Beginner Japanese Book Club // Now Reading: 気になってる人が男じゃなかった // Next 葬送のフリーレン, then ウスズミの果て

Oh, could you please add one thing to the guidelines? It was not clear to me where people usually get the contents pictures from… I ended up screenshotting my ebook as I own it already; but is the standard procedure to screenshot the “give it a try” pages in the various bookstores? Or is there something else I’m missing?
Thx :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Personally i am a bit ttorn between books and manga. For manga you could read nore dificult content because you can rely on images for context. But its harder because you either read 2 pages of ‘nani, masaka’ and then a wall of text with all new vocab. But with simple books you get a lot of reading, repetitio of new words. That is why i like toki o kakeru shoujo. 10th chapter was pretty easy but it helps cement grammar and start reading without literal translation.

3 Likes

I’ve also been reading along with 時をかける少女 (my first time in the book club) and have been enjoying reading a book. I know for me that manga is something I prefer to sit and allow myself to just enjoy the story, getting the gist and picking up unknown things from context and the images. But it has been really helpful to read this book and all the comments to work out any tricky grammar.

I’d prefer a book again but if it’s a manga I may join in anyway just for the community.

4 Likes

It has been somewhat consistent in style and I get what you say about manga but Aria has been quite good from a readability perspective. The chapters/stories aren’t too complex but I feel I get good reading exercise from it.

You’re always welcome to join the Aria book club. :slight_smile:
Even though we’re on to volume 3, I think the plot would be easy to follow if you want to skip some of the earlier chapters.

2 Likes

I will skip any manga if it’s selected but will join any book if it’s selected. I just don’t enjoy manga.

I’ll try to join in for thie next one! That’ll be a great motivation tool as I slowly find my way back into studying japanese.

3 Likes

I’ve been wondering that as well, as I don’t own the book yet :S I’ve seen some things that looked like fotos, but what do I do if I don’t have it yet. I did end up screenshotting the giv it a try pages, but would have prefered just to link there or something… But I know it’s easier to get a gist if you can just see it in the post. Feeling conflicted!

(edit) and I’m considering nominating キッチン and have the same problem there…

2 Likes

Most of mine have been photos, as I had the book already =)
Personally I prefer to recommend books I have my hand on, so I can look through it and get a feel of it, more than just look at reviews of it.

1 Like

I might join if the next book/manga isn’t too hard:3 But for now I’m lurking in the shadows :eyes:

5 Likes

True, I didn’t recommend キッチン yet because I don’t really know much about the contents and don’t have a good feel for it :S I felt more confident with 一週間フレンズ。 because I at least know the anime and the preview of the manga roughly matched my expectations, so I had a better feel for it already.

Sooo if anyone else wants to propose キッチン, go ahead :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

Yep, I’ll add a note helping people understand how to get images, though as others have said there’s no standard.

I personally took photos for my nomination as well. The online previews can be good, but sometimes photos are more clear and it lets you take the three extra pictures from a representative spot that you choose, rather than being restricted to what’s available in the preview.

Definitely agree with this. There’s no rule that you have to already have a copy of the book and many don’t, but it definitely gives you a better feel of the actual length, density, difficulty etc. I’ve been surprised by several purchases I’ve made!

Or if another book gets picked, I’d say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ rather than end up with ‘difficulty creep’ as existing members get more advanced, I guess we want to encourage more of a model where people ‘graduate’ up. We kind of need somewhere for people to graduate to though :grin:

Edit: I think I’m about to summon @Naphthalene of the intermediate book club :eyes:

Edit 2: yep! :joy: :purple_heart:

5 Likes

I WONDER WHERE THAT MAGICAL PLACE MIGHT BE.

getting hyped

sees edit, hyping intensifies

11 Likes

:purple_heart: :purple_heart: :purple_heart: :purple_heart: :joy:

I do like the format of this club though. The intermediate club seems to take more of a “let’s read this book together” approach, whereas this club is more like “PLZ HALP ME THE WORDS THEY ARE CONFUSE” < that’s me, by the way

18 Likes

@NicoleIsEnough @sumsum When I already own the book I take pictures. If I don’t own the book, I use page scans from copies floating around the internet (which sometimes I grab to check difficulty first anyway). Then if it’s picked (and sometimes even if it’s not) I’ll actually buy the book.

It’s perfectly okay to grab them from ebook previews online too.

3 Likes

Tbh, how many freaking book clubs are there? Beginner, Intermediate, yotsubato, aria… No wonder u feel die.

1 Like

If I graduate I’ll still be asking for plenty of help, don’t worry. We’ll just have to change how the other book club works by annoyingly asking questions all the time. :wink:

7 Likes

Heehee, between the two of us we shall wear them down!

5 Likes

Actually, that’s also what happens in the intermediate bookclub as well, but people asking that kind of questions tend to not keep up. So, at some point, you only have people who do not ask questions left.

I have to say that I do like the format as well, though. It’s fun to explain stuff faster than others.

WK confession

I do not participate much in the current book’s discussion because QuachingShoe and sigolino keep answering faster and better.

13 Likes

When do they even sleep :thinking:

7 Likes

I’d say there are only this one book club. The intermediate kinda died of (but is only on a break I believe)

While the other ones aren’t book clubs, they are more "I will read this, who will join me? groups, and will die of once they hit the end of that specific material :wink:
This (and intermediate) is the only proper book clubs, with members deciding on material together =)

I’m still part of most of them though, lol! (but prioritize the actual book club over the branches. Though I own all the Aria and Yotsuba I haven’t kept up, but might try to catch up/jump in if I feel I can handle a bit more =) )

1 Like