# Absolute Beginner Book Club **URL:** \ **Category:** Book Clubs\ **Created:** [September 30, 2024, 7:13am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680 "2024-09-30T07:13:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 7:13am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/1 "2024-09-30T07:13:06Z")
## Welcome to the Absolute Beginner Book Club! ### Nominations & Suggestions | Cover | Title | Level | Status | Links | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ![By Pixels](https://do4ryrayvtpwi.cloudfront.net/original/3X/e/5/e565fabb2990cec78755c840f5db02d647fff3da.jpeg) | [하얀 밤의 고양이 | L15](https://learnnatively.com/book/508a890214/) | 15 | Finished | [🏠](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/home-thread-for-week-3-absolute-beginner-book-club/19950) | | ![By Pixels](https://do4ryrayvtpwi.cloudfront.net/original/2X/5/56328df13f644f926466090f483ccb1d8ca32aa2.jpeg) | [요츠바랑! 1 | L15](https://learnnatively.com/book/07230d7a12/) | 16 | Finished | [🏠](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/homethread/12081) | | ![By Pixels](https://do4ryrayvtpwi.cloudfront.net/original/2X/8/86b8ccbcae554782d9bcc0463f072d83100dfe34.jpeg) | [도라에몽 1 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/b0d44e94d1/) | 9 | Nominated | — | | ![By Pixels](https://do4ryrayvtpwi.cloudfront.net/original/2X/0/04a5416db84a1a44e301080f56991913bf45f529.jpeg) | [치즈 스위트 홈 01권 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/74256d1a0b/) | 8 | Nominated | — | ### Timeline - 1 week for nominating any book we are interested in reading - 1 week for voting on which book to read - 1 week to acquire the book - And then we read!! We’ll figure out the schedule depending on the book. ### Nomination ground rules because i feel like we need some, but please let me know if you want to remove / add anything: - Books levels 15 and down - No graded readers?? Please let me know how you feel about this. - Everyone is welcome to join, even if your reading level is much higher and you just want a chill read. It would also be fun, if we end up deciding on a book that has been translated into another language, to have learners from other languages join, like the Korean in Translation book club. ### Nomination Template Simply copy and paste the below text (not quote) into a reply to nominate. ```auto **Book** : Put a Natively link here! **Genre** : provide genre if it's clearly stated (mystery/horror/sf/etc), otherwise "general fiction" is fine, or leave blank **Length** : number of pages, and number of volumes if applicable **Is there an ebook available?** : yes or no (buying options are visible on the Natively book page) [details="Summary - Korean"] you can copy/paste this from wherever you'd like. Please have it in a drop down like shown. [/details] [details="Summary - English"] Optional! Chuck the above summary into DeepL, Google Translate, or the like. Or remove this section. [/details] [details="Content warnings if known"] You can't be expected to know all the content of a book you haven't read yet, but if you know it deals with specific heavy topics, or the author is known for doing so, please include it here. [/details] **Why are you nominating this book:** This section is optional, but it's nice to know why someone else is interested in reading a book, and might sway others to vote for it! ``` ### Discussion ground rules I am copying this straight from the [Japanese Mystery Novel Book Club](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/mystery-novel-book-club-reading/804) because I feel like the same rules should apply, thank you @cat for the template!!) - Spoilers behind spoiler tags - Always mention where you are in the book when discussing, ideally by chapter so people reading different versions have a clear point of reference. - Feel free to read ahead if it’s exciting! But please refrain from spoiling ahead of the appropriate week 🙂 - If you have a question about grammar, vocab, cultural things, etc - ask! That can be part of the discussion too and I’m sure some folks would be happy to help. ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 7:29am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/2 "2024-09-30T07:29:59Z")
So here we go: It took me an embarassing amout of time to realise that 요츠바랑 is actually Yotsuba to; which I have heard about in the wanikani forums since the beginner japanese learners seem to be really into it. And it does seem interesting, and approachable!! So, even though it is not a native Korean book, I think it could be a fun read for an Absolute Beginner Book Club. > **[요츠바랑! 1 | L15](https://learnnatively.com/book/07230d7a12/)** > > Book, Difficulty: Level 15 (Lower Intermediate, ~TOPIK 3) ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2024, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/3 "2024-10-03T07:34:20Z")
