📚📚 Read every day challenge - Winter 2023 ☃❄

[Greya]

January 12th
What did I read?: にわにはににん
How much did I read?: 27 pages
(Finished 4th Story: にわにはににん Started 5th Story: 庭師の休日 )
How long did it take me?: 2 h 32 min

I started reading earlier than usual today, and ended up reading for quite awhile, which was nice, especially after missing two days this week. It might be better to aim for something a bit more steady and regular, though. But anyways, today I finished the 4th story, and a two chapter one at that! I liked it quite a lot! Not everything was explained in it, but it was a lot less vague than the other stories so far, with a bit more of an overarching plot. Which, I guess is a lot easier to achieve when you have 2 chapters’ worth of pages to work with. And the cover art hits different, now that I know who the characters are and what their story is.

The 5th story is pretty intriguing too~ We have the gardener from the prologue, and the appearance of a water orb similar to the one in the 1st story. The gardener also mentions the garden from the 4th story, which somewhat confuses me since he doesn’t look like any of the characters in that story? I mean, it could be a lot later than that story or before, so people could look different, but it isn’t obvious who it’s supposed to be, if anyone.

[WaniTsunami]

Finished sub chapter 1 of Chapter 3, no real new developments story wise. Just characters kind of dropping hints at things alluded from before, which is kind of standard. There were some like “oh snap” moments in chapter 2 but I am eagerly awaiting the shoe to drop on this story. The first two chapters were everything I want from 青ブタ but now I am concerned the author is doing that thing where he gets going on a lot of needless details about everyday things that don’t have anything to do with what’s happening. He hasn’t done that yet this volume, but I am concerned it’s gonna happen. One more subchapter for the day, I am pretty tired -_- hopefully I can muster enough energy to finish on the way home.

[emiri_learns_jp]

1月12日

｡*☆ My Home Page ｡*☆

I’m so glad everyone is working and reading through the slump that seems to have hit a lot of us this week. Not gonna lie, I felt better when I saw I wasn’t the only one struggling to be productive these last few days.

Thanks for 頑張ります-ing and inspiring me to keep going, too. I hope we can all feel better now that the weekend is almost here!

Here’s a brief weekly wrap-up and update from me:

What I finished reading this week

• クリスタルハンターズ v3
• クリスタルハンターズ v4
• Mo Dao Zu Shi v2 (English translation)

What I read today

• 月刊少女野崎くん v1 p. 23-32 and クリスタルハンターズ v5 p. 65-79

New words

• チャリ：bicycle
• 華やか 「はなやか」: showy, brilliant, gorgeous
• わがまま : selfish, egoist
• 攻撃 「こうげき」: attack, assault

[softlyraining]

softlyraining’s snowy book stack

January 11th ・ January 12th

授乳 (25% → 29%)

Switched books out! Small reads for both days, but progress is progress. I think this is the third time I’ve started reading the current short story (コイビト) in this collection…That being said, I made it farther than the last two attempts, so good job me! The story’s piqued my interest, so it may be a while before I go back to 冬物語.

I came across the word for pores today, and I don’t know whether to be amused or weirded out (I’m probably a mix of both): 毛穴. “Hair holes”?! I mean, I get it, but…maybe I don’t want to picture it?

[ChristopherFritz]

Day 12: January 12th

からかい上手の高木さん Volume 10 (33% ➨ 43%)

👧 からかい上手の(元)高木さん Volume 10 (45% ➨ 52%)

Someone went a little overboard on making sure their cameo characters are recognizable.

Even after ten years, they’re still wearing the same style from their childhood.

[natarin]

January 12 Home Post

More 地縛少年花子くん today! I finished off the second volume and started on the third; it continues to be great time. Starting to meet more characters I remember vaguely from the first time around exciting stuff!

