BingoDOG Planning Thread

Hello, all! I hope I'm not stepping on any toes by setting this up, but I wanted to start discussing the 2019 BingoDOG. Are we still interested in having a Bingo? I definitely am -- it's been one of my favorite parts of the category challenge for the past few years!

Assuming we would like to do another Bingo, I am happy to collect and compile suggestions from everyone! Just send me a private message with suggestions for a square or two. I'll take suggestions until November 15. Voting on the CATs will close November 9, which may affect what people want to suggest for Bingo.

After I have all the suggestions, I'll list them here. If I get more than 25 non-duplicative suggestions, I will post them all, and we can have some sort of voting process to narrow it down.

2019 BingoDOG Squares

1. Book made into a movie

2. Main title has 6 or more words in it

3. Title contains a homophone word (such as hair/hare, slay/sleigh, there/their/they’re)

4. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event)

5. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more

6. Book in translation

7. Prize-winning book

8. Children’s/YA book, or reread a childhood favorite

9. Graphic novel

10. Food-related title or topic

11. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it)

12. Book mentioned in another book you have read

13. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role

14. Short stories or essays

15. Debut novel

16. Book about/featuring siblings

17. Book with an artistic character

18. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)

19. Author uses middle name or middle initial

20. Cover has at least two human figures

21. Part of a series

22. Alliterative title

23. Topic or character related to medicine/health

24. Eastern European author or setting

25. Read a CAT

Once the list is finalized, we'll just need the cards themselves. Last year, @LittleTaiko and @LShelby graciously made two cards for us...would you two be willing to work on them again? Or would anyone else like to take on this project? I'm happy to step in, although I'd need help in learning how to create the cards.

Anyway, apologies for the super-long intro post, but please do post below if you're interested in doing the BingoDOG next year!

And don't forget to add your Bingo reads to the wiki! https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_BingoDog

I would do a Bingo card next year.

I also love the BingoDog and definitely hope to fill a card during 2019!

This was the first year I've tried the BingoDog and I found it quite fun. Only a few really random books needed to finish it off. I've already got a category pencilled in for it next year.

I also would like a BingoDOG card in 2019. It is my favorite challenge in the category challenge group.

Thanks for setting up the thread, Christina! I'll link this on the main group page :D

I too would play Bingo again. It's a fun way to add books to my Pool!

I'll play again next year.

I will play again.

I will plan to do the BingoDOG again!

I'll think about what square to add/suggest...

Thanks for setting this up, Christina. I'll play along joyfully.

I'm in! I have enjoyed the BingoDOG this year.

I'll see if I can think of an idea or two for you to consider.

Thanks for heading things up, Christina.

How about a square for a book that was made into a movie?

>13 Tess_W: Thanks, I'll add it to the topic list.

SQUARE SUGGESTION: Title of the book has a Homophone word

Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings

examples - hair and hare, hear and here, slay and sleigh

ETA - sorry don't know what DM is.

>15 cyderry: Leave a message on her profile page.

>15 cyderry: Thanks, I'll add it to the list!

Sorry, all -- I accidentally used Twitter lingo when I said to "DM" me your suggestions! I should have said, send me a private message on my profile page if you have a suggestion for a square. I don't mind if you post them to this thread instead, although I think it might be more fun to keep them all private until the cutoff date, at which point All Will Be Revealed. :)

I love BingoDOG and would definitely play again. It really stretched my reading selections.

Could we include a square for a YA or kids book? Or a fave from our own childhood reading?
Maybe a square for a graphic novel? I am not a big fan but read some when I was in library school.
A square for titles or topics that are food related?

Hi, all! Just wanted to bump this thread and remind you that I am taking Bingo square suggestions until the 15th, so please send me a private message if you think of one (or more) to contribute! So far I have 12 suggestions, which means I still need 12 more, assuming the middle square will be the traditional "Read a CAT."

And speaking of the CATs, voting is going on now and will close on the 9th: https://www.librarything.com/topic/297720.

>19 christina_reads: Thanks Christina for bumping the thread - I wasn't sure how many you had received yet. I'll be happy to send a few ideas your way.

Ahhhh, I need to think of something!

