The Books

Genki

Even though I just got a PDF of all the books I wanted, I still had to thoroughly search for it. Genki is an amazing series, which follows the story of an exchange student Mary and and a Japanese person Takeshi.  Every activity is discussed with detail, it makes a great practice, there are clearly explained grammar notes and it's new edition even bears culture notes which are a big help. the writing is made like a student's writing and all the illustrations are vivid. There is a great but huge vocabulary list and you practice it all further from the workbook. Personally, I like the culture notes in the second edition way better, because they explain not only the language but the culture of Japan, so if you are self studying, this may be the greatest book ever.

Minna no Nihongo

Minna no Nihongo, is a book for the more serious Japanese learners. There is great explanation, but it's all in japanese, you have to buy the English grammar guide for it and maybe lots of other books. It gets really confusing for me, midway because I am self studying and without a teacher, Minna no Nihongo is gliberrish for me, so many japanese words make me feel dizzy. However, Minna no Nihongo explains a lot and it is the ultimate guide for fluency for any person. One great drawback of Minna no Nihongo is that it need a lot more books than genki to teach us a lesson. Still, Minna no Nihongo is useful in many classes with teachers.

Basic Kanji Vol 1

Even if you buy the previous books or not, basic Kanji is the best way to learn kanji, It has pictures to make you understand, repetition and thoroughly explained concept. A bonus with The Basic Kanji book is that it tells you all you need to know about the stroke order. the exercises and practices are really great for anyone with the need of a Japanese language pie for desert. This book is a beginner's most handy resource, according to me. It is used by many exchange students over on YouTube, as it teaches Japanese Kanji in the easiest way ever! You'll be so thankful after using it, you'll buy Vol 2 as well! So chic, right? I definitely recommend Basik Kanji book Vol 1.