Happy Book Bingo Day! Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the 12th annual Book Bingo launches with a beautiful board of 24 reading challenges that invites adults to read adventurously all summer and to connect with friends, family, and neighbors around books and reading.
Because we’re once again partnering with Seattle Arts and Lectures (SAL) and King County Library System (KCLS), the 2026 card is available at 76 public libraries around King County as well as online at www.spl.org/BookBingo. (It’s also available at KCLS’ and SAL’s websites.)
2026 Book Bingo categories
The 2026 Summer Book Bingo card includes 24 categories, from topical themes such as “outer space,” “FIFA World Cup country,” and “unplug,” to evergreen topics such as “soothing,” “hard-to-love protagonist,” “myth and legend,” and – a sure favorite – “under 150 pages.” Categories are designed to be flexible and open to interpretation – more on that below.
Win bookish prizes
You have until Sept. 8 to play! If you wish to be entered in a prize drawing, submit your Book Bingo card with enough squares filled out for bingo or blackout by Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. Submission details are on the back of the card.
If you turn in a Summer Book Bingo card with enough squares for bingo, you’ll be entered to win a special Book Bingo prize, including tote bags. If you submit a card with enough squares for blackout (all 24 squares), you’ll be entered to win one of three grand prizes per library system – including a SAL subscription to four free events in the 2026/27 season.
Our wonderful Book Bingo artist
This year’s Book Bingo artist is Vivian Li, who is a Library of Congress Innovator in Residence, and cofounder of the Paper Pushers Print Shop. We will share more about Vivian and her love of libraries in an upcoming post – stay tuned!
Book Bingo pro tips
We receive a few consistent questions about Book Bingo every year, so we thought we’d answer them here. If you have other questions, please reach out by email, chat or phone at www.spl.org/ask. Or stop by your favorite Library location to pick up a card and ask.
- Does the book fit? You’re the judge: Most of our categories are designed to be open to interpretation, and most can be used for both fiction and nonfiction options. You – the reader — are the ultimate judge of whether a book fits the category. We don’t check!
- Yes, e-audiobooks count. We often get questions about whether audiobooks count as books. They do! As do graphic novels, etc. Not all formats are accessible to all, so finding a format that works for you is key.
- Yes, we’d love to help you find books: If you need reading ideas for bingo squares, you can find suggestions for many categories in book lists created by SPL and KCLS librarians, posted at spl.org/BookBingo and www.kcls.org/BookBingo. and we will also post Book Bingo suggestions on this blog.
You can also stop by any KCLS or SPL location to find Book Bingo displays and ask for suggestions. For the “SAL Speaker” square and many others, consider reading titles by upcoming or past Seattle Arts & Lectures authors.
- Please share your Book Bingo faves: Connecting with family, friends, coworkers, and fellow booklovers about Book Bingo is one of the best things about it. If you’re on social media, use the hashtag BookBingoNW2026.
Finally, you can use Book Bingo as part of your Summer Quest. The Library is launching a brand-new all-ages summer program, Summer Quest, on June 15. The adult Summer Quest is designed to complement Book Bingo, and yes, there will be more prizes! Check back at www.spl.org/SummerQuest.