I forgot to post on the 12th, but I did read stuff! I read 11ぴきのねこ, a story about 11 cats who catch a big fish and eat it. I didn’t understand every word in the book, but I got enough to figure out what was going on. Also, I love cats.
October 13
I read another page of ごんぎつね. It took a whole hour to read one page, just cause I looked up nearly every word .-. Maybe this book is a little too difficult for my level right now. Oh well, I’ll just take my time and read it slowly lol. Anyway, one thing I learned is what すすき is. すすき is Japanese pampas grass, which looks like this:
Feels? Oh no this is a sad story isn’t it. I like the fox, I don’t want anything to happen to ごん. I’m at the part where it rains for 3 days and ごん walks along the stream. My friend mentioned that this was one of their favorites as well. I’m happy I have the chance to read this story especially if the two of you both really liked the story.
Look who’s posting several hours before bed! Decided to read all of Chapter 2 in one sitting. I definitely didn’t remember the meanings for all of the words I encountered, but I was able to generally understand what I was reading. I also check using the book club’s vocab spreadsheet after I read through a couple pages to make sure I’m not too far off in my interpretations.
Today was a non-homework day, so I’m wondering if maybe I should read a manga on days I focus on my HW and then save Kiki for my more free days? I could also just accept that I’ll read less on HW days and aim to read a couple of pages. Still thinking it over.
Your dog ate your computer? that sounds like a nightmare.
What kind of J-E dictionaries are you looking at? I think I’ve seen cheap pocket ones, but those are physically difficult to read. Have you made an Amazon wishlist of which ones you want or are you planning to buy it in person?
For better or worse (but I hope better), I’ve been busy lately. I finally finished vol 7 last night. The plot took a super weird turn but not completely unexpected I suppose. Too many humans in this cat manga. I’m looking forward to being done with it after 8. Then I’m going to try to quickly read through the 2 vol of Nyankees I have.
Chapter 43 of よつばと！was good. Even this far into the series, we’re still learning some fun new quirks the characters have. みうらちゃん is not someone that I would’ve ever guessed could ride a unicycle, but here we are. Seeing よつば misread for 止まれ as 丸まれ was also relatable. Not quiiiite sure about her new 「わかっぱ」(instead of わかった）phrase, but no one else in the series seems to be sure of it either, I think she’s just being linguistically playful
Might read another chapter later, but going to take some cold meds and a nap first, probably.
Good Words
教官「きょうかん」ー teacher, instructor
安全運転「あんぜんうんてん」ー safe driving
到着「とうちゃく」ー arrival
姫「ひめ」ー princess (i knew the word, but don’t think i’ve seen the kanji)
I read 17 pages of 天使の傷跡. I was aiming for 30 as during the height of book club overlap I’ll need to do a minimum of 30 per day and I have been slacking on my reading lately, but alas I am still very tired from covid booster side effects. Thankfully the fever broke several hours ago and I am hoping to be fine tomorrow.
From what I know of the book it’s aimed at younger readers and reading a couple pages of the preview it definitely seems like an easier book. Total ballpark guess but ~27 in Natively terms probably?
Other other news:
BookMeter book reviews are such a treasure trove. まずまず面白かったです。 and 思ってた感じとは違ってた are just such nice, concise ways to say things I often want to say. I struggle with outputting naturally (turning off English Brain is hard). I really should read reviews more.
Read ch 9-11 of 晴れのち四季部, finishing vol 2 and starting vol 3! It’s so cute, this series is so cute, and they’re such dumbasses, I love them. The cutest scene in vol 2 was probably when, as they’re parting on their way home after school, Yamato kisses Haruno on the forehead and then on the lips and tells him that “The only person I kiss is you! Because I’m your boyfriend! So please remember that!” and then after Yamato leaves, Haruno gets overwhelmed with happiness and starts jumping up and down like a bunny (and off-screen teased by Azuma who runs into him on his own way home). I kept flipping to and reading that bit so many times both before and after I actually got to it. I love it.
Before I started vol 3, I flipped through it real quick to get a lil preview of the cuteness that’s in store, and?? Possible Azuma/Chiaki development?? Maybe?? Pls I love them
Anyway I’m gonna die of cuteness from this series
Some vocab of note:
殺し文句 (ころしもんく) [expression, noun] clincher; pick-up line; honeyed phrase; telling phrase; phrase that brings someone around, esp. in personal relationships. And here I learn that 文句 doesn’t just mean “complaint,” but also more generally “phrase; words; expression.”
焼き付ける (やきつける) [他一] to burn into one’s memory; to sear into one’s consciousness
Read 5 pages of the Persona 4 spinoff novel Detective Naoto. I am kind of rusty since I havent read a book in about a week. I have been reading Minna No Nihongo, but its really low level so while I am getting reading in, its not native materials.
Last night I played a bunch of different Shin Megami Tensei games to see if anything stuck. I keep coming back to SMT2, but Devil Children seemed like just the right combination of things for me.
I went feral and read the rest of ブルーロック volume 3 and it felt great, god things got wild I keep being surprised by how twisted it can be, I’m absolutely loving it! Very excited to see how things continue
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t concentrate on reading very well these last few days. So after only progressing by one percent in my main book, I thought I’d take a break with a manga instead, and read the first volume of ゲゲゲの鬼太郎, published by Kodansha this time. Only the first story also appeared in the previous ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 book I read, and even that was worded a little differently. It was fun enough, but I’ll probably won’t read any more of the series any time soon. It’s a little too obvious it’s directed to children. Although I did learn one fact I’d rather have remained ignorant about: shamisen drums were made from dog, or preferably cat skins, even as late as the 20th century.
Oh, I also came across my first character talking entirely in kanji+katakana:
I think it may be the first time I’m seeing the character ヲ in the wild.
I don’t know much about it, but basically it’s a diary written by a couple (with alternating entries), and the man uses katakana and the woman uses hiragana for everything that’s not kanji. I am not entirely sure whether it is a stylistic choice to signify the genders of the two protags or whether the book is so old that it felt natural to the author back then
It looks horribly hard to read. I guess you get used to the style after a couple of pages, but it’s very intimidating at first (or even second) glance. Great katakana practice I’m sure.
I think I once read a page or so (together with somebody else who helped me along) and yes, you get used to seeing the particles in katakana pretty fast, but everything else is … good katakana practice
How do we know that? I’m still very confused on how to tell what the target audience for a book is. Is it the setting (a high school?) and the cover? Or is it something else that escapes me?
October 12 
I like the fox, I don’t want anything to happen to ごん. I’m at the part where it rains for 3 days and ごん walks along the stream. My friend mentioned that this was one of their favorites as well. I’m happy I have the chance to read this story especially if the two of you both really liked the story. 
魔女の宅急便 (5% (not .5%)→ 11%)
Decided to read all of Chapter 2 in one sitting. I definitely didn’t remember the meanings for all of the words I encountered, but I was able to generally understand what I was reading. I also check using the book club’s vocab spreadsheet after I read through a couple pages to make sure I’m not too far off in my interpretations.
Still thinking it over.
that sounds like a nightmare.
ミニスカ宇宙海賊 1. 
聖女の魔力は万能です. 
Home Post
I keep being surprised by how twisted it can be, I’m absolutely loving it! Very excited to see how things continue 
(actually 
)
