Summer Reading Adult BINGO Challenge (June-Sept. 2024)
Get ready for this summer’s adult BINGO challenge!!! 🙂 The theme of Summer Reading this year is “Adventure Begins At Your Library,” so many of the activity-oriented (vs. reading) squares involve an adventure of some kind. For the squares that involve reading, Courtney has provided 10 title recommendations per category. Read on!
TOPICS (librarian suggestions) – 10 suggestions per section!
Click on each title for a brief description and scroll to the bottom for similar titles/read a-likes. 🙂
FYI: The topics are addressed in the order they appear on the BINGO sheet:
- LGBTQ+ Book
- YA Book
- Banned/Challenged Book
- Try a New Genre (Breaking Out of Reading Ruts) (Stay tuned for more about this in a forthcoming blog post…)
- Book from a Celebrity Book Club
- Book by a BIPOC or Indigenous Author
- Book with a Blue Cover
- Book that Makes You Laugh
- Book Set in Maine/Maine Author
- Book with a One-Word Title
- Neurodivergent Author/Protagonist
For most (but not all) of the bingo square categories, 5 fiction and 5 nonfiction recommendations have been provided. Both are fair game!
LGBTQ+ Book
For LGBTQ+ book recommendations, a super valuable resource is the annual Stonewall Book Award (dating back to its inaugural year, 1971). A few other handy guides to have on hand are LGBTQ Reads and Queer Books for Teens. The latter resource would point you in the direction of books that would cover at least 2 squares on the bingo sheet (LGBTQ+ Book and YA Book. Perhaps also Banned/Challenged Book).
Librarian hack: read a book that meets the criteria for 2-3 squares. Don’t do this every time, but I’ll count it twice!
FYI: If you’re a fan of the TV series, Schitt’s Creek, you may enjoy Greta & Valdin (see below). It’s been described as very similar!
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Greta & Valdin (2024) | Reilly, Rebecca K. | REI |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (2022) | Dawson, Juno | DAW Bk. 1 |
| The Manor House Governess (2023) | Castle, C.A. | CAS |
| The Mars House (2024) | Pulley, Natasha | PUL |
| Red, White, and Royal Blue (2019) | McQuiston, Casey | McQUI |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Gender Queer: A Memoir (2019) | Kobabe, Maia | YA GN KOB |
| Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City (2023) | Goodman, Elyssa Maxx | GALLERY 792.7209 GOO |
| Pageboy: A Memoir (2023) | Page, Elliott | 92 PAG |
| Who’s Afraid of Gender? (2024) | Butler, Judith | 305.3 BUT |
| The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison (2022) | Ryan, Hugh | 365.43 RYA |
YA Book
For Young Adult (YA) book recommendations, I’ve provided a handful of “classics” (***starred) as well as award-winners (***starred) and those up for an award this year!
For more recommendations, check out the following book lists:
- YA Books That Are Also Great Reads for Adults (from Penguin Random House publishing)
- 100 Best YA Books (from Time Magazine)
For more recommendations of award-winning YA books, check out the following two resources:
Finally, MML’s Youth & Teen Services Librarian, Ivy Burns, is a fantastic in-person resource for even more YA book recommendations. Don’t hesitate to ask her. She can be reached at iburns@yarmouthlibrary.org. If you’re looking for YA nonfiction, definitely ask Ivy. She is a wealth of information about all things YA! 🙂
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012) | Sáenz, Benjamin Alire | YA SAE |
| Divine Rivals (2023)*** | Ross, Rebecca | YA ROS Bk. 1 |
| The Fault in Our Stars (2012) | Green, John | YA GRE |
| Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021)*** | Boulley, Angeline | YA BOU North Star |
| The Giver (1993)*** | Lowry, Lois | YA LOW & YPB LOW (2 copies available) |
| Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe (2023)*** | Sheinkin, Steve | YA SHE Northstar/MSBA |
| The Infinity Particle (2023)*** | Xu, Wendy | YA GN XU |
| Speak (2011) | Anderson, Laurie Halse | YA AND |
| Swarm (2023)*** | Lyle, Jennifer D. | YA LYL |
| A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)*** | Le Guin, Ursula K. | YA LEG |
Banned/Challenged Book
In the age of rampant book banning, libraries and librarians are charged with preserving access to challenged titles which are often by and about marginalized communities (from immigrants and refugees to LGBTQ+ folks).
