📚📚 Read every day challenge - Winter 2023 ☃❄

[natarin]

February 22 Home Post

A bit of an interesting one today; for birthday shenanigans I went to an arcade which had bunch of rhythm games, including some which were completely in Japanese that I was able to use pretty confidently! So that was cool, always a good feeling but now I am very tired and I must sleep

[pocketcat]

I read this week’s この本を盗む者は and I liked it a lot! Unfortunately it seems like I am the only person really digging it. I just like fun silly books about kids who like (or are going to learn to like) books I guess I wonder if this means everyone would likewise dislike 本を守ろうとする猫 as the vibe of that book was quite similar, although I don’t think the vocab stretched quite as wide.

@javerend

I’m like a little squirrel hiding away nuts for the winter, but will forget where 90% of them are and will never touch them again.

Hard relate. I’ve done this with so many things on my laptops. I hate getting new computers because I have to remember how I set up various key bindings and oh right I downloaded specifically this version of something because it was the last one compatible with some other random thing I was playing with. And so on.

[pm215]

@pocketcat

I read this week’s この本を盗む者は and I liked it a lot! Unfortunately it seems like I am the only person really digging it. I just like fun silly books about kids who like (or are going to learn to like) books I guess I wonder if this means everyone would likewise dislike 本を守ろうとする猫 as the vibe of that book was quite similar, although I don’t think the vocab stretched quite as wide.

I think it would depend; I wouldn’t go as far as saying I dislike この本を盗む者は, so much as that the structure seems to mean that a lot of each chapter is basically zero-stakes no-plot-development no-worldbuilding – they go into the book world, wander around it having encounters that are meaningless outside the book world, and then when they find the stolen book everything resets. So I’m interested in who the thief might be, whether the shrine is involved, where this book curse came from, who and what Mashiro is, and the book is giving me basically none of that. I’m not much interested in pastiches of $genre, because I’d rather go read the actual genre which does it better and with actual stakes involved. Chapter two might end better, though…
(Mild spoilers up to middle of chapter 2.)

[Sylph]

February 22

I finished Week 2 of ABC’s この本を盗む者は at last, which is also the end of the free sample and I’m really considering dropping it. I’ve kinda enjoyed it but it hasn’t really captured me and (mild chapter 1 spoilers I guess) it feels like the whole issue was resolved in this chapter, which I guess not really but I’m not sure I’m down for something episodic like that where things are just reset every time. I’m also busy with other things that I enjoy more and this books seems to be more expensive than average for some reason? Ugh, I really hate leaving things unfinished but I think the best choice for me right now is to leave it here for now and maybe consider picking it back up if reviews are good when I don’t have so many things going on. And maybe I should learn to leave things unfinished anyway.

On another topic, I played BU$TAFELLOWS ~1.5h and I’m really enjoying it, wild stuff left and right. I had to force myself to stop and go to bed after a crazy development because I knew if I continued I’d never sleep.

[pm215]

@Sylph

this books seems to be more expensive than average for some reason?

As a physical book, it’s more expensive because it’s hardback – the paperback edition hasn’t been published yet. Maybe ebook pricing tends to track with paper prices for newer books too?

[alygator]

Home post

2 月 23 日
ルリドラゴン Volume 1

I read some of the first week’s pages yesterday and then finished the rest today. Really enjoying the ABBC so far although I haven’t been too active. Mostly just benefitting from questions and answers made by others. On to next week’s pages!

[nyxqueenofshadows]

home post

23rd feb

loved this chapter of 蟲師 so much, i think this’ll end up being my favourite in the volume. some great character stuff for ginko (i think this is the first time he’s been actively harsh and rude to someone, honestly didn’t think he had it in him, tho it came from a need to help i think) and the story itself was pretty tense. plus, another 蟲師! it’s been so long since we’ve seen another one!. how ginko has any optimism when he arrives at a new place i have no idea, he seems to be constantly going through it

words that stood out: 亀裂 (きれつ, crack, fissure), 力になる (to be helpful, to be dependable. i’ve come across this before but it just won’t stick in my head for some reason), 壺 (つぼ, pot, jar, vase)

[polv]

Feb 23, Thu of Week 9 of Winter Q1 2023

• ガラスのうさぎ Ch.11

• ふしぎの国のバード Vol.6 Ch.25-26 (start volume)

• うたわれるもの

I took a look at the other two of the trilogy. My maximal speed is much faster than first started. Now I want to finish the first quickly.

