📚📚 Read every day challenge - Fall 2022 🍁🍂

December 1 :heavy_check_mark: :mountain_snow: :tophat:

山の霊異記 幻惑の尾根 , 40-50%
叙述トリック短編集, start-5%

Yesterday I finally managed to resume reading my mountain ghost stories book! It had been a long time since I last read a story at the end of October. I read two stories today, and enjoyed them as much as ever.

I also started my advent reading book, the one using narrative tricks to fool the reader. The mystery of the first story is as everyday as you can get (a blocked toilet), but the writing is promising. I’m looking forward to see how I’ll be tricked.

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Home Post

Day 22 Progress:
お隣の天使様 三冊 - 62.01% → 67.46%

Didn’t do much reading today and also it’s almost 4 AM so I’ve failed on multiple fronts, but the reading itself was honestly pretty smooth.

I’d like to type more but I’m wholly lacking in mental and physical energy so this’ll have to do for now.

Word of the Day: おり - sediment or dregs. Something poetic about the water reducing the palace to nothing but sediment.

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Lol, yes. But I’m used to the online world (most of it) telling me it’s the opposite season to reality, so it doesn’t bother me

Allegedly because it’s been feeling more like autumn/winter for the past few days? :joy: If the weather’s been similar where you are, anyway.

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:house:

Dec 2

かがみの孤城 72% → 73% (page 345)

Reached another turning point in the story :eyes: I don’t want to stop reading, but I need to wake up early tomorrow, so I’ll be going to bed soon. I did try to read yesterday but fell asleep after attempting to read one page :sweat_smile:

My small goal for tomorrow will be to read until I’m at least 80% through. But hopefully I won’t be able to put it down, because apparently the ending is the best part.

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Just posting to say I’ve done no reading whatsoever in the last 2 days barring a mock exam, where I pretty much skimmed the reading to practice the listening.

Lots to do tomo so may not read. Then leave the house for my trip on Sunday morning, via a quick JLPT exam!

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:tiger2: :books: The Tanuki Autumn Onsen :hotsprings: :raccoon:

20221202 - 吾輩は狸である progress: 87.97% :white_circle:

The conversation over the go game continues, with lots and lots of bickering.

:fallen_leaf: Japanese found under the leaves :fallen_leaf:

Meowords

独習「どくしゅう」- Self-taught
(Kanji gives the meaning but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before)
夏蜜柑「なつみかん」ー Chinese citron; bitter summer orange
元気旺盛「げんきおうせい」ー Brimming with vitality; full of vigor


:wave: welcome back, tanuki friend! :raccoon:

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replies

That’s good! I’m hoping that with the help of the audiobook (even if the quality isn’t great :see_no_evil:) I’ll be able to catch up somewhat quickly, or at the very least in time for the 挑戦 :mag:

:eyes: I’ll probably do that :joy:

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Main Post

I finished reading through Colorful on wednesday night. I always read the 解説 at the end which I did yesterday. I don’t think it adds much to the experience and would much rather have a comment from the author, but either way it is good extra practice.

Colorful

So I liked reading it and I can see what makes it good. I just think the metaphysical premise lended itself better for a supernatural mystery than what turned out to be a coming of age story. Also middle school seems like a popular choice for teen drama and bullying. It doesn’t shy away from delving into some darker themes, but I don’t necessarily like the way it frames about going through with it. That said all the characters are a bit of a mess and things turning out more positive despite all is at least some nice development. There is self acceptance and a clean ending. Maybe too clean/convenient for my taste.

I docked a star because the author namedropped the title in the book (twice). Someone told me that this also happens in other one of her books, so she probably likes this sort of thing lol.

Anyway November is over, I managed to read what I wanted to read. For December I’ll be sticking around a bit longer in this thread. I’m very close to reaching my yearly reading goals. One of the current bookclubs has kinda inspired my next choice of reading: Cells at Work. Although I will keep tabs on it, I’ll read the first volume on my own. I just don’t have the patience to side it and pick something else, rather focus on one thing at a time still. Will be an interesting read to learn some of the vocabulary present in this series. After I’m done with that I’m finally picking up Convenience Store Woman, which has been on my pile of books to read for a very long time. I’m also still playing Pokemon Scarlet whenever I can find the time.

