Oh nice! What did you think of F&B 2?
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Oh oops, I read a chapter recently, but have to go back and write thoughts
Basically where I’m at (tho I’m caught up). Depending on my mood, I might read to the end, and just take notes on the respective sections, and post them during the appropriate weeks
Might need to send a feedback req to make it a series, if you haven’t already
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I liked it a lot! I had mixed feelings about volume 1; the pacing felt slow, there was too much set up, the characters didn’t feel very solid? Or unrealistic at times. But the premise is so cool! So I’m really glad volume 2 delivered for me. There was a lot of action packed into maybe 200 pages, but it also wasn’t lacking in character development and growth. I loved the scenes with the crew and Kaito slowly making his place there. 
And then the ending destroyed me. 
The only thing I’m torn on is continuing, at rather how to continue. I’m focusing my existing TBR and don’t want to add to it too much. 
But I am thinking about maybe picking up physical versions of this series. The cover art just gets so pretty.
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Finished ふちなしのかがみ | L29 - didn’t like it and struggled to find enthusiasm to read it, but it’s not necessarily a bad book.
Started 孤狼と月 (講談社文庫 た 95-14 フェンネル大陸偽王伝 1) | L32??. It’s a skinny book so was hoping to blast through it, but the prose is fairly dense and fantasyish so we’ll see.
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Yeah, that was my big regret with the F&B bookclub here: volume 1 is a good introductory volume, but it’s 100% setup, and all the good stuff starts getting going in volumes 2+. 
Oof, I feel you there. That’s a long (unfinished) series to add to the TBR. Do let me know if you continue, though; I’d love to hear your thoughts on further books!
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I finished 近畿地方のある場所について | L35 a couple of days ago.
I really enjoyed it, even though it didn’t feel thaaaat scary.
It follows the style of being a collage of “found” interviews/news articles/letters and so on. Like the other book of this style that I have read recently どこの家にも怖いものはいる | L32 (and by recently, I apparently mean one year ago) the more you know about the entity/entities, the more likely you are to attract their attention and you, the reader, will know too much about it by the end of the book, for which the author does apologies.
I personally considered 近畿地方のある場所について | L35 as a singular novel, despite being made of “independent” elements, and I would argue that it is the same here. However whoever added this book to Natively put it under “short story”, which seems very strange. Since you cannot read the content in any order (the last few chapters basically explaining “what happened”) and there’s a clear progression, I think that’s a mistake.
In fact, I am going to send feedbacks to get the type modified right now.
Edit: there’s also the “short story collection” tag If I remember how, I will remove it too.
Edit2: I don’t think I did it. Maybe it just takes time?
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Shows as a novel for me currently
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Huh, it still shows as short story for me. Weird.
(And the short story collection label is still here too)
Edit: ah, I copied the wrong link in my post, that’s why we talked past each other 
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I think only the person who added a tag can actually remove it, other persons can just change the percentage. Maybe a tag-moderator can do something, though.
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I am a tag moderator and have deleted tags in the past, but I forgot how. The moderator interface is a bit messy
I did delete something, but I think it was a user vote, not the tag… At the very least, it didn’t do anything.
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I’m primarily reading two books (well, listening to one) lately and they’re both Fine 
for my tastes, but maybe exactly what someone else is looking for.
怪談刑事 | L30?? feels like it’s an anime or maybe a cheesy drama in book form. The mysteries are all guessable - the author lines up all the clues for you to puzzle out and they really are doable - which is fun if not actually the type I like best. However the running gag is that the main character cop is incredibly opposed to the idea of anything supernatural but keeps being forced into situations with his daughter’s boyfriend who is a spooky story teller (as a job). This prospective son-in-law is incredibly deferential, brings him nice booze, seems to treat his daughter well, and earn good enough money but…he pays his bills as a 怪談師, which just won’t do.
I will say this book is probably going to land around ~L34 once I grade it if that influences opinions on wanting to read it. It’s nearly all vocab driving that, the grammar is normal.
