What are you currently reading?

Index » 喫茶店 (Koohii Lounge)

 
Reply #1 - 2011 July 15, 8:06 pm
TheVinster
Member
From: Illinois
Registered: 2009-07-15
Posts: 859

Wasn't sure whether to restrict it to only Japanese books or not, but I guess it might get some sort of action if the language is not a factor. Could give us some new ideas on what's interesting or good. Have not seen a similar thread on these forums, and for the sake of my reputation I hope this doesn't currently exist, lest you all hate me. For the record, it doesn't have to be just books.

So yesterday I bought the Japanese version of the Magic Tree House series, as you might know from when we were kids. Or at least that I remember. So it's appropriately called マジック・ツリーハウス and this is book #24:「ダ・ビンチ空を飛ぶ」. The main characters are still Jack and Annie, and it of course has the theme of traveling to different time periods and locations.

Very beginner friendly with furigana for all of the kanji. Sure I'm only on page 3, but it's the first book I bought and really want to put effort into. I've been studying Japanese for about 2 years and haven't really gotten anywhere! I NEED PROGRESS!

Reply #2 - 2011 July 15, 8:14 pm
jettyke
Member
Registered: 2008-04-07
Posts: 1192

東野圭吾「予知夢」
ひがしのけいご 「よちむ」
http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/201012/07/12/e0192512_18302619.jpg

and

Breaking into Japanese Literature
http://www.kangakanga.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/breaking-into-japanese-literature-giles-murray.jpg

Reply #3 - 2011 July 15, 8:46 pm
gibosi
Member
Registered: 2006-09-01
Posts: 112

キッチン・吉本ばなな

My first book.  Almost finished! smile

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Reply #4 - 2011 July 15, 8:54 pm
jettyke
Member
Registered: 2008-04-07
Posts: 1192

gibosi wrote:

キッチン・吉本ばなな

My first book.  Almost finished! smile

I've read it. Was good.

Reply #5 - 2011 July 15, 9:27 pm
wccrawford
Member
From: FL US
Registered: 2008-03-28
Posts: 1548

The manga, Deadman Wonderland.

After I finish that, I might go back to the second book of the 魔女館へようこそ series, or I might start the キノの旅 series.

Reply #6 - 2011 July 15, 9:36 pm
Jarvik7
Member
From: 名古屋
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 3940

Samurai Champloo and Inuyasha

..light easy stuff for a train or plane

Reply #7 - 2011 July 15, 10:20 pm
nadiatims
Member
From: hiroshima
Registered: 2008-01-10
Posts: 1566

I'm reading フラグメント超進化生物の島
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6174I-pXtdL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

It was recommended by Hideo Kojima in his podcast

Reply #8 - 2011 July 15, 10:29 pm
Es2Kay
Member
From: Israel
Registered: 2011-02-06
Posts: 82

http://uploadpic.org/storage/2011/NPo6lXVYVLP9vSbeLONydd04.jpg

筒井康隆(つついやすたか) 「時をかける少女」

Last edited by Es2Kay (2011 July 15, 10:29 pm)

Reply #9 - 2011 July 15, 10:45 pm
deign
Member
From: Paris
Registered: 2010-02-17
Posts: 31

I like to play to the visual novels (PSP or computer), it's like books but with sound and background.

I am currently reading Clannad.

Reply #10 - 2011 July 15, 10:51 pm
Asriel
Member
From: 東京
Registered: 2008-02-26
Posts: 1343

http://www.sf-fantasy.com/magazine/column/wo_review/images/s4044292019.jpg
But it's been on and off for so song, as I read in Japanese about as often as I read in English (aka...next to never...) so I'm still only about 100 pages in.

Reply #11 - 2011 July 15, 10:53 pm
caivano
Member
From: Tokyo
Registered: 2010-03-14
Posts: 695

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Cftldi8ML._SS500_.jpg

which I have been reading on and off for ages.

and

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517XxHJc1IL.jpg

which I just started yesterday but seems relatively easy to read.

