2024 Book Blog Discussion Challenge

I'm going to do something new this year. I'd known about this blogging challenge for years, but never considered joining until now. I've have reading others' posts to get some ideas on how to do it.  Since I'm new to this, I will aim for the first level, going over if possible. The graphic below will be displayed on my posts. See the details below.

Welcome to the 2024 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight! This challenge has been going on for nine years now, and we’re excited to keep discussing books with you!

So often, we book bloggers mean to post more discussions on our blogs, but we just don’t quite get around to it. Well, we wanted to give everyone a little motivation to keep the discussions going, plus give us a place to link up our discussions so that more people will see our precious words of wisdom (or … you know … our GIF-filled rants).

We hope you’ll join us for this challenge and pledge yourself to posting more discussions in this upcoming year. I promise we’ll have lots of fun talking together! We’ve found that the Discussion Challenge is its own little community

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Here’s All You Have to Do:

• Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. There’s no need to say what your discussion posts will be about–just tell us you’re joining and let us know your goal. (Can be in an update post or a post with other challenges–you’re not required to make a completely separate sign-up post.)
• Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts. Feel free to also link back in your actual discussions (we appreciate it, so more people can find us!), but that’s not required.
• The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2023. Sign-ups will remain open through December 28th, 2023.So, you can basically sign up all year long. Come join us!
• Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us!
• On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions. Every month, I’ll update the Discussion Challenge widget in the sidebar with the new post–so you’ll always know where to find the latest link-up!
• There will also be a big yearly giveaway–multiple winners for multiple things!–so do keep entering and checking back!
• Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2023 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter.
• Have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments!

What Kinds of Discussions Can You Link Up?

Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging! We’re pretty lax about what can be called a “discussion,” but here are some guidelines:

• We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel promote hate or denigrate others will be removed.
• Please don’t link up discussions about things that are completely off-topic, like travel or fashion, etc.
• Please don’t link up month-end wrap-ups (We have the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up for that, and we’d love to have you join in!)—unless you have a very specific book-related discussion topic that you include in your wrap-up!
• Please don’t link up book reviews unless it’s more of a general discussion about a topic and you’re using a specific book as an example.
• Please don’t link up giveaways unless the post is mostly a discussion that just happens to have a giveaway attached (like if you were talking about the reasons you love audiobooks and you decide to do a giveaway of an audiobook at the end).
• Linking up Top Ten Tuesday posts or other meme posts are fine as long as there’s some actual discussion involved (not just a list of books). Same with tags—they’re fine, but we’d prefer if there’s some discussion involved of why you chose the books, not just a list of books that go with the tag topic.
• A post can be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post. (We love getting to know our fellow bloggers!)

Hopefully this doesn’t make us seem like the Discussion Police—we just want to try to keep the link-ups discussion-focused since there are already a lot of places to link up those other types of posts. (And remember that we always err on the side of being flexible.)  

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The Levels:

1-10 – Discussion Dabbler  ⬅️ My Goal
11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
21-30 – Chatty Kathy
31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
41+ – Gift of the Gab

Picture Prompt Book Bingo Challenge 2024

I was sure I was done signing up for challenges, but got tempted by this one. I had known about it since last month when I posted it to a Facebook group for collecting reading challenges (for which I am a moderator). But after seeing two other bloggers sign up for this one, I decided to give it a go. It seems really fun and easy. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

If you’re new to the Picture Prompt Bingo – it’s a loosey goosey reading challenge in which you match books that you’ve read to one of the pictures on the bingo card. The key thing being that you can be as creative in your interpretation of the picture as you like.

For example, take the majestic snail in the top right corner: this could suggest to you a book that was a slow read, or a story about a character with no fixed abode; you may read something that has a snail on the cover, or the word ‘snail’ in the title; perhaps you’ll read a book about a small, overlooked lifeform or one with which communication doesn’t appear to be possible. As long as you’re happy with the connection you make between the book and the image, it’s all good.

