I thought it might be fun to try to complete r/Fantasy’s Bingo read-a-long this year. It lasts from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027 and includes 24 prompts. I’ve made a list of what I have read, what I plan to read, what I might be reading, and a selection of choices I could read and some of these I own already. I’ve already noticed that people’s TBR plans change a lot for this read-a-long so we’ll see how it goes. I will include the prompts as well as my picks below, which will make this a pretty lengthy post. Be warned! 🙂 (And now I’m realizing I could put in the cover pics for my choices, so I might edit this and include those.)
First Row Across:
1. Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist: Story features a trans or nonbinary protagonist. This protagonist must NOT be an alien or robot. HARD MODE: Set in a pre-modern time period.
(H) The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White (399 pp; 2023)
(H) The Story of Silence by Alex Myers (400 pp; 2020)
2. Judge a Book By Its Title: Read a book based on the title. This can be a title so epic you had to pick it up or so weird and off-putting that you needed to know why it was called this. HARD MODE: Dive in without reading the blurb or any summaries.
(H) Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch (432 pp; 2025)
(H) Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (360 pp; 2025)
3. Translated: Story has been translated from a language you don’t read or speak. HARD MODE: First translated into your language within the last 5 years.
(H) Strange Pictures by Uketsu (236 pp; 2022/2025) – FINISHED
4. Small Press or Self Published: Read a book published by a small press (NOT a Big 5 publisher or Bloomsbury) or self-published. If a formerly self-published book gets picked up by a publisher, you can only count it for this square if you read it before it was traditionally published. HARD MODE: The book has under 100 ratings on Goodreads OR is by an author from a marginalized group.
(H) The Violently Departed by Sarah J. Daley (320 pp; 2026)
(H) The Hunter by K. Aagard (624 pp; 2024)
5. Unusual Transportation: Story includes a surprising method of moving from place to place. By “unusual” we mean that it is out of the ordinary in real life AND uncommon to the book’s broader genre. This can include a highly unique take on a genre staple (spaceships with FTL wouldn’t normally count but the Infinite Improbability Drive from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would) or be a completely original mode of transit (autoducks in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy). HARD MODE: Transportation is NOT combustion-powered or steam-powered. If the power source is not stated, use your best judgment. A story likely won’t specify that cars are combustion-powered and horses aren’t, but a reasonable person would assume those things to be true if they’re not stated. Likewise, in a steampunk setting, the chances are good that the transport is steam-powered.
(H) Sisters of the Vast Black by (176 pp; 2019)
(H) Slow Gods by Claire North (448 pp; 2025)
Second Row Across
6. The Afterlife: Story deals with the realm of the dead. This could be communicating with the dead, spirits transferring over, or being set in the afterlife itself. HARD MODE: The afterlife does NOT depict a “Good Place” vs “Bad Place” dichotomy.
(H?) Grave Empire by Richard Swan (529 pp; 2025)
The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson (400 pp; 2025)
7. Game Changer: Story features a game or competition. HARD MODE: The protagonist bends or breaks the rules in some way.
(H) The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (656 pp; 2025)
(H) Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (450 pp; 2020)
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (367 pp; 2023)
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton (384 pp; 2024)
Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham (416 pp; 2026)
8. Vacation Spot: Story takes place somewhere you’d want to visit (either fictional or non-fictional). This is subjective, as everyone has different tastes. A cozy cottage at the edge of the sea, a mansion in the fantasy Alps, a cruise ship in the stars – anything can count, as long as you think you would enjoy visiting this world. HARD MODE: No hard mode. You deserve a break.
Piranesi by Suzanne Clark (245 pp; 2020)
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (353 pp; 2026)
9. Five Short Stories: Read any 5 speculative fiction short stories. HARD MODE: Read an entire anthology or collection (must contain at least 5 stories).
(H) The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (182 pp; 1950)
(H) Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk and Various Authors (400 pp; 2023)
10.Older Protagonist: Story features a main character who is at least 50 years old. HARD MODE: The protagonist does NOT have exceptional longevity or immortality (e.g. not an elf, dwarf, vampire, god, etc.).
