Summer Book Bingo Launches with an Expanded Program that Will Reach Readers Throughout King County
release date: May 19, 2025
Your favorite summer reading adventure begins today, with a plot twist!
The Seattle Public Library (SPL) and Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) are joined by new partner King County Library System (KCLS) to launch Summer Book Bingo 2025. Readers in all corners of King County can now participate in the summer reading program that encourages adults to read widely for pleasure and to talk about books with friends, family and neighbors.
Get started by picking up a Book Bingo board at any of 27 SPL locations or 50 KCLS locations. You can also download the board at www.spl.org/BookBingo, www.kcls.org/BookBingo or www.lectures.org/BookBingo. Submit your board with enough squares filled out for bingo or blackout by Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m. to be entered in a prize drawing.
“Since 2015, Book Bingo has grown into a favorite summer tradition for Seattle readers who want to read adventurously and have some reading fun with friends and family,” said SPL’s Chief Librarian Tom Fay. “We are thrilled to welcome everyone in King County to find out why adults deserve a summer reading program, too!”
“Book Bingo is more than just a reading challenge — it’s a celebration of curiosity, connection, and the quirky ways King County loves to read,” said KCLS Executive Director Heidi Daniel. “We’re excited to bring readers from across King County into the mix for the first time, and we’re hoping to make this the biggest year for Book Bingo yet!”
The 2025 Summer Book Bingo card includes 24 categories — ranging from “Intergenerational Friendship” to “Grief” to “Monsters” — that challenge readers to explore a wide range of books. Categories are designed to be flexible. Any kind of book counts, including audiobooks, graphic novels, and young adult books.
“We are so excited about Book Bingo’s new and expanded chapter — it’s like a deluxe edition!” said Rebecca Hoogs, Executive Director of Seattle Arts & Lectures. “In a hurry hurry world, the encouragement to slow down and dive into reading feels like a real gift. We can’t wait to see which books readers spend time with, which books they are pressing into the hands of others, and what new favorite authors or genres they discover along the way!”
SPL and SAL receive many comments each year from participants about their favorite experiences with the program, from “finding a book that was so funny I couldn't read it in public because I was laughing so hard!” to “challenging me to read genres that I do not normally gravitate towards.”
One Summer Book Bingo fan shared that “Reading all of these books was exhilarating. I immersed myself in diverse worlds, each with unique perspectives, which expanded my horizons and deepened my appreciation for storytelling.”
This year’s Book Bingo cards were designed by Seattle-based artist Marlowe (Odd Rabbits).
How to find books for Summer Book Bingo
If you need reading ideas for any bingo square, you can find a wide range of suggestions for each category in book lists created by SPL and KCLS librarians, posted at www.spl.org/BookBingo and www.kcls.org/BookBingo. You can also stop by any KCLS or SPL location to find Book Bingo displays and ask for suggestions. SPL patrons can ask for personalized suggestions at www.spl.org/YourNext5 and KCLS patrons can ask for suggestions at www.kcls.org/BookMatch. For the “SAL Speaker” square and many others, consider reading titles by upcoming or past Seattle Arts & Lectures authors.
Keep the conversation going by posting on social media using the hashtag #BookBingoNW2025.
How to submit your card to be entered in the prize drawing
Submit the front and back of your completed card (with either a bingo or a blackout) by dropping off your card (or a copy) at any location of The Seattle Public Library or the King County Library System, or by completing the submission form at www.spl.org/BookBingo or www.kcls.org/BookBingo. Entries must be received by Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.
If you turn in a Summer Book Bingo card with enough squares for bingo (completed in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line), you’ll be entered into a drawing for a commemorative tote bag. If you complete all 24 squares for blackout, you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of three grand prizes per library system, including a “Create Your Own Series” subscription to SAL’s 2025/26 Season.
Teen Book Bingo and Kids Book Bingo
Teens can also get in on the summer reading fun. SPL and Seattle Arts & Lectures are offering a Teen Book Bingo card that you can download or pick up at any SPL location to start reading and playing. With 25 squares, the teen board includes categories such as “DNF = Did Not Finish,” “Face Your Fears,” and “Published in Your Birth Year.”
To be entered in prize drawings, teens should drop off their card (or a copy) at any location of The Seattle Public Library, or complete the submission form at www.spl.org/BookBingo. Prizes include a $25 Visa gift card for bingo and a grand prize of a $100 gift card to Elliott Bay Book Company for blackout.
For younger readers ages 0-12, Seattle Arts & Lectures is offering Kids Book Bingo, which you can download at www.lectures.org/BookBingo, with categories such as “A Biography of Someone You Admire” and “Read in Pajamas.” To be entered into prize drawings, mail your card to Seattle Arts & Lectures at 340 15th Ave E, #301, Seattle, WA 98112, or email a photo of the front and back of your board to bookbingo@lectures.org. Prizes include drawings of $30 and $100 gift cards to independent bookstores. The deadline for Teen Book Bingo and Kids Book Bingo is also Sept. 2, 2025.
About The Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. With 27 locations and a Mobile Services unit, a digital and physical collection of 2.9 million items, and thousands of programs a year, we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and empower community. Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at spl.org/Ask. Find out more about our future plans at www.spl.org/StrategicPlan.
About Seattle Arts & Lectures
For 38 years, Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) has cultivated transformative experiences through story and language with readers and writers of all generations. SAL’s work connects people to ideas and to each other through reading and writing, with two main programs: SAL’s Youth Programs—including Writers in the Schools (WITS) and the Youth Poetry Fellowship (YPF) —and our Public Programs, including over 25 author talks, readings, and conversations each season, serving over 35,000 audience members annually in-person and online. To learn more, visit lectures.org.
About King County Library System
Founded in 1942, the King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the largest public library systems in the country. Supporting the communities of King County (outside the city of Seattle), KCLS has 50 libraries and serves approximately 1.6 million people. In 2024, residents checked out 10.3 million digital eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive, making KCLS the second-highest digital circulating library system in the U.S.