1. A heeled shoe decorated with a bow: Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut
2. A microscope: Euphoria--Lily King
3. A partially unrolled scroll and a pen: Persian Letters--Montesquieu
4. A land snail: The Fiery Cross--Diana Gabaldon (Slow read--over 1400 pages)
5. An old Roman coin: The Clue of the Gold Coin--Helen Wells
6. A fern plant: Plants vs. Zombies Volume 1--Paul Tobin
7. A simple crown: Red Queen--Victoria Aveyard
8. An armillary sphere: Jade War--Fonda Lee
9. A seashell: The Summer Getaway--Susan Mallery
10. A cannon on a gun carriage: Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker--Jennifer Chiaverini
11. A harp (one of the big ones): XOXO--Axie Oh
12. Two hands making a shadow puppet dog: Never Cry Werewolf--Heather Davis
13. An old camera and tripod: Songs of Willow Frost--Jamie Ford
14. A dog (a very good doggo): Lone Wolf--Kathryn Lasky
15. A beehive (with four bees flying around it): World of Wonders--Aimee Nezhukumatathil
16. Fluffy cumulonimbus clouds: Thunderstruck--Erik Larson

Challenge completed on October 12

Diversify Your Reading 2024

It looked as if this one wasn't going to happen this year, as it ddi not appear on the website where it had been hosted. However, I just now found it on Instagram. A little late finding it, but I wanted to do it.

JAN: Summer Secrets--Jane Green

FEB: The Spanish Love Deception--Elena Armas

MARCH: Love is an Ex-Country--Randa Jarrar

APRIL: How to See--Thich Nhat Hanh

MAY: Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker--Jennifer Chiaverini

JUNE: Thunderstruck--Erik Larson

JULY: When We Believed in Mermaids--Barbara O'Neal   

AUG: Emily Windsnap and the Monster From the Deep--Liz Kessler

SEPT: The Music Shop--Rachel Joyce

OCT: Jade War--Fonda Lee

NOV: The Sentence--Louise Erdrich

DEC:

My Year in Books

This year I found a different website, that like Goodreads, also gives you a year in books: myyearinbooks.com. I found it through this blog post. You just have to submit the link to your Goodreads profile/shelf and it'll gather all the info for you. Let's see what it can tell me about my 2023 reading year... 

jamie ghione's year in books

Welcome to your year in books, Jamie Ghione! What a year it's been, full of highs and lows and—of course—great books.

Now, let's dive into what you read this year!

You read 261 books in 2023, which adds up to 73,874 pages and about 125,586 minutes. Wow!

Your top genres/categories:

• You knew art mimics life (and life mimics art!)—you read 82 contemporary novels, all set in today's world with today's many challenges.

• You fell head over heels for romance, with 73 books read.

• Adolescence is a tumultuous, challenging time, and you welcomed that complexity through reading 48 young adult books.

Your top author this year was Debbie Macomber. You read 4 books by this author, making you in the top 5% of fans (maybe?). These books include:

• Dear Santa

• 50 Harbor Street (Cedar Cove)

• 1022 Evergreen Place (Cedar Cove, #10)

• 8 Sandpiper Way (Cedar Cove, #8)

As the seasons changed, so did your reading habits. Your biggest reading month was December, with 30 books. Way to go!

Looking back on the year, let's celebrate a few of your five star reads! These are just some of the books you loved this year:

What a year for books! If there was just one way to describe your taste in books this year, it would be eclectic.

I had a lot of short reads in December, including picture books. It's been  some time since I've given a five-star rating to a book. And I agree that my taste in books can be eclectic. 

Reading With Wrigs Challenge

 This one is at a private Facebook group.

