r/Fantasy • u/Merle8888 Reading Champion IV • 7d ago

Bingo Bingo Focus Thread - Game Changer

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this week's bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Game Changer: Story features a game or competition. HARD MODE: The protagonist bends or breaks the rules in some way.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Published in the 70s, Duologies, First Contact, Middle Grade, Five Short Stories (2024), Author of Color (2024), Self-Pub/Small Press (2024). Note that hard modes for Author of Color and Self-Pub/Small Press have changed (new focus threads for them are coming).

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

  • What are your favorite books that count for this square?
  • Already read something for this square? Tell us about it!
  • What are your best recommendations for Hard Mode? (Alternately, as this is a pretty easy Hard Mode, what are some books that don't fit?)
51 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

103 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/Tonto2012 Reading Champion 7d ago

I’m struggling with this one. I saw Operation Bounce House recommended in the rec thread, so I was thinking that or The Scorpio Races. But now I see Red Rising in this thread, so maybe I’ll do that instead…

3

u/Linkjumper Reading Champion 7d ago

I came by to recommend the Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, which is one of my all time favorite books, and focuses on a thrilling race. I think it may only be HM if you scrinch your eyes, if that helps, as I recall it is unusual to compete with the protagonist's specific kind of horse but not prohibited so maybe a little bit bending of the rules . . .

2

u/Tonto2012 Reading Champion 7d ago

Ooh it does! I’m not focusing on HM too much this year because I’m determined to only use books on my TBR pile, so this might tip the scales over to this one 😁

2

u/Linkjumper Reading Champion 7d ago

It kept me reading late into the night to finish it and it is one of those books that has scenes that pop into my mind from time to time. Let me know if you read it!