2026 Book Bingo Reading Suggestions

• Audiobooks count! Choose the format that works best for you!
• These lists offer some reading ideas and guidance for the categories, but many of them are open to interpretation. Most categories offer fiction and nonfiction options. Staff are happy to help you find ideas beyond the lists as well.

Check the displays at your library! All books on display were selected by library workers. Please also ask us questions in person!

See reading suggestions for every category of 2026 Book Bingo!

Water

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Water: A list of books about water selected by SPL staff.
• Water Reading List: A University of Wisconsin-Madison reading list on water issues.
• Water Book List: A 2026 Third Place Books list of books about water.

Time travel

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Time Travel: A list of books about time travel selected by SPL staff.
• These Time Travel Novels Feel Like a Vacation From the Present: A 2026 Oprah Daily article on time travel fiction.
• 9 Twisted Science Fiction Novels About Time Travel: A 2024 Book Riot article on time travel in science fiction.

Suggested by a library worker

• Shelf Talk: Shelf Talk is the Library’s staff blog where we share lots of great book and Library news.
• Peak Picks: Peak Picks are selected by librarians and feature an assortment of recently released fiction and nonfiction.
• Staff Picks: Lists for readers of all ages on a variety of topics, themes, and genres selected by SPL staff.
• Seattle Staff Faves 2025: Fiction, Part 1: A list of SPL staff’s favorite fiction reads from 2025.
• Seattle Staff Faves 2025: Fiction, Part 2: A continued list of SPL staff’s favorite fiction reads from 2025.
• Seattle Staff Faves 2025: Nonfiction: A list of SPL staff’s favorite nonfiction reads from 2025.

Soothing

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Soothing: A list of soothing books selected by SPL staff.
• Healing Fiction: A 2025 list of healing fiction selected by SPL staff.
• Comforting Books for Hard Times: Soothing Reads in Every Genre: A 2020 Book Riot article with soothing reads across genres.

Hard-to-love protagonist

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Hard-to-Love Protagonist: A list of books with hard-to-love protagonists selected by SPL staff.
• Eight morally grey characters you won’t be able to resist, as chosen by Olivie Blake: A 2025 Pan Macmillan list of morally grey characters selected by author Olivie Blake.
• If You Like Fantasy and Grumpy Characters, Pick Up These 15 Speculative Books: A 2022 BuzzFeed article on grumpy characters in speculative fiction.
• Love to Hate Them: Books with Unlikable Main Characters: A staff-created list from MORE Libraries of Western Wisconsin
• 8 Novels That Celebrate Unlikable Women: A 2020 Electric Literature article about unlikeable women in books.

SAL speaker

• SAL Speaker (Past or Present): A list of books for the SAL Speaker (Past or Present) selected by Library workers.
• SAL Archive: The Seattle Arts & Lectures current and archived events offer a wide array of authors to choose from.

Diaspora

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Diaspora: A list of books with diaspora themes selected by SPL staff.
• Nine Essential Diasporic Novels: A 2021 Book Riot article on diasporic novels.
• 13 Books by Indian Diaspora Authors You Should be Reading: A 2024 Electric Literature article about Indian diaspora authors.
• 8 Books on Immigration, Refuge and Diaspora: A 2024 blog post from 49^th Shelf about immigration, refuge, and diaspora.

FIFA World Cup country

• Book Bingo NW 2026: World Cup Country: A list of books by authors from World Cup countries selected by SPL staff.
• FIFA World Cup: The list of host countries and teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Eye-opening

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Eye-opening: A list of eye-opening books selected by SPL staff.
• Put these 12 eye-opening books on your 2026 reading list: A 2026 NPR article with nonfiction eye-opening reads.
• Eye-Opening: A 2025 article from the Center for Fiction on eye-opening novels, novellas, and essays.

PNW Black, Indigenous, or POC author

• Book Bingo NW 2026: PNW Black, Indigenous, or POC Author: A list of books by Black, Indigenous, or POC authors from the Pacific Northwest selected by SPL staff.
• Black Authors of the Pacific Northwest: A Whatcom County Library System list.
• PNW Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors: A 2021 list created by SPL staff that accompanied a Shelf Talk blog post.