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December 1 & 2
また、同じ夢を見ていた progress at 77%
Read volume 4 and 5 of Ponkotsu Ponko. It’s such a fun manga, I really really like it. :smiley: Language is quite easy, too. It has no furigana but mostly casual speech. The Jiisan sometimes has a more slurred way of saying things but it’s not too hard to figure out.

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Dec 2, Fri of Week 10 of Fall 2022 :maple_leaf:

  • Pocket Monster Special Vol.1 Ch.12-14 (finished volume)

Extra pages are very game-like (original Game Boy version).

Probably will read はたらく細胞 Vol.2 next, for manga rush.

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:snowflake: :christmas_tree: December 2nd :christmas_tree: :snowflake: (Home Post Link)

Read:

Maybe some ハピネス later

Good Words

NHK
決める「きめる」ー to carry out successfully (a move in sports); also to clinch (a victory)
審判「しんぱん」ー referee, umpire
確かめる「たすかめる」ー to check, to ascertain, to make sure

ホリミヤ
諦める「あきらめる」ー to give up
狙い「ねらい」ー aim
務まる「つとまる」ー to be fit (for a role), to be able to fulfill (one’s duties)
刺す「きす」ー to stab

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Home

How is it December already? Like, no??? This also means it’s around time for me to reread the CSI: Miami novel Harm for the Holidays: Misgivings again.

On Tuesday, I read a short section of next4years.

And again I ramble on for about as long as the part I read was:

We learn that last year, when YuniChika were second-years, Seiin had gotten a second gym due to the team’s Nationals appearance the year before. No more trading off with the girls’ team as to who practices on the indoor and outdoor courts! Also, Aoki was the one who lobbied to get it, at the end of his third year. He definitely doesn’t care about volleyball and the team as little as he sometimes pretends. Only doing this for Oda, my foot. But, well, we been knew.

(I still haven’t figured out how to say that without making him sound like a tsundere though, because he’s not.)

But yeah, Yuni and Chika stop by Seiin first and go to the second gym—which of course Chika’s never seen before since it was constructed late fall of last year, while he was at Keisei—where Oda and Aoki are waiting for them, visiting from where they’re both attending college in Kansai to congratulate them both on making it to Nationals again and on their graduation. We learn that Keyakisha is in Kantō, and Aoki comments half-sarcastically/jokingly (and thus, half-seriously) to YuniChika, “Keyakisha in Kantō, is it? So you’re choosing Mimura over Oda, hm?” and Oda chides him, saying entirely seriously that his back isn’t one that anyone would want to chase after </3 That’s totally not true (also that’s kinda what Aoki did? He started and is continuing volleyball for him, though they’re attending different schools now), but Yuni and Chika have that promise to Subaru about playing on the same team as him that they have to keep.

Also I have no idea why I keep getting Kansai and Kantō mixed up. Yeah, they both start with the same character, but one’s “west” and has Kyōto and the other’s “east” and has Tōkyō, and I know this. Despite 関西 literally being a couple paragraphs up, I thought, “Oh, so everyone’s in Kantō now.” No.


Some vocab of note:

およそ [adv.] about; roughly; approximately
運動 (うんどう) [noun, する verb] appeal; campaign; drive; crusade; movement; lobbying
甘ったれる (あまったれる) [自一] to behave like a spoiled child. Has a more negative nuance than 甘える.
たしなめる [他一] to chide; to rebuke; to reprove


On Wednesday, I read 2 chapters of 不機嫌なモノノケ庵 vol 10.

lol I just said the other day that I’ve only come across 父上/母上 in fantasy, and today we meet a youkai who uses 父上. And then when the Mononokean is talking to Moja, she refers to the father as お父上, confirming my suspicions that it took the お because it was someone else’s father.

Also it’s cool that his father is named モロハク (諸, all; many) and he’s named カタハク (片, one (of a pair); few). I’m not sure how many other youkai have meaningful names like that.

Some vocab of note:

持久走 (じきゅうそう) [noun] marathon training in P.E. classes in Japanese schools. Literally “endurance running.”
飛脚 (ひきゃく) [noun] express messenger; postman; mailman; courier
酔狂 (すいきょう) [noun, な-adj.] whim; vagary; capriciousness; eccentricity
何卒 (なにとぞ) [謙譲語, adv.] please; kindly; I beg of you; if it pleases you
下見 (したみ) [noun, する verb (他)] preliminary inspection; having a look in advance. In the same vein as 下書き, “rough draft.”


