New day, new luck 
Today I finished 日本人の心がわかる日本語 | L24 which I put into the “language related” box, and I got my second bingo off of it 
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24 series across the year, most of them are around 1-6 volumes, with 4 series around 15 volumes, and one at 31. Total across the year would be 168, around 3 books per week which is do-able (about 6-10 hours of reading per week, possibly less - recently I’ve been doing 8-12 per week), and I do spend more time reading on holiday weeks.
Some of them I already know the rough story for as they are game based so shouldn’t be too much work. Some I can read alongside their anime and some I’ve read before but didn’t fully understand it at the time but now have several new volumes to read, or will have by the end of the year.
Also means if I can clear those off my TBR list, I can then focus on the novels the following year unless a new volume comes in. 
I forgot one of them is 22 volumes but I might leave that for after I’ve completed the other 24, since it hasn’t arrived yet. 
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read サイレント・ウィッチ 沈黙の魔女の隠しごと | L29
It was really tough but I enjoyed it
Not sure what I’m going to read next yet, that’s a decision for later this week. I’m considering ホームレス中学生 | L25 just so I have something a bit easier next.
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With barely 6 weeks left until the end of the year, it was time to update my bingo card and make a strategy to achieve at least one bingo 
. I allowed myself to move things around a little bit, and I could possibly achieve 3 if I finish 4 books. One of them is quite lengthy (550pages), so I don’t expect I’ll manage, but I might make it to 2 if I read somewhat consistently since I’ve already made some progress with 2 books (as displayed in the picture). I left the books I had planned in over the year, but they will obviously have to wait for 2026 ! I don’t know that I’ll make another bingo, but if I do, it will probably a mixed-language one with simple prompts based on language+genre+number (e.g korean sci-fi 1-4, dutch thriller 1-2, …). I might include a few handpicked prompts from the list if they match what I want to (challenge myself to) read.
Here we go (edit: fixed color coding):
New squares (4)
- Unusual genre to me: 나는 왜 아무것도 하기 싫을까 | L32?? I usually don’t read non-fiction, so I placed the book in that square when I read it last summer, although I did end up reading another one (see below). I didn’t quite find the answers I was looking for, but I did learn a few things. I actually listened to most of it with the RIDI AI voice when I was walking/in transit, and it was not that bad (the AI voice)! (probably 20 % read, 80% listened)
- 2nd volume of a series: 죽이고 싶은 아이 2 | L26 I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked how it dealt with difficult topics, and how it depicted real character growth. I felt like it struggled a bit more at times to make it work with the same structure as the first book. I think I have a hard time over all with YA books, but these 2 were somehow still compelling enough.
- Set outside of korea : 네버 라이 | L25 (current book club. the only comment I’ll make is that this book was absolutely terrible)
- Free : 독서의 뇌과학 | L32?? (non-fiction book about the neuroscience behind reading, although I feel that was barely half of the book. Very dumbed down, so it was nice to pick up vocab about research methods or the brain. Lots of repetition however, very diluted, and I felt quite frustrated at the end at how little information there was in so many pages and it often lacked enough details about the research mentioned to be convincing. I was reminded of why I don’t usually read non-fiction)
Past squares (6)
- Unknown premise: 뜻밖의 계절
- Past book club: 죽이고 싶은 아이
- Was rec’d to me: 전지적 독자 시점 PART 1 - 01
- Features cats: 악의 (a bit of a stretch…)
- One word title: 기억술사 1
- Science-fiction: 당신을 기다리고 있어
Plans for future squares chosen strategically for bingos (4)
- Someone else’s card: https://learnnatively.com/book/149eae7d79/
- Curious title: 양면의 조개껍데기 | L34??
- Seeking recommendation thread: https://learnnatively.com/book/5177c6bc53/
- Favorite color: 얼음나무 숲
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What do you mean 6 weeks 
Good luck with the bingos! And if Never Lie helps you get there, then it will all have been worth it 
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I feel like I’m cheating by reading short books, but I have 5 new bingo entries.