Words of the day

• うっそう = luxuriant (forest). Kanji form is 鬱蒼(うっそう) or 鬱葱(うっそう).
• 掲(かか)げる = to hoist a flag (also, banner; sudare). I confused with 揚(あ)げる and 提(さ)げる, which are different at not only Kanji, but also readings.
• 痩(や)せ細(ほそ)る = to wither away; to become thin. Explaining soil quality in context. Also in context as 痩細(やせほそ)る.
• 一廉(ひとかど) = exceptional; a cut above the rest
• 旗印(はたじるし) = insignia (on a flag)
• 菜(な)っ葉(ぱ) = vegetable leaves; leaf vegetables
• 急遽(きゅうきょ) = hurriedly. Has Furigana.
• 模倣(もほう) = imitation
• 先入観(せんにゅうかん) = preconceived notion
• 破門(はもん) = expulsion (of a student, follower)
• 秘伝(ひでん) = secret (recipe, medicine, etc.)
• 脚気(かっけ) = beriberi, severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency
• 漢方(かんぽう) = traditional Chinese medicine
• 鼻緒(はなお) = geta (下駄(げた)) strap
• 受(う)け身(み) = passive attitude
• 陳謝(ちんしゃ) = apology
• 内縁(ないえん) = common law marriage; de facto marriage
• 演繹(えんえき) = deductive reasoning
• 帰納(きのう) = inductive reasoning; generalization
• 深淵(しんえん) = abyss
• 胴元(どうもと) = person who runs a gambling den
• 温床(おんしょう) = breeding ground
• 風来坊(ふうらいぼう) = vagabond
• 阿吽(あうん) = inspiration and expiration
• 襦袢(じゅばん) = undershirt (under a kimono). Has Furigana.
• 酒粕(さけかす) = sake sediments (lees)
• 老(ふ)け顔(がお) = old-looking face
• 木陰(こかげ) = shade of a tree. A different reading of 木. In context as 木陰(こかげ)で休(やす)む.
• 火達磨(ひだるま) = ball of flames; mass of flames; thing covered with flames. It’s that 達磨(だるま) = daruma.
• 途方(とほう)に暮(く)れる = to be at a loss; to be puzzled
• 血湧(ちわ)き肉躍(にくおど)る = to tingle with excitement
• 虫(むし)が知(し)らせる = to forebode
• 顎(あご)をしゃくる = to jerk up one’s chin; to point one’s chin at (haughty looks)
• 立(た)ちはだかる = to stand in the way
• 収拾(しゅうしゅう)がつかなくなる = to get out of hand

[Zakarius]

The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den

February 23rd
新書太閣記 progress: 12.28% // Volume II: 39.92%

Words found under the kotatsu

几帳面「きちょうめん」ー Methodical; meticulous; punctual
唐橋「からはし」ー Chinese-style bridge

Character Name List

Probably some spoilers, but this is a historic novel, so can spoilers really exist for things that have (for the most part) actually happened

Volume I: 1535 - 1555

日吉「ひよし」- Hideyoshi (as child)
Nicknames: 猿「さる」/ 針売り「はりうり」
Name serving Nobunaga: 木下 藤吉郎「きのした とうきちろう」

Family
木下弥右衛門「きのした やえもん」- Father
– – 乙若「おとわか」- Old friend (serves under 織田)
筑阿弥「ちくあみ」ー Step-father
大政所「おおまんどころ」// also お奈加「おなか」ー Mother
おつみ - Older sister
小竹「こちく」- Baby brother
加藤清正「かとう きよまさ」// also 弾正「だんじょう」- Ojisan (only distantly related (before marriage))
– Married to: おえつ (sister of お奈加)

Friends & Acquaintances
仁王「におう」- Big kid friend
於福「おふく」(Nickname - full name: 福太郎「ふくたろ」) // 楊景福「ようけいふく」(Chinese name/birth name) - Timid kid friend (older than Hideyoshi)
– 五郎大夫 「ごろ だゆう」// 祥瑞「しょうずい」(Chinese name) - Father
– 梨琴「りきん」- Mother
捨次郎「すてじろう」- Previous servant to 五郎, later the adoptive father of 於福, and owner of a tea ware shop - and employer of, and master to, Hideyoshi