(H?) Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines (343 pp; 2025)
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (100 pp; 2025)
Third Row Across
11. Duology Part 1: Read the first book in a duology. HARD MODE: By an author you haven’t read before.
(H) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (466 pp; 1990)
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (469 pp; 2016)
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (544 pp; 2017)
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (151 pp; 2021)
12. r/Fantasy Book Club or Readalong Book: Tackle any past or active r/Fantasy book clubs OR past or active r/Fantasy readalongs. See our full list of book clubs here. NOTE: All of the current book club info can also be found on our Goodreads page. Every book added to our Goodreads shelf or on this Google Sheet counts for this square. You can see our past readalongs here. HARD MODE: Partake in a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion.
The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman (346 pp; 2025)
13. Published in 2026: Read a book published for the first time in 2026 (no reprints or new editions). HARD MODE: It’s the author’s first published novel.
(H) The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (529 pp; 2026) – FINISHED
14. Explorers and Rangers: Story features an explorer (a character who travels to and investigates an unfamiliar region) or a ranger (a wilderness or forest-oriented warrior frequently specializing in things like stealth, bows, tracking, and other hunting-related skills). HARD MODE: The explorer or ranger has an animal companion.
(H) The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams (544 pp; 2017)
(H) The Hunter by K. Aagard (624 pp; 2024)
15. Duology Part 2: Read the second book in a duology. For this square, you ARE allowed to read the same author you used for Duology Part 1 without violating the no-repeat author rule. HARD MODE: Finish a different duology than you started for the Duology Part 1 square.
(H) The Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (592 pp; 2021)
Fourth Row Across
16. One-Word Title: Story has a one-word title. HARD MODE: Title is NOT a proper noun (no names of people or places)!
(H) Wool by Hugh Howey (56 pp; 2011)
(H) Malice by John Gwynne (672 pp; 2012)
17. Non-Human Protagonist: Story features a main character who is NOT human. HARD MODE: There are no human POVs in the story.
Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky (368 pp; 2026)
Endling the Last by Katherine Applegate (383 pp; 2018)
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (384 pp; 2005)
18. Middle Grade: Read a middle grade book (intended for readers aged 8-12). See this Wikipedia page for additional information on Middle Grade fiction. HARD MODE: The author is entirely new to you.
(H) The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (388 pp; 2016)
19. First Contact: Story prominently features interspecies or interracial meeting for the first time. HARD MODE: Non-violent first contact.
(H) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (476 pp; 2021)
20. Murder Mystery: Main plot of the story focuses on solving a murder. HARD MODE: The main character is NOT a detective or private investigator.
(H) The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (656 pp; 2025)
Fifth Row Across
21. Cat Squasher: Read a book over 500 pages in length. An omnibus book (multiple novels in one volume) doesn’t count for this. HARD MODE: Over 900 pages
(H) The Stand by Stephen King (1213 pp; 1978)
(H) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (1007 pp; 2010)
22. Feast Your Eyes on This: Food or a meal is significant to the story’s plot. HARD MODE: Attempt making a dish from the story for yourself. We understand faithful replication may be impossible for any number of reasons (the ingredients may be fictional, unobtainable, or too expensive). Just get as close as you reasonably can.
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (163 pp; 2025)
23. Published in the 70s: Read a book that was first published any time between 1970 and 1979. HARD MODE: Written by a woman.
(H) Kindred by Octavia Butler (288 pp; 1979)
(H) The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin (387 pp; 1974)
(H) Beauty by Robin McKinley (256 pp; 1978)
24. Politics and Court Intrigue: Politics are central to the story’s plot. This covers everything from royalty, elections, and wars, to smaller local politics. HARD MODE: There is a prominent focus on politics at a city level or lower.
(H) Jade City by Fonda Lee (540 pp; 2017)
25. Author of Color: Story written by a person of color. HARD MODE: Author does NOT live in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.
Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris (107 pp; 2023)
Caryn Considers 