56 - 보라색 치마를 입은 여자. This was a recommendation from some online friends, and short. It was okay. Bizarre.
57 - 오빠 새끼 잡으러 간다 another short one with an interesting title. Turns out online friends had heard about it and were interested, so I had to read it. Another 3 star read. Very funny at times, but lacked impact for me.
58 - 오류가 발생했습니다. A bizarre sci-fi book I wrote a review for. Notable in that it went from 1 star at the beginning to 4 stars at the end in my mind. I bought 3 other books from the author. By finishing this book, I read 20,000 pages of books this year.
59 - 채식주의자. Awful. Would not recommend. But I was happy to find that I engaged with the book on a similar level to how I imagine Korean readers would. The prose was easy to read. This book marked 40,000 pages of Korean books read (lifetime stats) and my second 한강 book.
60 - 미래로 가는 사람들. First buddy read with Kelorae and the 3rd book in the Stellar Odyssey trilogy, the first installment of which was possibly my first full-length Korean book. Glad to have finally finished this series.
On the docket are 7년의 밤 (the final boss with 1000 unknown words), 명탐정의 규칙, and whatever random shit I decide to check out of the library.
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I was on a long haul flight on Saturday, and I was planning to read most of the time, and while thinking about what to read, I realized that I somehow didn’t feel like reading any of the books I had started, so why not crack open a new book instead? 
I chose 犬のかたちをしているもの | L30?? because it is short, I like the author and because I was vaguely hoping I could maybe use it in an animal-related bingo box, but it turns out that it has not really much to do with animals 
So I had no chance but put it in the “Unknown Premise” box
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#21 Has a tanuki character: 雨と君と 3 | L17
#22 Multiple contributors / read a damaged book: 時間割男子 2 消えないで、カンジくん! | L22
I just made up the prompt “read a damaged book” to commemorate this poor book, which I basically let marinate inside a waterproof bag with a full bottle of water whose top came off. It will never be the same, but I dried it, read it, and enjoyed it anyway. 
previous squares
Free square: https://learnnatively.com/book/ec2670e452/
#1 Read a book and watch the adaptation/Join a book club: https://learnnatively.com/book/bb278b5a56/
#2 Cover is primarily composed of your favorite color / From someone else’s board: https://learnnatively.com/book/2792b72a29/
#3 Workplace setting / Character speaks a dialect: https://learnnatively.com/book/8e0ac3c1c3/
#4 Reread: 気になってる人が男じゃなかった | L24
#5 Non-human protagonist: しろくまカフェbis 2 | L21
#6 Second in a series: 気になってる人が男じゃなかった VOL.2 | L24
#7 Shiritori title (Hitoribochinomarumaruseikatsu → Tsuredzurebiyori) / Went in without knowing the premise: 徒然日和 1 | L19
#8 Main character with a disability: ゆびさきと恋々 4 | L19
#9 Has a cat character: サイレント・ウィッチ 沈黙の魔女の隠しごと | L30
#10 Curious title: 時間割男子 1 わたしのテストは命がけ! | L22
#11 Bad Cover: ゆびさきと恋々 5 | L19
#12 Finished* in one day: 齋藤孝のイッキによめる! 名作選小学1年生 新装版 | L23
#13 Has Vampires / No ratings, no reviews: 霧島くんは普通じゃない ~転校生はヴァンパイア!?~ | L22
#14 Set in a country that is not where the book’s language is spoken: 木曜日にはココアを | L28
#15 A book someone else thought I would like / Flower or plant name in the title: あさがおと加瀬さん。 | L19
#16 Highest series volume number: 舞妓さんちのまかないさん 16 | L25
#17 Keep hearing about / Award runner-up: 自転車屋さんの高橋くん 1 | L24
#18 Learned something / New-to-me Setting: 乙嫁語り 1 | L23
#19 Finish a book you gave up on before / Read a book in a different format from usual / Read a book you got for free: 花野井くんと恋の病 2 | L19
#20 Has a dog character: あしょんでよッ ~うちの犬ログ~ 1 (MFC ジーンピクシブシリーズ) | L15
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New square ! I finally finished 용의자 X의 헌신 | L31 . I started it a whiiiile back, but I got stuck about 1/3 of the way through. After starting with a bang, it got really slow, I was getting bored and as I was reading multiple books, it ended up being left unattended for way too long. Fortunately, the pace picked up again maybe around 2/3 of the book, and wow, does it hit harder and harder as it draws to an end. All that referencing and comparing to solving math/physics problems was brilliant and so satisfying (having a background in STEM probably had something to do with it). I had such a hard time with the Japanese proper nouns though (people and locations). I finally got used to Korean names just to get hit with Japanese ones reading translation works lol.