Hachisuka Clan
蜂須賀小六「はちすか ころく」(also 正勝 「まさかつ」) - Head of the Hachisuka clan
– 七内「なない」- Younger brother
– Married to 松波「まつなみ」
– – 亀一「かめいち」- Son

Retainers:
稲田大炊助「いなだ おおいのすけ]
青山新七「あおやま しんしち」
長井半之丞「ながい はんのじょう」
松原内匠「まつばら たくみ」

Others:
国吉「くによし」- Gunsmith/blacksmith
渡辺天蔵「わたなべ てんぞう」- Deserter - Nobushi (Nephew to Koroku)
難波内記「なんば ないき」- Spy disguised as a Komuso
仁田彦十「にった ひこじゅう」- Subordinate

(蜂須賀正利「はちすか まさとし」- previous head of the Hachisuka clan)

Saito Clan
((questionable) Alliance with the Hachisuka clan)
斎藤 道三「さいとう どうさん」- Head of the Saito clan
– 斎藤義龍「さいとう よしたつ」(also: 高政「たかまさ」) - Son

明智 光秀「あけち みつひで」(common name: 十兵衛「じゅうべい」) - serves under Dosan
– 又市「またいち」- Underling / foot soldier

堀田 道空「ほった どうくう」- Chief retainer
弥平治光春「やへいじ みつはら」- Retainer (cousin to Jyubei)
– 明智光安「あけち みつやす」- Father
春日丹後「かすが たんご」- Military commander

Oda Clan
織田 信長「おだ のぶなが」- Leader of the Oda clan (Married to the daughter of Saito Dosan)
– 卯月「うづき」- Nobunaga’s faithful, old horse
– 織田信秀「おだ のぶひで」- Father and previous leader of the Oda clan
– – 織田与三郎「おだ よさぶろう」- Younger brother
– – 織田信行「おだ のぶかつ」(Other name: 信成「のぶなり」) - Son (half-brother to Nobunaga (different mother))

Retainers (Under Nobuhide rule):
平手 政秀「ひらて まさひで」
– 五郎左衛門「ごろうざえもん」(nickname: 五郎左「ごろうざ」) - First son
– 監物「けんもつ」- Second son
– 甚左衛門「じんざえもん」- Third son
– 雨宮勘解由「あめみや かげゆ」- Servant
林 秀貞「はやし ひでさだ」(common name: 新五郎「しんごろ」/ nickname: 佐渡「さどう」) (served under Nobunaga too)
– 美作守「みまさかのかみ」- Younger brother
青山 信昌「あおやま のぶまさ」(common name: 与三右衛門「よそうえもん」)
内藤 勝介「ないとう しょうすけ / かつすけ」

Retainers (Under Nobunaga rule):
柴田勝家「しばた かついえ」(Nickname: 権六「ごんろく」)

Others:
市川大介「いちかわ だいすけ」- Archery master/instructor
平田三位「ひらた さんみ」- Master of military strategy
浅野又右衛門「あさの またえもん」- Military commander
– 寧子「ねね」- Daughter
がんまく - Former worker/servant, friend of Hideyoshi

Shiba Clan
斯波義統「しば よしむね」- Head of the Shiba clan, at Kiyosu castle
– 斯波義銀「しば よしかね」- Son

Imagawa Clan
今川義元「いまがわ よしもと」- Daimyo

Retainers:
松下之綱「まつした ゆきつな」(common name: 加兵衛「かへい」)
飯尾豊前「いのお ぶぜん」
多賀能八郎「たがのう はしろう」(nickname: 能八「のうはち」)

Takeda Clan
太郎義信「たけだ よしのぶ」- Commander
(Married to the daughter of Imagawa Yoshimoto to tie the clans)

Non-affiliated
上泉 信綱「かみいずみ のぶつな」(also: 上泉 伊勢守「かみいずみ いせのかみ」) - Founder of the 新陰流「しんかげりゅう」school of Kenjutsu
– 疋田小伯「ひきた しょうはく」- Disciple
– 神後五六郎「かんご ごろくろう」- Disciple

