The (UNofficial) BingoDOG Book Suggestions Topic

>1 This-n-That: Thank you for setting this up.

Two suggestions for Title Contains a Pun, both from The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK ®: 33 Classic Science Fiction Stories which I downloaded for the princely price of 94 cents: Nothing Sirius and Pi in the Sky. ETA Paradox Lost, a short story collection.

Fredric Brown is also good for weird titles: We All Killed Grandma; The Screaming Mimi; Night of the Jabberwock.

>2 pamelad: I'll second the recommendation of Fredric Brown's short stories—I read his collection Honeymoon in Hell at the beginning of 2019 and thought it was a lot of fun.

My ideas, which I will share.

Small press: I am a fan of Peirene Press (https://www.peirenepress.com/ ). They are a small company who publish 3 books a year that are translated into English. So far all of their books have been thought provoking and interesting. The Last Summer being the one that stands out. Last year they exclusively published women authors, which do you for "woman outside the US/UK square as well.
In fact I think I could fill a number of squares with their titles!

Pun: I have Why Willows Weep on my shelf, which is, I think, a play on weeping willow and to weep.

Epistolary novel - having just finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall I can assure you that this would fit the bill, being a letter and diary combo throughout.

4> I also have The bookseller of Kabul on my shelf, so thanks for that one.

Perhaps you could copy and past the list of bingo squares at the top for reference. Thanks.

I really appreciate this thread.

For 17 Epistolary novel or collection of letters, I suggest A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey. Or if you are feeling really adventurous, one of the classics of epistolary fiction from the 18th century is Evelina by Frances Burney. I read and enjoyed it this year. You'll find many other ideas with the LT tag "epistolary": https://www.librarything.com/tag/epistolary.

Just a few suggestions off the top of my head. Items with asterisks are ones I've read and recommend.

3. Book published in 1820 or 1920

Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
*The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson

9. Book about books, bookstores, or libraries

*A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse
*Parnassus on Wheels and *The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley

21. Weird book title

Any of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley (I've read all but the last)

22. Book with "library" or "thing" in the title or subtitle

*The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel

24. Book by a woman from a country other than the US/UK

Kate Morton (Australia): *The Clockmaker's Daughter is my favorite
L. M. Montgomery (Canada): You can't really go too wrong with any of her books
Muriel Barbery (France): *The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Laurence Cosse (France): *A Novel Bookstore
Cornelia Funke (Germany): The Inkheart trilogy
Ngaio Marsh (New Zealand): Any of her mysteries are good, although like any prolific author, some are better than others
Astrid Lindgren (Sweden): The Pippi Longstocking books were among my favorites as a kid

Periodic Table ideas:

The Oxygen Murder by Camille Minichino
The Boric Acid Murder by Camille Minichino

Copper, Gold, Silver are obvious choices too. The symbols for Iodine and Helium are good ones!

Puns: Lots of cozies have puns in the titles, such as A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander or Here Comes Santa Paws by Laurien Berenson

Not set on Earth: The Little Prince or the Narnia books, also Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Epistolary: Sorcery and Cecilia or others in that series; Griffin and Sabine

Weird Titles: Books by Lewis Grizzard, or the Foxtrot cartoon books, orthe Hank Zipzer books for middle schoolers

Mythology: Rick Riordan books, such The Lightning Thief

Rregarding the 'not set on Earth' box, I suppose you could read a book about happenings on boats. Surely there are a bunch of books taking place on cruise ships and sailboats, etc.

Epistolary: I recently read Kressmann Taylor's Address Unknown, an exchange of letters between a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and his ex-partner and friend who has returned to Germany. It charts the decline of an urbane and tolerant man into anti-Semitic hatred. It was first published in 1938.

I was intrigued by LadyoftheLodge's question in the other topic about non-sci-fi books not set on Earth. I poked around and came up with some ideas:

1. Nonfiction about exploration of space. Mars Up Close: Inside the Curiosity Mission is all about NASA's exploration of Mars by robot, with photography, and it won the Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award in 2014.

2. Memoirs of astronauts, such as First on the Moon by Neil Armstrong et al.

3. Books focused on flying. A couple of highly regarded authors in this area who wrote both fiction and nonfiction are Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Beryl Markham's West with the Night is supposed to be excellent as well.

