📚📚 Read every day challenge - Fall 2022 🍁🍂

Just a word up-front: Children’s stories does not necessarily mean “easier language” as children are of course able to speak normal Japanese, but it often means “less kanji” which makes it even harder for WK members :sweat_smile: (but is good practice anyways).

Having said that, have you looked at the Beginner Book Club book picks?

魔女の宅急便 (Kiki's Delivery Service) Home Thread - Beginner's Book Club and its repeat club 魔女の宅急便・Kiki's Delivery Service 🧧 Repeat Club is a classic around here - it’s slice-of-life and coming-of-age of a young witch. I thought it’s very cute. Some beginners complain that the language is a bit flowery, but I guess that is Japanese for you.

時をかける少女 Home Thread (Beginner Book Club) is proper time-travel SciFi, the author is well-known, although the pacing of the story was not to everybody’s liking (way too slow then way too fast). If you can live with that, it’s an interesting story, I thought.

霧のむこうのふしぎな町 ・ Mysterious Town Beyond the Mist (BBC) 🌬 🏘 is also about a child; she is spending her summer holidays in an unusual location (with some fantasy elements) and grows a lot. The first chapter contains a fair bit of Tohoku dialect, which killed some readers, but otherwise I found it to be pretty readable.

小川未明童話集 - Ogawa Mimei’s Collection of Children’s Stories (Beginner Book Club) is a pretty old collection of children’s stories. They are quite interesting from a cultural aspect, but most of them are not at all what you would expect, they are either pretty strange in itself or have a strange ending, mostly. The good thing is that they are independent of each other so you can jump in and out as you please. Most of them are also available on Aozora for free.

We also read this book as a group:

狐笛のかなた (Koteki no Kanata) Home Thread It’s solid fantasy (as in “medieval setting”), the protagonist is a young girl who has to face the evil of the world, let’s say. The author is well-known for her complex world building and long stories, and I like her a lot, but this one is luckily shorter and aimed towards younger readers, so the world building is not as complex and long-winding. I did not like it as much as the other books as it was a bit too simplistic and predictable, I thought, but definitely a good beginner’s book nonetheless.

Oh and then there is one of my personal favorites, おおかみこどもの雨と雪 - a coming-of-age of a young mother and her two very unusual (and very different) children. It’s a bit longer, so it’s a bit of an investment, but I found the language to be very accessible once you get used to the writing style (tons of compound verbs, for example).

There are also some Intermediate Club books that are on the easier side, like Konbini Ningen, but for the moment I did not look at suggesting something from that club. I can always add more if you like :grin:

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Home Post

Day 29 Progress:
お隣の天使様 四冊 - 11.24% → 15.30%

Holy shit man I’m so exhausted I can’t type any more than this. I got some reading done today but at what cost??

Word of the Day: 根掘ねほ葉掘はほり - inquisitively, pryingly, thoroughly, persistently. Digging up both root and leaf is a single but effective metaphor for this phrase.

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I read the rest of the shield hero chapter, new Berserk chapter, first chapter of Cells at Work. Feel pretty read tf out now xD

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December 7 & 8
No progress with the novel, played too much Dwarf Fortress. I didn’t read anything on the 7th but then at least read both remaining volumes of Ponkotsu Ponko on the 8th to make up for it.
As I previously said a very wholesome and fun manga. If anyone needs a cute light read then check it out! :smiley:

I’ll resume reading novel and generally more again today. I just need to decide what manga I’ll read next but I’ve no idea yet. :sob:

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:house:
Dec 9

かがみの孤城 83% → 87% (page 411)

Finished off 十一月 and am now a few pages into 十二月. Fitting that the book ends in December too, lol.

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Dec 9, Fri of Week 11 of Fall 2022 :maple_leaf:

  • Super Doctor K Vol.1 Ch.1 (latter half)

Some heroes wear a cape.

Godhand muscleman; and nurses and doctor-in-charge co-operate anyway.