Thanks, everyone, for sending me suggestions! I now have 28 possible squares -- but am still very happy to take more! I'll list them all on the 15th, and then we can do some sort of voting process to narrow them down.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the cutoff for Bingo square suggestions is this Thursday, November 15...let's say by noon EST. I'll post all the suggestions that afternoon, and then we'll figure out how to whittle down the list.

I currently have 35 suggestions for 24 squares (assuming the center square will remain "Read a CAT"), although I can get it down to 29 if people don't mind my combining some similar-but-not-the-same ideas. So we definitely don't *need* any more suggestions, but I want to give everyone a chance to contribute! Send me a private message if you'd like to submit a square idea before the cutoff.

>23 christina_reads: I've not had any brilliant ideas (that aren't different from ones I've suggested or that have been done before), I don't think, so I will probably just see where it goes with other suggestions.

>23 christina_reads: Added a bit to the choices. Hopefully in the right place...

And of course I’ll join the challenge :-)

Bingo Square Suggestions

Below is a list of all the Bingo suggestions I've received. I have combined a few that seemed similar, but if you suggested one of them and don't like the combination, please let me know and I will separate them!

1. Book made into a movie

2. Main title has 6 or more words in it

3. Title contains a homophone word (such as hair/hare, slay/sleigh, there/their/they’re)

4. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event)

5. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more

6. Book in translation

7. Prize-winning book

8. Published 50 years before you were born

9. Children’s or YA book

10. Reread a childhood favorite (could combine with #9?)

11. Graphic novel

12. Food-related title or topic

13. Title contains a person’s proper name

14. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it)

15. Book mentioned in another book you have read

16. Contains a character you’d like to have as a friend

17. More than 250 years old (i.e., 1769 or before)

18. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role

19. Number or roman numeral on cover/in title

20. Short stories or essays

21. Debut novel

22. Biography, autobiography, or memoir

23. Book about/featuring siblings

24. Book involving thievery

25. Book with an artistic character

26. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)

27. Author uses middle name or middle initial

28. Cover has at least two human figures

29. Part of a series

30. Alliterative title

31. Topic or character related to medicine/health

32. Eastern European author or setting

So we have 30 square suggestions, and only 24 available squares (assuming the center square will be "Read a CAT," as has been done in the past). I have two suggestions for ways to narrow down the list.

First, we could vote on which ones to get rid of. I would create 30 polls, one for each suggestion, and ask whether people want to do that square or not. The six squares with the most "no" votes would be eliminated. This is the most democratic way to do it, but it would be time-consuming and potentially confusing.

Second, I could use a random number generator to choose six squares to eliminate at random. This would be quicker and easier than voting, but it might end up eliminating some awesome squares!

So, I propose an initial poll to decide!Vote YES if you want to vote on which squares to eliminate.

Vote NO if you want me to randomly select which squares to eliminate.

An UNDECIDED vote counts for nothing. ;)

I'll tally the votes at midnight tonight (EST), and we'll go from there! In the meantime, feel free to discuss and ask questions about these great suggestions! Thanks to everyone who submitted their ideas!

I think you could combine #9 and #10.

A book more than 250 years old would be all but impossible for me to get, and #8 would certainly fulfill that one.

Or you could put them in a hat and draw out 6/24 as you like.

I think we can combine 8 and 17 somehow and also 9 and 10.

>28 sturlington: I think that's really interesting and just goes to show how varied we are. This year's square of "read a book 100 years old or more" would account for about half of my reading. And as I'm nearly 50 (gulp) square 8 is another walk in the park.

We have several that seemed to be repeats or reworded from 2018

#13 Title contains a person’s proper name seems to be repeated in

Title contains a person’s rank, real, or fictional
Title contains name of a famous person, real or fictional
Relative name in the title (aunt, niece, etc...)

#8 Published 50 years before you were born and 17 More than 250 years old seem very much the same

Published more than 100 years ago

#22 Biography, autobiography, or memoir is the same as

Autobiography/memoir

#18 Animal on cover
#19 Number or roman numeral on cover
#28 Cover has at least two human figures

all ask for something on the cover. Maybe we could combine at least two of them?

If we eliminate 13, 8, 17, 22 as being repeats, combine 9 & 10 and two of the covers 18,19, and 28 we'd have 24 squares.