塚原 卜伝「つかはら ぼくでん」- Kensei; legendary swordsman

Historical People

• 阿倍仲麻呂「あべ の なかまろ」ー Japanese scholar & poet (700s)

• 白楽天「はく きょい」ー Chinese poet (Bai Juyi / Bo Juyi) also known as: 白楽天「はく らくてん」in Japan. (Late 700s)

• 道元「どうげん」(or 道元禅師「どうげん ぜんじ」ー Japanese Buddhist Priest, writer & poet (also known as 栄西禅師「えいさい ぜんじ」) (Early / mid 1200s)

• 空海「くうかい」ー The one and only Kukai or Kobo Daishi - a Buddhist monk. Posthumously given the title of: 弘法大師「こうぼう だいし」born as: 佐伯 眞魚「さえき の まお」(late 700s / early 800s)

• 源頼政「みなもと の よりまさ」ー Prominent poet and warrior (1100s)

• 平 重盛「たいら の しげもり」ー Military commander and court noble, claimed to be an ancestor of Oda Nobunaga (Mid-1100s)

• 桓武（天皇）「かんむ（てんのう）」ー 50th Emperor of Japan, claimed to be an ancestor of Taira no Shigemori, thus ancestor to Oda Nobunaga (Mid-Late 700s)

Volume II: 1555 - 15??
(currently 1561)

Oda Clan
織田 信長「おだ のぶなが」- Head of the Oda clan
– 織田 信広「おだ のぶひろ」- Older brother
– 織田 信行「おだ のぶゆき」(also: 信勝「のぶかつ」) - Younger brother

木下 藤吉郎「きのした とうきちろう」- Hideyoshi
– 木股 権三「きまた ごんぞう」(Nickname: ごんぞ) - Servant

浅野 又右衛門「あさの またえもん」- Military commander
– 寧子「ねね」- Daughter
柴田 勝家「しばた かついえ」(nickname: 権六「ごんろく」) - Military Commander
池田 恒興「いけだ つねおき」(Common name: 勝三郎「かつさぶろう」) - Military Commander
林 秀貞「はやし ひでさだ」- Military Commander
佐久間 盛重「さくま もりしげ」(also know as: 大学「だいがく」) - Military Commander

佐久間 盛政「さくま もりまさ」(nickname: 玄蕃「げんば」) - Retainer
森 可成「もり よしなり」(Other name: 三左衛門「さんざえもん」) - Retainer
– 蘭丸「らんまる」- Son

山淵 右近「やまぶち うこん」- Magistrate
– 山淵 義遠「やまぶち よしとお」- Father (Chief Vassal)

戸部 新左衛門「とべ しんざえもん」- Castle commander

Maeda Clan
前田 利家「まえだ としいえ」(childhood name: 犬千代「いぬちよ」) - Military commander

Saito Clan
斎藤 義龍「さいとう よしさつ」(also: 高政「たかまさ」) - Military commander
– 孫四郎「まごしろう」- Brother
– 喜平次「きへいじ」- Brother
– 斎藤 道三「さいとう どうさん」- Father

Akechi Clan
明智 光秀「あけち みつひで」(common name: 十兵衛「じゅうべい」) - Military Commander
明智 光安「あけち みつやす」- Military Commander and adoptive father of Jyubei
– 明智 秀満「あけち ひでみつ」- Son, and retainer to Jyubei

Imagawa Clan
今川 義元「いまがわ よしもと」- Daimyo

Takeda Clan
武田 信玄「たけだ しんげん」- Daimyo

Asakura Clan
朝倉 義景「あさくら よしかげ」- Daimyo

Matsudaira Clan
徳川 家康「とくがわ いえやす」(Childhood name: 竹千代「たけちよ」// Other name: 元康「もとやす」) - Soldier
– 築山「つきやま」- Wife
– 榊原 忠政「さかきばら ただまさ」- Vassal

Non-affiliated
鵜殿 甚七「うど (の) じんしち」- Mountain priest (Yamabushi)

[Twelvewishes]

Day 54, 23rd of February

Back to my Home Post

Last time, our archer Romano shot the wolf, and today we find out that the wolf simply dissolves into nothingness. At least the princess is saved. But before they can return, the ground begins to shake.

