📚📚 Read every day challenge - Summer 2021 🏖🏖

[windupbird]

Summary post

Day 50: July 20th
What did I read?: しまなみ誰そ彼 Vol. 1
How much did I read?: 32 pages (1 chapter - finished the volume)
How long did it take me?: 47 min

Wow, this last chapter was really beautiful. Tiny gushing: Tasuku thinking about Tsubaki is just about the cutest thing - right next to the way that Haru and Saki smiled at each other. Omg ok the last page though xD Who the heck was that?? (Guess I have to buy the next volume and find out. Oh dear, I’m so sad about that ) What I’m actually sad about is that I don’t have the next volume right now D:

@Belerith

SとN

Ooh, Amazon was recommending this to me Maybe I will add this to my ever-growing list of Things to Order from Amazon. (It’s gonna be a big shipment, folks)

[sycamore]

@chrisosaurus

I keep thinking HP might be a good way to eventually branch out into books rather than just manga, and that reading along with the kindle version while listening to the audible version might aide in looking up unknown words, but… eugh Rowling. I’m not yet sure how to resolve these conflicting feelings.

It’s definitely a tricky choice to make! It is a very good audiobook, I like the Japanese narattor a whole lot. I’m not sure it’s a great pick for an early book to read, as JK Rowling has a pretty descriptive writing style and loves just inserting huge big long lists of nouns (eg if they are eating then everything on the table will be listed lol) as opposed to the light novel I’m reading now which has much more challenging vocab but the writing style itself is way more simple and straight-forward. I’m presuming there are probably better choices for first novels that also have audiobooks…but I don’t really know them hahah (I’m also reading Kikis and have the audiobook for that but I just don’t like the narration as much - that is probably mainly personal preference though!). I know a lot of folks in this thread use Satori reader which seems close to the combo of reading + audiobook so that might also be a good option, but I’ve never used it.

@chrisosaurus

Do you remember most of the details from your reading as a kid?

For these two (HP1 and 3), yeah, I remember them pretty well. I think I reread them a lot as a kid, especially 3 cos Remus lupin was my favourite character. I think this is helpful as if I lose track a bit in the audiobook (ie. after one of those previously mentioned massive lists of nouns haha) it doesn’t take much for me to get back into the story. But at the same time it probably gets in the way sometimes as well in that my brain can be lazy and not actually try to figure out the Japanese as much.

[chrisosaurus]

@sycamore

JK Rowling has a pretty descriptive writing style and loves just inserting huge big long lists of nouns

That’s a very good point, I had been a little worried about the complexity of her writing, but I hadn’t put enough thought into her descriptive soups…

@sycamore

I know a lot of folks in this thread use Satori reader which seems close to the combo of reading + audiobook so that might also be a good option, but I’ve never used it.

I haven’t tried Satori reader so maybe I should.
I do have some ASK graded readers which include audio narration, but they’re all very short and quite tightly constrained - they all seem to either be short stories or folk tales, so nothing to really get invested into long term - but the higher levels might at least serve as stepping stones, so maybe I should keep going.

@sycamore

I think I reread them a lot as a kid,

I still vividly remembering thinking that HP was only books 1-4 and wouldn’t have any more follow up, and I couldn’t get enough, so I just kept re-reading them over and over. 3 was my particular favourite and the one I read the most, Sirius Black is my favourite character followed by Remus Lupin.

Despite that, I don’t think I can remember any of the smaller details like Harry’s classmates names or hair colours, but my memory never was the strongest.

[Natsuha]

I have a Satori reader membership now. No idea how useful as a study resource it really is, so I just got a one month membership for now. The normal price is pretty expensive so I nicely asked and they gave me a discount on it.

[Axazel]

Days 49 + 50

Reading 僕はブルー。I finished chapter 8 between yesterday and today!

Also read 藤本タツキ’s one shot manga ルックバック (can read it in Japanese here!) It’s sooo good.

[chrisosaurus]

Home post

July 21st からかい上手の高木さん translated 2 pages from chapter 8, and then wrote out another 5 pages make that 7 pages

Since I met my goal of finishing up to the end of chapter 7 before the offshoot club starts on the 24th, my current goal is to write out all the remaining pages (while still reading everyday) so that when i start volume 2 I don’t have to fret about how many pages to leave blank to fit volume 1 in (as volume 1 will already be filled into my notebook) =p
This’ll probably mean I’ll have a few days of less than stellar reading progress, time shall tell.

