Read Women discussion

This year, we're taking the concept of our 2022 multi-theme (or -prompt) challenge and making it a 6-month, first half of the year, BINGO card challenge. Members seeking a way to expand out of their comfortable reading ruts without committing to categories that don't appeal can take the original BINGO approach and choose a 5-book path that offers themes and prompts that most appeal. Members seeking a more robust challenge either can complete all of the prompts on the card, or choose a 5-book path between 1 January and 30 June, and another between 1 July and 31 December.

B1 Short Story collection by an author of color
B2 First published in your birth year (F/NF)
B3 Genre novel written by LGBTQ+ author
B4 Science, nature, the environment (F/NF)
B5 Memoir or autobiography of a woman
I1 Booker (incl Man Booker), Booker International, Neustadt International Prize For Literature, National Book Award, Scotiabank Giller Prize, James Beard Foundation’s Book of the Year, Newbery Medal, Hugo or Nebula Award, or Women’s Prize for Fiction, winners (any year)
I2 SF or Fantasy Anthology edited by a person of color
I3 Nonfiction in translation
I4 Historical Fiction
I5 Philosophy or spirituality is a theme
N1 Latina author (F/NF)
N2 500+ page book (F/NF)
N3 FREE SPACE – any book written by a woman
N4 Travel or adventure (F/NF)
N5 Humor or satire (F/NF)
G1 Play
G2 Published by a small press (F/NF)
G3 Poetry
G4 Includes one or more mythical creatures (mermaids, unicorns, dragons, elves, werewolves etc.)
G5 Food, cookbooks, genre book with food theme (F/NF)
O1 #WiT, and the translator is a woman (F/NF)
O2 about or takes place in a country you haven’t read about in the last 5 years (F/NF)
O3 MC is 60+ years old
O4 Essay collection
O5 Graphic "novel" (F/NF)

This challenge will run from January 1 to June 30th.

1) The BINGO "card" tasks are populated as indicated above. The center card location is FREE, meaning you can read any book written by a woman author for this spot. You can declare your card complete when you finish a row, a column or a diagonal set of tasks running from corner to corner, or you can continue and accomplish additional tasks on your card, as you wish.

2) Books ideally are at least 175 pages, but if you want to vary that for your challenge, go for it. Audiobooks are books. Graphic novels are fine for any task as long if they meet the page count and task requirement.

Let us know if you're planning to participate and what you're thinking about reading for your selected path to BINGO.

BINGO Widget

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

This widget is also accessible from the Read Women landing page.

I'm going for 10 books.

Vertical G:
Harvey (play)
A Sacrifice of Light (small press)
50 Things Kate Bush Taught Me about the Multiverse (poetry)
The Accidental Alchemist (gargoyle)
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 2 (food)

Vertical O:
Things We Lost in the Fire (#WIT - woman translator)
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
Words Are My Matter: Writings about Life and Books, 2000-2016, with a Journal of a Writer's Week (essays)
Castle Waiting, Vol. 1 (graphic novel)

Great idea!

I´m in! Will try for 5 books in the first half of the year. Wish there were a template(?) to show how the categories are spread. :)

I'll try for 5. I'll add books as I read them and see if I can bingo.

B1 Short Story Collection - Author of Color Blood Feast: The Complete Short Stories of Malika Moustadraf by Malika Moustadraf 2/21/23 and The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor 2/26/23
B2 First published in birth year A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence 2/27/23
B4 Science, Nature, the environment The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams 1/8/23
B5 Memoir or Autobiography West with the Night by Beryl Markham 1/31/23

I4 Historical fiction The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden 5/6/23

N2 500+ pg book The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning 1/28/23
N5 Humor or Satire Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim 2/23/23

G2 Published by small press Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho 4/10/23
G4 Includes mythical creatures A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 3/31/23

O1 WIT, and woman translator Awu's Story: A Novel by Justine Mintsa (translated by Cheryl Toman) 2/5/23
O2 Country you haven't read about in past 5 years Eve out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi (Mauritius) 1/7/23
O3 MC is 60+ years old Maureen by Rachel Joyce 5/16/23
O4 Essay Collection Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay 1/16/23
O5 Graphic novel Everything Is OK by Debbie Tung 1/21/23

Michaela wrote: "I´m in! Will try for 5 books in the first half of the year. Wish there were a template(?) to show how the categories are spread. :)"

I totally agree it's more fun to be able to see it and decide on the directional path. Gail kindly dropped a graphic of it into message 36 of the brainstorming thread, linked below:

Bingo Card Link

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks Carol, totally forgot about it. ;)

I did upload it to the group photos as well. For the life of me, it won't let me post the picture here.

