I love to read, and I read a lot. Every year, I set a goal of 50 or 60 books, but I often exceed it. This year, I read 72. Here are a few of my favorites from my 2023 reading journey. See my Year of Books on Goodreads for the rest.
For 2024, I’ve decided to do something different. Instead of aiming at a certain number of books, I’m going to play a game with myself: Book Bingo.
I came up with the idea for Book Bingo a few days ago and was so excited about my fun, creative new concept. Then I googled and realized that (duh) thousands of other people already had the idea before me. Lol. Well, good for them. At least I’m caught up now.
The good news is, if you don’t like my form of Book Bingo, there are plenty of other versions out there for you to try.
How to Play:
It’s easy! Just choose or create a bingo board of books you want to read this year. They can be actual titles from your to-read list, genres you want to try, or even just different colored covers. There’s no wrong way to create your game and no wrong way to play. You can go for a simple BINGO or try to complete a blackout. You can make a rule that each book you read can only check off one box or allow books to overlap. You can compete against a friend or just play on your own. The goal is to have fun and read books. (I need a t-shirt that says that. “Have fun and read books.” It pretty much sums up my philosophy.)
Because I read a lot, I created two bingo boards for myself. The first one includes different genres I want to read, including some I’m not usually drawn to, such as graphic novels and romance. The second playing card has a more random assortment, including a few specific books that I’ve owned a long time and want to finally read, a book published the year I was born, and a book I will get from a Little Free Library.
I’ve decided to let books overlap, which means a dystopian book with a green cover that’s over 500 pages and was recommended to me by a friend would check off four boxes. Maybe you think that’s cheating, but I don’t care. I’m going for blackout on both boards, and if I end up winning my game halfway through the year, I’ll just make a new bingo card. Have fun and read books, remember? That’s all that matters. I’m going to read a lot regardless, and I’m excited to let these criteria help guide my reading choices in 2024.
Who wants to play Book Bingo with me???
If you like one or both of my bingo cards, feel free to use them! If you want to make your own, here are some ideas to get you started.
| Genre you love | [Color] cover | Published this year | Hardback | Library book | First book in a series |
| Genre you don’t usually read | Tree/ animal/ heart on cover | Published year you were born | Paperback | Borrowed book | Book read in one day |
| Book by favorite author | More than # pages | Published before # year | E-book | Gifted book | Book you read only outside |
| Book by new author | Less than # pages | Set in the place where you live | Audiobook | Book recommended by a friend | Book that won an award |
| Book by local author | Has chapters with titles | Set in a place you want to travel | Translated book | Book you bought new | Banned book |
| Book with multiple authors | Book with exactly # chapters | Set in the place you grew up | Book written in letters/ emails | Book you bought used | Book made into a movie |
Ready? Let’s play! Share your 2024 Book Bingo card on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #HaveFunReadBooks. Then find a comfy place to cuddle up and enjoy a good story.
* Happy New Year, and HAPPY READING! *
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Carie Juettner 
I sometimes buy a book I already own because I can’t find my copy. Then I have one to give away.
Ha! I’m not sure I’ve ever done that, but I have definitely given away books before and then regretted it and bought them again. 🙂
Love this idea! It will be a great way to push myself to read some new and different things. Your post made me wonder how many books I read last year so I looked on goodreads and I read 51! Hope it’s okay if I friend you on goodreads. I’m Chris from yoga, by the way (cajntx).
I’m so glad you like the idea! And yes, please friend me on Goodreads. I’d love to compare books. 🙂 Facebook too if you’re on there.
Thanks for the idea. I want to play. But I’m late getting started. I looked up what books were published in my birth year and found so many good ones that I’ve already read. In fact, most of the books I want to read are ones I’ve already read. I may put in a lot of squares reading “Book I bought on Kindle but haven’t read.” I could make a month out of those,
That’s a great Bingo square! I definitely need to read all the books I’ve bought before I buy any more. (But that won’t happen.)
Ha! And here I thought I had a new fan. Lol. You are welcome on my blog in all your disguises and pen names. 🙂
The reply from Francine Paino is really from Kathy Waller. I logged into MY blog, but WP somehow got it mixed with my group blog. My picture appears on this reply. We’ll see what happens after I post.