Just my suggestion.

>32 cyderry: that's very well thought out.

>32 cyderry: Yes, I like that idea. Thanks for thinking this through.

I forgot to add a couple more suggestions! I was all set to embrace the suggestion at >32 cyderry: but I left off the last few square submissions (which were sent before the "cutoff" of noon today). Please see >26 christina_reads: again -- I've added the rest of the ideas. So even if we do eliminate the squares suggested at >32 cyderry: -- which did seem like a good idea to me -- we still have 2 more than we need.

I'd vote for the random generator to eliminate two options.

I would like us to go with the newer options and be rid of the ones that have been repeats from past years.
I would suggest doing something like 100 or greater years older than your age so it is more flexible to fit those that like to read really old classics.

>38 Kristelh: I also would prefer to see some new squares rather than repeats.

I don't have much preference how it gets sorted, but I wanted to say I'm excited about the new topics. There are some really imaginative ones.

Based on Chèli's suggestion at >32 cyderry:, here is a revised list of possibilities:

1. Book made into a movie

2. Main title has 6 or more words in it

3. Title contains a homophone word (such as hair/hare, slay/sleigh, there/their/they’re)

4. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event)

5. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more

6. Book in translation

7. Prize-winning book

8. Children’s/YA book, or reread a childhood favorite

9. Graphic novel

10. Food-related title or topic

11. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it)

12. Book mentioned in another book you have read

13. Contains a character you’d like to have as a friend

14. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role

15. Short stories or essays

16. Debut novel

17. Book about/featuring siblings

18. Book involving thievery

19. Book with an artistic character

20. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)

21. Author uses middle name or middle initial

22. Cover has at least two human figures

23. Part of a series

24. Alliterative title

25. Topic or character related to medicine/health

26. Eastern European author or setting

This combines a few more of the topics and eliminates some that were similar to the 2018 Bingo squares. Is everyone OK with working from this list? If so, we still need to eliminate two squares, which means the vote at >27 christina_reads: still applies. And if not, please feel free to speak up! I don't want to shut down anyone who's disappointed that their suggestion has already been removed from this list. Either way, I'll tally the votes at midnight EST tonight!

Also, thanks to everyone for the fantastic and creative suggestions! No matter how it shakes out, I think we're going to have a really fun 2019 Bingo card. :)

If we need to delete 2, I would suggest # 23 because series is part of another CAT.

If we want to try to avoid repetition from earlier Bingos, Number 1. movie appeared in both the 2016 BingoPUP and 2017 BingoDOG; #14 animal (in some form) appeared in both the 2015 and 2017 BingoDOGs. Of course, by 2019, 2017 will be two years ago.

I will be happy with whatever the final list is - thanks Christina for organizing this!

A question about this one:
8. Published 50 years before you were born

Do we want it to be published exactly 50 years before, or do we mean 50+ years?

Also, YIKES on this one:
17. More than 250 years old (i.e., 1769 or before)

Some cool new suggestions here, too!

ETA: It looks like others have taken the "50 years before you were born" as 50+ years.

>31 Helenliz: This year's square of "read a book 100 years old or more" would account for about half of my reading.

And I had to really struggle to come up with something for it!

Based on the list in >41 christina_reads:, I had to eliminate two squares to get down to 24. The poll in >27 christina_reads: indicated that a majority of folks were OK with using a random number generator to eliminate the last two squares. I used this one to choose two numbers between 1 and 26, and it chose 13 and 18. That means we are losing "contains a character you'd like to have as a friend" and "book involving thievery." I'm sorry to see them go, but we now have a final, official list! I'll post it at the top of the thread also.

BingoDOG 2019 Squares: The Official List

1. Book made into a movie

2. Main title has 6 or more words in it

3. Title contains a homophone word (such as hair/hare, slay/sleigh, there/their/they’re)

4. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event)

5. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more

6. Book in translation

7. Prize-winning book

8. Children’s/YA book, or reread a childhood favorite

9. Graphic novel

10. Food-related title or topic

11. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it)

12. Book mentioned in another book you have read

13. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role

14. Short stories or essays

15. Debut novel

16. Book about/featuring siblings

17. Book with an artistic character

18. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)

19. Author uses middle name or middle initial

20. Cover has at least two human figures

21. Part of a series

22. Alliterative title

23. Topic or character related to medicine/health

24. Eastern European author or setting

25. Read a CAT

>47 christina_reads: This looks like a good list to me. It's a bit sad that the randomiser dropped two of the new ideas, but we could always re-use them in 2020.