Just a reminder that nominations are still very much open 😁 So far we have 1: my own, so the voting will be cut real short, and I’ll get to feel like a despot, a dangerous thing for my ego. Proceed with caution 😈 ---
**Author:** ![eefara](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/eefara/32/85_2.png) [@eefara](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/eefara)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/4 "2024-10-03T16:37:45Z")
Might be helpful to tag the people who marked themselves as interesting/maybe interested [in your original poll](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/poll-korean-book-clubs/4275/47), just to make sure they see your post. ---
**Author:** ![caramelcrunch](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/caramelcrunch/32/14484_2.png) [@caramelcrunch](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/caramelcrunch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 2:41am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/5 "2024-10-04T02:41:29Z")
here is my nomination! i made a typo when first checking its level on natively and stressed myself out whilst trying to determine the level based on the preview on ridi 😆. thankfully i checked again and discovered that it is in the under 15 range! > **[도라에몽 1 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/b0d44e94d1/)** > > Book, Difficulty: Level 9 (Upper Beginner, ~TOPIK 2) ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 6:43am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/6 "2024-10-08T06:43:05Z")
whoops, so yesterday got a bit busier that I would have thought, and I didn’t have time to set up the voting. Here goes! _Poll ([view on site](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/6))_ (this is showing up weird in the preview, i hope the formatting comes out right) I was hesitant to tag people, but since it has been suggested I’m assuming it’s fine 😁 @ana-lu @caramelcrunch @bungakushoujo @NihongoLearner19 if you’re still interested feel free to cast your vote!! ---
**Author:** ![bungakushoujo](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bungakushoujo/32/24027_2.png) [@bungakushoujo](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bungakushoujo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/7 "2024-10-09T03:01:50Z")
I voted but don’t let me be the tie breaker if it ends up that way since I’m not sure yet if I’d join in…but I’m available for language questions and help! ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 7:26am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/8 "2024-10-10T07:26:14Z")
It seems we’re picking up new people along the way that’s great!! A few more days to go and we’ll get to buying / borrowing 😊 ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/9 "2024-10-14T13:36:52Z")
It’s a tie! I’m not sure what to do, I voted but could really go either way. I guess since @bungakushoujo didn’t want to be a tie-breaker, we’re going with 요츠바랑?? And we start reading on Monday 21st? I’ll try to buy it asap and work out a reading schedule. If anyone has any idea of the size of the chapters, or how to divide the readings, please share with the class, I’m going in completely blind 😅 I guess it also depends how long we want to spend on it… So many variables, so little time to think on it! I’ll report back once I have the book and can see how much text there is on each page. ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/10 "2024-10-14T15:44:11Z")