1. Book with a dragon: Tess of the Road--Rachel Hartman
2. "Leap" in the title: Leap of Faith--Danielle Steel
3. About the Olympics: Rise--Lindsey Vonn
4. With an election or politician: The Kept Woman--Susan Donovan
5. Work of fiction with an eclipse: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez--Adrianna Cuevas
6. Author who has written over 24 books: Winter Stroll--Elin Hilderbrand
7. Set in a culture different from your own: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous--Suzanne Park
8. Book of poetry: The Black Flamingo--Dean Atta
9. Time travel: Can I Get There by Candlelight?--Jean Slaughter Doty
10. Antonyms in the title: City of Darkness and Light--Rhys Bowen
11. Told from a villain's POV: Mistress of All Evil--Serena Valentino
12. Purple cover: XOXO--Axie Oh

Challenge completed on August 27

Better World Books 2024 Reading Challenge

 Doing this one again.

JAN:  Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut

FEB: Happy Place--Emily Henry

MARCH: Flights--Olga Tokarczuk

APRIL: River Sing Me Home--Eleanor Shearer

MAY: The Clue of the Gold Coin--Helen Wells

JUNE: Summer on Sag Harbor--Sunny Hostin

JULY: Meditations for Personal Healing--Louise L. Hay

AUG: Piranesi--Susanna Clarke

SEPT: This is How You Lose the Time War--Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

OCT: Jade War--Fonda Lee

NOV: Snow White With the Red Hair 1--Sorata Akiduki

DEC:

January Bookish Bingo

 Here is the new card.

My Books:

1. Bo's Magical New Friend--Rebecca Elliott (3 squares): E-Book, Mythical Beast, Magical Realism
2. Gmorning, Gnight--Lin-Manuel Miranda (4 squares): Audiobook, Narrated by the Author, Diet or Exercise, Book Club Read
3. Sourdough Sagas--Herbert L. Heller (8 squares): Free Book, Physical Book, Not in a Series, Nonfiction, Rescue Mission, Free Space, Black Object on Cover, New Start/Staring Over
4. Fatally Frosted--Jessica Beck (3 squares): Shelf Love, In a Series, Meant to Read in 2023
5. Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut (4 squares): Library Book, Name is a Color, Some Kind of Punk, Apocalyptic
6. Paris: The Memoir--Paris Hilton (1 square): Memoir
7. It Ends With Us--Colleen Hoover (2 squares): Hyped by Internet, Someone Else Made you Buy Read It 

25 squares completed on January 21

Inclusive Picture Book Reading Challenge

 I found this new challenge at this Instagram account. It's a great idea.

1. BIPOC author and/or illustrator: No T. Rex in the Library--Toni Buzzeo
2. Current events: Blue Sky, White Stars--Sarvinder Naberhaus
3. Marginalized voices in history: Pirate Passover--Judy Press
4. Bilingual text: How Do You Say? Como Se Dice?--Angela Dominguez
5. Fairy tale or folk tale from a country other than your own: The Funny Little Woman--Arlene Mosel
6. Nature and/or conservation: Look Book--Tana Hoban
7. Immigration and/or refugee experience: Immigration--Lizann Flatt
8. Celebration of indigenous storytelling:
9. Inspirational biography: Ruth Objects--Doreen Rappaport
10. Book that is a window: Julian is a Mermaid--Jessica Love
11. Book that is a mirror: When Aidan Became a Brother--Kyle Lukoff
12. Disabled main character: Best Day Ever!--Marilyn Singer
13. Black joy: When Martin Luther King Wore Roller Skates--Mark Weakland
14. Inspires activism: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer--Carole Boston Weatherford (reread)
15. BIPOC girls or women in STEM: Mae Among the Stars--Roda Ahmed
16. Incidental LGBTQ+ representation: A is for Activist--Innosanto Nagar
17. Social emotional learning: Farm--Elisha Cooper
18. The arts and/or creativity: Kid's Guide to Native American History--Yvonne Wakim Dennis & Arlene Hirschfeld
19. Confronts or challenges gender norms: Women Who Dared--Linda Skeers
20. Holiday book that is a mirror: Little Witch Hazel--Phoebe Wahl
21. Holiday book that is a window:
22. About cultural food traditions: Fry Bread--Kevin Noble Maillard
23. Inclusive book about magic: Aladdin--Walt Disney Company
24. Multigenreational story: Sisters First--Jenna Bush Hager

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

A new one to me at Shelf Reflection.  I will complete as many categories as possible.

         Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)

1. A book with a character whose name is a color: Check & Mate--Ali Hazelwood

   A book with an apple on the cover: Apple: Skin to the Core--Eric Gansworth

   Advanced: A book published in 1937 (the year the original movie came out)

   
   

2. Pinocchio (1940)

   A book with ‘lie’ in the title: White Lies--Jayne Ann Krentz

   A book with a star on the cover

   Advanced: A book about trafficking

   
   

3. Fantasia (1940)

   A book with magic: Briarheart--Mercedes Lackey

   A book with a purple cover: XOXO--Axie Oh

   Advanced: A graphic novel: Lumberjanes--Out of Time--Noelle Stevenson

   
   

4. Bambi (1942)

   A book that takes place in the woods: Sugar and Spice--Sarah Mlynowski

   A book about an orphan

   Advanced: A book with a John or Jane Doe

   
   

5. Cinderella (1950)

   A book with a shoe on the cover: Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut

   A book with talking animals

   Advanced: A book with an evil stepmother

   
   

6. Alice in Wonderland (1951)

   A book with a heart on the cover

   A book about time travel: Can I Get There by Candlelight?--Jean Slaughter Doty

   Advanced: A book with a tea party

   
   

7. Peter Pan (1953)

   A book with pirates: Pirate Passover--Judy Press

   A book where a main character is a child

   Advanced: A book about lost boys

   
   

8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

   A book with a forbidden romance

   A book with ‘lady’ in the title

   Advanced: A book with ‘darling’ in the title (Lady’s family was the Darlings): Temptation's Darling--Johanna Lindsey

   
   

9. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

   A book with a curse: Never Cry Werewolf--Heather Davis

   A book with a dragon: Briarheart--Mercedes Lackey

   Advanced: A book that takes place in January (the month the movie was released)

   
   

10. 101 Dalmatians (1961)

    A book with a black and white cover: Prometheus Bound--Aeschylus

    A book where the ‘villain’ is a woman: Snow White With the Red Hair 1--Sorata Akiduki

    Advanced: A book with exactly 101 pages

    
    

11. The Sword in the Stone (1963)

    A historical fiction novel: Mystique--Amanda Quick

    A book with a knife or a sword on the cover: Glass Sword--Victoria Aveyard

    Advanced: A book with a character who can see the future

    
    

12. Mary Poppins (1964)

    A book with a nanny

    A book set in London: Scandal--Amanda Quick

    Advanced: A book that takes place during the first ten years of the 20th century (the movie happens in 1910)

    
    

13. Aristocats (1970)

    A book with a cat: The Cat Who Saved Books--Sosuke Natsukawa

    A book about social class differences

    Advanced: A book by an author with the initials TO or TM (for Thomas O’Malley)
    

    
    

14. Robin Hood (1973)

    A book with a heist: Read and Gone--Allison Brook

    A book with an arrow on the cover

    Advanced: A book written by an author who sponsors a charity
    

    
    

15. The Rescuers (1977)

    A book that is the first in a series (this was the first Disney animated feature to get a sequel): It Ends With Us--Colleen Hoover

    A book about a special gem or diamond

    Advanced: A book set in the bayou: King and the Dragonflies--Kacen Callender

    
    

16. The Little Mermaid (1989)

    A book with a character who has red hair: Queen of the Sea--Dylan Meconis

    A book with a character who is stuck in a small town

    Advanced: A book with a character who can’t speak

    
    

17. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

    An enemies to lovers book: The Spanish Love Deception--Elena Armas

    A book about books: The Book of Second Chances--Katherine Slee

    Advanced: A book with a character trapped in a house
    

    
    

18. Aladdin (1992)

    A book with a yellow cover (jasmine is yellow): Lifting as We Climb--Evette Dionne