Reply #12 - 2011 July 16, 1:12 am
BooBooQ88
Member
From: Idaho
Registered: 2009-03-25
Posts: 80
Website

Currently working through 鋼の錬金術師 vol 2 and starting on 狼と香辛料 vol 1 (novel series, not the manga).  Which one I read depends on the mood

http://www.square-enix.com/jp/magazine/top/img/shoei/9784757506992.jpghttp://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NGJS1A0ZL.jpg


Probably start on サムライチャンプルー vol 2 after I finish fullmetal

Last edited by BooBooQ88 (2011 July 16, 1:20 am)

Reply #13 - 2011 July 16, 2:01 am
vonPeterhof
Member
Registered: 2010-07-23
Posts: 322

I am reading seven manga series and one light novel right now, but a special mention will go to the series that I haven't previously read in English:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Vinland_Saga_volume_01_cover.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Love_Hina_volume_1.jpg

The other series are よつばと!、けいおん!、コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ、らき☆すた and あずまんが大王 and the novel is 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱. Like Asriel, I've also been reading it on and off for several months now. I don't think that it was a good choice for one's first light novel - the dialogues are okay, but the only reason I can understand much of Kyon's narration and Nagato's monologues is the fact that I have read the novel in English and watched the series three times (En-dub, En-sub, J-sub).

Reply #14 - 2011 July 16, 3:49 am
Javizy
Member
From: England
Registered: 2007-02-16
Posts: 753

Slowly getting through this.

http://www.shinchosha.co.jp/images/book_bunko_xl/212501.jpg

I'll finish off the オタク文化 parodying ちゆ12歳 next.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K24JR09JL.jpg

Reply #15 - 2011 July 16, 5:04 am
Miguelitius
Member
From: Portugal
Registered: 2009-08-25
Posts: 36

http://img.7netshopping.jp/bks/images/i1/1102595671.jpg
http://decadeview.ocnk.net/data/decadeview/_/70726f647563742f613766373838623462342e6a70670032353000.png
http://www.leics.gov.uk/naruto1_cover.jpg

Reply #16 - 2011 July 16, 7:21 am
NickT
Member
From: London
Registered: 2006-12-16
Posts: 47

I'm reading しあわせは子猫のかたち by 乙一(おつ・いち) (ISBN 9784046311467)

I enjoyed the title story, which was fairly short and easy, and I enjoyed it a lot. The other (longer) short story in the book is called 失踪ホリデイ and I'm still getting into it... haven't decided if I like it yet or not.

Reply #17 - 2011 July 16, 7:24 am
Raschaverak
Member
From: Hungary
Registered: 2008-12-30
Posts: 361

I'm reading a forum nowadays in hungarian, about how to commit....well you know the rest smile I'm getting some ideas, plus 2 weeks ago, 2 girls did it in a car, with chemicals.... the idea comes from Japan, so there is the connection smile

Reply #18 - 2011 July 16, 8:19 am
Asriel
Member
From: 東京
Registered: 2008-02-26
Posts: 1343

Raschaverak wrote:

I'm reading a forum nowadays in hungarian, about how to commit....well you know the rest smile I'm getting some ideas, plus 2 weeks ago, 2 girls did it in a car, with chemicals.... the idea comes from Japan, so there is the connection smile

Double suicide?

Reply #19 - 2011 July 16, 8:21 am
usis35
Member
From: Buenos Aires
Registered: 2007-03-31
Posts: 199

I am reading "What you reading?"
http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=471&p=1

Reply #20 - 2011 July 16, 8:41 am
TheVinster
Member
From: Illinois
Registered: 2009-07-15
Posts: 859

usis35 wrote:

I am reading "What you reading?"
http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=471&p=1

Okay, but that thread is from 4 years ago.

Reply #21 - 2011 July 16, 8:44 am
howtwosavealif3
Member
From: USA
Registered: 2008-02-09
Posts: 713
Website

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6610/unledupz.jpg

I like it... It's interesting with the atmosphere of the book. also it's got some literary value.  It would be like 3.5/5 for me or maybe 4/5.