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...

I'm looking forward to starting this challenge soon. I've decided to tackle the diagonal line from bottom left to top right (memoir/autobiography, historical fiction, free space, small press, WiT).

Susan wrote: "I'm looking forward to starting this challenge soon. I've decided to tackle the diagonal line from bottom left to top right (memoir/autobiography, historical fiction, free space, small press, WiT)."

That's really tempting. I will complete a row and a column. Row 1 (short story collection by POC, award winner, Latina Author, play, #WiT w/woman transl), and Column O.

Row 1 -

B1 short stories - DONE The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I1 award winner - 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner - The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr

N1 Latina author - DONE The Carrying: Poems, a poetry collection by Ada Limon

G1 play - Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress; or a play by Lorraine Hansberry that isn't Raisin

O1 #WiT w/woman translator - DONE The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin (translator is Aneesa Abbas Higgins)

Column O - BINGO!

O1 #WiT, and the translator is a woman (F/NF) DONE Nada by Carmen Laforet, translated by Edith Grossman
O2 about or takes place in a country you haven’t read about in the last 5 years (F/NF) DONE - South Africa - A Company of Laughing Faces by Nadine Gordimer
O3 MC is 60+ years old DONE The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi Young Kim
O4 Essay collection DONE Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
O5 Graphic "novel" (F/NF) DONE Himawari House by Harmony Becker

Others completed:

B5 Memoir or biography - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
I4 Historical Fiction - The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
N3 free space - The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
G2 Small press - Daunt Books Publishing, an indie press in London: The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin
G3 poetry - The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limon

Susan wrote: "I'm looking forward to starting this challenge soon. I've decided to tackle the diagonal line from bottom left to top right (memoir/autobiography, historical fiction, free space, small press, WiT)."

I´m planning the same. :)

Update: Wow - totally forgot this one - but have updated now 3/12 with my 2023 reading (ignoring if it was first or second half of the year)

I'll try for 5 (the O row I think) and whatever else strikes my fancy:

B1 Short Story collection by an author of color
B2 First published in your birth year (F/NF)
B3 Genre novel written by LGBTQ+ author
B4 Science, nature, the environment (F/NF)
B5 Memoir or autobiography of a woman Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems by Warsan Shire

I1 Booker (incl Man Booker), Booker International, Neustadt International Prize For Literature, National Book Award, Scotiabank Giller Prize, James Beard Foundation’s Book of the Year, Newbery Medal, Hugo or Nebula Award, or Women’s Prize for Fiction, winners (any year)
I2 SF or Fantasy Mærket by Fríða Ísberg
I3 Nonfiction in translation A Brief History of Feminism by Antje Schrupp
I4 Historical Fiction Sultana's Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
I5 Philosophy or spirituality is a theme

N1 Latina author (F/NF)
N2 500+ page book (F/NF)
N3 FREE SPACE – any book written by a woman Fru Marta Oulie by Sigrid Undset
N4 Travel or adventure (F/NF)
N5 Humor or satire (F/NF)

G1 Play
G2 Published by a small press (F/NF) 7 korte by Agustina Bessa-Luís
G3 Poetry Blinkende lygter by Tove Ditlevsen
G4 Includes one or more mythical creatures (mermaids, unicorns, dragons, elves, werewolves etc.) [Don't think that's happening either!]
G5 Food, cookbooks, genre book with food theme (F/NF)

O1 #WiT, and the translator is a woman (F/NF) Love Me Tender by Constance Debré
O2 about or takes place in a country you haven’t read about in the last 5 years (F/NF)
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets
O3 MC is 60+ years old
O4 Essay collection It's a Continent: Unravelling Africa's history one country at a time by Astrid Madimba
O5 Graphic "novel" (F/NF) Queenie, Harlems gudmoder by Elizabeth Colombia

I added Red Dove, Run Through the Fire by Sonia Antaki to Small Press (G2), as it said the publisher belonged to the Independent Book Publishers Association. Never sure about small press... It´s a YA book.