4. Some literary classics are set in heaven or hell, such as Dante's Inferno and its successors, and John Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.

5. How about ballooning? This tag (https://www.librarything.com/tag/ballooning) turns up some interesting history and adventure titles: Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air and Around the World in 20 Days, for example. And a couple well-regarded children's books are set in balloons: Hot Air: The Mostly True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride was a Caldecott honor book and The Twenty-One Balloons won the Newbery Medal.

I haven't read any of these books, but they all look like interesting options for this square.

Books originally published in 1820:
Precaution by James Fenimore Cooper
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. by Washington Irving (serially published 1819-1820)
Ivanhoe, The Abbot, and The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott
A New-England Tale; or, Sketches of New England Character and Manners by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin

I just discovered how to identify books in your catalog that are in a Legacy Library:

1. On the Home page, select Stats/Memes (in the second bar at the top).
2. Select Legacy Libraries in the left column.
3. You should now see a list of the Legacy Libraries that share books with you.
4. To see a list of books, select "Shared with {your user name}, books", in the top center of the page.

You can also try navigating to the following link, after editing it to include your user name in place of XXX:

https://www.librarything.com/profile/XXX/stats/legacy#

>15 NinieB: - Thanks - that should be a big help. Easier than looking at each one.

>15 NinieB: Thanks from me too. I've looked at mine and will probably choose to read Washington Square by Henry James. It's in four Legacy Libraries. Using Legacy Libraries might be a fun way to read the TBR.

>15 NinieB: That is awesome! Very helpful.

>15 NinieB: Thanks for the very helpful hint.

Anybody have any ideas for the "Weird Title"? I was thinking of going with Hunt for the Skinwalker but is that weird enough?

1920 was a good year for classic mysteries, I am going with The Loudwater Mystery by Edgar Jepson.

I think your weird title is weird enough. I haven't decided but I'm considering Shotgun Lovesongs or Before Women Had Wings.

>21 clue: & >22 This-n-That: You have brought up some excellent weird titles!

>5 Helenliz: I will definitely take a look at their books - I already like the look of The Last Summer.

>22 This-n-That: The Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs is exactly the weird title I was thinking of when I nominated that square!

>20 DeltaQueen50: For weird title I have Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs earmarked, though I do think your title is quite weird too.

>14 NinieB: - One other option for books published in 1820 is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Some great books published in 1920.

The Wreath - the first book of Kristin Lavransdatter. I may finally get to my re-read of this!
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
The Age of Innocence
The Children of Odin
Cheri
The Women At The Pump

For "not set on earth".

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
The Martian by Andy Weir

Not too much sci-fi, I think

And there are probably a ton of books about space launches and astronauts if you aren't much of a sci-fi fan.

Also published in 1920:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
The Happy Foreigner by Enid Bagnold, a Virago Modern Classic about a woman and her experiences as a driver for the French army immediately following World War I.

If you want to read middle school humor for weird titles, try the series by Henry Winkler, including Barfing in the Back Seat and The Night I Flunked My Field Trip. These are part of the Hank Zipzer series, which can also get you the letter "z" for AlphaKit.

I'm just ringing in to say I'm glad to have this thread -- thank you, >1 This-n-That:!!

>28 dudes22: I can second The Martian. I just finished it and was quite surprised by how riveting I found it, even though it was very science based and the action was very slow. It takes a long time to do anything in space!

>33 JayneCM: - I actually haven't read it yet although I've seen the movie. It's on the list for next year for my "books into movies" category.

>33 JayneCM: >34 dudes22: That is a good idea, thanks!

I'm having trouble with the "title contains a pun" square. It seems every title that draws my attention is really a play on words, not a pun.

>36 VivienneR: I didn't suggest that square, but I would imagine that "pun" could be construed to include any humorous play on words. That's how I intend to interpret it, anyway!

For the weird title square I am thinking of Wild Ducks Flying Backward: The Short Writings of Tom Robbins. Tom Robbins specialised in weird titles. Another possibility is his Tibetan Peach Pie.

>36 VivienneR: I think it is up to the reader to decide what is a pun. Things should be as flexible as possible!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3315.Titlemania_I_Puns_in_Titles

I know, on that 'other' site, but still useful!