Next up, catching up with the sci-fi book club 양면의 조개껍데기 | L34?? . And once I do, I’ll probably start 얼음나무 숲 first to take a full break from translations for a bit.
New square (1)
- Someone else’s card: 용의자 X의 헌신 | L31
Past squares (10)
- Unknown premise: 뜻밖의 계절
- Past book club: 죽이고 싶은 아이
- Was rec’d to me: 전지적 독자 시점 PART 1 - 01
- Features cats: 악의 (a bit of a stretch…)
- One word title: 기억술사 1
- Science-fiction: 당신을 기다리고 있어
- Unusual genre to me: 나는 왜 아무것도 하기 싫을까 | L32??
- 2nd volume of a series: 죽이고 싶은 아이 2 | L25
- Set outside of korea : 네버 라이 | L26
- Free : 독서의 뇌과학 | L32??
Plans for future squares chosen strategically for bingos (3)
- Curious title: 양면의 조개껍데기 | L34??
- Seeking recommendation thread: 이상한 그림 | L29
- Favorite color: 얼음나무 숲
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Managed to fill another square of my Bingo!
The new entry, for the “10 ratings” square, is:
I started this manga with the Yuri Book Club. It can’t be denied that it has a bit of a bumpy start, not exactly due to a lack of events happening or story progress, but (as most of us reading in the club agreed, I think) basically because the two main characters are not particularly interesting or likeable.
The strong point of this manga is that it’s a lot more realistic, not only from the point of view of a lesbian relationship, but romantic relationships in general, than most other manga. In a largely uncommon twist, the story pretty much starts with the two main characters dating almost right-off the bat.
This skips the usual drama revolving around falling in love, getting to know each other, getting closer and eventually a (successful?) confession - after which most mangas end. While I feel that “usual” romantic cycle is nice and I enjoy it a lot, it does feel a bit more poetic than what reality tends to offer.
Here, the main characters start dating right away, not only from the point of view of the manga, but in general: they have not even met long ago. As expected from two people that don’t know each other very well, and start dating kind of in a whim, things don’t go very well.
Slowly, but surely, the manga’s strong points start to shine at this point. It does a really good job of portraying how the characters have different expectations, desires, and ideas about a relationship, very often contradictory and incompatible, and how they face the inevitable clashes.
I really enjoyed how the manga presents a lot of questions that are eventually going to pop up in any relationship, without trying to sound like a dating-advice book. Many times, the answers the characters come up with are vague and ambiguous, just like in the real world.
Since these characters are college students, the manga also touches on more intimate subjects, and how they can affect a relationship, and it does it in a mostly tasteful and believable way, in my opinion.
It also shows some aspects particular to Lesbian (or homosexual in general) relationships, and how each of our characters try to deal with how society sees and treats them.
I’d say that around volume 4 or 5, as a reader I started caring a lot more about the main characters. The manga does a great job of actually showing these characters mature. While even at the end I can’t say I found the two main characters the most interesting ones I’ve seen, I grew fond of them.