I am going to try line 4 and see what happens!

2023 Bingo Challenge - 6 months 01/01/2023-06/30/2023
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

my link text

To Read: <> ✔ read ♬ currently reading ☞ waiting for book

Books:
✔️B1 Short Story collection an author of color 02/01/23 Tropical Fish: Doreen Baingana, p. 184, Uganda, RW BINGO-B-1
♬ B2 First published in your birth year (F/NF) ../../23 This Bridge Called My Back: … Cherríe L. Moraga, p. 261, RW BINGO B-2
✔️B3 Genre novel written LGBTQ+ author 01/09/23 Bad Feminist Roxane Gay, p. 320, RW BINGO B-3
✔️B4 Science, nature, the environment (F/NF) 01/26/23 The Bees Sofía Segovia, p. 340, RW BINGO B-4
✔️B5 Memoir or autobiography of a woman 01/13/23 The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Gertrude Stein, p. 182, RW Bingo B5

☞ I2 Neustadt International Prize For Literature 2018 ../../23 The Dew Breaker Edwidge Danticat, p. 244, GN BINGO I-1
✔️I2 SF or Fantasy Anthology edited a person of color 03/12/23 New Suns:... Nisi Shawl (editor) Nisi Shawl (Editor), p. 279 RW BINGO I-2
✔️I3 Nonfiction in translation 03/12/23 Waiting for the Waters to Rise Maryse Condé, p. 282, translator Richard Philcox, RW BINGO I-3
✔️I4 Historical Fiction 01/10/23 The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett, p. 350, HF, RW BINGO 1-4
✔️I5 Philosophy or spirituality is a theme 01/13/23 A Burst of Light: and Other Essays Audre Lorde, p. 148, RW I-5

✔️N1 Latina author (F/NF) 01/09/23 Of Women and Salt Gabriela Garcia, p. 207, RW BINGO N1
✔️N2 500+ page book (F/NF) 03/06/23 The Warmth of Other Suns:... Isabel Wilkerson p. 793, RW BN-2
✔️N3 FREE SPACE – any book written a woman 01/05/23 Sister Outsider: Audre Lorde, p. 210, RW BINGO N-3
☞ N4 Travel or adventure (F/NF) ../../23 Tales of a Female Nomad: Rita Golden Gelman, p. 312, GN BINGO N-4
✔️N5 Humor or satire (F/NF) 02/16/23 My Sister, the Serial Killer O. Braithwaite p. 226, RW BN-5

☞ G1 Play ../../23 The Wife of Willesden Zadie Smith p. 208, RW G-1
✔️G2 Published a small press (F/NF) 01/09/23 Sankofa Chibundu Onuzo, p. 304, Catapult Press: https://books.catapult.co Small Presses: https://www.powells.com/post/lists/24..., RW BINGO G-2
✔️G3 Poetry 01/25/23 Me: Moth Amber McBride, p. 256, RW BINGO G-3
✔️G4 Includes one or more mythical creatures (mermaids, unicorns, dragons, elves, werewolves etc.) 11/17/23 Marion James, Dark Star Trilogy: Black Leopard, Red Wolf, p. 640, (Kindle, p. 637), RW BINGO G4
☞ G5 Food, cookbooks, genre book with food theme (F/NF) ../../23 Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner, p. , GN BINGO G-5

✔️O1 #WiT, and the translator is a woman (F/NF) 03/08/23 Bitter Orange Tree Jokha Alharthi p. 224, RW BO-1
✔️O2 about or takes place in a country you haven’t read about in the last 5 years (F/NF) 03/16/23 Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe p. 216, RW BINGO O-2
☞ O3 MC is 60+ years old ../../23 Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun Sarah Ladipo Manyika, p. 118, GN BINGO O-3
✔️O4 Essay collection 01/15/23 Some of My Best Friends: Tajja Isen, p. 240, RW BINGO O-4
✔️O5 Graphic "novel" (F/NF) 01/1823 The Prince and the Dressmaker Jen Wang, p. 277, BINGO O-5

I have finished my first book for bingo: This Is How We Love by Lisa Moore. I loved this novel about family, both biological and chosen. The author uses an attack on a young man and his subsequent time in ICU as a framing device and then slowly reveals his family's story. The narrative jumps around in time and from character to character and comes together beautifully by the end.

