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Bingo's Run
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
56 posts | 1 read
For fans of Dave Eggers, Teju Cole, and James McBride, comes this extraordinary novel of morality and the redemptive powers of art that offers a glimpse into an African underworld rarely described in fiction. Meet Bingo, the greatest drug runner in the slums of Kibera, Nairobi, and maybe the world. A teenage grifter, often mistaken for a younger boy, he faithfully serves Wolf, the drug lord of Kibera. Bingo spends his days throwing rocks at Krazi Hari, the prophet of Kiberas garbage mound, lipping safari tourists of their cash, and hanging out with his best friend, Slo-George, a taciturn fellow whose girth is a mystery to Bingo in a place where there is never enough food. Bingo earns his keep by running white to a host of clients, including Thomas Hunsa, a reclusive artist whose paintings, rooted in African tradition, move him. But when Bingo witnesses a drug-related murder and Wolf sends him to an orphanage for protection, Bingos life changes and he learns that life itself is the run. A modern trickster tale that draws on African folklore, Bingos Run is a wildly original, often very funny, and always moving story of a boy alone in a corrupt and dangerous world who must depend on his wits and inner resources to survive. ONE OF LIBRARY JOURNALS OUTSTANDING NEW VOICES TO CONSIDER Bingos voice guides us; by turns he is aggressive, confident, smart, cynical, but also naive. Bingo tosses his observations at us with great urgency, almost percussively, in a staccato manner that recalls gunshots. And though hes blunt, hes also a sensitive observer. . . . Levine is creating a sense of an entire world, raffish and fast. . . . The larger story Levine is telling . . . is the story of a persons mind, and of the good, bad, and indifferent forces that make him what he isand that story is told with compassion and intelligence.The Boston Globe James A. Levine is a deeply gifted writer who reaches into the dirt, sweat, and diesel of modern-day Nairobi and introduces us to a young innocent whose adventures are unforgettable. Bingos runs between joy and death, laughter and sorrow, survival and redemption, will make you feel like cheering.James McBride, author of The Good Lord Bird and The Color of Water Bingos Run is one of those rare books that infuse a potentially difficult subject with intimacy, tenderness, and humor. Social commentary, gritty comedy, and pure cinematic adrenaline meet in an utterly compelling novel with a voice all its own.Tash Aw, author of Five Star Billionaire Bingos Run manages to read like timely news and high adventure at the same time. Levines main character, Bingo, is an underage drug runner, hardened orphan, and hustler extraordinaire. Hes also funny and wise well beyond his years. The rousing story of Bingos evolution is matched only by Levines portrait of modern-day Nairobi, both child and city depicted with real flair and affection.Victor LaValle, author of The Devil in Silver Bingo is a fascinating and inimitably likable character. Levine, a Mayo clinic professor of medicine and well-known child advocate, excels at telling his adventurous, comic, and realistically gritty story with humor but not with pathos, successfully addressing the harsh and sometimes tragic story of a child at risk.Library Journal From the Hardcover edition.
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VeganCleopatra
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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October #BookSpin list

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3mo
11 likes1 comment
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VeganCleopatra
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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March #BookSpin list

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 10mo
8 likes1 comment
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Julsmarshall
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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My last Bingo board of 2024 and I filled it in!

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willaful
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Julsmarshall
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Thanks to several #readathons hosted by @Andrew65 and the #BookspinBingo boards from @TheAromaofBooks I‘ve had the best reading year in my memory. And I cleared my board this month! Thank you for keeping me reading and walking #audiowalking

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Fantastic month!!! 1y
Andrew65 That‘s fantastic to hear, well done 👏👏👏 1y
44 likes2 comments
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Maggie4483
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Gonna try Bingo-ing again this month. This time I‘m not picking books to go in the Free spaces ahead of time…maybe that will help. #BookspinBingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fabulous!! 1y
14 likes1 comment
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AudiobookingWithLeah
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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My JANUARY #bookspinbingo list.

#bookspin = Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
#doublespin = The First Time I Died by Jo Macgregor (which I will finish tomorrow)

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Littlewolf1
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Here are my #bookspin and #doublebookspin for this months #bookspinbingo. Both have been on my TBR list for a while so I am really looking forward to the reads. 🤗

Roary47 Let me know how Moores book goes. I read another series by him which was pretty good. 😊💛 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I love that you got a werewolf and a vampire here. 2y
Littlewolf1 @Roary47 this is actually the second book in the series and I really like the first one. 2y
Littlewolf1 @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The crazy thing is I didn‘t even realize it until you pointed it out. But I‘m excited about it.😁 2y
15 likes5 comments
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AFrostCauseReads
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Spooky season reading all set and ready to go!!!
💀👻🎃🍁🍂🕯☕️🔮🔪🪲🍷🫀🦇🕸🌙🍎🪦

#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
19 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fantastic month!!! 2y
44 likes1 comment
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AudiobookingWithLeah
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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August #bookspinbingo!

2 BINGOs (1st row & 1st column)

#bookspin THE GUEST ROOM by CHRIS BOHJALIAN - Completed 8/6
#doublespin AND THERE HE KEPT HER by JOSHUA MOEHLING - Completed 8/19

3 DNFs including Hide, Providence, & The Mother-in-Law.

@theAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fantastic month!!! 2y
13 likes1 comment
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sarahbellum
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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I will most likely be doing second chance #bookspin bingo boards for the rest of the year since there are many books that came up in previous months that I still want to read this year.