[omk3]

チュベローズで待ってる reply

@Hantsuki

And it’s looking more and more of being my first completed novel (not counting children’s books), and I have mixed feelings about that because 1) it looks like a “trashy” book like the equivalent of a chic flick, 2) and if someone even happened to be familiar with the title, it’s not exactly the kind of thing to admit to reading to other (Japanese) people without them questioning what kind of person you are lol. Basically it’s hard to make conversation with outside the forum, and I definitely couldn’t talk about it at my schools if I don’t want to be fired

Why do you say it looks like a trashy book? Is it the cover that makes you say so? The fact that it was written by an idol? Or the content?
And why would it get you fired to read it? (I’m realizing you’re probably exaggerating for comedic effect, but still). I’ve read nearly to the end of the first book, and while it’s not Akutagawa prize-worthy literature, I would certainly not go as far as calling it “trashy”, nor is there something in the content that would make me feel embarrassed about reading it.
The fact that the author is an idol bothered me a little too, but he’s written quite a lot actually, and seems to read quite a lot too, judging by an interview I watched, so it doesn’t look like he’s just making a quick money grab exploiting his publicity.
Anyway, just honestly curious

[Hantsuki]

Now everyone's going to want to read this book lol

@omk3

Why do you say it looks like a trashy book? Is it the cover that makes you say so? The fact that it was written by an idol? Or the content?

It’s a mix of all the above really? I haven’t read books in English for a while but isn’t that a genre? Trashy chick lit? That was the kind of connection I was going for. There is a sort of perception people have of you based on the book cover you read.

Even in the states, if I were to be anywhere - on campus, in a coffee shop, at the park - and was reading a book that indicated trashy chick lit on the cover (high heels, lady in sexy clothes, etc) I can guarantee someone would perceive me in a certain way. Maybe a superficial girl, not too bright, not well read (even though I’m ironically reading a book).

But hey, I remember when kids were put down for reading Twilight or people who admitted to reading Fifty Shades of Grey were given the look, like really? You’re reading that?

It’s not too different in Japan except the judgment feels a lot stronger? Like it’s common for people to buy book covers (and even get simple ones for free) to keep their books private while they’re riding on trains. It might help to keep from people to talk to them about their book too if they’re that antisocial…

But let’s look at this book’s cover. I think there was a poll before and a lot of people thought it looked like a YA book? Some kind of teeange dramatic/angsty romance maybe? (Particularly looking at the second book)

I think a lot of us judged the author being an idol, particularly a Johnny’s idol which is known for producing a lot of popular idol groups like Arashi, Snow Man, etc. If you knew nothing of the author’s works or the content of the book, it’s likely you would imagine the above genre.

And if you did read the synopsis but don’t read further recommendations, then all you know is it’s about a guy who can’t find a job ends up working at a host club. I think there’s already been discussion about what a host’s job entails, but let’s put it like this.

It’s basically like soaplands except it’s men who are working and so there’s not as an explicit sexual image compared to soaplands, but it still has that atmosphere. Maybe at its most innocent, it’s more like maid cafés, but both are fetishized. The maids at the café can have a lot of unwanted experiences, to put in a nice way.

So what I’m saying is that world is seen as “lower” to the public service job working people like company employees, city officials, teachers, etc. There’s the image of selling your body in that kind of world and depending on your personal morals, you might see that as disgusting or disrespectful.

If you’re willing to work in that kind of environment, should you be around normal people, perhaps influencing them with your “impurist” ways? Likewise if you’re a teacher reading about that world, especially on the job, are you morally sound enough to work with children?

Did that answer your questions?

[omk3]

チュベローズで待ってる reply 2

Thanks for the long and detailed answer.

Yes, people do tend to judge strangers based on what they’re reading, sometimes even based on cover only, without knowing anything about the book itself. The book cover thread was mine, actually, and I made it because I really have trouble judging Japanese books by their cover. A lot of serious, quality literature seems to have the kind of covers I’d expect on Western YA or chick lit books. Since I think you are in Japan, are such covers taken to indicate “trashy” or simpler books by the Japanese, or is it a western notion?

I get what you’re saying about host clubs, but writing (and by extension reading) about the nightlife industry isn’t the same as working in it. Many very worthy books have been written about the underworld. The book doesn’t glorify working as a host, in fact it shows how people with socially acceptable aspirations may end up there, and how this will interfere with their trying to find a “proper” job afterwards. Reading books exploring such subjects is the closest many of us will get to a world that definitely exists but we know nothing about.

On the quality of this particular book I’ll reserve my own judgement until I’ve read both volumes, as everyone keeps saying they are to be taken as a whole. But so far it’s very readable, and definitely not questionable in content. Having read half of it, I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone for reading it. In fact, it’s possible I’d recommend it (but I’ll wait till the second volume).

[sddsdd]

Home Post

Day 12 Progress:
お隣の天使様 五冊 - 96.85% → 98.95% 五冊完成！！！

お隣の天使様 5.5 SS冊子 - 0.51% → 2.47%

So, I opened volume 5.5, expecting it to be a tiny collection of short stories I might be able to breeze through in a week or two.

