Anyone else really enjoying reading this and would be down to continue with the other volumes in a separate Book Club upon finishing??? I’m not the fastest so probably wouldn’t be able to facilitate that, however, if someone else would make the Home Thread I’d very happily support and get involved.
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Ohhh I was just wondering about this could you link me to it?! Me too!
We don’t have anything set up yet for a spin-off book club to continue the series, but I’m planning on setting one up. I figured I’ll post about it as we begin the final chapter, which is just around the corner. (Unless someone else really wants to be the one to manage the spin-off club instead, and has been planning for it in secret.)
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Just checking in, I’d be down for participating on a spin-off book club! 
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Count me in
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Week 11 thread is up - Week 11.
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We’ve reached the start of the final chapter, bringing us to the last few weeks of volume 1.
However, the story won’t end there.
Kanami’s challenges will escalate in volume 2: at home, with her big brother; at school, with Sae-chan; at the park, with Kansai-ben.
At least a few readers are interested in continuing the story as an offshoot reading club. A few polls for those who are interested:
Purchasing Volume 2
Some offshoot clubs begin immediately after the book club ends. Others give time, as some readers need to purchase the next volume and wait for it to ship.
What’s your status on volume 2?
- I already own volume 2.
- I plan buying a physical copy, but haven’t yet.
- I plan buying a digital copy, but haven’t yet.
- I’m not planning to read volume 2.
0 voters
Reading While Awaiting Shipment
If physical copy readers order today, and if we started volume 2 immediately after volume 1, this would allow almost three weeks for it to arrive.
Further, the first two chapters of volume 2 are available to read for free legally on Pixiv.
If we follow the same reading speed (three weeks per chapter), readers buying a physical copy could read along digitally for up to six weeks. This would allow two months for volume 2 to arrive, if ordered today.
If you’re going to buy physical, but it takes too long to arrive, how do you feel about reading digital in a web browser to begin with?
- I wouldn’t like it. It’s physical or nothing. I’d catch up when my book arrives.
- I wouldn’t mind reading digital until my order arrives.
- I’m buying digital, so I’m good.
- Just show results.
0 voters
Actually, not only chapters 6 and 7, but chapters 9 and 10 are also available for free to read online. The original Pixiv release of chapter 8 (no furigana) is available for free, as well.
Technically you could read the whole volume without buying it. This should help those of you who’ve used up all your free cash renting big brothers.
Starting Volume 2
The Absolute Beginner Book Club is starting 10 Minute Biographies on November 7th, immediately following the end of volume 1.
Compared with レンタルおにいちゃん, Biographies will be both easier and harder. Easier because you’ll have more well-formed sentences that don’t drop words and particles and cut off early. Harder because you have a more dense package of text without a lot of imagery to help infer what is being said.
Absolute beginner readers who want to tackle both volume 2 and also Biographies may find it difficult to keep up if both begin at the same time, preferring an adjustment period to get used to Biographies.
For those of you who would like to read volume 2, when is your preferred start date?
- Early November (around 7th to 14th)
- Late November (around 15th to 30th)
- December
- Just show results.
0 voters
Reading Pace
Volume 1 split into 13 weeks, with page counts ranging from 10 to 14 pages per week. Volume 2 is about 25 pages longer, so a similar schedule would last 16 weeks (four months).
For those of you who want to read volume 2, how have you felt about the pace of volume 1 over the past few chapters?
- I’m not planning on reading volume 2.
- The reading pace has been a bit too fast for me.
- The reading pace has been about the right speed.
- The reading pace has been a bit too slow for me.
- Just show results.
0 voters
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Penultimate week! Week 12 thread is up.
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We’ve made it to the last week! Well done to everyone who got this far. The Week 13 thread is up.
@ChristopherFritz I’m sure you’ll be updating us on plans for those who want to carry on and read the next volume. If it would be helpful to turn the OP of this thread into a wiki let me know.
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Judging by votes along, it looks like we’ve got a small crew looking to continue on with the series.
Thread Planning
@Micki, I’ll create a “reading club” thread, and I’ll link to this one for volume one. You won’t have me bugging you to change the title occasionally =D
I’ll create the reading club home thread around next week, and each volume will get its own single dedicated thread underneath that.