Hoping to get a lot of reading done in September since I‘m taking two weeks off from work 😎

5feet.of.fury Nice! Enjoy your time off! 2y
sarahbellum @5feet.of.fury thank you! I badly need a break 🏝 2y
37 likes2 comments
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kimmypete1
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Seven bingos this month! Best month I've had this year, all thanks to summer break and audiobooks during a road trip. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fabulous month!!! 2y
17 likes1 comment
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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Here's my list for August's #bookspinbingo. I broke down and signed up for Scribd. Still trying to figure out how to navigate it, but I already like it far better than Audible.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
26 likes1 comment
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melissajayne
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Got 7 squares coloured in July, which considering how tired I have felt for the past two weeks, is pretty good. I end my acute cancer treatments on August 8 (the cancer centre doesn‘t do radiation treatments on holidays; it‘s the British Columbia civic holiday weekend). Off to get some shut eye before The Minions remind me to take medications in about 8 hours. #bookspinbingo #july

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Great month!! I hope your treatments do well for you! ❤ 2y
melissajayne @TheAromaofBooks treatments are going well. 2y
19 likes2 comments
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Perhaps this isn't my sexiest or most inspired Bingo Board but I'm loving the summer vibes of it. Maybe this month, perhaps, I'll actually get a bingo. Don't hold your breath or make a bet on it, though. 😁

See anything you're planning to read, too?

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Bklover Ooh I love your Bingo board! What did you use to make it? (edited) 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @Bklover Thank you! I use Canva.com to make my boards. The font selection is huge, but sometimes I need to find a background photo elsewhere & upload it. Search for a Bingo template and you're on your way! I do find it is easier for me to use a computer to edit it over my phone. 2y
Bklover Thank you! I will check it out! I think I have a bingo template. Yours looks great! 2y
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bthegood this is a good book - 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @bthegood That's what I like to hear! I am planning to read it for a few different challenges so I should be getting around to it soon*. *sometime in 2022 2y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Looks fantastic!! 2y
43 likes6 comments
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Littlewolf1
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Good luck!! 2y
17 likes1 comment
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I promise I am unspoiled and have not doctored my list. The day got away from me and I had two slot to fill. On to July!

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
40 likes1 comment
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Littlewolf1
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Haven‘t had a chance to do this in a while, but here is my #bookspinbingo for July.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
6 likes1 comment
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VeganCleopatra
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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July's #BookSpin #BookSpinBingo list. Early this time!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
16 likes1 comment
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I tried. Sort of. I'm feeling confident that June might bring me a bingo.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Great month!! 3y
36 likes1 comment
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5280reader
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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Try try again! Read 4 bookspin and doublespin books last month to play catch-up! No May bingo. My #bookspin for June is Deconstructed and my #doublespin for June is The Astronaut and the Star. #bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
19 likes1 comment
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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My #bookspin book is The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke, a leftover from AAPI month, for a written by a Pacific Islaner prompt. My #doublespin book is The Pisces, which had been on my shelves for a few years now, and gives a prompt about constellations. YAY!

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
40 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Wow, the #BookSpinBingo gods really want me to work on Don Quixote for my #Pickleschallenge - that middle column is a little intimidating! #BookSpin for June is Wide Sargasso Sea, which is also a #Roll100 for the month, and #DoubleSpin is Notes From a Small Island. Looks like some good reading ahead!

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Another month without a bingo. Only eight books read last month and none reviewed yet, but I'm happpy with what I finished considering it was a busy month.
April #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Great month!! 3y
45 likes1 comment
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kimmypete1
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James Levine
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19 books, only 1 bingo. #BookSpinBingo

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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February was a good reading month but I didn't read with a bingo in mind.
#bookspinbingo without a bingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fabulous month!!! 3y
46 likes1 comment
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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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My February was such a hot mess I didn't even get to make my own bingo card, so this is the result. I got a good amount of reading done, just no bingo. I did get my #bookspin and #doublespin books read though.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Great month!!! 3y
28 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I did a fair bit of reading in February, but somehow managed only a single #BookSpinBingo! I knocked 14/20 off my TBR, though, so I‘ll take that win. @TheAromaofBooks thanks for hosting this fun challenge!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Great month!!! 3y
33 likes1 comment
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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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And that's a wrap for January's #BookSpinBingo! I did better than expected. Hoping February is just as full of excellent reading!

@TheAromaofBooks

Clwojick Brilliant! Way to go! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Fabulous month!!! 3y
31 likes2 comments
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I still need to review my books but here's where I finished January. I read my #bookspin and #doublespin books and with less sleep or an extra couple days, I would've had a bingo. Maybe next month.
@TheAromaofBooks

Like the stores, I'm bringing the Valentine's Day vibe to you before February. 🤣

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fantastic month!!! 3y
Tera66 Another beautiful Bingo card!! 3y
48 likes2 comments
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ShananigansReads
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Finished 2021 Goodreads bingo board. I read 20 out of the 25 prompts. If I focus this year I could probably black out the board.

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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Came close to a cover-all with my own bingo challenge #LittenListen, but just couldn't seem to get those last two.

8 bingos for 160 pts.

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

wanderinglynn Awesome! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
26 likes1 comment
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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I only updated one BookishFirst Bingo card. I gave up.

3 bingos for 60 points.

#Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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14 more bingos here for a total of 280.

#Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

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aperfectmjk
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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I'm working on getting my final numbers together for #Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter. So a final update on my bingo cards.

13 new bingos, plus the cover all, so a total of 360

@Clwojick

Gissy Impressive, all those bingo cards!👻🖤🖤🖤 3y
23 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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Well, for all the reading I did in October I only completed three bingos on my #BookSpinBingo board. Most of the leftovers will be on November‘s list. Thanks again, @TheAromaofBooks for a great challenge!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fantastic month!!! 3y
23 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
Bingo's Run: A Novel | James A. Levine
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It felt like In Cold Blood took forever to read (really about five days but tons of interruptions), but here‘s my current #BookSpinBingo board. Starting Small Spaces and Ophie‘s Ghosts next.