Myth and legend

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Myth & Legend: A list of books on myths and legends selected by SPL staff.
• Must-Read Mythology Retellings: A Penguin Random House list of mythology retellings.
• Adaptations and Retellings: A 2026 list of adaptations and retellings selected by SPL staff.

Unplug

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Unplug: A list of books on the theme “unplug” selected by SPL staff.
• Need a Break From Your Phone? These Books Can Help: A 2025 New York Times article on books to help you get off your phone.
• Books to Help You Unplug: A Penguin Random House list of books to help you unplug.

Outer space

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Outer Space: A list of books on outer space selected by SPL staff.
• 20 Best Diverse Space Opera Books You Need to Read: A 2022 Bookish Brews blog post that defines the space opera sub-genre along with 20 space opera book suggestions.
• Books About Space That Are Out of This World: A 2024 American Scientist article suggesting nonfiction books about space.
• The Solar System & Space: A 2026 Five Books website article listing fiction and nonfiction about the solar system and space.

Under 150 pages

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Under 150 Pages: A list of books under 150 pages selected by SPL staff.
• Short and Sweet: A 2026 list of books under 200 pages selected by SPL staff.
• Orbital by Samantha Harvey, and 10 more very short books from the Booker Library: A 2025 list of Booker-nominated books under 200 pages.
• 10 Short Books for Spring: A 2026 New York Times article with 10 titles under 200 pages.

HEA/HFN
(HEA = happily ever after, and HFN = happy for now)

• Book Bingo NW 2026: HEA/HFN: A list of books with a happily ever after/happy for now ending selected by SPL staff.
• Seattle Picks: Romance: A 2025 list of romance books selected by SPL staff.
• The 50 Best Romance Books to Read Right Now: A 2024 TIME article of 50 romance novels.

Queer/Trans voices

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Queer/Trans Voices: A list of books by and about queer/trans folks selected by SPL staff.
• LGBTQIA+ Fiction: A 2025 list of fiction by LGBTQIA+ authors selected by SPL staff.
• Seattle Picks: LGBTQ+ Nonfiction: A 2025 list of nonfiction by LGBTQIA+ authors selected by SPL staff.

Suggested by an independent bookseller

• Indie Next: Independent booksellers highlight great books in the Indie Next list via Indiebound.org.
• Bookshop.org: An online bookstore that provides proceeds to local independent bookstores and offers multiple lists for browsing.

Historical

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Historical: A list of historical fiction and nonfiction books selected by SPL staff.
• Seattle Picks: Historical Fiction: A 2025 list of historical fiction selected by SPL staff.
• Seattle Picks: History: A 2024 list of nonfiction history titles selected by SPL staff.

Honorable mention

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Honorable Mention: A list of award-nominated aka honorable mention titles from literary awards selected by SPL staff.
• 100 Must-Read Almost-Prize-Winning Books: A 2020 Book Riot article of 100 titles that were nominated for major prizes but didn’t win.

Horror

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Horror: A list of horror fiction and nonfiction books selected by SPL staff.
• So, you want to read some horror?: A 2024 Literary Hub starter kit for the horror curious.
• Outstanding Horror Reads from 2025 You May Have Missed: A 2025 Book Riot article with eight horror recommendations.

Women’s sports

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Women's Sports: A list of books about women’s sports selected by SPL staff.
• TOGETHXR's List of Women's Sports Books: A database of women’s sports books for all ages.
• 7 Inspiring Books About Women in Sports Who Defied Expectations: A 2024 Electric Literature article with nonfiction titles about women in sports.

Animal

• Book Bingo NW 2026: Animal: A list of animal books selected by SPL staff.
• 8 Grown-Up Novels with Animal Narrators: A 2019 Electric Literature article on animal narrators in adult fiction.
• Are You An Animal Lover? Read These 15 Books With Pets On the Cover: A 2022 Book Riot list of books with bets on the cover.

• Your Next Five Books: Ask our librarians for a personalized reading list tailored to your interests! 
• NoveList Plus: Browse this extensive database to get reading suggestions by author, subject and more.