Latest post
Reading in flow, and why looking up every word kills it.
What it actually feels like to read in another language, and why most ways of looking up words break it.
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The blog
Notes on reading in another language.
Earlier posts
Sorted by date
Spanish
2026
·
6 min read
How to start reading in Spanish, and not give up.
Pick the right book, handle unknown words, finish what you start. A practical guide for B1 learners.
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Japanese
2026
·
5 min read
The Japanese kanji wall, and how to get past it.
Most Japanese learners stop reading because of kanji. Reading is the way through, not flashcards.
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Method
2026
·
4 min read
Why graded readers stop working.
Useful at A1 and A2. Thin by B1. Here's why, and what to read instead.
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Theory
2025
·
7 min read
Comprehensible input, by way of real books.
Krashen's old idea, applied to fiction. Why reading the books you actually want to read teaches you a language better than drilling.
ReadSpanish2026·8 min read
The best Spanish books for beginners (B1-B2).
Twelve novels in Spanish that won't break your brain at B1 or B2. Picked for short chapters, modern prose, and stories that pull you forward.
ReadFrench2026·7 min read
The best French books for beginners (B1-B2).
Ten novels in French that work at B1-B2. Modern prose, manageable length, plots that pull you forward.
ReadGerman2026·7 min read
The best German books for beginners (B1-B2).
Ten German novels that won't crush you at B1-B2. Short, modern, often funny.
ReadJapanese2026·8 min read
How to read manga in Japanese (without giving up).
Why manga is easier than novels for Japanese learners, what to start with, how to handle furigana and casual speech.
ReadMethod2026·5 min read
How to pick the right book to learn a language from.
Five things that make a book actually work as language-learning material — and four mistakes most learners make.
ReadMethod2026·5 min read
Extensive vs intensive reading: when to use which.
Two modes, very different results. When to grind through a paragraph and when to fly through a chapter.
ReadMethod2026·6 min read
How many words do you need to read a novel?
The honest numbers — for Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese. And what they actually mean.
ReadSpanish2026·6 min read
Where to find free EPUB Spanish classics.
Where to legally download Spanish-language classics in EPUB and how to import them into LinguaRead.
ReadMethod2026·6 min read
From Duolingo to reading.
Why Duolingo plateaus, what's missing, and how to bridge to actual books in the language.
ReadMethod2026·5 min read
How long to read your first novel.
Honest numbers — for Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese. And what makes the difference.
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