This category overlaps with several others, for example: LGBTQ+ Book, YA Book, and Novel with a BIPOC Protagonist. 🙂
Feel free to dive into the American Library Association’s (ALA) list of the top 10 books challenged in 2023. Here’s a complete archive dating back to 1990! ALA’s website also has a fantastic collection of Book Résumés (overviews of banned/challenged books with explanations of why they should be celebrated and widely read).
Here also is a book (with journaling exercises included) published by ALA all about banned books! See below!
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| All My Rage (2022) | Tahir, Sabaa | YA TAH |
| The Bluest Eye (1993) | Morrison, Toni | MOR |
| Dear Martin (2017) | Stone, Nic | YA STO |
| Exit West (2017) | Hamid, Mohsin | HAM |
| The Handmaid’s Tale (1985, 2017 ed.) | Atwood, Margaret | ATW |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| All Boys Aren’t Blue (2020) | Johnson, George M. | 27 Minerva Copies |
| This Book is Gay (2015) | Dawson, Juno | 6 Minerva Copies |
| Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2007) | Bechdel, Alison | 92 BEC |
| The Hill We Climb (2021) | Gorman, Amanda | 811.6 GOR |
| The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (2021) | Hannah-Jones, Nikole (editor) | 973.23 HAN |
Try a New Genre (Breaking Out of Reading Ruts)
(Stay tuned for more about this in a forthcoming blog post…)
Book from a Celebrity Book Club
These days a ton of celebrities are promoting new books, helping create bestsellers and fan faves. A few popular celebrity book clubs include Oprah’s Book Club*** and Reese’s Book Club.*** They’re just the tip of the iceberg! A few more celebrity book clubs include Mindy’s Book Studio,** Read With Jenna,** and Emma Watson Our Shared Shelf** (which is sadly no longer active).
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Cassandra in Reverse (2023)*** | Smale, Holly | SMA |
| The Celebrants: A Novel (2023)** | Rowley, Steven | ROW |
| Pachinko (2017)** | Lee, Min Jin | LEE |
| Starling House (2023)*** | Harrow, Alix E. | HAR |
| Wellness: A Novel (2023)*** | Hill, Nathan | HIL |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents (2020)*** | Wilkerson, Isabel | 305.5 WIL |
| Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger (2018)** | Traister, Rebecca | 27 Minerva Copies |
| Here For It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays (2020)** | Thomas, R. Eric | 11 Minerva Copies |
| So You Want to Talk About Race (2018)** | Oluo, Ijeoma | 305.8 OLU |
| The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self (2021)*** | Beck, Martha | 158.1 BEC |
Book by a BIPOC or Indigenous Author
There are TONS and TONS of books (both fiction and nonfiction) in MML’s collection by BIPOC authors. You are also more than welcome to read a book by an indigenous writer to cover this bingo square.
If you’re into speculative fiction, especially SciFi, you may enjoy exploring Afrofuturism. For more about this literary phenomenon and a list of reading recommendations, check out your librarian’s earlier (Feb. ‘24) blog post on this topic.