The other book I’m listening to as it’s on Audiobook.jp’s 聞き放題 - 難問の多い料理店 | L30??. By the same author as #真相をお話しします | L35 which was very popular on booktube, I own and uh…just haven’t gotten around to reading I’m not that thrilled by this book (難問の多い) so far, though. I finished the first case and it was an interesting trick, I guess, but it felt a bit convoluted to me. Now on the second case everything feels so repetitive and I’m having trouble stopping myself from zoning out 
I’ll probably ride it out because the short case format tends to just work well for me in audiobook form even if I’m not super into the story because I have less time to lose important details by spacing out 
While the other book by this author has been graded L35, I think this one will land right around L30 for me. The writing style seems pretty plain overall (not bad, just a bit sparse).
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We’re currently staying in a book hostel, so of course the first thing I did was browse their collection. Lots of 赤川次郎, some 東野圭吾, a couple manga series I’d actually like to continue, some books and one short story collection by 江國香織… It was really difficult to chose, especially since I knew I only have limited time to read here.
In the end I settled on 1リットルの涙難病と闘い続ける少女亜也の日記 | L28, which I’ve been wanting to read since it was first nominated for a BC over on WK.
They had both the newer bunkobon release and the original A5 ish (shinsho size?) edition. I went for the latter. It’s really pretty, I love all the little illustrations and pictures in that one. 
The bunkobon has none of that.
Thematically, it’s really heavy! (As expected…) I’m about halfway through and I expect it to get even heavier from here on… But at the same time it’s also very smooth to read. I don’t think I could write such a coherent diary today, never mind in my teens. It’s a great read, and very interesting to see 亜也’s experiences from the inside like that. 10/10 would recommend.
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@Belerith wanna plan to start No. 6 on Monday? I know I said this week, apologies; things just didn’t quite line up for me. Did you want to put discussion in any particular thread, or just here?
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Don’t worry out it! To be honest, I didn’t even notice the week go by so fast. 
I’m going to see if I can find the physical book by Monday and if not I’ll read digitally. 
I don’t mind where we discuss. So if no one don’t mind if we take up a bit more space here, that works for me.
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Finished 声優ラジオのウラオモテ #06 夕陽とやすみは大きくなりたい? | L28 - somewhat expected, but it was my least favorite in the series so far. Wasn’t bad, just not my cup of tea, and not enough “there’s no straight explanation for this” moments. Still some of it was pretty unique, and I enjoyed seeing Mekuro be a helpful senpai, and also how Yumiko & Chika have a kind of settled “we can learn on each other” vibe to their relationship now. It looks like the next volume has more group idol stuff, so I’m not gonna read it anytime soon.
Picked up 薬屋のひとりごと 1 | L37 again, at 47%. There were a few “check the translation moments” (especially for name readings), but mostly fine. Kindle says I have 9 hrs left
I was wondering what was up with the cover, and enjoyed the author’s other work (夕凪マーブレット see below), so I gave it a try. It’s a college-aged love triangle that features the main character being homeless for a bit (the other 2 are college students) - which is pretty rare. Anyway very atypical protagonist, and curious to see where it goes
Read some assorted yuri (and left reviews on their respective pages):
- 夕凪マーブレット完全版 ガレットワークス | L24?? (2020) - this one was pretty interesting. Mysterious transfer student x girl trying to get her to open up. Also one where you get to see the couple together for a large portion of the story.
- 少女ホリック | L24?? (NSFW cover 2013) - writing was ok. I gave it an extra star bc you actually get to see the couple being a couple for much of the story. Not as ecchi as I expected from the cover. Characters are in middle school, but look & act like high school
- 閉じこめたいの ガールズポップコレクション | L24?? (2012) - 4 short stories. The first was an interesting “dream vs reality” setup. My favorite was the last one, which featured two adults who weren’t OL.
