For sure. I wish I had access to Bookoff and their 100 yen manga.
I want to go back to Japan…
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Conversely, I’m in the UK right now visitng friends and family for Christmas and I’m going to have to stop going to English bookshops as I’ve bought maybe about 20 books since I’ve been here…
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That’s weird, I checked Bookwalker just now and none of them were on sale. I guess the sale ended.
Yeah, it was only for one day (the 11th) for some reason. I thought about getting the rest of the series, but the 11th has ended in Japan so that decision has been made for me.
I’m dealing with the same issue. Back in Canada for the holidays and I may have brought an extra suitcase just for English books. . . Thank you JAL for your generous baggage policy!
(But this is a Japanese book rehab thread, so it’s fine, right?)
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Oooh, I got some at Mandarake a while back but I haven’t thought to browse Mercari… A nefarious idea indeed. But can confirm, having a bookoff nearby is truly a danger to the wallet (for evidence, feel free to see my earlier collection pictures XD)
Can confirm, the 11th has sadly given way to the 12th, and a brand new work morning - which likely means I’ll be earning more jailtime today, but I beg pardon because it’s to make a Christmas game for my students.
Keep at it, y’all!
Unfortunately, from my experience with the magazine, it’s all anime stuff (stuff like staff/voice actor interviews, concept art, articles about upcoming anime, TV guides and illustrations done for the magazine) and that one manga serialisation. There were a few ads for mecha stuff in the Dec. 2023 issue, though.
I always make it a point to spend my last day in Tokyo, filling up a duffel bag from a secondhand store with books and other goodies every time I go to Japan.
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Newtype has so little about the kits themselves? I must be thinking of a different one then because I want to read about building techniques. Ill have to properly look at the one I pick up when I stop by stores.
In other news though, my vacation will be starting tomorrow so while I might read a little, I will submit myself to jail for the duration. Happy Holidays and reading everyone.
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I haven’t been able to read much at all the past several days. I was working on finishing some Christmas presents for my brother and then the rest of my family had Thanksmas on Saturday. My mom went ahead and gave me Yotsubato 16 and the second Yomawari novel that I asked for. I’ll probably read Yotsubato at home in the evenings this week. I’ll be good and wait to start Yomawari until after I’ve finished one of the other novels I’m reading. 
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I think I enjoy reading novels more than I enjoy reading manga… I have been reading fushigi dagashiya and even though it’s above my level, I have less trouble just reading through sentences I don’t understand, since it doesn’t feel as important to understand everything. I guess in manga, there is only dialogue, and the dialogue holds enough importance that I get more frustrated when I don’t understand.
I have managed to keep reading on most days, partly because I finally made a Learn Natively account and seeing my page numbers go up makes brain go brrrr.
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Same. Often novels feel a lot easier simply because you have a lot more context as to what’s going on. With manga it feels like you’re piecing together fragments and hoping you get the whole picture. I’ve read a lot of manga now and I’d say a level 23 novel still feels easier than a level 23 manga.
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That makes a lot of sense!
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So… quick question. I know this is about books we own, but what about reading books we don’t own? Like, for example, instead of reading my own stuff, what if I read limited-time free Bookwalker manga? Is that book jail worthy? Probation?
If no dent is being made to the backlog, that feels like still jail to me. Though I may just feel guilty as I got 30 new books in today…
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saw this on the shelf at Kinokuniya a month ago and bought it bc i liked the artwork, not knowing anything else about it
now that the JLPT is over, I’m reading it and having an incredible time with it. I only need to look up 1-2 words at worst per page, if any. The story is hitting me in the kororo rn
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Defeats the purpose of the thread. You’re supposed to be working on your backlog. What you’re doing now is still over consumption. tsk tsk
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Aww… I knew it!
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Ah, I think in my case I find the drawings of the manga helpful for context - facial expressions for how to read a line, or things like in Conan they might show an illustration of the trick they’re explaining, etc. But I imagine it also varies a lot based on the specific series you’re reading, too.
Hmmm…it doesn’t really help the goal of the thread, buuuuuut it’s still reading practice…perhaps we call it community service? The community being your own Japanese skills, that is 
I mean. Gestures at my last bookoff run. You’re hardly alone on that one. 
Anyway, sorry for dropping off the map for a few days there, folks!
Sadly I have no good news for my reading progress because I have been way busier with the Christmas class I mentioned than I expected to be, like good lord where did my winter deskwarming time go??? And I have a trip coming up soon too, so the odds aren’t in my favor. BUT. Maybe I’ll have time to read in transit? We shall see.
And if I come back from my trip with more reading material…well. It’s a trip to comiket. So.
Good job to everyone who took the JLPT and got some reading done, and happy holidays y’all!
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Reads the first part of your comment: this person really understands the spirit of book jail!
Reads the second part: begins uncontrollably sobbing
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