Yesterday, I read another chapter of 不機嫌なモノノケ庵.

I think this chapter may be setting up a Hanae backstory arc

We learn a little bit about Hanae’s father: his name was 榮 (Sakae), he could somehow cure Hanae’s mother’s anemia (almost certainly brought on by possession of a youkai, and almost certainly he could see them and removed them from her person the way Hanae did the one possessing her in this chapter) when she was younger, and he had golden hair and eyes just like Abeno. Well, I use past tense, but I dunno if he’s dead or what; this chapter was the first mention of him.

I kinda hope them having the same golden hair and eyes doesn’t mean Abeno and Sakae (and thus Hanae) are related… I wonder if it has something to do with them being humans who can see youkai—or possibly not being fully human at all? Yeah, Hanae can see youkai too, but he couldn’t until Moja, and he was only able to see other youkai after Moja possessed him. It may also have to do with how, though Hanae has the same power or “influence” that Abeno can use over youkai, he can’t use it consciously/at will, unlike Abeno.

It's only manifested twice so far, and both times he was experiencing strong emotion that went beyond that and into a sort of calm, and he wasn't really aware of the power or what he was doing at the time.

The first was the first time he went to the Kakuriyo, when that capybara-looking youkai hurt (maybe killed, Hanae’d thought) Mojamoja; he got distracted and came back to himself and so never actually used the power. The second time, that little b*tch Yahiko thought it would be fun to torment Hanae in his sleep and took on the true form of the Executive, who had recently tried to kill Hanae and whose presence in his true form was so great that Hanae couldn’t breathe and still thought he was gonna die even though the Executive hadn’t actively been trying to at that point (and Abeno rarely uses his influence, especially not against the Big 3, but he did so here to force the Executive back into his human form). Yeah. So you can imagine that when Hanae woke up and saw whom he thought was the Executive here in the Utsushiyo come to finish the job, he was terrified, though this time it surpassed that into a sort of calm, and his influenced manifested, and he did actually use it this time against Yahiko. Abeno could sense something was off though and rushed to the room, startling Hanae back to himself, and he hadn’t actually been aware of what he was doing at all. Yahiko only got what he deserved though. I hate him so much, especially after this. How could he think that was okay?

So Abeno and Sakae might have golden hair and eyes because they’re strongly gifted, and Hanae’s less-strongly gifted, so he’s got regular ol’ dark hair and eyes? Well, we’ll see.

Hanae’s mother compares Abeno to a sunflower, and even though it’s because of his hair and eye color, it’s funny because he’s rather sullen. The title should really be 不機嫌なモノノケ庵主 lol, the Mononokean is the cheery one while Abeno is the ill-humored one.

On the last page, we also encounter whom I assume is Hanae’s elder sister, who also appears to be blond, unlike Hanae and their mother who have black hair.


Some vocab of note:

出来心 (できごころ) [noun] sudden impulse; passing fancy
葬り去る (ほうむりさる) [他ラ五] to consign to oblivion
脱力感 (だつりょくかん) [noun] ennui; languishing; feeling of exhaustion; lassitude; lethargy


Going by the calendar (at least in the northern hemisphere), the majority of December is in autumn! The winter solstice isn’t until the 21st, give or take a day depending on the year, so only about a week and a half or so is technically winter. Weather-wise, it sure feels like winter though lmao

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December 2nd

:snowflake: :christmas_tree:Home post:christmas_tree::snowflake:

Card Captor Sakura volume 1 or Aria: the masterpiece volume 2 – progress report

Yesterday: Read up to page 176 in Card Captor Sakura.
Today: Finished chapter 5, and with that volume 1 of Card Captor Sakura :tada:.

I’m very tired and I admittedly pushed myself during today’s reading session to finish the last 15 pages of volume 1. Though, I really shouldn’t be doing this and will try to take care of myself a little more. :sweat:

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@saidahgilbert

I was always under the impression that the grandmother and grandfather didn’t exist because we never get to see them in any form or capacity (if I remember correctly). I like your take on it, though, as it would make everything make sense (and less odd).


