list goes on.

Candidates from my TBR

I mean I co-lead two book clubs, this is easy. But I think I’m going to jump on April’s read of The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. Like I said, I co-lead two book clubs.

Novella

Read a book that is between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Hard mode: not published by Tordotcom.

My Recommendations

Elder Race, The Ballad of Black Tom, The Singing Hills Cycle. For hard mode, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Ogres is excellent.

Candidates from my TBR

I haven’t read any Luna novellas, but I’m intrigued by them, especially after hearing Tchaikovsky recommend Andrew Knighton’s Ashes of Our Ancestors. The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday makes another appearance, and I’ll doubtless have several catch my eye over the course of the year. But even if I don’t, my annual read of the Hugo finalists will provide at least two.

Expected Difficulty

Very easy. The Hugo Readalong will knock this out without even dipping into my TBR.

Mythical Beasts

Read a book prominently featuring at least one mythic beast. Hard mode: no dragons.

My Recommendations

Do I. . . not actually have a lot of obvious recommendations here? I did quite like Carol Berg’s Song of the Beast, minus the romantic subplot. Romina Garber’s Lobizona was also good, for fans of YA fantasy.

Candidates from my TBR

The Ninth Rain appears again here, and Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands makes an appearance. Is this when I finally pull Brian Naslund’s Blood of an Exile off my TBR?

Expected Difficulty

Medium. I don’t have a lot of obvious ones on the TBR, but mythic beasts are the sort of things that are not especially unlikely to show up unexpected in the course of ordinary fantasy reading. If they don’t, I have a couple options on the TBR, one of which is on the short-term TBR.

Elemental Magic

Read a book where the world’s primary magic involves one or more of the four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. Hard mode: not Shades of Magic or Codex Alera.

My Recommendations

I will mention again that I love The Sword of Kaigen. And then there’s, you know, The Wheel of Time and The Fifth Season.

Candidates from my TBR

I honestly don’t know that I have a candidate on my TBR. Recommendations welcome.

Expected Difficulty

Hard. Elemental magic is the sort of thing that pops up from time to time in ordinary reading, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see it at least once in my ordinary reading. But if I don’t, the TBR is pretty sparse.

Myths and Retellings

Read a book based on a previously existing story. Hard mode: not Greek or Roman.

My Recommendations

I’m not a huge retelling guy, but Legendborn was great, and Alix E. Harrow has an entertaining fractured fairy tale series. I will continue shouting about the virtues of The Ballad of Black Tom, and R.A. Lafferty’s Space Chantey is a hilarious retelling of The Odyssey.

Candidates from my TBR

I have an ARC of T. Kingfisher’s Thornhedge, and I’d be shocked if Nicola Griffith’s Spear doesn’t end up part of the Hugo Readalong this year. And if not, C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces is still on my list.

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I’d be surprised if I don’t hit this twice in my ordinary reading.

Queernorm Setting

Read a book where queerness is normalized, accepted, and prevalent. Hard mode: not futuristic.

My Recommendations

The Singing Hills Cycle works here, as does Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura, and it seems like a lot of sci-fi does as well–Arkady Martine’s Teixcalaan, Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries, and James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse spring immediately to mind.

Candidates from my TBR

I currently have A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys checked out from the library, and I’ve been meaning to get to C.S.E. Cooney’s Saint Death’s Daughter. 

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I’d be pretty surprised if I don’t hit it at least twice in my ordinary reading.

Coastal or Island Setting

Read a book in a coastal or island setting. Hard mode: also involves seafaring.

My Recommendations

The Sword of Kaigen, again, as well as Inda, A Shadow in Summer and The Mountain in the Sea. And Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation.

Candidates from my TBR

Kings of Paradise and The Grace of Kings show up again, and Mike Brooks’ The Black Coast.

Expected Difficulty

Medium. I’d be surprised not to see this pop up at least once in my ordinary reading, and there are TBR options.

Druids

Book heavily features druids–interpreted either as a priest or mage in Celtic lore, or as a magic user whose power stems from nature. Hard mode: not The Iron Druid Chronicles.

My Recommendations

I mean I loved Terry Brooks’ Shannara series as a kid, although I’ve been told the first one does not hold up at all. Maybe start with The Elfstones of Shannara? But what do I know about a druid, in particular? I suppose “nature magic” would include Emily Tesh’s Silver in the Wood and Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne.

Candidates from my TBR

I know Katherine Kerr’s Daggerspell is Celtic-inspired, but does it heavily feature druids? I have no idea. Apart from that, I’m at a loss.

Expected Difficulty

Very, very hard. I don’t expect to hit it in my ordinary reading, and I have basically nothing on my TBR.

Features Robots

Book features robots, automatons, androids, or clockwork machines. Hard mode: the robot is the protagonist.

My Recommendations

Neom, again (hard mode). Infinity Gate, again. Three Grams of Elsewhere, again.

Candidates from my TBR

I’m not sure I have an obvious TBR entry apart from Genevieve Valentine’s Mechanique, but as an SPSFC judge, this thing pops up more than a bit.

Expected Difficulty

Medium. Not a lot on my TBR, but I expect to see it a couple times in my ordinary reading.

Sequel

Book is a sequel to another SFF work. Hard mode: it’s 3rd or later in the series.

My Recommendations

I’ve recommended so many series here, and I recommend reading past the first book of basically all of them. So do that.

Candidates from my TBR

He Who Drowned the World is the obvious one, but there are so many options.

Expected Difficulty

Easy. I’d be surprised if I don’t hit at least two in my ordinary reading.