📚📚 Read every day challenge - Winter 2023 ☃❄

midnightblue · February 26, 2023, 3:43pm

February 26th

Card Captor Sakura volume 11 / volume 12 – progress report
Yesterday: Continued up to page 167.
Today: Read up to page 181, finished chapter 45 and volume 11.
Began reading volume 12, read up to page 17.

Eriol finally explained his motives and apologised for the trouble he caused – sure hope so, my dude, you almost killed Sakura at least once during your shenanigans.
With the main plot point of turning the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards being finished, volume 12 is probably going to be all about the characters and completing some unfinished business between them. Frankly, I don’t remember much about this volume except some of the things which strictly involving Sakura and Shaolan and the ending.

Btw, happy cakeday, @nyxqueenofshadows !

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Word or expression of the day:
洞察力 - (どうさつりょく) - insight, discernment, perception, acumen

Honourable mention(s):
辛い目に合う - (つらいめにあう) - to have a hard time (of it)

Zakarius · February 26, 2023, 4:51pm

The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den

February 26th
新書太閣記 progress: 13.11% // Volume II: 48.95%

Today’s text was stuffed full with lots of confusing names (people, castles, places), at one point it just put them in a list because there were so many.

Is this the name of a guy or a castle? Oh it’s talking, it must be a person.

Is he affiliated with this clan, or that clan? Well, he used to be in this clan, but then moved to that clan which then dissolved and became part of his original clan but then he decided to move again to this other clan.

Words found under the kotatsu

Forms
猶＝尚「なお」(Still; yet)

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

Military Commanders
浅野又右衛門「あさのまたえもん」
– 寧子「ねね」- Daughter
柴田勝家「しばたかついえ」(nickname: 権六「ごんろく」)
池田恒興「いけだつねおき」(Common name: 勝三郎「かつさぶろう」)
林秀貞「はやしひでさだ」
佐久間盛重「さくまもりしげ」(also know as: 大学「だいがく」)
山口守孝「やまぐちもりたか」(also known as: 海老丞「えびのじょう」)
柘植友顕「つげともあき」(also known as: 玄蕃「げんば」)

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

Others
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
水野帯刀「みずのたてわき」- Castle Guard

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
– 今川氏真「いまがわうじざね」- Son, and heir to the Imagawa clan
– 太原雪斎「たいげんせっさい」- Uncle, military advisor and monk

Military Commanders
伊丹康直「いたみやすなお」(also known as: 権阿弥「ごんあみ」)
庵原忠縁「いはらただより」(also known as: 将監「しょうげん」)
斎藤利澄「さいとうとしずみ」(also known as: 掃部介「かぶのすけ」)

Others
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
朝比奈主計「あさひなかずえ」- Samurai

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

Sakai Clan
Military Commanders
酒井正親「さかいまさちか」(also known as: 与四郎「よしろう」)

Matsudaira Clan
Military Commanders
松平親俊「まつだいらちかとし」(also known as: 左馬助「さまのすけ」)
杉浦吉貞「すぎうらよしさだ」(also known as: 八郎五郎「はちろうごろう」)

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

ChristopherFritz · February 26, 2023, 5:01pm

Day 56: February 25th

××でも魔法少女になれますか? Volume 1 (52% ➨ 55%)

ARIA The MASTERPIECE Volume 6 (15% ➨ 25%)

orange Volume 7 (15% ➨ 25%)

YAIBA Volume 1 (36% ➨ 46%)

ひよ恋 Volume 1 (87% ➨ 100%)

The plan was to read at least a bit from everything I’m in the middle of a volume of, but I got distracted from that.

Greti33 · February 26, 2023, 7:37pm

February 26th (Day 57)

Home post

1Q84 Book 1 後編 (18 - 29%)

Aaand I completed chapter 15!

TayaP0702 · February 26, 2023, 8:11pm

Just passed around the third of the novel ちょっと今から仕事やめてくる, which so far is focusing on the resulting stress and pressure of working in ブラック企業, and what it does to the mental state of employees. I’m really interested to see where the story will go next.

Personally, one of the interesting pieces of information I encountered while reading is the origin of the phrase サザエさん症候群, which is the Japanese name for “blue monday”. Also this part stuck with me quite a bit, as I would say probably everybody experienced this feeling, at least in some way, in their life

Redglare · February 26, 2023, 10:47pm

Home post // Feb 26

・この本を盗む者は (1% → 3%)

Yes good, there is dialogue. Almost got scared this book was going to be pages up and pages down filled with text like a massive brick wall. (That’s what I get for almost exclusively reading light novels, haha…) Some blank white-space is good too.

omk3 · February 26, 2023, 11:16pm

February 24

半落ち , 66-70%

February 25

死体は眠らない , 57-70%

February 26

死体は眠らない , 70-100%

I was growing very frustrated with my reading performance in February. So today I found some more time than usual and read a record-breaking 124 pages! Granted, it was a 赤川次郎 book full of dialogue, so easy to read fast, but still - quite satisfying.
As for the book itself, it was exactly as I expected. An easy, light read, with doses of humour, mystery, and tons of dead bodies. It wasn’t a page turner for me though. I felt no attachment to anyone in the book, so I could stop reading any time. If I didn’t want to finish this sooner rather than later, I could have stopped at 10 pages without an irresistible urge to read more.