>47 christina_reads: thanks so much for your work on this. Looks like a fun list.

Thanks! Looks like fun and challenging too.

>47 christina_reads: . Thanks for all your work setting this up. It ought to be fun reading; BingoDOG is my favorite challenge.

>48 MissWatson: Agreed! Hopefully someone will remember to suggest them next year.

Thanks for taking this on Christina, let the planning begin!

>47 christina_reads: The list looks great! Thanks for organizing it, Christina. I love BingoDOG.

Thank you all! :) I think we have a great list this year and am excited to get started!

I've already started building my 2019 Pool based on this list! :) Now the fun begins of slotting those choices into the other CATs.

Thanks for pulling the list together.
Are you going to be getting in touch with whoever it was that produced the bingo cards the last few years? That's the fun bit, seeing the card fill up.

>56 rabbitprincess: - I've already started too, rp. I like to be somewhat planned on my reads for the year. Plus we're going away for @6weeks starting in Jan and I need to plan what to take with me.

Christina, thank you for all your work setting this up! I enjoy the CATs but I especially like BingoDOG. I like that I can read them anytime in the year and the variety of prompts is fun.

Thanks for getting the BingoDOG up and running for us, Christina.

>57 Helenliz: I have messaged the person who created the cards last year but have not heard back yet. If anyone else knows how to create the cards and wold like to volunteer, that would be great!

>61 christina_reads: - Hey there! Sorry for the delay. Just messaged you back with the instructions on how to build the card.

>62 LittleTaiko: Thank you! :)

Okay y'all it's me, your handy Bingo utility author checking in again. It looks like 2019 is going to feature three very lovely Bingo cards provided by @christina_reads. :)

Here are your magic codes:

<img src="http://www.lshelby.com/Utilities/Bingo/bingocardC.php?type=CAT2019-1&color=green&markers=9-13-20-5-24-6">


<img src="http://www.lshelby.com/Utilities/Bingo/bingocardC.php?type=CAT2019-2&color=fuchsia&markers=2-13-19-7-22-15">


<img src="http://www.lshelby.com/Utilities/Bingo/bingocardC.php?type=CAT2019-3&color=blue&markers=5-8-17-15-21-1">


Don't forget that you can change the color of the markers to any of the following:
aqua, black, blue, fuchsia, gray, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, orange, purple, red, silver, teal, white, and yellow

If you haven't used my cards before, instructions on how they work can be found at:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/180134#4971850

Have fun playing BINGO! :)

Beautiful Bingo cards! Congratulations and thanks to you and christina_reads.

Those are lovely. Thanks to both of you for all your work.

I always love it when the new bingo cards are unveiled. But it's so difficult to choose which design...

Fabulous Bingo cards again.

oh! I love all three!

Lovely! Thanks so much!

It is hard to even chose one!!

Thanks, everyone -- I hope you like them! :) And thanks especially to >64 LShelby: for all her help in creating the template, giving me instructions, and posting the cards! Also to Stacy (@LittleTaiko) for her step-by-step guide.

These are so wonderful!! Great job!

I was so excited to move one to my challenge page that I forgot I didn't have one yet! Guess I'd better get on that. Thanks, they are beautiful!

>64 LShelby: Oooooooh, I'm going to use the astronomy one - love it!

Thanks to LShelby, christina_reads, and LittleTaiko for their parts in creating/posting the beautiful bingo cards. They are all so different from each other and from those of other years.

I have a question about the author initials square. Does this mean the author publishes under the middle name or initial only? Or does it mean they include their middle name or initial in their full published name such as S.E. Hinton or Ralph Waldo Emerson?

Wow, these are amazing! And thank you for the instructions!

Thank you all for your hard work! These are lovely :D

>64 LShelby: These are so gorgeous, thank you LShelby, christina_reads, and LittleTaiko! It adds so much to the fun of playing, ah reading Bingo!

