So how does reading a “higher natively level” book work? Only the highest level book you’ll read in 2024 counts, or the first time you surpass your 2023 highest level or…?
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The original/official prompt is
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This sounds like a fun challenge so why not, I’ll give it a go. Good excuse to read things you might not have otherwise. Here’s my card https://bingobaker.com/#658fdf69e61dcc15.
Items ticked off:
- ひきこまり吸血姫の悶々 | L34 - Read something at a higher Natively level than you have read so far.
- https://learnnatively.com/book/2f20d58780/ - Read something where the setting is a workplace
- センセイの鞄 | L33 - Read a book with a bad cover
- アステリズムに花束を 百合SFアンソロジー | L30?? - (WIP) Book club
- コップクラフト | L34 - (WIP) Read an author you’ve never read before
- 撲殺天使ドクロちゃん | L30?? - (WIP) Read an debut (I think this is their first books from wikipedia at least?)
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I’d like to participate:
For the qualifier tile, can you pick the prompt or does someone need to assign it to you?
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I believe you can pick it yourself.
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Edit: I’m using the spiced up version of trying to fill the board as fast as possible by only counting books that tick at least 3 boxes (boxes may have been ticked before to avoid deadlocks).
Well, I finished 麦ふみクーツェ | L34?? today. It took me 14 hours, but I read it in a single day and it is a prize winner (never heard of that prize, but if they think it’s worth mentioning on the cover, it’s good enough for me).
Nearly a bingo on day one 
Edit: I guess I could nominate it for “bad cover”, but I really liked it (also, it’s a present, so I can’t really say I chose it despite or because of the cover)
Edit3: Oh wait, it was also a new author for me… doesn’t really matter though.
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1 down, though I planned for this specifically, or I would have struggled to get this one ticked off.
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Looking at books over 43 for the Higher Natively Level box, I was immediately attracted by 砂の女 | L45 (learnnatively.com), so much so that I wanted to start it right away. Guess what, no ebook 
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A few of us are planning to have an informal club for 春琴抄 | L52?? at some point this year (probably not immediately as I think we’re all a bit burnt out on clubs right now). Feel free to join!
Plot (from Google):
盲目の三味線師匠春琴に仕える佐助の愛と献身を描いて谷崎文学の頂点をなす作品。 幼い頃から春琴に付添い、彼女にとってなくてはならぬ人間になっていた奉公人の佐助は、後年春琴がその美貌を何者かによって傷つけられるや、彼女の面影を脳裡に永遠に保有するため自ら盲目の世界に入る。
It’s romance and I know you don’t like romance, but if it’s anything at all like 痴人の愛 it will be ridiculous fun
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It’s interesting to see how when we get to these higher grade levels we’re reliant on one or two users for the grading (almost all of them seem to be from bison).
I’m probably going to skip the “higher level” book, but I added a link to Amazon and cdjapan for the physical book version of 春琴抄 | L52?? since I was looking at it.
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Yeah, that can cause some issues although with enough people reading it will even out. I want to say この本を盗む者は | L36 was L41 when the club picked it and it dropped significantly. I also got some comments a year or two ago to the effect of I was under leveling things and it had an outsize influence since I was often the only reader, although again, once some more people had tackled it it would wind up in an ok spot.
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No ebook but certainly worth a read (and order of a physical copy)! One of my favorites! 
I hope you like 砂…
Editing to add since I have a monkey brain and didn’t think to include it in my original post: Besides 砂の女, 午後の曳航 | L45 is tied for most difficult at level 45. I aim going to aim for 仮面の告白 | L49?? as my highest level read this year as I’ve had the paperback sitting on my shelf for a while. That is in addition to any informal 谷崎潤一郎 club read alongs.
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I’ve just started コンビニ人間 for workplace setting. Seems good so far 
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Oh and I’m reading きまぐれロボット for an author I haven’t read before. I’m reading one or two short stories from that per day.
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Plus, it’s on the WK Advanced Book Club nominations list, and guess which poll opened today? 
Seeing all the Natively Bingo “Higher Natively Level” readers over in the WK club would be fun 
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Hmmm. My highest level book read on Natively so far is L38… Note to those looking for higher-leveled books, Natively’s custom level search is awesome:
Anyhow, 吸血鬼ハンター“D”―吸血鬼ハンター 1 | L39 is an option, since I already own it.
On my wishlist already:
I was thinking I might go for 孤島の鬼 | L37 for this square, but it’s actually one level lower. :S
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that にほんご５００問 looks like a real banger.
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Hey man, if a book promises high-level studying, who am I to complain. 
Honestly probably the hardest part of hitting this square will be finding a book that holds my interest for the duration it’ll take to read it; I’m seriously considering @nikoru’s suggestion and voting for something that qualifies in the WK ABC, since a book club should provide the required motivation.
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Jan 01:
read one volume or story in a single day: 黒子のバスケ①
Jan 02:
read something available to read for free: 大阪の反逆 ーー織田作之助の死ーー (I’ve put in a request to get it recategorized to nonfiction and maybe get the subtitle tacked onto it. I’m also not sure if it’s a eulogy or essay or both, though I guess that’s less important…)
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Category: “A Book Club Pick”
Date Completed: Jan. 4, 2024
Title: 可愛いだけじゃない式守さん 1
Stats: Manga, 144 pages, Natively Level 18
Notes: The WaniKani ABBC Book Club pick for Dec '23 through Mar '24! Though my regular level range is 23-25, I still found myself adding new terms to my vocab list in every chapter. The story was easy to follow and I loved the art style. This was a very enjoyable volume to open the 2024 Book Bingo Challenge!! 
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