EDIT: went and wrote out another 2 pages, finished the writing for chapter 8 in 2 days, I’ll probably still be translating from volume 1 while working on volume 2.

[Aislin]

@chrisosaurus

I haven’t tried Satori reader so maybe I should.

I can vouch for Satori Reader wholeheartedly.

@sycamore

audible

Meanwhile I also hesitantly started playing with Audible. I don’t know how long I manage to last before running away (I’m really feeling uncomfortable with any kind of audio content), but I’m trying to do audiobook + ebook combo for カラフル (@Axazel ). I picked this one because it was a standalone, had an audiobook version and because Axazel mentioned it
Language-wise it’s quite approachable and I also like the narration. I don’t have too much of comparison, but I think it’s better than Kiki’s audiobook (dropped it along the way, finished only the written version) and I also like it more than Konbini Ningen sample.
It was also a nice surprise to find this audiobook on US Amazon. While I use Japanese Amazon for ebooks, it’s fine to have a fake address for Kindle in your addresses list, but still use a true address with your credit card. And Audible didn’t want to allow it this way. So it was nice to discover that I actually have a much simpler way to access this audiobook (I’m from Poland, but we don’t have our own Audible shop, so we do belong to .com version officially and legally). It means I can’t put it on the same Kindle I use with the Japanese account but I don’t mind because…
…as far as I know it’s impossible to have both ebook and audiobook open on Kindle at the same time anyway and that’s what I’m doing for now - audio on the phone, text on the Kindle, simultaneously. I decided pure audio would be too challenging for the time being. Trying to follow the text at the natural speaking speed is challenging enough as it is Of course I’m stopping to check the words, but I’m trying to limit it in this case.
Ah, and as for the plot of カラフル itself, so far it’s better than I expected! I honestly became engaged.
I was wondering which category it would fall into - is it a light novel? and was surprised to find that Japanese wikipedia counts it as YA小説 I thought light novels = YA, more or less… Ah, and it won Sankei Children’s Book Award so I guess I’ll just put it on my “children literature” bookshelf on my Bookmeter. But it feels like it’s for older children than Kiki or Zenitendou.

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Summary post

Day 24
July 19

• Hanako weekly portion (twist was nice, but still not sold on it)
• カラフル (0% → 3%)

Day 25
July 20

• 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった…5 (13% → 18%)
• カラフル (3 → 11%)

Day 26
July 21

• 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった…5 (18% → 23%)

[sycamore]

@Axazel

Also read 藤本タツキ’s one shot manga ルックバック (can read it in Japanese here!) It’s sooo good.

Thanks for sharing! I just read it and loved it!

[maykeye]

I’ve been busy today, so I’ve limited my reading to just 6 more pages of Forbidden Scrollery(2).

[Natsuha]

I read the first chapter of the もっと半熟女子 manga. It’s about two cute girls who are in a relationship. They are hiding it from other people, thus they meet in secret and kiss each other, how cute.

I only have the first chapter so I will have to read something else tomorrow.

[Redglare]

Summary post
July 21

・Read YagaKimi vol. 6

Took a break from books today. Btw, there’s a massive coin-back campaign on BookWalker, so I bought the remaining Kono Oto Tomare volumes (18-24). Also bought Flying Witch vol 7-10.

[sycamore]

Summary

Read a bit of an assortment of things today, including the one shot that @Axazel linked to in their update, another 4% of No. 6, and two free Satori Reader articles. The satori reader articles were a) cos of the discussion above, and b) because I’ve been thinking that I should probably make more of an effort to read things that more comfortably at my reading level or just above. I don’t really have the self control to do that for books or even manga cos I want to just read whatever I like (within certain limits, but with a pretty high tolerance for looking up A LOT of vocab). The stories were fun enough - I really like the audio. I’ll maybe try out reading one a day or something and see how that feels.

[Belerith]

21.7.
Today I read chapter 9 of 1Q84, which means I’ll have to read 3 more by the end of next week in order to be caught up. That’s not too bad! I can probably return some of my focus to other things (the bookclubs I’m not behind in yet, for example ) and still make it, but reading it faster has reminded me of what I like about it. I love bookclubs, but without lively discussions having to stop kind of takes the joy out of it for me.
In manga I read 2 more chapters of かしましめし, as well as 2 chapters of 異世界妹. Volume 5 of the 電子版 for the latter, which is also the last one published right now.

