Wednesday 14 December 2022

Book Bingo 2023

I think I might actually be doing two Bingo! type book challenges next year. (This after saying I wouldn't commit to too many challenges in 2023 but we won't go there...) The first of them is Book Bingo! and it's being hosted by The Unruly Reader.

So, this is the Bingo card to work from:

OK, so the sign-up post is HERE. And there you will also find a few instructions and rules, and guidance on the categories, but basically it's as usual with bingo, you read a book which suits every box and aim to complete a line, or some lines, or a blackout and fill the lot. 

The challenge runs from the 1st. January 2023 to the 31st. December 2023. The theme this year, as is quite plain, is 'school'. This appeals to me with its emphasis on gaining knowledge. My taste for non-fiction could be very useful!

As always with this Bingo challenge there are some interesting categories, and I always have a lot of fun with this one. I'll aim to achieve several Bingo lines, probably not the blackout, though you never know!


19 comments:

Sue in Suffolk said...

Think I would easily avoid a book about Chemistry!

Susan said...

Reading challenges are SOOOO hard to resist. I want to do them all! Bingo-type challenges are fun, so I might have to sign up for this one as well. I'm still deciding...

Unruly Reader said...

I'm delighted you'll be doing Book Bingo this year! I agree: this year's categories are well-suited for us nonfiction readers. Hope you enjoy!
--Unruly Reader

Cath said...

Susan: They certainlly are. You put a SFF Bingo one up on your Ready for a Reading Challenge blog and I am SO tempted. But then I'll be doing 3 Bingo challenges next year. Still, they're all very different, plus I can double books up can't I? See how easily I persuade myself...

Cath said...

Unruly Reader: Thank you. I can't wait to get started!

Margot Kinberg said...

What fun, clever categories, Cath! I like the idea, too, that there can be a variety of ways to complete the card. I hope you enjoy your reads!

Lark said...

Doesn't this one look fun? I love Book Bingo. I'm trying to figure out if I want to try and do this one next year, or not. I might play along unofficially. Good luck! Are you shooting for blackout, or just for bingo?

Cath said...

Sue: That wouldn't be my favourite either but the books can be 'interpersonal chemistry', 'a chemical substance' ot 'lab work'. And I have a rom com set in a lab so that will be perfect. By the way I just rescued your comment from the spam box so that's why my reply to you is in the wrong order.

Cath said...

Margot: They are clever categories, I quite agree. I'll be mixing up the genres for this one and definitely enjoying it.

Cath said...

Lark: It looks like a 'lot' of fun! I hope you do decide to do it too. I'll probably go for half a dozen bingos like I did this year.

TracyK said...

Cath, I saw the sign up post for Book Bingo a couple of days ago and I was also tempted by it, even though I also was planning to avoid challenges in 2023. I think that I would be able to complete at least one row or column, so I will probably join in. I have two other challenges I will be doing, the Canadian Reading Challenge that continues from last year, and a Japanese Literary Challenge that runs January through March, and I hope I can limit it to that.

Is your other Bingo Challenge the one at Fiction Fan's blog? I have thought about doing that over several years but still not sure.

Cath said...

Tracy: Yeah, I too said I would really limit my challenges this year and now I'm probably going to do 'four' possibly even five. I'm going to do Mount TBR for the first time in several years. This Book Bingo. A new Book Voyage challenge (I did 'read around the world' this year) which is a 'read around the USA'. And yes, the other Bingo challenge is the one run by Fiction Fan, she's doing a new board I gather. And I say 'five' challenges because I've seen a science-fiction and fantasy Bingo challenge that I rather fancy too. So we'll see. As you point out, the Bingo challenges can, if you want, just involve completing one line. All of the books I read for other challenges will count for Mount TBR. And Fiction Fan's Bingo challenge is open ended and you can take as long as you like. So I may just stop stressing, go for it, and have a lot of fun!

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Mmm! This one looked really interesting at first glance. However I made the mistake of checking out the more detailed category definitions and maybe it won't be quite so easy after all!! Stacey and her Man obviously take setting a challenge very seriously, so I shall wish you the very best of luck! :)

Right now, I am definitely feeling that I won't be taking part in any challenges next year, even down to the Goodreads 'reading challenge 2023', or any Blog Tours. My reading is going to be much more fluid and laid back from now on and my blogging more of a personal catalogue of the books I have read and my thoughts about them.

Any idea whereabouts on the grid you might be starting? Perhaps the centre square 'Recess' would be a good place, as that is pretty much free choice :)

TracyK said...

Cath, I forgot about the Mount TBR challenge. I did that on Goodreads this year, and, although I did not do a good job of tracking it, I plan to do it again in 2023.

I saw the SFF Bingo and that is very appealing, but I checked all the SSF titles in my catalog system and there were few matches with the titles I have, so I probably will skip it.

Cath said...

Yvonne: Well, to be honest I think this challenge is as complicated as you want to make it. I haven't had any trouble fitting the books I read into the categories so far. Mind you, I do know that I read some odd books. LOL!

I hope your new reading plans for 2023 work for you. They sound very good to me. Will you still do Blog Tours?

No, I have no idea where I'll start. I thought your idea of starting in the middle was a good one but I think a random book for 'Recess' might be more difficult to choose than a specific title. I tend to leave those sort of 'free' squares until later in the year when a particular book might hit me over the head with its wonderfulness. :-)

Cath said...

Tracy: Don't laugh, I just jotted down 'possible challenges for 2023' in my notebook and they added up to six. How did that happen? LOL! This is because I think I will do that SFF one as I do have quite a few books for those categories. Plus, I don't know if you saw, but Jolene at Bookworm Adventure Girl on YT is doing a new Read Across Canada challenge? I know you already have a Canadian challenge going so this won't be for you but I thought I might read along with that. Probably not 'every' month but when I have suitable books or can get them cheaply or at the library then I will. I'm actually looking forward to next year now, lots of good bookish stuff going on and to aim for.

TracyK said...

All of that sounds like fun, Cath. I wish that SFF challenge would work for me because I need something to motivate me to read more of those SFF books that I have.

Thanks for letting me know about the Read Across Canada challenge on YouTube. I will check that out. Even if I cannot keep up with the challenge it would give some ideas about more books from Canada that I did not know about. And books from different areas in Canada.

Cath said...

Tracy: I decided I would read more sci fi last year and I started out ok, read one or two every month for six or seven months, and then my resolve fizzled out. I need something to inspire me! Hopefully the bingo challenge might do the job.

From what I can gather Jolene is going to rec titles every month. January will be BC and she's already recced a load in a recent vid. Feb. is Alberta and so on. I would think her vids will be an excellent aid to the Canadian challenge you're doing.

TracyK said...

I watched (most of) the Read Across Canada Challenge video today. One of the books that Jolene recommended for British Columbia is Greenwood by Michael Christie which I have had for 2 years but not read, so that would be a great choice for me. Only downside is the length, 500 pages. So maybe I will read it in the early months of 2023. A Canadian blogger (Mysteries and More in Saskatchewan) read that book and reviewed it, and liked it very much.