I used to be afraid of reading Japanese books. I know that may sound ridiculous, but the thought of tackling long pieces of text was intimidating. Even though I had an advanced command of the language, my reading was slow and awkward, and didn’t do much for my self-confidence.
So, I would put off trying to read Japanese books. Having too much work can be a pretty easy excuse when it comes to picking up a new habit, but the longer I put it off, the guiltier I’d feel about it. Eventually, I got the hang of it and, for those of you who are looking for a New Year’s resolution for 2022, I’d like to suggest some places to get you started when it comes to reading.
Things changed for me when I picked up “魔女の宅急便” (“Majo no Takkyubin”) by 角野栄子 (Kadono Eiko, Eiko Kadono), better known in English as “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” What set this book apart from the others I’d attempted was that I wanted to read it. It’s a simple shift but the change from “needing” to “wanting” helped me finish my first Japanese-language novel from start to finish.