(2016-04-23, 12:23 am)SomeCallMeChris Wrote: OTOH, if your goal is to consume Japanese fictional media (novels, manga, movies, anime, and dramas) then the fiction volume is vastly preferable. It was for me a great bridge from beginner's material to 'real' material. Maybe I just went through it at exactly the right time, but still, I can't recommend it highly enough. I don't think any other single activity advanced my ability as much as going through that book. Mind you, I did add a ton of vocab to Anki from the book, listen to the CD repeatedly, and look up vocab points in the DoBJG. But as long as you're ready to devote the effort to going through it in an 'intensive reading' fashion, there are very few other resources that let you go as deep into the language in as short a time as that book. (Presumably both books.)
My true goal for learning Japanese is to consume media with the occasional convo (need friends first though lol xD ). I'm using the jlpt as a stepping stone/motivator because doing it on my own with my long term goal hasn't been working. It is easier to be self motivated when my goals seem more attainable so the jlpt is the way I'm going about it. I tried intensive reading Japanese Harry Potter during my first year of Japanese classes and burnt out. But now I'm trying to pace myself instead of jumping into novels asap like I did before.
The Read Real Japanese Books remind me of Breaking into Japanese Literature book. I was weary that I might not be ready for those types of reader books but then again maybe not. Thanks for the recommendation!