In North America, this is published by House of Anansi Press, so I'm using it for G2, small press.

Susan wrote: "I have finished my first book for bingo: This Is How We Love by Lisa Moore. I loved this novel about family, both biological and chosen. The author uses an attack on ..."

This looks really interesting, Susan. Oh, Canada!

For Memoir/Autobiography (B5) I read Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H. It will be published on 7 February. Great book by and about a queer Muslim immigrant, mixing stories from the Quran with episodes in her life. 5 stars.

Michaela wrote: "For Memoir/Autobiography (B5) I read Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H. It will be published on 7 February. Great book by and about a queer Muslim immigrant, ..."

This looks great, Michaela.

I just finished my first bingo (not line 4 as I originaly planned).
The books I read are:
B5 Ice Rivers: A Story of Glaciers, Wilderness and Humanity
I4 Small Things Like These
N3 Winter
G2 the greek translation of Elena Knows (my review is written in greek, but I loved the book, it is heartbreaking)
O1 the greek translation of This Little Family (another review in greek, another book that shattered my heart)

Fantastic! I’m in the middle of several that would finish a row but am caught up in starting books it seems. #inspired

I’ve got to give Elena Knows another try.

I loved Small Things that I read last year.

Congratulations Crazytourists!

For WiT with a woman translator (O1) I read Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo, translated into German by Tanja Handels. I didn´t love it as much as Girl, Woman, Other, but it had the same style and some humour too. The translation was very "German" for me as an Austrian (speaking German too, but with partly other words and phrases), so perhaps better to read in the original English. 4 stars.

For the free space - any book written by a woman - (N3) I chose one of my favourite Golden Age mystery writers, E.C.R. Lorac, here with her These Names Make Clues. 4 stars.

Michaela wrote: "For the free space - any book written by a woman - (N3) I chose one of my favourite Golden Age mystery writers, E.C.R. Lorac, here with her These Names Make Clues. ..."

She's mine, too! I can't say that These Names Make Clues was one of my favorites, but maybe I'm just miffed that the solution seemed to come out of the blue. I've just started Post After Post-Mortem: An Oxfordshire Mystery.

I found 2 books for O5, graphic novel, and started the first last evening. Himawari House by Harmony Becker, an American author of Japanese descent. She was the illustrator of George Takei's They Called Us Enemy, too. I'm enjoying both the story AND the art, which is a rare combo in my experience. Highly recommended if the description appeals.

I finished a bingo:

☀ O1: #WiT and the translator is a woman: The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim
☀ G2: Published by a small press: Deep Vellum Press: One Hundred Twenty-One Days by Michèle Audin, translated from French by Christiana Hills
☀ N3: FREE: True Biz by Sara Nović
☀ I4: Historical Fiction: Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
☀ B5: Memoir or autobiography of a woman: Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

That’s an awesome slate, Gail. What did you think of Dead Dead Girls? I still have a bunch of conflicting impressions but haven’t until now met anyone who’s read it!

Carol wrote: "That’s an awesome slate, Gail. What did you think of Dead Dead Girls? I still have a bunch of conflicting impressions but haven’t until now met anyone who’s read it!"

It wasn't bad - I gave it a 3. Some rather "fantastical" elements that might have turned me off had I been in a different mood. A young actress being forced by the police to help solve a murder? Hmmm. in the '20s? I had to keep reminding myself "it's a cozy. just chill!" I think I read it too soon after some pretty intense reads. I have the second one, which I will definitely read, and then see.

For O5, graphic novel (F/NF), I read Himawari House by Harmony Becker. I posted this comment in unedited form in the "what I finished" thread, but it's more pertinent here for anyone looking for a graphic novel that fits this task.

Himawari House is a YA graphic novel by Asian American author and illustrator, Harmony Becker, about 3 foreign exchange students from different countries and histories (family of origin) living in Japan for a year in a group house. Becker is the illustrator of George Takei's autobiographical graphic book, They Called Us Enemy. The art here is B&W, and more interesting if less "pretty" than the art in Enemy.

