The Books I’m Reading Next in My Target Languages

A Look at My Language Reading Goals This Fall

Earlier this year, I set some reading goals as I do every year.

Truthfully, I hadn’t been reading much at all, not even in English. But once summer arrived, that changed, and I’ve been reading a lot more!

Many of the books I’ve picked up recently have been translated works, mostly from Japanese and French. I’ve especially found Japanese literature to be a fascinating reading experience. I seem to be picking up perplexing titles that make me go, “huh?”¹ when I read.

With this renewed joy for reading, I’ve been hoarding ebooks from my library like they’re about to go extinct. Around the same time, my partner gifted me a Kobo Libra Colour (KLC) for my birthday. It was perfect timing because my Kobo Clara HD, which I’d had for over five years, had decided it was its time to go. One of the things I love most is how Kobo ereaders sync seamlessly with my digital library, and it’s why I choose it over other ereaders.²

I’ve had Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa on my TBR for years now, and I’d like to read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata as well.

In August, I was in New York and stopped by Books Kinokuniya in midtown Manhattan. Although it’s a Japanese bookstore, they also carry a wide selection of English books along with stationery items. I wanted to leave there with a Japanese book, so I settled for the manga Yotsuba!, which I’ve already read in French!

Another thing that’s rekindled my joy for reading is using Pagebound to discover new books and track my progress. I’ve used Goodreads and Storygraph in the past, but Pagebound feels more engaging. I especially love seeing other people’s reading updates on books I’ve read or want to read.

Since I’m so motivated by seeing others read, I’d like to start a book club focused on our target languages (TLs). It won’t be a traditional book club where we all read the same book, but rather a space to encourage each other and stay accountable. Reading in another language can be challenging, so I hope this will be a supportive way for us to keep going and improve together.

The book club will live right here in the chat. Feel free to share book recommendations in your target languages or give updates on your reading progress! And if you’re reading in English but still want to join the conversation, you can do that too!

The Current State of My Target Language TBR

Over the past few years, my personal book collection has grown, and most of my new additions have been in my target languages. For me, books are the best kind of souvenir, a way to remember the cities and countries I’ve visited.

When it came to planning what to read next, I wasn’t too particular. I jotted down the books I most wanted to get to and assigned each a rough reading window. I tried to balance things based on format (physical vs. ebook), language, and type of book.

From September to December, my target language TBR looks like this: 6 books in French, 1 manga in Japanese, and 1 book in Mandarin. Since I’ve already started some of these, I’ve made a bit of progress here and there. Here’s the plan:

• Yotsuba (0%): SEP-DEC

• Amari, Tome 01: (18%): SEP

• La Faucheuse (50%): OCT-NOV

• Motel Calivista : N° 2 - Les trois clés (7%): OCT

• Où vont les rêves au petit matin ? (4%) - OCT-DEC

• Wayward Pines, Tome 1 (18%): NOV-DEC

• 开端 [Kāiduān] (10%): NOV-DEC

• Le Café du temps retrouvé (13%): DEC

Because I usually read multiple books at the same time, some months will be heavier than others, ranging from two to five books. I’ve also decided to limit my English reading for the rest of the year because if I don’t, I’ll end up defaulting to English and neglecting my TL books.³

As always, my plans are always more of a guideline than a strict schedule. If a book takes longer than expected, I’ll just pause the next one until I finish. Having a plan gives me a sense of direction and a deadline to get things done.

I’m really excited to read in my target languages! My focus is on reading for enjoyment rather than study. The only exception is Yotsuba!, since I’m still a beginner in Japanese and want to use it more actively for learning.

The one book I’m a little nervous about is Kaiduan. I haven’t done anything Mandarin-related in two years, so I’m thinking of watching the drama (and finally finishing it this time) as a way to get back into the language before reading the novel.

Do you have any books in your TLs that you’ve been putting off reading?

1. If you’re in the mood for magical realism that makes you question what you’re reading, The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada might be for you. It was an experience.

2. I do wish my digital library had a larger collection of books in other languages, though.

3. Maybe I’ll allow myself to consume English books in audiobook formats during this time