    A book that takes place in India

    Advanced: A book about a Sikh
    

    
    

19. The Lion King (1994)

    A book set in Africa: The Girl From the Train--Irma Joubert

    A book with a character who has a prominent scar

    Advanced: A book with an evil uncle
    

    
    

20. A Goofy Movie (1995)

    A funny book

    A book with a road trip: Love is an Ex-Country--Randa Jarrar

    Advanced: A book about a father/son relationship
    

    
    

21. Pocahontas (1995)

    A book by an author named John

    A book about nature: Into the Wild--Jon Krakauer

    Advanced: A book written by an author with Native American heritage
    

    
    

22. Toy Story (1995)

    A novella (because it’s a small story….): Home--Toni Morrison

    A book with ‘friend’ in the title

    Advanced: A book with a cowboy

    
    

23. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

    A book with a character with a disability

    A book with a clock on the cover

    Advanced: A book written by an author with a disability: Rolling Warrior--Judith Heumann

    
    

24. Mulan (1998)

    A book set in China.

    A non-fiction book about gender: Women Who Dared--Linda Skeers

    Advanced: A book set in ancient China.
    

    
    

25. Tarzan (1999)

    A book with a character named Jane: Young Jane Young--Gabrielle Zevin

    A book about a teacher

    Advanced: A book about a kid who was raised by something/someone unexpected

    
    

26. Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

    A book with a king, queen, or emperor: Red Queen--Victoria Aveyard

    A book with a building project

    Advanced: A book set in Peru (cuz llamas…)

    
    

27. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

    A book with ‘lost’ in the title

    A book with an exploration: The Painted Queen--Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

    Advanced: A book set in Atlanta

    
    

28. Monsters, Inc (2001)

    A book about a kidnapping

    A book with a door on the cover: The Magnolia Palace--Fiona Davis

    Advanced: A book with someone screaming or laughing on the front

    
    

29. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

    A book set in Hawaii

    A book with ‘family’ in the title

    Advanced: A modern day story with a creature from space: This is How You Lose the Time War--Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

    
    

30. Spirited Away (2002)

    A book with supernatural elements: The Scent Keeper--Erica Bauermeister

    A book by a Japanese author: With a Dog AND Cat, Every Day is Fun, Volume 1--Hidekichi Matsumoto

    Advanced: A book with a tunnel

    
    

31. Treasure Planet (2002)

    A book with a hunt for treasure/money/an inheritance: The Clue of the Gold Coin--Helen Wells

    A book set in space: Space Walks--Dana Meachen Rau

    Advanced: A book about linguistics: Berlitz German

    
    

32. Finding Nemo (2003)

    A book by an Australian author: The Forgotten Garden--Kate Morton

    A book about memory

    Advanced: A book with a dentist
    

    
    

33. The Incredibles (2004)

    A book with a character with a secret identity: Yellowface--R.F. Kuang

    A book where the whole world is in danger

    Advanced: A middle grade book with a super hero
    

    
    

34. Chicken Little (2005)

    A book where the main character is telling the truth but no one believes them

    A dystopian novel: Remote Control--Nnedi Okorafor

    Advanced: A book with a character who wears glasses: The Fabulous Zed Watson!--Basil Sylvester

    
    

35. Cars (2006)

    A book with a car on the cover: Bunkie Spills--Bradley K. Rosen

    A book about a celebrity (can be fiction or nonfiction): Paris: The Memoir--Paris Hilton

    Advanced: A book with a road sign on the cover

    
    

36. Ratatouille (2007)

    A book about food:

    A book set in Paris: The Paris Apartment--Lucy Foley

    Advanced: A Parisian cookbook
    

    
    

37. Wall-E (2008)

    A book with Artificial Intelligence

    A book with a green cover (cuz recycling…): Garden Spells--Sarah Addison Allen

    Advanced: A book with no dialogue: Look Book--Tana Hoban

    
    