On the other hand, later in the series a few more characters are introduced that I really liked and I hoped they had had more screen time (page time?). While secondary, these two characters eventually provide key developments in the story, they were really fun, and added more perspective to the story than just the point of view of the main ones.
In the art department, I feel it was okay, not particular outstanding, but overall very decent and competent. One thing I really liked is that this characters have very dynamic outfits, just like a college student would: they wear different clothes, change hair cuts, get their hair dyed several times, and so on. This was very refreshing compared to the usual 90%-of-scenes-are-in-school-uniform we see in most manga.
One other particular aspect that I enjoyed was how much the mangaka emphasized canine teeth, to the point some facial expressions seemed very vampire-y 
With 14 volumes, this was one long ride. I only have December left and I didn’t get a bingo yet
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The second image could, due to the perspective from below for the upper set of teeth, actually show the two retreating lines of molars of both sides, instead of canines. But what they really are depends on the mood of the character.
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It’s been a little while, but an update from me
Book + Adaptation - 深夜特急1 ー 香港・マカオ〈文字拡大増補新版〉 | L31
I finished this a couple of months ago, and realised there was a 3-part dramatisation of the 6 novels, so I watched the first one, which covered the first two books.
It was okaaay, probably wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend, but it got me another bingo!
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I got my second bingo 
new entries:
- November update
- No ratings - ハルタ 2020-DECEMBER volume 80 | L31
- Title includes a number - 生き残った6人によると | L26??
- 2nd volume of series - 駅のふしぎな伝言板 ものだま探偵団 | L25
I think I can eek out another 2 bingos at least before the end of the year, maybe 3 if I put my mind to it.
Previous squares
- January:
- Category: Read a book and its adaptation
- I read シャドーハウス Vol 1 (Shadows House) and watched the first 2 anime episodes that perfectly cover Volume 1. It was great - definitely recommend!
- 昴とスーさん 1巻 | L22 Category: unusual genre for me. I’ve never read a slice of life manga, and this also has other elements I don’t want to spoil that I’ve not approached yet. I left the first review if anyone is interested, I definitely recommend.
- しろくまカフェbis 3 | L19 Category: favorite color cover (I love green and blue!). The cute world of panda, polar bear, and penguin can always brighten my day
- Category: Read a book and its adaptation
- February:
- Set outside Japan: たったひとりのサバイバル・ゲーム! 極寒の雪山を脱出せよ | L21
- Anything / free spot: SLAM DUNK 3 | L23
- New Natively level: ドラえもん一年生 学年別ドラえもん名作選 | L16
- One word title: ハルタ 2020-AUGUST volume 77 | L31
- March update:
- Non-human protagonist: 葬送のフリーレン 4 | L25
- April:
- Recommended to me: ふしぎな声のする町で: ものだま探偵団 | L25
- This is a great read if you like cozy mystery. I really enjoy this author and have already ordered the next book in this series.
- May update - first bingo!
- Features cats: ふしぎ駄菓子屋 銭天堂6 | L23
- Character with a disability: アンリの靴 第1巻 | L24 (love this!)
- Science fiction: ドラえもん 45 | L20 (yes, that is the last of the series, no I did not read them all )
- Unknown premise: ライカの星 | L24 (another great one)
- July update
- Keep hearing about it: 木曜日にはココアを | L28
- September update
- Retired age character: ふしぎ駄菓子屋 銭天堂7 | L23 (despite acting like an 8 yo, the MC of one chapter is retired)
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Long-haul flights (and long waiting times at the airport) work wonders for my book-finishing abilities
Finished https://learnnatively.com/book/1f0db9bf3f/ after what felt like a million years and put it into the “Was rec’d to me” box because @eefara pestered me for ages about continuing it - please forgive me for the slight stretch
Also finished 本の読み方 スロー・リーディングの実践 | L36 and put it into the “New topic to me” box
Last not least, I moved 数奇にして模型 NUMERICAL MODELS | L32 to the box “Title contains number” - to be fair, the title doesn’t contain “number” but only “numerical”, but that is nothing else than number的, so I stretch it again and make it count 
Altogether this gives me my 3rd bingo!