For more recommendations, check out the book lists provided below:
- Must-Read Books by Indigenous Authors (from Penguin Random House publishing)
- Native American Heritage Month: Recommended Nonfiction (from Powell’s Books)
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| The American Daughters (2024) | Ruffin, Maurice Carlos | RUF |
| The Great Divide: A Novel (2024) | Henríquez, Cristina | HEN |
| Harlem Shuffle (2021) | Whitehead, Colson | WHI |
| Kindred (2003) | Butler, Octavia | BUT |
| Real Americans (2024) | Khong, Rachel | KHO |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Be a Revolution: How Everyday People are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World – and How You Can, Too (2024) | Oluo, Ijeoma | 305.8 OLU |
| The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood (2008) | Coates, Ta-Nehisi | 92 COA |
| Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (2013) | Kimmerer, Robin Wall | 305.597 KIM |
| Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science (2022) | Hernandez, Jessica Ph.D. | 304.2 HER |
| Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity (2024) | Norris, Michele | 305.8 NOR |
Book with a Blue Cover
This category should be fun and easy to complete via a quick wander through MML’s stacks! 🙂 That said, your trusty librarian has selected (mostly at random) 5 fiction and 5 nonfiction titles, all of which have blue covers. (Note, the cover image shown in the catalog record may not match the cover of the copy/edition we own).
Also, if a book you’re reading for one of the other categories just so happens to have a blue cover, use it for BOTH bingo squares.
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Atalanta (2023) | Saint, Jennifer | SAI |
| Crazy Rich Asians (2013) | Kwan, Kevin | KWA |
| The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece (2023) | Hanks, Tom | HAN |
| A Quantum Love Story (2024) | Chen, Mike | CHE |
| The World That We Knew (2019) | Hoffman, Alice | HOF |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Birding to Change the World: A Memoir (2024) | O’Kane, Trish | 598.072 OKA |
| Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (2017) | Brown, Brené | 158.2 BRO |
| The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006) | Bryson, Bill | 92 BRY |
| The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean (2023) | Casey, Susan | 551.46 CAS |
| When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown (2023) | Thompson, Kenan | 92 THO |
Book that Makes You Laugh
For recommendations of funny books, from slapstick comedy to dark humor, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, read on!
Some of the titles are classics, but many are new since 2020 (the beginning of the COVID era).
For more recommendations, check out the following book lists:
- Barnes & Noble List of 50 Funniest Books of All Time
- Hennepin County Library’s (in Minneapolis) List of Humorous Fiction
- Hennepin County Library’s (in Minneapolis) List of Humorous Nonfiction
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| American Mermaid: A Novel (2023) | Langbein, Julia | LAN |
| Bridget Jones’ Diary (1998) | Fielding, Helen | FIE Bk. 1 |
| Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (2019) | Gaiman, Neil & Sir Terry Pratchett | PBK GAI |
| Help Wanted (2024) | Waldman, Adelle | WAL |
| Murder Your Employer: From the Chronicles of Dean Harbinger Harrow, the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, Dean of Admissions and Confessions, Professor Emeritus, Department of Arts and Blackmail Letters, Senior Fellow, International Guild of Murderists (2023) | Holmes, Rupert | MYS HOL Bk. 1 |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| The Best of Me (2020) | Sedaris, David | 814.54 SED |
| I’m Just a Person (2016) | Notaro, Tig | 92 NOT |
| The Secret to Superhuman Strength (2021) | Bechdel, Alison (illustration collaboration with Holly Rae Taylor) | 92 BEC |
| Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere (2023) | Bamford, Maria | 92 BAM |
| Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside (2021) | Offerman, Nick | 917.3 OFF |
Book Set in Maine/Maine Author
For both categories, I’ve included the titles selected for the Maine Humanities’ Council (MEH) annual Read ME program. They are identified with stars (***).