sorry about that false alarm, i hit reply before actually finishing the post So, i got the book, and it runs up to 228 pages (the ebook that is). I worked out a few different reading schedules: I don’t think we can do 1 chapter a week, as some chapters, especially the earlier ones, are quite long. So i’m thinking, if we do it in 10 weeks, averaging a little over 20 pages per week, we would finish just in time for 2025! That timeframe scratches a very nice itch in my brain, but I completely understand if 20 pages is still much for an absolute beginner book club. It would also cut the reading at random points. Another way is to do 1 chapter every 2 weeks. So here are the options: ### option 1: speed | Chapter | Pages | Start Date | End date | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 48 | 21/10 | 27/10 | | 2 | 38 | 28/10 | 3/11 | | 3 | 28 | 4/11 | 10/11 | | 4 | 26 | 11/11 | 17/11 | | 5 | 30 | 18/11 | 24/11 | | 6 | 32 | 25/11 | 1/12 | | 7 | 20 | 2/12 | 8/12 | ### option 2: 2025 | Chapter | Pages | Start Date | End date | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 24 | 21/10 | 27/10 | | 1 | 24 | 28/10 | 3/11 | | 2 | 19 | 4/11 | 10/11 | | 2 | 19 | 11/11 | 17/11 | | 3 | 28 | 18/11 | 24/11 | | 4 | 20 | 25/11 | 1/12 | | 4-5 | 22 (6+16) | 2/12 | 8/12 | | 5-6 | 24 (14+10) | 9/12 | 15/12 | | 6 | 22 | 16/12 | 22/12 | | 7 | 20 | 23/12 | 29/12 | ### option 3: 1 chapter-2 weeks | Chapter | Pages | Start Date | End date | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 24 | 21/10 | 27/10 | | 1 | 24 | 28/10 | 3/11 | | 2 | 19 | 4/11 | 10/11 | | 2 | 19 | 11/11 | 17/11 | | 3 | 14 | 18/11 | 24/11 | | 3 | 14 | 25/11 | 1/12 | | 4 | 13 | 2/12 | 8/12 | | 4 | 13 | 9/12 | 15/12 | | 5 | 15 | 16/12 | 22/12 | | 5 | 15 | 23/12 | 29/12 | | 6 | 16 | 30/12 | 05/01 | | 6 | 16 | 06/01 | 12/01 | | 7 | 10 | 13/01 | 19/01 | | 7 | 10 | 20/01 | 26/01 | Another option is allowing everyone to read at the speed they prefer, making sure to mention the page number when posting in the home thread. Final poll (I hope!): _Poll ([view on site](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/10))_ ---
**Author:** ![bibliothecary](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bibliothecary/32/2723_2.png) [@bibliothecary](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bibliothecary)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/11 "2024-10-14T16:26:05Z")
Since I’m not a beginner, I’ll refrain from voting. 😅 Just thought I’d note that the manga retains the Japanese right-to-left reading direction - I just got the first volume from Ridi and that already threw me off! 😆 Also, if you’re not sure whether you want to join, there’s a free 28-page preview you can look at to get an idea of the language level (you might need to log in to view): > **[\[체험판\] 요츠바랑! 1권](https://ridibooks.com/books/111012566/view)** > > 다섯 살 꼬마 요츠바와 함께하면 평범한 하루도 특별하게 변한다! 아빠와 함께 사는 꼬마 요츠바는 새로 이사온 마을에서 옆집에 사는 아사기, 후카, 에나 세 자매와 친구가 된다. 요츠바의 아버지 코이와이와 그의 친구 점보, 후배 얀다 등 요츠바를 중심으로 다양한 연령대의 사람들이 만나면서 벌어지는 일상의 이야기. ⓒ KIYOHIKO AZUMA/YOTUBA S... ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/12 "2024-10-21T12:04:02Z")
And so I shall become a tyrant 🙆‍♀️ [I created the thread for the actual reading](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/homethread/12081). I’m not 100% sure I know the difference between a regular book club and an informal book club, but I’ll just open the one thread, and everyone reading along can comment there. 1 a week seems excessive. Happy reading!! ---
**Author:** ![bibliothecary](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bibliothecary/32/2723_2.png) [@bibliothecary](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bibliothecary)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 6:16pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/13 "2024-10-25T18:16:20Z")
Suggestion for a future read (available from ridibooks): > **[bibliothecary's review of 치즈 스위트 홈 01권](https://learnnatively.com/review/784fe2c8a0/)** > > Recommended to all! - Overall: 5/5, Language Learning: 5/5, Entertainment: 5/5 I wouldn’t put too much trust in the level as it seems a bit low atm, but it’s easier than Yotsuba and it’s definitely a good choice for beginners! ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/14 "2024-10-25T20:14:52Z")