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I finished ひとり日和 | L30 yesterday; It’s an 芥川賞 Winner which is usually 50/50 for me. This time, I don’t actually have any strong feelings about it. The writing is good, the MC … Not necessarily relatable for me? But it’s one of those struggling to transition to adulthood type stories where you’re not supposed to like the MC, I think. But yeah. Didn’t hate it, didn’t like it. Low-key disappointing.
Today I started NO.6 〔ナンバーシックス〕 ♯2 | L31! Since I couldn’t find it in bookstores, I’m reading the digital version. (The digital 9 volume bundle is one sale for <3000¥ for 6 more days in case anyone else is interested. Amazon link here.)
I don’t like that these digital bundles make it so hard to accurately track your progress in a single book, but considering I couldn’t find them physically I couldn’t say no to that price.
thoughts so far
It starts pretty strong! I’ve only finished the first chapter so far so not much to say, but the writing sure is pretty. Seems like 紫苑 has a tough battle ahead if he wants to get ネズミ to open up. But those were some strong words… Not exactly surprised ネズミ isn’t taking them at face value. @eefara you read volume 1 recently, right? Remind me how old these two are please?
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Is it basically one giant Kindle book? All 9 are glued together, basically? Not sure I’m a fan of that; at least with a physical equivalent you can see the pages and have a better sense of where you are in the series, but I feel like that’s a lot more difficult with a giant Kindle book…
No. 6 vol 2 thoughts
I finished chapter 1 myself last night. 
And I definitely agree; seems like this is just a taste of how wildly different the worlds they grew up in are. I appreciated ネズミ’s assertion that they shouldn’t get too close to each other in case they have to kill each other one day. Like dang man, you’re already planning for that? And the scene at the end of the chapter where ネズミ tells 紫苑 not to open the door because it could be a soldier pretending to be a child… I appreciate the (unintended?) small horror vibes.
They should both be 16!
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Yep, exactly that. Each book is a ‘chapter’ you can jump to, at least. I’m not a fan either, but I knew what was coming. It’s the same with the S&M bundle I have. (Only one book left for that one 
)
no. 6 vol2, ch. 1&2
Thanks! Yeah I can see that. I was wondering because they’re so different, but feel same age-y from their interactions but 16 can be both a bit naive as well as way mistrusting.
That scene with the kids at their place was wild! Super glad he went outside to help. ネズミ’s comments how it might have been better if the kid had died made me so sad. He must have had it really rough. Wonder what his connection to that 婆さん was… I’m looking forward to how they play off each other.
I just finished chapter 2 and so far it seems like 紫苑 may just soften up ネズミ first, but who knows! I’m sure he’ll toughen up a little bit too. I loved the scenes with the hooker; ‘That one’s mine’ 
. I read 2 volumes of the manga before so a lot of this is somewhat familiar; I definitely prefer the novel! I love the introspective bits.
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No. 6, vol. 2 ch. 2
Wow, what a rollercoaster of a chapter. That walk into town got nasty real fast; props to 紫苑 so far for not just falling apart into a crying mess at the first sign of trouble. Or the second, or the third.
Yeah, it was really interesting to see ネズミ’s POV there. It’s cruel, but he has a point. And it’s interesting to compare it to him encouraging 紫苑 not to give up on life, too. Like you said,
I really enjoyed the scene near the end with 紫苑, having gotten harassed yet again, finds himself knocked to the ground and just appreciating how beautiful the sky is. It’s this kind of 天然 that’s his secret weapon, haha
Agreed!
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Gaaah, a bunch of stuff I want to read came out, but I’m reeaaaaally slow going through my 積読. I guess there’s a reason those books have been sitting in there forever.
I tried to get a short (200 pages) one to get in the groove, but it’s been about a week and I’m only 70 pages in. I just don’t feel like reading it I always end up starting to doom scroll on Youtube after 5 minutes…
I am actually reading more from the book clubs.
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