One of my favorite Japanese words is 積読 (tsundoku). It’s a portmanteau, derived from the compound verb 積んでおく (tsunde-oku), which means piling something up and putting it somewhere. The last three kana of the verb rhyme with the pronunciation of the kanji 読 (doku), which conveys the idea of reading. Thus, 積読 refers to the piling up of unread books.

So, are you guilty of 積読? Do you have books piling up on your bookshelves or in your e-readers? 読書家にとって、積読は密かな喜びです (Dokushoka ni totte, tsundoku wa hisokana yorokobi desu, For book lovers, “tsundoku” is a secret joy [guilty pleasure]). Well, it’s the perfect time to make a dent in your reading list because Oct. 27 to Nov. 9 is 読書週間 (dokusho shūkan, Book Week) in Japan.

This unofficial event initially lasted for one week alongside a Children’s Book Week in the United States. However, Japanese publishers, libraries and bookstores made the move to double the time frame in 1948, making 読書週間 last for 二週間 (nishūkan, two weeks).

We’re already halfway through 読書週間, but that doesn’t mean you have to finish that Murakami novel on the shelf anytime soon. The Japanese have also designated 秋 (aki, autumn) as a time for reading. In fact you may have heard the term 読書の秋 (dokusho no aki, autumn of reading) before, since fall is a time when the weather gets cooler and you get the urge to curl up under a warm blanket.

最近何か面白い本読んだ？ (Saikin nanika omoshiroi hon yonda?, Have you read anything interesting lately?) If you want to talk about books with your friends and colleagues, a good way to start the conversation is to ask them what they like to read, どんなジャンルの本が好きですか？ (Donna janru no hon ga suki desu ka?, What genre do you like to read?)

Although there are myriad categories, knowing a few basic vocabulary terms will help. Figuring out whether your friends enjoy 小説 (shōsetsu, novels), 随筆/エッセイ (zuihitsu/essei, essays), ノンフィクション (nonfikushon, nonfiction), 伝記 (denki, biographies), ビジネス書 (bijinesu-sho, business books) or 実用書 (jitsuyō-sho, how-to books) will help you grasp their preferences. Additionally, you can ask your friend if they like 洋書 (yōsho, Western books) or 和書 (washo, Japanese books), and those two labels will help you make your way through a bookstore or library.

For instance, one of the bestselling books of 2021 was “人は話し方が9割” (“Hito wa Hanashi-kata ga Kyū-wari,” “Your Life is 90% Determined by the Way You Speak”) by Shigehisa Nagamatsu, which is about how to carry on a pleasant conversation. This type of 自己啓発書 (jiko-kēhatsu-sho, self-help book), a subset of the 実用書 genre, is rather popular in Japan.

If you want to recommend such kind of 実用書, the good verb to know will be 役に立つ (yaku ni tatsu, to be helpful/come in handy). Let’s say you recently read a book on accounting. You can recommend it by saying, この本は会計を学ぶのに役に立つよ (kono hon wa kaikei o manabu noni yaku ni tatsu yo, this book is helpful in learning accounting).

If you love novels, 本の感想を共有すれば、読書をさらに楽しめます (hon no kansō o kyōyū sureba, dokusho o sarani tanoshimemasu, sharing your impression of the book can make reading more enjoyable). In order to do that, you’ll need to know some vocabulary to describe the elements of a novel. For example, there’s usually a 主人公 (shujinkō, protagonist/main character), 脇役 (wakiyaku, characters in supporting roles), 悪役 (akuyaku, villain), 筋書き/プロット (sujigaki/purotto, plot), 山場/クライマックス (yamaba/kuraimakkusu, climax), 結末 (ketsumatsu, ending) and 台詞 (serifu, the lines the characters say).

Additionally, どんでん返し (donden-gaeshi) is a Japanese term that’s often used to describe a plot twist. It comes from an effect used in kabuki when the stage itself makes a 90-degree turn, transforming what was the floor of the stage into a new set background. This often provides a great twist for the climax during a kabuki performance. On top of that, “donden donden” is used to describe the sound of the beating of a big drum, which heightens the tension. You can use all these words in your real-life conversations:

A: その本どうだった？

B: すごく面白くて一気に読んじゃったよ。

A: 主人公に感情移入しちゃうよね。何が一番印象的だった？

B: 悪役もいい味出してたけど、やっぱり最後の結末かな。まさかのどんでん返しだったね！

A: だよね、私もしばらく余韻に浸ったよ。最後の台詞は心に残るよね。

A: Sono hon dō datta?

B: Sugoku omoshirokute ikki ni yonjatta yo.

A: Shujinkō ni kanjō-inyū shichau yo ne. Nani ga ichiban inshō-teki datta?

B: Akuyaku mo ii aji dashiteta kedo, yappari saigo no ketsumatsu kana. Masaka no donden-gaeshi datta ne!

A: Dayone, watashi mo shibaraku yoin ni hitatta yo. Saigo no serifu wa kokoro ni nokoru yo ne.

A: How did you like the book?

B: It was so entertaining that I read it in one sitting.

A: It’s easy to get emotionally attached to the main character, isn’t it? What impressed you the most?

B: The villain was quite the character, but the ending was the best. It had an unpredictable twist!

A: I know, I had to bask in the afterglow for a while [after finishing it]. The last line is memorable, isn’t it?

Was your book a dud? If you want to give negative feedback, you can say 感情移入できなかった (kanjō-inyū dekinakatta, I couldn’t empathize [with the characters]), 共感できなかった (kyōkan dekinakatta, I couldn’t relate [to the story]) or simply 私の好みじゃなかった (watashi no konomi ja nakatta, it wasn’t my thing).

These phrases are useful to share your thoughts on any kind of medium, but don’t let one bad story ruin your Book Week. After all, a great way to take care of your 積読 during 読書週間 is by developing good 読書の習慣 (dokusho no shūkan, reading habits).