For more information about Maine authors, check out the following author and book recommendation lists:
- The Maine Mag’s Maine Author List
- Maine Books & Authors (Librarian Curated Guide from Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick)
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Empire Falls (2002) | Russo, Richard | RUS |
| The Midcoast: A Novel (2022) | White, Adam | WHI |
| The Moorings of Mackerel Sky: A Novel (2024) | MZ (Emily Zack) | MZ |
| Pete and Alice in Maine: A Novel (2023) | Shetterly, Caitlin | SHE |
| The Road to Dalton (2023)*** | Bowring, Shannon | READ ME BOW |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story: Remaking a Life from Scratch (2021) | French, Erin | 92 FRE |
| Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story (2022)*** | Chann, Marpheen | READ ME 92 CHA |
| The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit (2017) | Finkel, Michael | 92 KNI |
| On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) | King, Stephen | 92 KIN |
| When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine (2012) | Wood, Monica | 92 WOO |
Book with a One-Word Title
FYI: If there’s a subtitle that follows, it still counts as a book with a one-word title for the purposes of this bingo challenge. 🙂
Check out Goodreads’ (super extensive) book list: One Word Titles. For recommendations of nonfiction with one-word titles, check out this library’s curated list.
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Gothikana (2024) | RuNyx | RUN |
| Ilium (2024) | Carpenter, Lea | CAR |
| Insomnia (1994) | King, Stephen | KIN |
| Stardust (1999) | Gaiman, Neil | GAI |
| 2054 (2024) | Ackerman, Elliot & Admiral James Stavridis | ACK |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Housewife: Why Women Still Do It All and What to Do Instead (2024) | Davis, Lisa Selin | 331.4 DAV |
| Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) | Gay, Roxane | 92 GAY |
| Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (2012) | Cain, Susan | 155.232 CAI |
| Somehow: Thoughts on Love (2024) | Lamott, Anne | 205.667 LAM |
| Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003) | Roach, Mary | 611 ROA |
Neurodivergent Author/Protagonist
While many of the titles below are by autistic authors about the autistic experience, there are titles that address neurodiversity more broadly (like Jenara Nerenberg’s Divergent Mind), exploring the intersections of and differences between autism, ADHD, dyslexia, bipolar disorder, and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), among others. For more recommendations of books on neurodiversity, check out the links provided below:
- MML’s Blog Post (Resources and Books about Neurodiversity) from Summer 2023
- Neurodivergent Rebel (Blog) 2021 Neurodiversity Book List
There are also several fantastic books that celebrate neurodiversity by neurotypical (i.e.: non-autistic, non-ADHD, etc.) authors whom the neurodivergent community generally view as prominent allies. (Read this book review to see what I mean). See below just a handful of them. While not written by neurodivergent authors, they would also work for this BINGO square.
Books About Neurodiversity By Neurotypical Authors (Allies)
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| How to Find a Four-Leaf Clover: What Autism Can Teach Us About Difference, Connection, and Belonging (2024) | Rodgers, Jodi | In Processing at MML |
| Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015) | Silberman, Steve | 616.85882 SIL |
If you have further questions, your proudly neurodivergent librarian, Courtney, can provide more information and book recommendations. 🙂
Fiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| All the Little Bird-Hearts (2023) | Lloyd-Barlow, Viktoria | LLO |
| The Book Eaters (2022) | Dean, Sunyi | 25 Minerva Copies |
| The Framed Women of Ardemore House (2024) | Schillace, Brandy | MYS SCHI Bk. 1 |
| Last Call at the Local (2024) | Ruiz, Sarah Grunder | RUI |
| Red, White & Royal Blue (2019) | McQuiston, Casey | McQUI |
Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL NO./# of Minerva Copies |
| Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Made for You (2021) | Nerenberg, Jenara | 616.89 NER |
| Sensory: Life on the Spectrum: An Autistic Comics Anthology (2022) | Ollerton, Bex/Schnumn (editor) | 616.85 SEN |
| Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity (2021) | Ballou, Emily Paige, Sharon daVanport & Morénike Giwa Onaiwu (editors) | 10 Minerva Copies |
| Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation (2022) | Gadsby, Hannah | 12 Minerva Copies |
| Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity (2022) | Price, Devon | 13 Minerva Copies |