I have a thing against book that is made up of a collection of short stories since they tend to be not that good. like it's either only 1 story is worth reading, only a couple, or they're all medoicre.

Luckily I broke this preconception with a honda takayoshi? 本多 孝好 because all the short stories in his book were interesting and I loved the atmosphere and the way he writes in general. mono no tawomure is a collection of short stories but it's not really stories which is what makes it good? hard to explain.

My only beef is that the sentences are really long like 3-4 lines. I sorta like the long sentences because of the advantage of long sentences but then at the same time I have to pay attention that much more because it's so long. But seriusly this book has some of the longest sentences I've seen and I've read like 20/30 books so far in JApanese.

I have this thing with reading amazon reviews after I finish reading the book (though I also check if the stars are really low or high to check if it's worth reading/finish reading.. etc)

so i'm just going to copy paste parts of reviewsh from amazon  that I agree with.

 松浦寿輝の小説はまさに「喫茶・並木」のような味わいである。“ふと人の気配の途絶えた他人の家にするりと入りこみ、束の間の居候のようにして仮の時間を過ごすといった奇妙な快楽”。
 紹介した「並木」のほかにも、“無関係”の関係の居心地のよさ、仮の時間を過ごす快楽を、束の間味わえる魅惑的な短編が詰まっている。夢と現にことさら境界線を引きたがるような人にはまったく向いていない小説ではあるけれど。

一文、一文にこめられた意味と無意味。
読んでいて苦にもならず、頭を重たくすることもなく、
ただただ、読者の胃腸にずんずん入り込んでくるような
文体。
正直、これほどの美文家は、夏目漱石以来だと思っている。
(あまり賛同者は多くはないだろうが)

活字だけを追って、読んでいる自分自身の精神がうねり、
動き出す作品は、そうそう多くない。

oh and I didn't know they sold toki wo kakeru shoujo separately since it's just a short story... like short but it does say it's $2. but anyways when i read o kakeru shoujo when it was in a collection of short stories thing and it was the only story worth reading... the rest were just eh..

Last edited by howtwosavealif3 (2011 July 16, 8:51 am)

Reply #22 - 2011 July 16, 10:07 am
ta12121
Member
From: Canada
Registered: 2009-06-02
Posts: 3187

Es2Kay wrote:

http://uploadpic.org/storage/2011/NPo6l … Nydd04.jpg

筒井康隆(つついやすたか) 「時をかける少女」

might get that one

Reply #23 - 2011 July 16, 11:49 am
pm215
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2008-01-26
Posts: 1352

Things I'm currently halfway through:
日本語の奇跡 : http://img.bk1.jp/bibimg/0295/02950556.jpg ; 永遠の森 : http://img.bk1.jp/bibimg/0241/02419102.jpg ; 陰翳礼讃 : http://img.bk1.jp/bibimg/0003/00030243.jpg

(Pop-sci history of the Japanese writing system, which started off easy and has got a little harder in the chapters dealing with the Buddhist history and influence; a Seiun-award winning bit of SF which I can't quite decide whether I like; and a book of essays by Tanizaki which I've found a very difficult but rewarding read.)

Reply #24 - 2011 July 16, 3:23 pm
chair
Member
From: Baltimore
Registered: 2009-12-21
Posts: 48

Right now the manga I'm reading is うずまき by 伊藤潤二

http://bookweb.kinokuniya.jp/imgdata/4091832423.jpg

and the book I'm reading is 宇宙の声 by 星新一.

http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/cover_b/200512/200512000264.jpg

Reply #25 - 2011 July 16, 4:34 pm
Es2Kay
Member
From: Israel
Registered: 2011-02-06
Posts: 82

Also, might be reading this one, just 'cause i like the title 「くたばれ、ジャップ野郎!」
http://img.7netshopping.jp/bks/images/i8/18705193.JPG
big_smile