No bingo I'm afraid. Better luck next time!

Natsuha · February 26, 2023, 11:16pm

Day 56
Just some more Tsugumomo. Unfortunately instead of reading I spend too much time playing Monster Hunter Rise. But I’m soon done with the game and will spend more time on reading.

3966 pages read

lucylavelle · February 26, 2023, 11:28pm

February 26th!

Today I read chapter 60 of Mitsuboshi Colors.
I’ve only managed a little bit of reading today and yesterday because I was travelling - but I’m hoping to have a big read tomorrow to make sure I stay on track with my many book clubs!

(Home Post)

pocketcat · February 27, 2023, 3:31am

I finished week 8 of 半落ち leaving only two weeks left. Such a good book. I definitely am going to read more 横山秀夫 in the future (I have at least two more of his books on my shelf just waiting…)

I also finished week 5 of 七回死んだ男 (official opens tomorrow) and am about 1/3 of the way through week 4 of この本を盗むものは. I may or may not finish it tonight.

I’ll be opening the thread for レベル７ in the Natively forums tonight (which will be Feb 27 for those in time zones ahead of me). Seeing as 七回死んだ男 will be wrapping up at the end of March it will be nice to have another paperback to read. Electronic is convenient but there’s something so cozy about physical copies.

enbyboiwonder · February 27, 2023, 5:11am

Home

Day before yesterday I read JJK ch 1-3.

Yesterday I read JJK ch 4-7, finishing vol 1, and read 6 pages of この本を盗む者は.

Some vocab of note:

ザギンでシース― [expression, 1980’s slang] (going out for) sushi in Ginza

Today, I read 8 pages of この本を盗む者は, leaving off on pg 54. I’ve decided to just read this book on my own because I like it and I’m tired of hearing everyone complain about it. I also don’t have any motivation to contribute to the discussion (usually when I don’t it’s just that I don’t know what to say, or I didn’t draft anything while I was reading and end up not having the energy to string together my thoughts into something coherent once I’ve finished that week’s reading and checked the thread)

I also read several pages of the さよなら、誰にも愛されなかった者たちへ preview.

natarin · February 27, 2023, 6:30am

February 26 Home Post

Today has been a very weird day; I ended up sheltering from tornadoes (everything’s fine though, no worries!) and getting home super late because of that, very strange all around but before that I played some more Steins;Gate where they’re certainly having much stranger times haha. All in all an interesting time!

pocketcat · February 27, 2023, 6:58am

Oof, a plains state I’m assuming? The weather reports looked awful. I’m glad you’re OK!

javerend · February 27, 2023, 9:50am

２月２６日 (Home Post Link)

I feel like i’ve really been skating by on readings the last week or so, but what can ya do

Read:

三ツ星カラーズ ch 24

Word of the Day:
息苦しい「いきぐるしい」ー choking; suffocating; stifling

Glad you’re safe!

Sylph · February 27, 2023, 10:11am

February 24

Played B$ for 2h and finished Limbo’s side A

February 25

Started 僕が愛したすべて君へ but only had time to read like a page

February 26

Read 僕が愛したすべて君へ until the first section break

MissDagger · February 27, 2023, 10:15am

February 26
Home Post

Komi-san
Encore in Death by JD Robb

On Feb 25, I started Encore in Death by JD Robb in the evening, so I read some English fiction as well as non-fiction. Then yesterday (26th), I read the rest of that book. This series by JD Robb (pen name of Nora Roberts) have 50+ books in it, it is just comfort food by now. I enjoy getting to read two such novels a year, knowing mostly what I’ll get: a mystery (sometimes very dark) and some more development of the cast (usually) or at least fun interactions between them. A bit like still watching a loved TV-series in season 8. Not really expecting anything wow-worthy most of the time, but a good time nonetheless.

This would also be my 12th finished book in English this year, meaning I’m still ahead of my goal of one a week. ^^

Anyway, I also read this week’s Komi-san yesterday. I’m enjoying Komi-san and feel like it is stretching my muscles some since I actually have to think about some sentences to make sense of them, but not so much that I need to look up things. I think I’ll be reading ahead on this series, because I want something uncomplicated and not that hard to read along side the rather lookup heavy Bustafellows.

midnightblue · February 27, 2023, 1:41pm

February 27th

Home post

Card Captor Sakura volume 12 – progress report
Yesterday: Read up to page 181, finished chapter 45 and volume 11.
Began reading volume 12, read up to page 17.
Today: Continued up to page 142, finished chapters 46, 47 and 48.

One chapter left.