It was 40% longer than an average main volume. I wanted to die a little inside.

Needless to say, I will be cutting back on my 天使様 reading for a bit, probably going for one short story a day at most while focusing on Slow Loop or Bocchi for a bit. Needed a bit of a breather from the series anyway.

Word of the Day: 食はむ - to eat (fodder or grass), to receive. Just a very cute and onomatopoetic eating word that I see very rarely.

[WaniTsunami]

Not finished with the 2nd subchapter for the day but my comment was VERY wrong. SHOE DROP SHOE DROP!

[WaniTsunami]

Finished my second subchapter for the day. WHAT A CHUNK OF PAGES THAT WAS T-T

[iterimpius]

January 10th-12th

Home Post

Pretty good the past few days, didn’t miss any, and if anything, I think that’s more reading done that I would have thought!

• 10/1:
  私の幸せな結婚, 1:40h, i got really into this!the story has been so good, finished vol1. The reason it took so long was because there were a lot of unknown fancy words… I’m putting up a word list for this…
• 11/1
  私の幸せな結婚, ~2hours. Read most of vol2, I guess I’ve been obsessing at this point lol; I’m really loving the development of the characters and their interactions in vol2 the couple is growing closer and the main heroine really deserves happiness…
  also read 花野井くんと恋の病 ch.2-4, in intervals throughout the day. It’s alright so far, thought I’m kinda about this story…
• 12/1:
  Du Chinese, ~10min, a short story about expressions with… 蛋
  教養366、16min. Religions week, sounds interesting!
  暁のヨナ, 37min. For Saturday’s bookclub. Extensive reading and vocab lookup after that.
  私の幸せな結婚,~35min. finished vol.2, which goes up to ch14. At the end there’s a short passage from the novel so I read that, and I was surprised that I was actually quite comfortable with reading it? I left 3 pages bc I was sleepy, but it makes me think whether I should maybe give the novels a try in the future… novels intimidate me

————-

@windupbird

Tiny shark made a leaf boat for his little friends

Oh my goodness…. I can’t. Your little shark pal is so so precious, I’ve been meaning to say this for days!! I believe I need to check this series out

[Cathm2]

And I’m behind again with the IBC.

13/1 2 pages おばちゃんたちのいるところ

I may end up reading a bit more on tomorrows Shinkansen than yesterdays. It looks like it’ll be raining quite hard!

[Sylph]

January 12

Keeping the ユージニア streak (39% → 43%) and I also played BU$TAFELLOWS ~45 min.

[nyxqueenofshadows]

home post

13th jan

i said i would read kiki and i lied i took one look at volume two of 蟲師 and couldn’t say no so here we are, one chapter in i actually found this chapter quite difficult (what is it with first chapters??), i think it was a combination of certain conversations being quite vague, and ginko getting getting stressed at one point and breaking out the slang (see picture, sort of spoilers for vol 2 chap 1 of 蟲師). on the whole tho, not bad!

some words that stuck out: 唯一 (ゆいいつ, unique), 冒す (おかす, to brave, to afflict (of a disease etc.), and our 蟲 for the week クチナワ (which is an alternate reading of 蛇).

[javerend]

１月１３日 (Home Post Link)

Read:

• ホリミヤ ch 70, 71, おまけ volume 10 done! really starting to feel like i’m closing in on the end of the series. next volume is all short chs so i’ll probably try to read a few more/day
• マジーク・ツリーハウス pg 92 → 98

Good Words

ホリミヤ
ホコリ ー dust
夢中「むちゅう」ー absorbed in
告る「こくる」ー to confess one’s love
睨む「にらむ」ー to glare at
奇跡「きせき」ー miracle
年玉「としだま」ー new year’s gift

マジーク・ツリーハウス
ひづめ ー hoof
中庭「なかにわ」ー courtyard
目を丸くする「めをまるくする」ー to stare in wonder, to be amazed
派手「はで」ー showy, gaudy
振り返る「ふりかえる」ー to turn one’s head, to look over one’s shoulder

[polv]