>37 christina_reads: Oh good! I'll go along with you.
>39 LadyoftheLodge: I agree!
>40 majkia: Very useful. Now that I get the idea I'll be able to find something.

>40 majkia: The list is quite comprehensive. I was happy to see that I had read or own many on the list.

Here is a list of authors using a pen name: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pen_names.

>44 Montarville: Thanks, I didn't realise how many of my TBRs qualify.

I like feel good books about animals and already had this one on my TBR - Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard. This covers the Bingo letter combos of ING, GOB, OBI.

>47 This-n-That: Here are a few ideas of "ing" titles, if you are into P.G. Wodehouse.
Ring for Jeeves and Jeeves in the Offing.

>44 Montarville: - Wow! I’ve been reading Rhys Bowen books for years now and never new it was a pseudonym. That could work out really well for bingo next year.

>47 This-n-That: Hope it was good!
I also thought anything ending in 'ing' should be easy to find. I also have Goblin by Ever Dundas on my list - people seem to either love it or hate it.

>51 This-n-That: Thanks! I love a dog or cat feel-good story. One of my favourite books growing up was The Incredible Journey - I must have read it twenty times!

Okay, get this! I ordered a used copy of Ask the Astronaut by Tom Jones, to read for the Not Set on Earth square and also for the Non-Fiction CAT and GeoCAT. I got it today, and it was a signed copy! Woo-hoo!

>54 LadyoftheLodge:, that's cool!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/1920

A list from Goodreads of books first published in 1920. I am planning on reading R.U.R.

>58 This-n-That: good one!

Understanding that this is a group that lets everyone set their own rules . . . what's the feeling on a book with "things" in the title for the Library or Thing title square? I can recommend several good books with the plural:

Evidence of Things Seen by Elizabeth Daly
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot (and the next in series, All Things Wise and Wonderful)
Trophies and Dead Things by Marcia Muller
In Small Things Forgotten by James Deetz

And a couple of good "library" mysteries:
The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
Murder in the Borough Library by John Austwick

For library
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
Escape from Lemoncello's Library by Chris Crabenstein

>58 This-n-That: Of course! I was only thinking of words like walking, running, etc. but lots other words ending in ing - sing, thing (double up on the library or thing square!), ring, bring, wing, sting, so many!

Where The Crawdads Sing has been on my list for ages.

>60 NinieB: I would think the plural is fine -- after all, the word "thing" is inside the word "things"! Thanks for the good suggestions!

>65 This-n-That: James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight.

Although there are very few rules concerning CATs, KITs, and BingoDOG, I think that it is generally understood that any one book should be used for only one square in BingoDOG. However, a reader is free to change squares for a book if she/he finds another book would which fit a square better (or one is having difficulty filling a square for which a book already read for BingoDOG would fit), etc.

>65 This-n-That: Since Herriot's books are chronological memoirs, I would strongly recommend reading the first, All Creatures Great and Small, before the two I mentioned above. So that one could fill the pseudonym square, and one of the others could fill the bingo square!

Herriot is one of my top childhood favorites even though they are not children's books . I'm pretty sure I was 11 or 12 when I read these. And the first time I went to England in my 20s going to Yorkshire was not optional—I had to see the setting of these favorites. Really strongly recommended.

>66 sallylou61: I do that - just my little quirk that I don't like double dipping in any of the categories! Probably why I will not complete them all this year!

To find books in your LT catalog with one of the three-letter bingo letters, search title:*ing* (or whatever three letters you want). The limitation is that it won't find those where the letters are spread over two words.

Assuming that fairytales come into the category of folklore, I would recomend most highly The Sleeper and the Spindle a twist on Sleeping Beauty by Neil Gaiman. I listened to it and it came in at just over an hour. Excellent.

>72 This-n-That: >73 Helenliz: I would think that fairytales count as folklore! In that vein, I'd highly recommend anything by Robin McKinley. I'm also thinking of things like Arthurian legend, folk heroes such as Paul Bunyan or Robin Hood, as well as world mythologies. Two options I'm considering for that square are American Gods by Neil Gaiman and Sherwood by Meagan Spooner.

