book bingo 2020

Book Bingo 2020: A Success Because I Say So

What a year. I will keep saying that before every discussion about my achievements and non achievements because honestly it’s a miracle we got out of bed in the morning half the time this year.

In blogging and Book Bingo specific terms, I am super proud of my achievement on this card this year, even more than when I completed the whole thing in 2018. I got my fairy tale retelling done, I got a romantic suspense AND, more importantly, I got a play read! I was so excited, I have had that on there for so many years and I never did it but this year I have! So if we take nothing else from this dumpster fire year than at least I read a play.

Some of the books that I read this year were beyond incredible. Titles like Once and Future were phenomenal, plus getting to see the conclusion to the Truly Devious series with The Hand on the Wall. Even finally getting to read some classics like Animals of Farthing Wood was a great surprise. Since I did my reading this year mainly through audiobooks that tended to play a hand at what I read due to availability and access, but even so, the books I discovered and finally got to read because I had an audio to listen to was great. Some were also, how shall we say, not great, but I enjoyed the diversity of my reads and I took a lot of chances on books instead of sticking with ones I knew and in doing so I found some incredible stories.

Many of the books used on this card have been on my TBR list for years, like The Sun is also a Star and The Lightning Thief; series like The Lunar Chronicles I have been meaning to read every year and yet I never get far or don’t even start, but this year I went from start to finish and my gosh what an incredible experience that was! I also loved the titles I took a chance on because they fulfilled a bingo square and in doing so I got to read some amazing stories and gain perspective on a variety of experiences.

Check out my previous update for mini reviews or click the titles to read my review. I’m sad my reviews got a little behind this year but I am hoping to catch up next year so I will hopefully update the post with links when they are made.

2020 Release: One of Us is Next by Karen McManus

Reread: Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Set in Australia: The Ex by Nicola Moriarty

POC Author: 10 Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Transgender MC: I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

Non Fiction: Queerstories ed. by Maeve Marsden

Lesbian MC: Pulp by Robin Talley

Mystery: The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

Debut Author: The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

Own Voices: Love From A to Z by S.K Ali

Self Published: Harvest by Nikki Rae

Fairytale Retelling: Fairytales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane

Free Choice: Once & Future by A.R Capetta

Finish A Series: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

On TBR Pile: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Romantic Suspense: Charlotte Pass by Lee Christine

Play: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

Movie Adaptation: The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Gay MC: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Shortlisted Book: When Billy Was A Dog by Kirsty Murray

Historical: Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French

Classic: Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann

Rural: All I Want For Christmas is Rain by Cori Brooke

Book Bingo 2020

Making my bingo cards are a real joy because I get to think about my reading habits, genres I want to read and stories I want to read about. It is always a hard decision with what to include because when you start thinking about it there is a very deep rabbit hole you fall into. Based on others I have seen around I tried to do a tropes or a theme approach but I have never been good at those so I’ll stick with these for now. Maybe I’ll try for next year, or maybe do a much smaller side bingo of them.

With the goals and other reading challenges I have set myself this year I have tried to adapt my bingo accordingly. I also mixed it up based on some things I read last year in other challenges because I got to experience some great stories and want to actively try and read some more. I know there are a few ones on there that I keep adding each year because I am determined to do them. Fairytale retellings are one of my favourite things but I have had such a bad run reading any these last couple years so it’s back on so I can try once more. I think I need to get it out of my mind which ones I want to read and find a new, fresh story that I can break my drought with instead do thinking of all the ones I have been wanting to read and never do. As for reading a play, I am giving it one more chance before I stop putting it on there and admit I am not going to read any plays, even the ones I do want to actually read. I need to not make it a bingo option and maybe then, ironically, I will have more success. Aside from those two I am super keen to dive into this. I hope over the next 12 months I can find 25 wonderful and exciting books that I can tick off this list and expand my reading circle a lot more.

Are you going to participate in a Book Bingo this year? As in previous years, you are more than welcome to use my card for your own Book Bingo, click the download link to grab a copy and remember to link to my page and attribute me properly if you post it somewhere. If you don’t want to use this one, follow my Book Bingo tag to find previous cards to use.