Jan 13, Fri of Week 3 of Winter Q1 2023

• Death Note Vol.6 Ch.47

• SPY x FAMILY Vol.5 Ch.27

• うたわれるもの

Interesting words

• なぞる = to trace (drawing)
• 出払(ではら)う = to be all out (no friends left here); to have none left in stock
• 尾(お)ビレ = embellishment; tails and fins. Latter half (fin) has Kanji too = 尾鰭(おびれ)
• 無下(むげ)に = bluntly (refusing)
• 目星(めぼし) = aim; goal. Yet to be 図星(ずぼし).
• 清々(すがすが)しい = refreshing
• 触手(しょくしゅ) = tentacles
• 生物(なまもの) = perishables; raw food. Compare with 生(い)き物(もの) = living things. Also, 生物学(せいぶつがく) is biology.
• 気兼(きが)ね = feeling constrained. 気兼(きが)ねなく like 遠慮(えんりょ)なく?
• 道楽者(どうらくもの) = playboy, doing 道楽(どうらく)
• 鉄火場(てっかば) = gambling house
• 阿鼻叫喚(あびきょうかん) = agonizing cries. The latter half is screaming, but the former?
  • Both are 2 levels of hell, 阿鼻地獄(あびじごく) and 叫喚地獄(きょうかんじごく).
• 情状酌量(じょうじょうしゃくりょう) = taking circumstances into consideration
• 意気投合(いきとうごう) = kindred spirits
• 管(くだ)を巻(ま)く = to grumble over wine cups
• 一癖(ひとくせ)も二癖(ふたくせ)もある = to be hard to deal with. A person having one or two weird idiosyncrasies.

SFX

• すれすれ = grazing. Like ギリギリ. From 擦(す)れる.
• さらり = smooth; sleek
• ぶかぶか = floating
• ふらり = slowly swaying
• ぴろぴろ = like a party horn

[Zakarius]

The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den

January 13th
新書太閣記 progress: 01.68% // Volume I: 19.52%
Managed to finished the chapter, and get started on the next one:
群盗ぐんとう

Words found under the kotatsu

繁華「はんか」ー Bustle; prosperity
苞「つと」ー Straw-wrapped item; bundle of straw containing something; local produce
母屋「おもや」ー Main building (of a manor); central room (of a house)
雇人「やといにん」ー Employee (also: 雇い人)
孟宗竹「もうそうちく」ー Moso Bamboo
口吻「こうぶん」ー Way of speaking
長談義「ながだんぎ」ー Long winded speech

Forms
嚢 ＝ 袋「ふくろ」(Bag; sack; pouch)

Character Name List

for easy referencing later, because these will take some remembering
Also probably some spoilers, but this is a historic novel, so can spoilers really exist for things that have (for the most part) actually happened

Main
Hideyoshi: 豊臣秀吉「とよとみ ひでよし」
– – – Childhood name: 日吉「ひよし」
– – – Childhood nickname: 猿「さる」

Volume I: 1534 - 15??
日吉「ひよし」- Hideyoshi (as child)
Nickname: 猿「さる」

Family
木下弥右衛門「きのした やえもん」- Father
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」// 楊景福「ようけいふく」(Chinese 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

Others
織田信秀「おだ のぶひで」- Daimyo
– 織田与三郎「おだ よさぶろう」- Younger brother
今川義元「いまがわ よしもと」- Daimyo
斯波義統「しば よしむね」- Daimyo (head of the Shiba clan) at Kiyosu castle

Historical People

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

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

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

• 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 to early 800s)

---

Shark Reply

@windupbird

Tiny shark made a leaf boat for his little friends

I love how happy they all are to go out on their little journey!!

[midnightblue]

January 13th

Home post

Aria: the masterpiece volume 3 – progress report
Yesterday: Continued up to page 94.
Today: Continued up to page 110, finished chapter 23.

I was not quite right because the treasure didn’t turn out to be a thing or the journey per se: the reward was the pretty scenery. Still, it is funny to me that the carpenter sets up a whole treasure hunt for any of his clients apparently.

Replies

@windupbird

This sounds like top quality news content I hope it at least came with a cute picture to ease the pain of trying to read it!

Quality content indeed!
Yes, there were some images and a video showing the cute bunny. Here’s a screenshot:

However, I felt rather bad for the bunny because it was put in a out-door situation with many people and even next to a microphone. Trained bunnies as therapy animals in indoor context with a manageable amount of people, fine by me. Bunnies in public next to lots of people and noises – not so fine by me.

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Word or expression of the day:
冴える - (さえる) - to be clear-headed, to be alert, to be on the ball, to be wide awake​

Honourable mention(s)
景色 - (けしき) - scenery, scene, landscape​