I just read The Mists of Avalon but also, there are so many really. Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Ella Enchanted, Wicked, Aesop's Fables, The Snow Child, The Snow Queen to name some quickly.

>72 This-n-That: I have ordered Mythology by Edith Hamilton because mythology has been completely missing from my education and I'd like to know more.

ETA I considered The Greek Myths by Robert Graves, but the reviews suggest that it is too dry and academic for my purposes, being a book about myths rather than one that tells the myths themselves. To read later, perhaps.

I'll be reading Un Lun Dun for alphakit. It looks like this will work for the mythology/folklore square? Has anyone already read it?

>79 majkia: I've read Un Lun Dun, although it's been a while! It's a fun read, very clever with lots of wordplay. The "alternate London" concept makes it sound a bit like Neverwhere, but it's much more Jasper Fforde than Neil Gaiman. I can't remember it referencing any particular myths or folktales, although I suppose the "chosen one" trope is a staple of the genre!

>72 This-n-That: Anyone looking for an introduction to either Greek or Norse mythology, I love the d'Aulaire books - D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths and Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths. Written for kids but definitely detailed enough to explain all the people and where they fit in.

>75 christina_reads: Thanks for the reminder of American Gods - I know what I’ll be reading for thus square!

>79 majkia:, Ive read Un Lun Dun a while ago. My memory is more as urban fantasy and not as myth.

I think Circe is a great book for review of mythology. And a great read.

>72 This-n-That: I loved Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin. It's a retelling of part of the Aeneid from the perspective of Lavinia.

>72 This-n-That: Rosemary Sutcliff (whose birthday was on December 14, which put me in mind of her) has written some very beautiful retellings of Irish and other myths that adults can also enjoy.

(edited for touchstone)

I was looking for books with a pun in the title and came across Stuart Maconie's travel type books about England.

I have chosen Adventures on the High Teas but there is also Cider With Roadies, Pies and Prejudice and The Pie At Night.

>87 JayneCM: Fun titles, especially the first!

>87 JayneCM:, love the titles, but unfortunately not available at my library. I like a travel type book.

>87 JayneCM: Thank you for the Marconie recommendations! I just ordered two of them: Cider with Roadies and Pies and Prejudice, both of which my son and daughter-in-law will enjoy as well. Can't beat that.

Adventure on the High Teas sounds delightful!

>89 Kristelh: That's a shame. My library only had one of the titles.

>90 VivienneR: Hope you all like them!

17. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos - it is Lorelei's diary.
22. The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel - well regarded on LT.

If anyone is looking for something for the epistolary novel square, I am just reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette (which is an epistolary novel itself) and there is a list of other books in the back.

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
Burley Cross Postbox Theft by Nicola Barker
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Carrie by Stephen King
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding
Dracula by Bram Stoker

>95 This-n-That: I didn't either until I started reading! Emails, reports, letters, doctor's bills, all sorts of things.
I read Carrie years ago and didn't remember that was one either. And I still can't remember what format it took.

>94 JayneCM: Thanks Jayne - a very helpful list! I've got both We Need to Talk About Kevin and Bridget Jones's Diary on my TBR.

I read Daisy Jones & the Six which is tagged Epistolary and I think it does fit because of the interview style the author uses.

Does anyone know of a way to search for a LT author?

>99 sallylou61: From the home page, click "Zeitgeist" from the main menu, and at the top right-hand corner you should see a chunk of text with the header "Authors who LibraryThing," followed by a link to the complete list. It doesn't appear to be searchable, but there is a place where you can click on "Your authors," so that you'd see only the LT authors whose book(s) you own.

>100 christina_reads:. Thank you very much. I thought that there must be some way to find these. I'm amazed at how many of my authors are listed as LT authors, but do not have anything listed on their profile pages. I'm only considering those who actually have something cataloged.

>100 christina_reads: Oh THAT's how you do it! I was trying to figure it out yesterday, because I *knew* I had found it before. Sharon Kay Penman was my choice for that square.

>101 sallylou61: >102 rabbitprincess: Glad I could help! I was much more haphazard in filling that square...I basically just looked up each book as I planned to read it, and checked to see if the author was an LT author! Not very systematic, but it worked for me. :)