38. Up (2009)

    A book with a septuagenarian main character: Something Wicked--E.X. Ferrars

    A book with ‘up’ in the title

    Advanced: A book written by an author at least 70 years wise

    
    

39. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

    A book set in the Jim Crow era

    A book with an entrepreneurial female character: Life is Sweet--Elizabeth Bass

    Advanced: A book about a restaurant owner: Vanity Fare--Megan Caldwell

    
    

40. Tangled (2010)

    A book with an escape

    A book with ‘light’ in the title: By the Light of the Study Lamp--Carolyn Keene

    Advanced: A book published on or around the summer solstice (Rapunzel’s probable birthday)

    
    

41. Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)

    A book based on a play

    A book about a neighbor: Where'd You Go, Bernadette--Maria Semple (reread)

    Advanced: A retelling of Romeo and Juliet
    

    
    

42. Brave (2012)

    A book set in Scotland: A Kind of Spark--Elle McNicoll

    A book with an arranged marriage: Picture Bride--Yoshiko Uchida

    Advanced: A book where the main character turns into someone or something else
    

    
    

43. Wreck-It-Ralph (2012)

    A book about a video game or VR: My Video Game Ate My Homework--Dustin Hansen

    A book with candy on the cover:

    Advanced: A book only sold in a digital format

    
    

44. Frozen (2013)

    A book with snow: The Snow Child--Eowyn Ivey

    A book about sisters: Sisters First--Jenna Bush Hager

    Advanced: A book based on Scandinavian lore

    
    

45. Big Hero 6 (2014)

    A book about technology: Broad Band--Claire L. Evans

    A book with a number in the title: Five Survive--Holly Jackson

    Advanced: A book with ‘hero’ in the title: Celebrity Superhero--Jennie Bennett

    
    

46. Inside Out (2015)

    A book that makes you cry (or would if you did that kind of thing…): The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry--Rachel Joyce

    A book where the main character just moved to a new city: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez--Adrianna Cuevas

    Advanced: A nonfiction book about emotions

    
    

47. The Good Dinosaur (2015)

    A book with a disappearance: Countdown--Deborah Wiles

    A book about a character overcoming a fear

    Advanced: A book that explores ‘what if’ a historical event never happened

    
    

48. Zootopia (2016)

    A book that starts with the letter ‘Z’: Zillah & Me--Helen Dunmore

    A book with a main character who is a police officer or detective: Evil Eclairs--Jessica Beck

    Advanced: A book that will take you a long time to read; over 500 pages (cuz the Sloth…): The Fiery Cross--Diana Gabaldon

    
    

49. Moana (2016)

    A book set on a boat

    A book about a native people: Killers of the Flower Moon--David Grann

    Advanced: A book with a five-letter title: Angel--Johanna Lindsey

    
    

50. Coco (2017)

    A book set around Halloween: Horrible Harry at Halloween--Suzy Kline

    A book with a musician: The Music Shop--Rachel Joyce

    Advanced: A book containing multiple languages: Bilingual Fairy Tales Rapunzel--Blackwell Burke
    

    
    

51. Onward (2020)

    A book about brothers

    A book with a direction in the title (i.e. onward, forward, backward, right, left, etc): All That's Left in the World--Erik J. Brown

    Advanced: A book with pants on the cover
    

    
    

52. Soul (2020)

    A book written by a Black author: Behold the Dreamers--Imbolo Mbue

    A book about finding purpose in your life: The Collected Regrets of Clover--Mikki Brammer

    Advanced: A book about jazz

    
    

53. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

    A book with mythical creatures: Tess of the Road--Rachel Hartman

    A book with ‘the last’ in the title

    Advanced: A book with warring factions

    
    

54. Encanto (2021)

    A book written by a Latinx author: The House in the Pines--Ana Reyes

    A book where a house has powers: Piranesi--Susanna Clarke

    Advanced: A book translated from Spanish
    

    
    

55. Luca (2021)

    A book set on a coast: Summer on Sag Harbor--Sunny Hostin

    A book with a competition

    Advanced: A book about a fisherman