Beautiful bingo cards! Adding my thanks to LShelby, christina_reads, and LittleTaiko

>77 LittleTaiko: I suggested that one - my original thought was your second example, e.g., Iain M. Banks and Orson Scott Card. I think you could use your first example as well - I just hadn't thought of that interpretation, but I think it works.

These look great, thanks to all involved!

>77 LittleTaiko: I'm glad you asked that question, it was puzzling me too. At first I was looking for something like C. Alan Bradley.

And apologies for omitting your name in #65. Thank you for your share in creating the terrific cards.

Wow, these are beautiful. Thanks to Christina, L. Shelby and Stacy for getting these put together. I love our Bingo Challenges and now I can hardly wait until it's 2019!

>81 LisaMorr: - Thanks for clarifying! I was hoping it was the second option as that will be much easier for me to find something to fit.

I always love to see the various Bingo cards. Thanks all for working on them. I can't wait to start filling my blocks.

The cards are sooooooooooooo nice! TY TY TY~

Christina - thanks so much for the beautiful Bingo cards you have created for us!

Lovely Bingo cards! Thank you SO much, Christina!!!

I agree, great cards, makes me eager to get started on for thread which I am waiting until Christmas week to do.

I'm using the middle card and just realized the squares aren't numbered. I'm okay with that but thought I'd point it out in case someone would want them numbered.

>92 clue: They are numbered, but it's quite hard to see on the dark background.

I've lost my bingo card and I can't see the bingo card here either. Can anyone tell me how I fix this problem?

Mine is gone too. If it doesn't come back soon I may make a bug report.

Edited to add: Reading a thread about several display problems others are having I followed the suggestion to replace http with https in the image link and my card came right back.

>95 hailelib: I think it must be a bug as I visited other people and I can't see their pictures either. Thanks for responding as now I don't feel so anxious. They probably had something happen with the flurry of people setting up threads for the new year.

>95 hailelib: Thanks. That's worked for me for both the bingo card and some missing images in my thread.

Ah, I was going to finally set up my challenge thread today, including the bingo card. I used the https:// so I can see the threads properly now. Hope the bingo card will work for me!

>95 hailelib: - You are my hero! Going to fix mine now.

I noticed that depending on how I access my thread, the graphics and formatting are gone, even the banners. I expect the holiday staff at LT are not able to stay on top of problems.

Has anyone set up a wiki for this? Do we want one?

I'll be glad to do it if no one else wants the task.

>100 VivienneR: I've noticed that also, Vivienne......I even posted about it in my thread. I can sign out and then sign back in and it's all okay; for a bit, but have to do that several times a day.

>101 majkia: Thanks for checking! I think the only other one I'm not sure about (was going to check, but haven't gotten around to it) was whether or not someone has set up the ScaredyKIT wiki.

>103 LibraryCin: Ok, the link for the ScaredyKIT wiki is there now.

>102 Tess_W: & >103 LibraryCin: I was accessing my thread from a note on my home page. The URL had http: instead of https: That was causing the problem for me. The graphics that were missing in the thread also just needed to have an S added to the http. I hope this solves your problem.

>104 LibraryCin: Yes, I put up links for all the wikis except for the BingoDOG one.

I'll go ahead and set up the Bingo Dog wiki this weekend. Probably tomorrow, unless this weirdness affects the wikis. But so far it doesn't seem so.

>106 rabbitprincess: Thank you! And I should have double checked! I was commenting based on what was there last night!

So... I was going to set up my challenge thread today or tomorrow. Images are not loading, so does anyone remember which Bingo cards are which?

I guess I can just type in a placeholder and add the Bingo card image in later...

Bingo Dog wiki is here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_BingoDog

>109 LibraryCin: Images are not loading and also my image from the 2018 BingoDOG isn't loading. There have also been problems with the touchstones today so I'm hoping it's just a temporary issue.... Anyone know?

>108 LibraryCin: No worries! I decided since I was in there anyway, might as well check that I had everything there ;)

>111 EBT1002: Yeah, I also noticed the touchstones after. I'm hoping things get fixed when the LT staff return after the holidays. The https issue seems to be the most obvious right now, but i do wonder if they are all related?

