Review: Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato

Title: Japanese Demystified

Author: Eriko Sato

Genre: Adult, nonfiction, language learning

Publication date: May 2008

Published by: McGraw Hill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Say sayonara to your fears of learning Japanese with the updated premium edition of this fast, painless guide

The updated third edition of Japanese DeMYSTiFieD provides you with the comprehensive, step-by-step educational experience that has made the DeMYSTiFieD language series such a success. This established, unintimidating approach to speaking, reading, and writing a new language takes the mystery and menace out of the learning process, whether in class or at home.

Hundreds of quiz and test questions, chapter-opening objectives, and specific recommendations for difficult subtopics and individual weaknesses help you learn basic grammar structures and verb tenses, pronunciation, essential vocabulary, and how to communicate with confidence. In addition to DeMYSTiFieD’s time-tested strategies, this edition features 70 minutes of streaming audio recordings and chapter review quizzes via the unique McGraw-Hill Language Lab app, so you can enhance your study via mobile or online, at home, in class, or on the go.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I did it! I finally finished Japanese Demystified! After I don’t know how many years of me checking out this book from the library, reading a little, returning it, checking it out again, rinse, repeat, I finally did it!

Review - Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me by Carrie Ann DiRisio & Linnea Gear

Title: Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me

Author: Carrie Ann DiRisio

Genre: YA, fantasy

Illustrator: Linnea Gear

Publication date: October 2017

Published by: Skypony Press

Source: eARC from publishers via Edelweiss

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Synopsis: Have you ever wished you could receive a little guidance from your favorite book boyfriend? Ever dreamed of being the Chosen One in a YA novel? Want to know all the secrets of surviving the dreaded plot twist?

Or maybe you're just really confused about what "opal-tinted, luminous cerulean orbs" actually are?

Well, popular Twitter personality @broodingYAhero is here to help as he tackles the final frontier in his media dominance: writing a book. Join Broody McHottiepants as he attempts to pen Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me, a "self-help" guide (with activities—you always need activities) that lovingly pokes fun at the YA tropes that we roll our eyes at, but secretly love.

As his nefarious ex, Blondie DeMeani, attempts to thwart him at every turn, Broody overcomes to detail, among other topics, how to choose your genre, how to keep your love interest engaged (while maintaining lead character status), his secret formula for guaranteed love triangle success, and how to make sure you secure that sequel, all while keeping his hair perfectly coiffed and never breaking a sweat.

My rating: ★★★★★

I loved this book as soon as I started it. It's a book about writing disguised as a fun, meta world full of self-awareness and all the tropes you could ever imagine. It was great!

Review - Japanese: An Essential Guide to Japanese Language Learning by Language Learning University & Takata Ei

Title: Japanese: An Essential Guide to Japanese Language Learning by Language Learning University

Authors: Language Learning University, Takata Ei

Genre: Adult, nonfiction, language learning - Japanese

Publication date: March 2018

Published by: Language Learning University

Source: Borrowed audiobook from library

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Synopsis: This book is for those who want an easy-to-follow guide that will make learning the Japanese language both fun and simple. This book is specifically created for travelers, students, and businesspeople who visit Japan.

Whether you're a just starting out or are already familiar with the Japanese language, this book will help you with speaking, writing and understanding Japanese!

My rating: ★★★★☆

So I did this fun board game where I landed on a square that required me to read an audiobook. I have also really been slacking in my Japanese studies lately, so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone with this book. And it wasn’t too bad! It was a very quick listen and it was very helpful.