I sometimes got confused between the characters and story lines, but it didn't matter a bit, because where Becker excels is in showing emotion and how she handles languages (subtitles and sometimes blanks where the characters miss or can't translate a word or phrase another character says) and the immersion living experience for each of the MCs. Also food, relationships, belonging or not belonging, disappointing traditional Korean parents, missing grandma's or mom's cooking, when does a kiss mean someone wants a relationship, when does silence mean dislike or disengagement vs. feeling excluded by language choices, and more. It was a trifle long, but well worth it if this description appeals. It wasn't a favorite book of mine but I recommend it and think Becker was 100% successful at hitting her target.

here's an interview with her that explains its appeal better than the rambling para I offered above

https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-harm...

I have completed my 2nd bingo:
5/5, 1 overlap
☀ B1: Short Story collection by an author of color: Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
☀ I1: Award Winner: Swann by Carol Shields
☀ N1: Latina Author: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
☀ G1: Play: 'Trifles' and 'a Jury of Her Peers' by Susan Glaspell. "Trifles" is a one-act play first performed in 1916, and "A Jury of Her Peers" is the play rewritten as a short story.
☀ O1: #WiT and the translator is a woman: The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim

Congratulations on your second bingo, Gail W!

I remember loving Trifles. Maybe a re-read is in order. Congratulations, Gail!

I have completed a bingo line:

B5: Memoir or autobiography - A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom by Brittany K. Barnett
I4: Historical fiction - Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell
N3: Free space - How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
G2: Published by a small press - This Is How We Love by Lisa Moore
O1: WiT with female translator - Madness Treads Lightly by Polina Dashkova

Good job Gail and Susan! You 've got some interesting titles, both of you!

Congrats on your bingo, Susan!

Way to Go Gail and Susan on your Bingo's. Interesting that your first Bingos were the same squares.....and yet the choices so different. Congrats on your second bingo as well Gail. Don't doubt that Susan is close to finising her second also. And it looks like Rebecca is only 6 short of a full card of Bingo.

Thanks to you all for sharing your info and also for your inspiration!!

I completed column O for Bingo, and am working on my second bingo line-up.

column O - BINGO!

O1 #WiT, and the translator is a woman (F/NF) Nada by Carmen Laforet, translated by Edith Grossman
O2 about or takes place in a country you haven’t read about in the last 5 years (F/NF) - South Africa - A Company of Laughing Faces by Nadine Gordimer
O3 MC is 60+ years old The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi Young Kim
O4 Essay collection Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
O5 Graphic "novel" (F/NF) Himawari House by Harmony Becker

The graphic novel took me the longest to complete, but was a delight. I enjoyed all of these.

I just realized I've completed the diagonal from lower left (B5) to upper right (01), and I've got 2 months to see how many more I can complete - which is fun.

B5 Memoir or biography - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
I4 Historical Fiction - The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
N3 free space - The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
G2 Small press - Daunt Books Publishing, an indie press in London: The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin
O1 Country I haven't read a book set in in the last 5 years -Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood (Australia)
O2 WiT + Woman translator - Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated by Margaret Jull Costa

Congrats on your bingo, Carol!

Mj wrote: "Way to Go Gail and Susan on your Bingo's. Interesting that your first Bingos were the same squares.....and yet the choices so different. Congrats on your second bingo as well Gail. Don't doubt that..."

Working on it. :)

Congrats to you as well Carol with 2 lines!! Looks like B5 diagonally to O1 is a popular bingo line to date. Glad you enjoyed all your "O" reads.

I've completed my 3rd bingo:

☀ 5 / 5 , 2 overlaps
☀ N1: Latina Author: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
☀ N2. 500+ page book: Family Baggage
☀ N3: FREE: True Biz
☀ N4. Travel: The Daughters of Madurai
☀ N5. Humor or Satire: Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony

You are all rocking this challenge! Well done!

Three bingo lines is very impressive!

That's amazing, Gail! Are you trying for a full blackout?

Ozsaur wrote: "That's amazing, Gail! Are you trying for a full blackout?"
I wasn't going to because there are some categories that just didn't interest me. But then as I found more books that would fit them (and, oops, I already had them) I thought I might try. (I'm a bit of a Type A...)

Gail said, But then as I found more books that would fit them (and, oops, I already had them) I thought I might try. (I'm a bit of a Type A...)

I'm rooting for you!