Interesting vocabularies
  • ()()え = getting mixed up in.
  • 非常識(ひじょうしき) = no common sense (常識(じょうしき))
  • はなはだしい = extreme. Kanji form is (はなは)だしい
  • クランケ = sufferer of an illness. Well, 患者(かんじゃ).
  • 摘出(てきしゅつ) = surgical removal. First Kanji from ()む.
  • 並行(へいこう) = at the same time. Probably related to 平行(へいこう).
  • 縫合(ほうごう) = sewing together; stitching
  • まかす = leaving to someone else. Kanji form is (まか)す. Probably like (たく)す.
  • 接合(せつごう) = joining
  • 顕微鏡(けんびきょう) = microscope. (けん) is manifestation.
  • ()どころ = point worthy of note. Full Kanji form is 見所(みどころ).
  • 腕前(うでまえ) = skills.
  • 通用(つうよう) = popular / passable
  • ぼかす = to keep in shade. Kanji form is (ぼか)す.
  • (うし)ろめたい = feeling guilty. Like, wanting to look back…
  • 切実(せつじつ) = fervent, like a desperate request.
  • 同義(どうぎ) = same meaning
  • (おちい)る = to fall into a feeling
  • 皆勤(かいきん) = perfect attendance
  • (だま)りこくる = to fall into silence
  • 不機嫌(ふきげん) = bad mood
  • くぐり()ける = to be able pass through / to survive. Full Kanji is (くぐ)()ける

SFX

  • ぐずぐず = slow, tardily
  • ぼやぼや = careless
  • くしゃくしゃ = disheveled (hair)

Phrases

  • 格好(かっこう)つける = to try to look good.
  • ならびに… = both … and … at once. Kanji form is (なら)びに
  • 口走(くちばし)る = to blurt out
  • さりとて = yet for all that
  • 途方(とほう)()れる = to be at lost. Living stuck in half way.
  • ()()えに = faintly. Intermittent, getting cut off now and then, and about to stop.
  • 準備万端(じゅんびばんたん) = fully prepared. 万端(ばんたん) = everything, to the very edge / extreme.
  • (くち)がきけない = being speechless. Unable to ask (()く), perhaps.

Forgotten ones

  • (うま)(ほね) = person of doubtful origin. The meaning changed from originally second-rate person.
  • 体面(たいめん) = prestige, reputation, dignity
  • 心強(こころづよ)い = reassuring. A very recent and new word in Wanikani.
  • 馴染(なじ)む = becoming intimate. Get soaked in getting used to.

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:tiger2: :books: The Tanuki Autumn Onsen :hotsprings: :raccoon:

20221209 - 吾輩は狸である progress: 91.49% :mountain:

They just keep talking.

:fallen_leaf: Japanese found under the leaves :fallen_leaf:

Meowords

餞別「せんべつ」ー Farewell gift


Replies

Yeah, the three volumes that make up this book do feel quite distinct. I think he had the formula down by volume two, volume three seems to drift a bit and volume one he still seems to be testing want he wants to do with this.

This last chapter though (so far) feels like he wanted to write something else, other than the recurring characters it feels pretty detached and meandering.

頑張って! :raccoon:

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:computer: Home :frog:

December 8

人間椅子 -

ジョジョの奇妙な冒険54
146 - 160

Almost forgot to update

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Oh for sure! I’m not toooo worried about these being too difficult to follow at my level (especially ones with the benefit of a book club), more just looking for a way to get my eyes used to reading more dense text without panicking a bit :sweat_smile:

Ah! I forgot about 魔女の宅急便 and 時をかける少女, I’ve seen movies of both of them and enjoyed them quite a bit (pacing issues in the later aside). I think I’d also added the 小川未明 collection to my wish-list after reading one here. I will check out the rest of these, though, thank you!

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9/12 3 pages おばちゃんたちのいるところ, 6 pages 夜カフェ, 6 pages Spy Family

Started tomorrow’s reading for Spy Family, otherwise trying to catch up with the other two.

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December 9th

:snowflake: :christmas_tree:Home post:christmas_tree::snowflake:

Card Captor Sakura volume 2 or Aria: the masterpiece volume 2 – progress report

Yesterday: Read up to page 208 of Aria: the masterpiece volume 2.
Today: Read up to page 230, finished chapter 16.

Coincidentally, I experienced this winter’s first snow today too, huh. :thinking:
All in all a cozy chapter and quite fitting for the winter season. The following two pages in particular were memorable for me…in more ways than one.

What a calm and entrancing scene, watching Akari, Alicia and president Aria being surrounded by all thos-- hEY, liSTEn!! HeY, LIstEn! HEy, lISteN!! HEY LISTEN!!

me: :frowning_with_open_mouth: :expressionless: :triumph: Shut up, Navi!

Good grief, while the panel was pleasant to look at, I immediately heard Navi’s annoying voice x30 in my mind because those winter bugs basically look like her when floating around.


