I have only taken a look at the mystery novel book club over there because I love that genre and was quite shocked by the pace they were going for even L30+ books. It’s definitely Advanced Book Club pace, maybe even faster.
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There are a few different levels. Some are fast, but there’s also a beginners light novel club, for example.
To be honest, I participated in both the beginner light novel club and the light novel club a few times, and the pace of both of them was kinda… similar? Though for some of the books, I’d definitely say its IBC pace. For others, it’s a bit more between IBC and ABC I’d say.
On joining a 小川洋子 club: I would be somewhat interested, but doubt I’d realistically join it - there are far too many bookclubs and books I want to join/read for now.
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Just as in WK, they are at the pace the owner sets them to 
Natively doesn’t have generic “Beginner”/“Intermediate”/“Advanced” clubs (yet?), instead there are lots of special-interest clubs (like the aforementioned Mystery Club, the Onda Riku club and others, see 🇯🇵 Index List of Book Clubs - Book Clubs - Natively Forums ) and their paces are not as predetermined as the “generic” ones here (but to be fair WK also has a wide range of special-interest clubs by now).
So as I said, if you want to set up a club and make it clear what the pace should be, then everybody can decide whether they want to join or not.
That’s a good idea! So far we had one club migrate from WK to Natively (the Profoundly Weird book club, which has become part of the Informal Book club on Natively as is explained in this post) but we haven’t had a duplicate club from the start. I think it should be fine to e.g. post a link here to the Natively club, and maybe post the individual clubs’ threads with start dates, so that everybody can be informed on what’s going on and jump over if they feel like. 
Yes, that one is especially fast-paced 
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I think it’s gonna be the same for me. Shame, because there are a couple of Ogawa novels I‘m really interested in.
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Definitely, although for obvious reasons I’ll probably miss the next one.
I’m planning on taking another go at this one, finishing some time in 2025. So aside from not being immediately up for it, in principle in the future I would be, I love the writing style. Maybe doing just one book a year with enough warning for people to plan it in would work? I mean, you’ll almost certainly get a handful of people if you ask across platforms.
Another idea would be to sneakily nominate the one you most want to read next to the IBC
Thanks so much for leading this club! I’m taking a little break and am excited to get back to it.
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I didn’t read this book (妊娠カレンダー) (yet) but I have 琥珀のまたたき | L30?? on my to-read list from 小川洋子! (simply because I found a French copy of it at my parents’, don’t actually know anything about the book).
So I’ll keep an eye on whatever you decide 
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ooh, that looks great! I’ve added it to my wishlist
OK, well I’m going to perhaps nominate another Ogawa for the next IBC poll. But in the meantime I’m going to propose an informal club for another 赤川次郎…
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Definitely yes! I had to drop out on the final story because I got busy with family obligations, but I will absolutely get back to it at some point, and I would love to read more from this author. I’ve never joined a Natively book club but I’m open to the idea.
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Just finished the book, lagged behind the group but enjoyed it thoroughly! The weekly threads helped a lot along the way.
I enjoyed the short stories more and more as I progressed, the last one being my favorite.
Loved Ogawa’s open-ended writing style, a real challenged for me!, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Thanks a lot @Domjcw for running the club and @Phryne for the vocab sheet! Both invaluable resources for my learning journey.
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you are very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. I did too - such evocative writing
PS I will probably nominate another Ogawa book for the next IBC poll…
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Ohhh, looking forward to it.
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Also looking forward to it!
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I’ll probably wait until a little closer to the next poll, but here is what I am proposing to nominate.
It is interesting because it doesn’t have any natively reviews, and looks like the Japanese version may be hard to find in print (ebooks are available) . (There is a “French edition” on Amazon, which as far as I can tell is actually in Japanese).
But the English translation was published last year and has had a lot of fantastic reviews (see the English summary below).
I’ve read the first short sample chapter on the kindle and it is both engaging and readable.
ミーナの行進
Author: 小川洋子
Page count: 348 pages
Natively link
Summary
Japanese
【本書の英訳『Mina’s Matchbox』が、
米『TIME』誌発表の「2024年の必読書100冊」
（THE 100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024）に選出】
美しくて、かよわくて、本を愛したミーナ。
あなたとの思い出は、損なわれることがない――
ミュンヘンオリンピックの年に芦屋の洋館で育まれた、
ふたりの少女と、家族の物語。
あたたかなイラストとともに小川洋子が贈る傑作長編小説。
第42回谷崎潤一郎賞受賞作。
English
On sleepless nights, I open the matchbox and reread the story of the girl who gathered shooting stars.
After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent to live for a year with her uncle in the coastal town of Ashiya. It is a year which will change her life.
The 1970s are bringing changes to Japan and her uncle’s magnificent colonial mansion opens up a new and unfamiliar world for Tomoko; its sprawling gardens are even home to a pygmy hippo the family keeps as a pet. Tomoko finds her relatives equally exotic and beguiling and her growing friendship with her cousin Mina draws her into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling.
Rich with the magic and mystery of youth, Mina’s Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time, and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.
Praise for Mina’s Matchbox
‘I read Mina’s Matchbox like a besotted child, enraptured, never wanting it to end.’ RUTH OZEKI, author of The Book of Form and Emptiness
‘Dreamy and whimsical, Mina’s Matchbox traffics in the themes at which Ogawa always excels: memory, identity, and nostalgia’ Esquire, Best Books of the Summer
‘A conspicuously gifted writer. . . To read Ogawa is to enter a dreamlike state. . . She possesses an effortless, glassy, eerie brilliance’ Guardian
‘Evokes the secret crushes and crushing secrets of girlhood with charm and elegance’ People
‘Immersive and poignant. . . filled with wonder’ Bookpage
‘Beguiling’ New Yorker, Best Books of 2024
‘ The world Yoko Ogawa builds is quiet, warm and it should feel comforting. But there are peculiarities about the whole thing that keep you on the tips of your toes’ NPR, Best Books of 2024
Availability
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Edit: not!
Here’s a link that doesn’t go to something labeled French edition, so it’s probably pretty easy to get! Maybe raise a flag on Natively and Brandon will correct the link
thanks - that’s the kindle link.
From the same page (at least when I follow it), there are second hand hard back versions, and a link to the paperback ‘French edition’ (which is labelled ‘en japonais’!)
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Pretty cool! I was already looking for another Ogawa novel while I was reading 妊娠カレンダー and didn’t spot this one.
I got totally hooked, count me in! 
Also, regarding the French edition, I believe we’re safe. I surely am buying this paperback should we read this book.
I had other French Situations in the past with あん and 乳と卵, everything went ok! (meaning French-on-listing-but-Japanese-language-book):
I wonder what’s up with all those フランス語 listings…
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Seems a bit on the long side for an IBC. Are you going to nominate it there or in the ABC?
The IBC guidelines say less than 350 pages, so this would fit. There are a few pictures (not sure how many as I haven’t bought the full book yet), so the actual total number of pages is probably 330 or fewer.
There is no Natively rating, so it is hard to gauge difficulty and reading speed. My sense from the first chapter is that this is around level 30.
So I think it is definitely more suited to IBC than ABC.
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Doh! Sorry, I tried to make sure the link was sensible but I missed that somehow. Sounds like the French edition thing is OK though
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