[Redglare]

Home post // Feb 23

・薬屋のひとりごと３ (73% → 80%)

Spent the evening reading for a bit. I’ve heard of 仕方(しかた)ない before, but not 致(いた)し方(かた)ない. Seems like it is the humble version.

Also 猿(さる)の腰掛(こしかけ) is a fun name for a mushroom. Photos of it shows that it grows on trees and it looks like a flat wooden disc that a monkey can place its butt on, so the name checks out

[midnightblue]

February 23rd

Home post

Card Captor Sakura volume 11 – progress report
Yesterday: Read up to page 65, finished chapter 43.
Today: Continued up to page 103.

Working my way through the next chapter. The clash between Sakura and Eriol is still ongoing. It seems that this volume has 3 longer chapters instead of 4 chapters like the previous ones which may explain why I’m halfway through but still not finished with the 2nd chapter.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Word or expression of the day:
覚悟 - (かくご) - readiness, preparedness, resolution

[ChristopherFritz]

Day 53: February 22nd

シャドーハウス Volume 5 (57% ➨ 61%)

ひよ恋 Volume 1 (74% ➨ 87%)

[Natsuha]

Day 53
I was lazy and only read a little bit of Tsugumomo vol.5. Actually I wanted to play one of my video games in japanese but couldn’t decide which one.

3747 pages read

[DIO-Berry]

Home

February 23rd

ジョジョの奇妙な冒険10
-

ルリドラゴン 1
36 - 62

I was late to bed again and I remembered the next section of Ruri should be open to discuss today, so I figured I’d read it until the absolute latest I can get 6h of sleep. Spoiler thoughts: Poor Ruri! Burning her throat like that. Also, I can’t believe how chill she was with her mom having lied. I’m glad that the mom agreed to be more truthful, but that’s pretty wtf.
Also hoping that Ruri gets to meet her dad soon, but I didn’t see any big dragons when I flipped through the rest of the volume.

[lucylavelle]

February 24th!

Today I read Chapter 58 of Shadows House.

(Home Post)

[javerend]

２月２３日 (Home Post Link)

Read:

• 夜カフェ pg 132 → 137
• 三ツ星カラーズ ch 21

Word of the Day:
宣言「せんげん」ー declaration, proclamation, announcement

@pocketcat

how I set up various key bindings and oh right I downloaded specifically this version of something because it was the last one compatible with some other random thing I was playing with.

Exactly! At one point I tried to keep track of everything in one place to make it easier for future me when something inevitably broke: all the links to random forum posts and guides and github repos for specific projects with some explanations for why I set stuff up the way I did, but then even that document itself became to unwieldy to actually use

@natarin

A bit of an interesting one today; for birthday shenanigans I went to an arcade which had bunch of rhythm games

Yours or someone else’s? either way

[WaniTsunami]

Yesterday I took a break from 夜は短し歩けよ乙女 after feeling pretty defeated. I started playing Steins;Gate because ToKini Andy played it and it is surprisingly much easier than it was exactly a year ago when I played it for the first time. I feel like I could see my progress again but rather than a book that is still a pretty big challenge (夜は短し), it’s something that is now easy. I am pretty torn on how to approach 夜は短し again. I want to finish it but I also just don’t feel ready for chapter 3. Maybe I need to just kind of say screw it and read it to the end before this challenge ends.

I think with each chapter there has been new vocab and after feeling a high of reading chapter 2 relatively unhindered, I guess it was a swift reminder this book is still above my level. With 4 days left in the challenge, maybe I should just push myself and finish. X_X

[Roxcell]

Thus far I have read about 20 short letters from students as this is my last class with them (might see them in the next grade though). Easy Japanese since its 5th graders although the teacher is convinced that I can’t read them.

[WaniTsunami]

Chapter 3 is gibberish to me… dang. T-T I have no choice but to drop 夜は短し歩けよ乙女.

I am sad, because I thought I would finish it this week. I think my lesson was I can read a lot more difficult material than I think, but I still have room to grow if I want to do more serious literature. However I am happy I made the attempt and got as far as I did. That was still 157 pages more than I could before! I’ll save this one for the Fall reading challenge after I have finished all the JLPT grammar and some N1 vocab. I will get good enough for this book by the end of the year!