Word or expression of the day:
温々 - (ぬくぬく) - snugly, cosily; warmly

Honourable mention(s):
玄米茶 - ( げんまいちゃ) - tea (with roasted rice)​
お洒落 - (おしゃれ) - smartly dressed, stylish, fashion-conscious

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:snowflake: :christmas_tree: December 9th :christmas_tree: :snowflake: (Home Post Link)

Read:

Finished ch 22 in the hotel room at like 1am now is sleep time

Good Words

NHK
専門家「せんもんか」ー expert, specialist
賞「しょう」ー prize, award
軽自動車「けいじどうしゃ」ー light vehicle, kei car
激しく「はげしく」ー violent, extreme (here, of 競争)

ホリミヤ
浮気「うわき」ー affair, infidelity
誤解 「ごかい」ー misunderstanding
理不尽「りふじん」ー unreasonable, outrageous

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December 9th!

Today I read the next chapter of Happiness, and the next chapter of Teasing Master Takagi-san.
Both were the penultimate chapters of the volume, so I’ll be finishing them both next week!

I planned to play some Pokemon today too, but the day kind of slipped away from me, and its already 10:30 somehow. :sweat_smile:
So I guess I’ll save it for tomorrow rather than trying to start while I’m already a little bit tired.

(Home Post)

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:books: 12月09日
うたわれるもの


Unrelated to reading, but surprisingly studying a couple prefectures everyday has rapidly become one of the highlights of my Japanese study that I look forward to the most. I only have half of Shikoku left and then it’s only Kyushu. Some of the flags are really cool, like Okayama’s which looks like the head of a mecha or something. I really like Shizuoka’s too.

After learning their locations I really want to learn a bit more about them, not super thoroughly yet but at least I’d like to have some partial knowledge about important cities, industries, cultural heritage, and so on. I’m not exactly sure where to learn about them in a way that doesn’t seem super daunting like straight reading Wikipedia, so if anyone has some suggestions (preferably in Japanese :stuck_out_tongue: ) I kindly welcome them! Or to be fair I should probably just try to read Wikipedia at this point… but damn is it daunting.

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Home post :bookmark:

:maple_leaf::fallen_leaf: Dec 9 :snowman_with_snow::christmas_tree:

・ 封印再度 (0% → 4%)

I read Saikawa & Moe vol. 5, nyehe that’s a win. Week two starts tomorrow (past midnight now, so technically later today), will try not to fall behind. I said I joined Hataraku Saibou book club, but I still haven’t started properly. I feel guilty for not keeping up to date, even Loopers book club I completely fell off in September or something ahhh. Can I handle Honzuki, S&M (nyehe) and Saibou at the same time? Let’s find out! oh, and I got a bit of studying done today too so yay! I’ll be responsible and go to sleep now :zzz:

Reply~

Yay thanks! 頑張る~! :raccoon:

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:computer: Home :frog:

December 9

人間椅子 -

ジョジョの奇妙な冒険54
161 - 192 (end)

Almost forgot to update. Fell asleep earlier than I expected. I’m hoping to read all the next volume today though

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I reached last year’s stopping point in 黄金仮面 and can happily report that while I’m still missing a little bit here and there* I’m keeping up with the story and feel in no way lost! :tada: Very exciting. I’ll probably read more of it tonight because I’m on a roll. 江戸川乱歩 is just such a delight to read :heart:

*it’s worth noting again that I’m reading this in paperback with an audiobook, not stopping for lookups. If I don’t know a word, whelp, embrace ambiguity and hope context sorts me out.

Might be too easy for you, but at least won’t be too hard! I imagine there are other books aimed at kids which are similar.

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Home

Today I just read 1 chapter of 君に届け, finishing vol 2.

Some vocab of note:

目ざわり [noun, な-adj.] eyesore; unpleasant sight
和解 (わかい) [noun, の-adj., する verb (自)] reconciliation

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Home Post

Day 30 Progress:
お隣の天使様 四冊 - 15.30% → 16.75%

Extremely nominal reading day today but I’ve decided to go to bed “early” for once.

Word of the Day: 玄室げんしつ - burial chamber. Another word unrelated to my reading today but I just find it funny that a place with such mystery and gravity as ‘burial chamber’ is simply ‘mysterious room’ in Japanese. Not the most bone-chilling word for sure.

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December 9 :maple_leaf: Home Post

Another day where I ended up doing other things and so didn’t start reading until late, so I just read a few pages of ブルーロック and now I’m very sleepy so I’m going to bed :joy:

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