All this talk about satori reader is making me want to go back and actually finish one of their stories. The one they had about the mountain onsen hotel (or sth like that) was pretty cool! That might have been the first one they did with nature sounds? It’s been a few years.

[Axazel]

Aahh! Yay!! I’m so excited for you to read it. Feel welcome to share your feelings at the wild parts–would love to relive those and share perspectives!

@Aislin

Language-wise it’s quite approachable

For level 30’s in wanikani, I found it to be just right. By the end of the book I didn’t need a dictionary anymore, since it used so many of the same words again and again (I now know 瞳ひとみ like the back of my hand).

@Aislin

I was wondering which category it would fall into

I was wondering too! I think it counts as a short novel. From what I heard, it seems like it’s recommended for middle school ages and up. The theme alone is pretty mature and, without saying too much, some plot points are hard to imagine even middle schoolers reading (though I probably read worse as a middle schooler haha)

I’m so glad you were able to get ahold of it and found the book interesting so far! Also I’m impressed with your bookmeter organization. Inspiring! haha

[windupbird]

Summary post

Day 51: July 21st
What did I read?: ルックバック
How much did I read?: 68 pages
How long did it take me?: 1 hr 15 min

So many people talking about this one, I figured I might as well jump on the bandwagon too xD I was looking for a new non-book club book to start today anyway. Unfortunately I ran out of time to finish it today, but looking forward to continuing it, it’s really good so far. (And the art! I love the writing/drawing montages)
Also I just realized the challenge is almost over already :o How has this last month gone by so fast?

[chrisosaurus]

@Aislin

カラフル

I keep seeing this mentioned and at this point I’m honestly pretty hyped for it, although that is purely based on this thread, the name, and the cover image. I have zero ideas about the plot contents.

@Aislin

Language-wise it’s quite approachable

I was assuming it would be way above my current ability, listening to a snippet of the audiobook was interesting as I could make some of it out, and the narration sounded quite fun.
I guess I’ll try look over a sample of the ebook to decide if its something I could approach =/

I keep seeing the fun words being posted as @Axazel reads it, not yet sure if they add to the hype or the fear more =p

@Aislin

While I use Japanese Amazon for ebooks, it’s fine to have a fake address for Kindle

I’m currently uhming and ahhing about if I should switch my Kindle over to JA Amazon, I have used JA Amazon before for physical items while I visited Japan, so they have my old hotel address on file and my credit card has worked for it before. The other option I guess is to try side load the content onto the Kindle, but not sure.

@sycamore

@Axazel

Also read 藤本タツキ’s one shot manga ルックバック (can read it in Japanese here!) It’s sooo good.

Thanks for sharing! I just read it and loved it!

Now I’m getting hyped for this, I had a brief glance last night but was put off by the length and how long it’d probably take me at my current slow pace, so I’ve added it to my backlog.

[chrisosaurus]

Home post

July 22nd からかい上手の高木さん translated 2 pages from chapter 8, and then wrote out another 3 pages from the start of chapter 9.

[maykeye]

I’ve read 6 more pages of Forbidden Scrollery (2) then chapter ended, so I decided to stop for today.

[Axazel]

Day 51

I read AN ENTIRE CHAPTER. Chapter 9 in 僕はブルー. Guys. Guys. I think this challenge is honestly working.

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@chrisosaurus

I guess I’ll try look over a sample of the ebook to decide if its something I could approach =/

I keep seeing the fun words being posted as @Axazel reads it, not yet sure if they add to the hype or the fear more =p

Yussss, join uuuusss! (If it feels approachable of course)! I tried to keep the spoilery words out so you can be plenty surprised >:D muahahaha

[Aislin]

@Axazel

@chrisosaurus

I guess I’ll try look over a sample of the ebook to decide if its something I could approach =/

Yussss, join uuuusss!

I’m also waiting for the verdict!

I think it could make a nice book club book, too, but I don’t want to run it. (Maybe even BBC? It’s always hard to find novels good for BBC.)

My current theory (at 18%) is that there aren’t two souls - Makoto’s sin IS suicide and he’s being tricked into looking at his life from the “outsider’s” perspective.

@Redglare

This is the third day in a row that the percentages have been inconsistent between sessions

I wanted to comment on this last time and forgot. It’s indeed weird, I had inconsistent % between Kindle sessions, but they always varied by 1%, which is acceptable by me. 3% seems quite moody

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Summary post

Day 27
July 22

• カラフル (11 → 18%)
• FukaBoku ch21