In total: 7 books and 9 bingos to go! Let’s see how far I can get in the remaining month
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…and did your newly read topic convince you to follow their method?
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Woohoo! 
Congratulations, it has been a while! Did you enjoy it?
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I read ホームレス中学生 | L25 . I really liked the first half of the book but disliked the latter half.
If I consume an adaption of Konosuba and read something rejected by a bookclub I can get 2 more bingo’s which would be nice. I have a few options for the bookclub one. I am feeling a bit of reading burnout because reading in Japanese still takes a lot of effort from me. But I still got plenty of time till the year ends so I can just take it a bit easier 
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Finally get to fill another square, after trudging through this book since the end of July 
O3, Has cats: 天才ネコモーリスとその仲間たち | L30?? ‘The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents’, and 3 bonus stars 
for being the first to rate, grade, and review on Natively.
I’ve covetted this translation since I started reading in Japanese and learned that it existed (I was a huge Pratchett fan growing up), and my best friend found me a copy for my birthday. The translation is, unfortunately… bad. In completely understandable ways, when you look at the English version and think about how a Japanese native could misinterpret it, but it’s still a huge shame that the original was not done justice.
While I’m not a believer in the conventional wisdom that translated books use unnatural language and are bad tools for learning – if there’s ever a book that would apply to, it’s this one. The translator was clearly struggling throughout to be faithful to the original while having no clue what many of the British-isms and Pratchett-isms meant, resulting in a disjointed cadence and some complete non-sequiturs that make it hard to focus on what’s going on. Reading the English and Japanese editions side-by-side was a very enlightening experience, though, and for those who do read it, I recommend doing it that way; it was very interesting comparing passages that were awkward or difficult to understand in Japanese with the original, and getting a sense of the translator’s process.
At one point in the translation, Maurice interrupts himself when talking about how he kills his prey to say “And all she left behind was a memo” (the English says “That’s all she wrote”). At another a rat announces “This mousetrap has a fastener!”, causing the rat next to him to faint (the English has him yell “SNAP”, pretending to be caught). “A talking cat? Been there, done that, bought the singlet” became “Not only can the cat talk, he can also buy running shirts”. So many examples of phrases that were clumsily-translated and take you out of the story… but as points of analysis, they actually had a lot of entertainment value. I enjoyed reading it, just not for the reasons I was hoping to.
–
4 weeks left to get myself a bingo 
Let’s see if I can cram enough random mangas to get there.
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Yey I got a bingo~
My newest entry, for the “Disaster” slot, is:
Yuri manga series where a major disaster is a big plot element seem to be uncommon. I feel lucky to have managed to find this one which was also quite short (only 2 volumes).
The description for the series and the genres in anilist seem to imply this is a comedy. While I agree some parts seem to lean that way, I didn’t find it particularly funny - mostly because the “jokes” rely on one of the main characters being an over-the-top Yandere.
The very short length of the series also didn’t help that much with character development, though at least it’s not completely absent.
There’s one thing I did enjoy quite a bit. The story takes a very interesting turn around 66% into it. Without spoiling things, the two main characters are forced to face what the disaster means to them.
I felt the author nailed this part and actually provided a special and interesting development that is very uncommon in the usually stories involving disasters or post-apocalyptic themes.
Maybe I can get one more bingo if I find a short revenge-related Yuri series somewhere!
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Your yuri square always makes me so happy. Maybe I’ll do w Yuri bingo next year
It took me a sec to realize you meant a natural disaster, and not like a disaster lesbian/MC Anyway interesting series, I haven’t heard of that one before
Now you’ve really piqued my interest
Black and white?
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