I definitely don’t remember much about this volume and I didn’t quite understand Eriol’s explanation regarding Yue and why he created Ruby and Spinel. Ah well.

Speaking of not remembering things: much younger me completely wiped the following part of Mizuki-sensei and Eriol confessing their love to each other out of my memory – and for good reason: what the hell is wrong with you, Mizuki-sensei?! First Toya when he was a middle schooler, now Eriol who’s still in primary school. Granted, Eriol is Clow’s reincarnation with memories mostly intact(?), acts more mature yadda yadda but that still doesn’t make it less creepy in my book.

And while I’m on the topic of creepy relationships, the Terada-sensei & Rika one got a chapter cover illustration as well as a scene of Rika going somewhere and telling Sakura that she’s about to meet someone (Terada-sensei) which confirms these two meeting in settings outside of school. Yikes!

At least one nice relationship is about to develop as Shaolan finally confessed his love to Sakura. Also, he started calling her by her name instead of using ‘omae’ to refer to her (emergency situations aside).
I have to say that I ended up liking and appreciating him more during my rereading of the series as I could witness him becoming more reliable and, for the lack of a better word, mature over the volumes. He’s still not my favourite character or anything but I like him now as opposed to where I used to be rather ‘meh, he’s kind of a nuisance’ on him all these years ago.

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Word or expression of the day:
閉じ込める - (とじこめる) - to lock up, to shut up, to imprison

Honourable mention(s):
人騒がせ - (ひとさわがせ) - person that annoys or causes trouble; false alarm

WaniTsunami · February 27, 2023, 2:06pm

Read my section of Chainsaw Man Buddy Stories for the evening.

Got about an hour or so of Steins;Gate.

Did my little bit of Genshin too and did in fact read since it was the main story. (though I already feel like it’s just gonna be like "Ok, here’s the Abyss, it’s impossible by design and your gonna give us money to progress further but never beat it.’

Will write my reflections tomorrow.

nyxqueenofshadows · February 27, 2023, 3:00pm

home post

27th feb

vol 6 of 蟲師 begins, and with a solid opening story! going off previous experience, i assume this is the only one with a happy ending in this volume good characters, interesting premise with expressive art, all round great start!

words that stood out: 迷い星 (まよいぼし, planet. i knew 惑星 but didn’t make the connection), 恩知らず (おんしらず, ungrateful), 蛇行 (だこう, meandering, snaking. good to know the snake connection is multi-lingual )

there’s only one more day left, when did that happen

polv · February 27, 2023, 3:12pm

Feb 27, Mon of Week 10 of Winter Q1 2023

うたわれるもの
ふしぎの国のバード Vol.7 Ch.30 (start volume)

Words of the day

凌(しの)ぐ = to surpass; to outdo / to survive through
恭(うやうや)しい = respectful. Kanji and single vocabulary in Level 56. On reading is キョウ, in yesterday’s 恭順(きょうじゅん) (= allegiance; compliant submission).
- I confused with 慕(した)う, but couldn’t pick up し.
鐙(あぶみ) = stirrup; footstall for riding a horse. Has Furigana. From 足(あし) + 踏(ふ)み.
大工(だいく) = carpenter. Indeed, I couldn’t remember from someone’s thread a while ago.
爪印(つめいん) = a thumbprint. Has Furigana. Not just print of a nail or a claw, is it?
粗忽(そこつ) = careless. Has Furigana. Second Kanji also in 忽然(こつぜん)と and 忽(たちま)ち.
見初(みそ)める = to fall in love at first sight. Has Furigana. As for the second Kanji, 仮初(かりそめ) also has this reading.
置(お)き去(ざ)りにする = to leave (a person) behind
色目(いろめ)を使(つか)う = to ogle; to leer
気(き)の向(む)くままに = at one’s whim
そりが合(あ)わない = unable to get along
機先(きせん)を制(せい)する = to get a head start; to forestall
毒気(どっき)を抜(ぬ)かれる = to be taken aback; to be dumbfounded
為体(ていたらく) = predicament = ざま. Has Furigana.
要衝(ようしょう) = strategic point
のべつ幕無(まくな)し = without a break; without stopping = のべつ
吶喊(とっかん) = battle cry / rushing at enemies. Has Furigana. Sound from 突貫(とっかん).
後詰(ごづめ) = rear guard; reserve army = 後詰(ごづ)め
悪鬼羅刹(あっきらせつ) = man-eating fiend. Has Furigana. 羅刹(らせつ) is a demigod in Buddhism / Hinduism, it seems; but I don’t know much about the culture myself.
風前(ふうぜん)の灯火(ともしび) = precarious situation. No Furigana. It seems 火(ひ) can be omitted and still read the same. 灯火(ともしび) can also be used alone = a torch = 灯(とも)す + 火(ひ).
烏合(うごう)の衆(しゅう) = disorderly crowd; mob. Has Furigana. First Kanji is 烏(からす) = crow; raven.
不興(ふきょう)を買(か)う = to incur someone’s displeasure; to fall into disgrace