>110 majkia: Thank you for creating the wiki! I've posted it to the top of this thread.

We did monthly Bingo threads last year, which seemed to work well, so I've created a "BingoDOG reads in January" thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301728. Stop by to share what you're reading!

A couple questions...

Should I do a quick fix to that space card so that the numbers show up better?

Also, my earlier post of the cards... I never changed anything and for me the cards are currently showing up just fine. So I was wondering if it was a temporary issue or not?
If other people still can't see them, I'll go fix that post.

I am seeing mine.

>116 LShelby: Should I do a quick fix to that space card so that the numbers show up better?

I can't see all of them, but I don't think you need to change it. It's pretty quick to just count!

>116 LShelby: I agree, it's fine.

Anyone else having problems seeing their bingo cards on their threads?

>120 LisaMorr: . Mine are showing up okay. I have the card I'm using on my thread; the other two cards as private messages on my profile page.

I just checked my thread and my bingo card is showing up fine.

I am a little late to the Bingo Challenge but wanted to join. I have a couple of questions- but is a book bullet and also a CAT?

>123 deep220: Welcome to BingoDOG. I hope that you enjoy it.

A CAT stands for category challenge for which we have four this year: Calendar (https://www.librarything.com/topic/298617), Random (https://www.librarything.com/topic/298608), Series (http://www.librarything.com/topic/298613), and TBR (to be read) (https://www.librarything.com/topic/298605). The above links are to the planning threads which list the topics for each month in the first entry, except for the RandomCAT which is chosen in the middle of the preceding month instead of before the year begins. Reading a CAT means reading something which would fit into that CAT on the month for that reading -- such as reading the August Calendar cat selection in August. All of the CATs are voluntary.

A book bullet is seeing a book described in someone's thread or the monthly thread for a CAT challenge or in a monthly thread for BingoDOG, and deciding it is something you want to read. Each CAT challenge has a specific thread for that month, and BingoDOG usually does.

>123 deep220: never too late to start!

A book bullet is a book that you want to read because someone else recommended it to you. That can be a recomendation from someone you know in real life (if you have a real life) or from a thread on LibraryThing where there's been a good review by someone. I'm always being caught by book bullets and some people fire them off a great deal. It can be dangerous around here.

A CAT is a challenge within this group. This year there are several, including Calender CAT, Random CAT & TBR CAT. There are also smaller group challenges, called KITs. Of these AlphaKit is the one I do, but there is a SciFi Kit this year as well. And I'm going to leave it to someone more expert than me to explain that one further!

>124 sallylou61: and >125 Helenliz:
Thank You both for you help clarifying!

I finished reading Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Frances Strachey for the "weather-related word" prompt.

I now have just one square left to complete my entire BingoDOG card! It's the square for a book mentioned in another book so I have lots of options.

I've set up a thread to discuss next year's Bingo card in the 2020 group: http://www.librarything.com/topic/312084. Please stop by to suggest squares for next year! :)

I have completed my BingoDOG card with All The Ever Afters an updated and adult version of the Cinderella story. I used it for the fairytale square.

>129 clue: Congrats!

>129 clue: - That's great.. I know I'm not going to finish mine, but still enjoy trying to fill the squares.

I have now completed my 2019 BingoDOG card with Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid for the "book mentioned in another book" prompt. I loved this prompt although it took me the longest to get to. It made me aware of how often books are mentioned in other books!

>132 EBT1002: Congrats!

>132 EBT1002: Congratulations! I am hoping, hoping to get mine finished too!

>132 EBT1002: - Congratulations! I know other books are mentioned frequently unless you are actually looking for one.

>132 EBT1002: Congratulations! And with a square you enjoyed. I did not like that square because I couldn't easily figure out which of my books were eligible. And it seemed like it was weighted heavily in favor of the classics—not that I don't love classics but I've read Jane Eyre, David Copperfield, etc. several times already!

>136 NinieB: I noticed that, as well, Nina. I guess it makes sense that classics would be mentioned in other works more than, well, less classic works. I was lucky to find a few options that were less in that territory.

If folks are interested, one source is Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim. It's a great collection of essays about the power of reading, and it includes a pretty wonderful and varied list of "mentions." :-)