Summer might be in the rearview mirror, but we’re taking one more moment to celebrate a season of great reads, new discoveries, new connections, and a little friendly Book Bingo competition! It’s time to wrap up Summer Book Bingo 2026.
For the second year, The Seattle Public Library (SPL) and Seattle Arts and Lectures (SAL) teamed up with King County Library System (KCLS) to bring Book Bingo to adult readers across Seattle and King County. (SPL and SAL started Book Bingo in 2015; KCLS joined last year to make it a countywide program.)
Together, we invited readers to try something new, explore different perspectives and discover books they might not otherwise have picked up.
And you delivered! More than 3,700 readers around King County read an impressive 68,117 books this summer – a Book Bingo record!
Here’s a by-library breakdown look at what you accomplished this summer.
The Seattle Public Library
- 2,278 readers turned in Book Bingo cards to SPL locations, 27% more than in 2025. Of these an impressive 923 (41%) were new to Book Bingo!
- Together, these readers logged an impressive 42,460 books!
- 1,186 readers achieved blackout, completing every square on their bingo cards!
King County Library System
- 1,455 readers turned in their Book Bingo cards to KCLS locations, which is 43% more than in 2025.
- Together, these readers logged an impressive 25,657 books!
- 657 readers achieved blackout, completing every square on their bingo cards!
And of course, we know plenty of readers play along without turning in their cards, so these numbers are just part of the story!
As Book Bingo readers regularly tell us, this summer tradition is about far more than filling in squares. For some, Book Bingo is an opportunity to finally pick up a book that’s been sitting on their to-read list. For others, it’s a chance to explore a new genre or rediscover a love for reading. For many, it’s also the chance to deepen connections with friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
Here are some of our favorite participant stories from 2026:
“A year ago I didn’t read”
“A year ago I didn’t read because I thought I was ‘bad’ at it. But the friends we’ve made in Seattle are avid readers and it made me want to try again. They told us about Book Bingo & I’ve had so much fun reading all different kinds of books and connecting with our friends doing it. Can’t wait for next year!”
“It made me read out of my comfort zone”
“I really enjoyed the Book Bingo. It made me feel I’m in the big reading community and gave me something to talk about with people I met [for the] first time in Seattle. I moved here in June and I had a little struggle to small talk with people but the Book Bingo has been a good topic. Also, it made me read out of my comfort zone.”
“Met some new friends”
“I went to the Book Bingo party at the Central Library and met some new friends, which led me to the next Queer Silent Book Club event and I loved it!”
“The gift of my summer”
“I love getting lost in stories! Using Book Bingo as a reader to immerse myself in other worlds has been the gift of my summer. My Kindle or a hardback have been in my hand every day since May 22!”
Finally, a thank you!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Book Bingo this summer. And a big thank-you to our wonderful Book Bingo artist Vivian Li, our library staff, community partners and everyone who helped make another summer of adventurous reading possible.
We are also grateful to The Seattle Public Library Foundation and The Friends of The Seattle Public Library for supporting Book Bingo.
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