Start Date
The poll results median is late November. If we begin November 19th/20th, that gives just about two weeks between finishing volume one and beginning volume two.
To accommodate shipping times, I recommend @BarelyFragile and @Li_Demi_97 order the next volume as soon as possible. If you believe you’ll want to read the whole series, you may want to by volumes three and four as well, for combined shipping.
Reading Pace
It looks like volume one had a good reading pace for readers at an earlier stage in grammar knowledge and reading speed.
I want to lean toward that, but also push the speed up a little. Increasing weekly page counts by about 30% allows most chapters to fit into two weeks, spanning the volume across 11 weeks. This pace takes into account both dialogue density and Kansai dialect usage.
I don’t want to see anyone become discouraged and fall behind. Here are a few tips you can use to keep caught up:
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Use the two weeks between volumes to pre-read chapter 6! This can be difficult due to unknown grammar and vocabulary. Watch for words and grammar already know. Look at the artwork for guidance on understanding what’s happening.
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Once we officially start reading volume two, be sure to ask any questions you have along the way! No question is too small, too simple, too basic to ask. You will definitely get a response.
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It’s okay to not understand everything. If you get the gist of what is happening, it’s all right to move ahead. This can be incentive to re-read the series in a year, after you’ve improved further. (I’m considering including a summary of each week’s reading, hidden behind a details tag.)
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Finished my first Japanese “book”! (ok, manga)
Thanks a lot to everybody who organized it, I really enjoyed the story. I’m really tempted to go ahead with volume 2, but at the same time I picked up Dragon Ball SD and 10 minutes biographies (not to mention, enrolled to take N5 in December - and also slowly reading Youtsubato), so I fell a little bit oversubscribed!
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The best part is, if you read volume 2 later, there will already be a filled out volume 2 reading club thread by then =D
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Volume two continues Kanami's story...
…as she tries to find ways to restore her brother to his kind former self, while keeping an emotional distance from Makoto by continuing the rental service.
At home, her brother descends further into darkness. At school, Sae-chan continues to bully. Unable to be with her at these times, Makoto aims to use his rental time to expand Kanami’s exposure to good people.
Can Makoto reverse the deep emotional damage Kanami has already sustained? Or will his efforts only make things worse?
The reading thread is now live:
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Hi, I also started reading Volume 1 of this recently and I’m around 3/4 finished.
I think its pretty easy to understand for most part, but there is one thing I’m wondering about:
Why does Kanami’s real brother act like he does?
I think there was a scene where a man wanted to help them (or something?) but the brother thinks it’s only because the man is after the money and he basically thinks every person is just after money (which Kanami’s family apparently has a lot of?).
Well you might guess it from my description, it’s really totally beyond my grasp. Can somehow help and tell me what’s going on here?
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We find out more about what went on in the past as the story continues into the other volumes. Are you sure you want to be spoilered?
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I was just wondering about the stuff that happens in the first volume. E.g. I dont really understand why kanami’s brother would suddenly hit her (the first time it happened in the flashback with the man). So not really asking for spoilers, but for stuff that happens in Volume 1. (since I had a hard time comprehending that part)
Did you read a lot of volumes already? I also have the second volume and skimmed through it, but it seems like it’s mostly about the “fake” brother and his past stuff.
I’m really curious if Kanami and her true brother will be able to make up in the future. I mean as she always says he used to be a really nice brother so I don’t really get why he suddenly acts like … 
I read all 4 volumes. A lot of things are still unclear in the beginning, because Kanami herself doesn’t understand what’s going on with her brother. The brother’s reasons haven’t been explained yet beyond what you already mentioned (i.e. his mistrust of others), so detailing them beyond that would indeed be spoilers by my definition. If you’re planning to continue reading, you may want to find out yourself?
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I see, I’ll try to read it myself then. Thank you for your reply! 
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Nice! Please don’t hesitate to ask any further questions you may have.
The Absolute Beginners Book Club is voting for its next book. Click here to go the poll and cast your vote!
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