Thank you, that’s great! I’ll edit the first post tomorrow to keep track of all suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![bibliothecary](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bibliothecary/32/2723_2.png) [@bibliothecary](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bibliothecary)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/15 "2026-01-31T15:51:02Z")
Anyone interested in resurrecting the club? I’ve not been using Korean for a year, so I’d be happy to join in with easier books. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/16 "2026-01-31T16:14:21Z")
Yes! I’d be up for an easy and/or a short book, and I have a few in mind ☺ ---
**Author:** ![brandon](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/brandon/32/24147_2.png) [@brandon](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/brandon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/17 "2026-01-31T16:17:23Z")
I will join too! I’ve been reading too much harry potter 😆 ---
**Author:** ![bibliothecary](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bibliothecary/32/2723_2.png) [@bibliothecary](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bibliothecary)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/18 "2026-01-31T16:37:52Z")
Excellent! 😃 I guess just start posting nominations, then. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![monace](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/monace/32/13376_2.png) [@monace](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/monace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/19 "2026-01-31T20:35:27Z")
I cleaned up the homethread a bit and added the nomination template. We already have 2 past nominations: [도라에몽 1 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/b0d44e94d1/) and [치즈 스위트 홈 01권 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/74256d1a0b/) , should they be included this time? * * * Here’s mine for this round: > **[하얀 밤의 고양이 | L15](https://learnnatively.com/book/508a890214/)** > > Book, Difficulty: Level 15 (Lower Intermediate, ~TOPIK 3) **Genre** : children’s book **Length** : 80 pages **Is there an ebook available?** : Yes > **Summary - Korean** > > “너는 서리처럼 작고 눈처럼 부드러워. 겨울이 추워질수록 얼음처럼 단단해질 거야. 햇빛이 너를 비추면 다이아몬드처럼 빛나겠지.” 고양이와 그림책이 외로운 아이들에게 건네는 따스한 위로의 선물! 작은 월셋집으로 이사 오면서 아연이는 많은 것을 잃었다. 아빠는 집을 나가 어딘가를 떠돌고, 엄마는 물류 센터 야간 근무로 늘 피곤에 찌들어 있고, 좋아하는 그림책은 집에 둘 자리가 없어 버리고 왔다. 마음 둘 곳 없던 아연이는 어느 날 그림책이 빼곡 꽂힌 아파트 작은 도서관에 발을 들이면서 비로소 안식처를 찾는다. ‘내 방’처럼 몰래 드나들던 작은 도서관에서 어느 추운 밤 눈부시게 하얀 고양이를 만나는데……. 따스한 글과 그림으로 외로운 아이의 마음을 가만가만 도닥여 주는 아름다운 그림책! > **Summary - English** > > “You are small as frost and soft as snow. As the winter grows colder, you will become hard as ice. When the sun shines on you, you’ll shine like a diamond.” A cat and a picture book bring comfort to lonely children! When they moved to the little Walsett house, Zinzhi lost a lot of things. His father has left home to wander the world, his mother is always tired from her night shift at the warehouse, and his favorite picture books have no place in the house. With nowhere to turn, Zhenyi finds sanctuary in the apartment’s small library, which is lined with picture books. In the small library, which he sneaks in and out of as if it were his own room, he meets a dazzling white cat one cold night. … A beautifully illustrated book that will warm the heart of a lonely child with its heartwarming words and pictures! **Why are you nominating this book:** It is short enough that I think I’d be approachable to beginners (or anyone starting to read native content), even though it is a prose book. The story seems heartwarming, and looking at the preview on Yes24 I really like the art style as well. ---
**Author:** ![bibliothecary](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/bibliothecary/32/2723_2.png) [@bibliothecary](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/bibliothecary)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680/20 "2026-01-31T20:59:47Z")
> [@monace](#): > > We already have 2 past nominations: [도라에몽 1 | L9](https://learnnatively.com/book/b0d44e94d1/) and [치즈 스위트 홈 01권 | L8](https://learnnatively.com/book/74256d1a0b/) , should they be included this time? I don’t see why not. 🙂 [Next page](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/absolute-beginner-book-club/11680.md?page=2)