@Scylie

I can only second @natarin response above – I enjoyed reading about your 999-impressions so far and am kind of reliving my playthrough(s) thanks to you sharing your thoughts and reactions too! :slightly_smiling_face:


Word or expression of the day:

気絶 - (きぜつ) (+する) - faint, swoon

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:books: 12月02日
うたわれるもの


What a better time to resume the challenge than right after it has finished? :joy: About as good as any time, I say. I’ve been so disorganised with Japanese this month, at least with reading, but I’ve been listening quite a bit so it’s alright, still daily study just different focus for a bit. I’ve needed a bit of leeway what with all the schedule adjusting I’ve been doing this week, but I’m happy to announce that it’s been going great. I’ve been going to bed early, waking up early and going for a walk daily since Monday (which has given me the opportunity to do more Japanese listening with podcasts), and I want to start going for an easy run here and there from next week’s Monday onwards to start preparing for regular exercise again. A part of me is still resisting and missing staying up late at night sooo much, but I know that if I give in I’m definitely at risk of going to bed super late again feeling tired most of the day and honestly… I very much prefer the energy I have now, which is not a whole lot but it’s still noticeable. It’s still early and I still prefer the night, but… :sweat: perhaps that’ll change with time, waking up early definitely has its perks too.

Anyways I started the VN うたわれるもの which I bought on sale a couple weeks ago. So far so good, not a whole lot has happened yet but it seems fine so far in all aspects. I was interested in it before I got it, so we’ll see how it goes.

I’m happy to be back to reading regularly again and posting (/・ω・)/ .

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Home post :bookmark:

:maple_leaf::fallen_leaf: Dec 2 :snowman_with_snow::christmas_tree:

・本好きの下剋上 14 (30% → 37%)

Things are getting dramatic :eyes: :sweat_drops:


Reply~

Hehe, so you were ready from the start. I’m not quite as far north as you now while I’m studying at uni, but I feel like October-November has been a series of mini-summer, frost, then raining like the skies had opened and then there was sudden snowy winter :snowman_with_snow: Mini-seasons quickly change.

No worries, it’s all cool xD I really like springtime too. After a long winter filled with mornings in darkness, it’s super refreshing when the sun is rising early again. Also, can hear the chirp of tiny birbs, I love it.

oh! btw, I saw three of these tiny red ones today, I rarely ever see one so that was a rare visit in our garden. So cute~ :durtle_love:


(Not my photo)

This my photo tho, took it last week :3 First red little one of the season.

…I’m the one digressing this time, whoops xD

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December 2nd!

Today I read chapter 33 of Happiness. This volume is definitely more action packed than the previous one!
I thought about reading a chapter of something else too, but then decided not to so that I’ll have some time to play Pokemon this evening since I didn’t get a chance yesterday.

(Home Post)

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After 3 weeks of trying I have finally managed to change my wakeup time to 530 am, so I now have time to relax, drink coffee, and get some reading done in the AM before work and add more sunlight into my day. I’ve found my stamina is like something out of those social sim/farming games, where every actions depletes one bar, and I’m finding getting stuff done before work is 1000% more enjoyable.

I’ve also made it to WK45 AND done all my remaining vocab, so by the end of next week my daily review count will start to decline. And the 1 month spikes will happen while I’m on winter vacation so timing is fantastic for once. With reviews down, that translates to more AM reading time.

Still plodding thru satori, but I caved and got the second manga arc for 本好き since it’s on sale so I’ll prioritize 本好き once vacation starts in two weeks.

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2022-12-03T01:27:00Z

Can anyone tell me how to read the circled bubble? I just need to know the reading, not the meaning.

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It says かのじょ and then I think the furigana says ほんめい.

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December 2 :maple_leaf: Home Post

Today was much more successful reading-wise, got a few more chapters of ブルーロック in and it felt only a bit more taxing than usual, yay! :tada: To be fair I am also at a part where there are just a lot of characters saying weird things so that’s probably not helping :joy: I still have some major questions that haven’t been answered, ie. what did they do to 國神!! He looks so exhausted, like… he’s clearly been through some stuff, what happened :disappointed_relieved: at least 蜂楽’s having the time of his life, and 潔 is… experiencing :laughing: but yeah as always I want to keep reading, but alas I must sleep.

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