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Persona 4 Golden Books: how to get every book for the Compulsive Reader achievement

by RPG Site Staff on 13 June, 2020

On top of juggling school and exams, part-time jobs and a range of personal social link relationships, Persona 4 Golden also allows you to read a variety of Books, which can have a variety of benefits - but you'll need to actually find those books first.

The way books work in Persona 4 Golden is that once acquired, you can spend time at your home, in your room, reading. This will use up time, and you'll need to actually finish a book in full across multiple sessions to get its benefits, but each book provides significant benefits to your social stats likw Knowledge, Expression, Courage, Understanding and Diligence. Some books also unlock additional tiers within activities like fishing and bug-catching.

The sheer number of books and the limited time in Persona 4 does mean that it's very difficult to read all of the books, but you should shoot to read as many as possible in order to obtain the benefits. Completionists also might want to make sure they get every book. If you do manage to read them all, you'll get the Reader King accessory, which boosts the wearer's Magic Stat significantly, and the Compulsive Reader trophy/achievement.

This page will help you with tracking down every book, including some easily missable one-time books.

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Persona 4 Golden Books: missable and limited-time books

Most of the books in Persona 4 Golden will simply appear in the book store in the Shopping District on a certain date, and we'll cover that below. A handful, however, are special books that only appear under certain circumstances as part of certain events. Three of these are tied to the Strength s-link with Daisuke and Kou, while one is related to if you're in a lovers relationship with an s-link. 

  • The Witch Detective (Raises Understanding / Diligence): this book is available on 5/29, but only under specific circumstances:
    • You must have cleared the Steamy Bathhouse dungeon before this date.
    • If your Strength s-link is with Basketball (Kou), the Strength social link must be rank 3 or lower, or the max rank. For Daisuke (Soccer), any rank but 10 will do.
    • If this is the case, you'll get a call from your Strength s-link friend - Kou or Daisuke.
    • Agree to meet up, and then in the scene that results you'll be offered the book; accept it.
  • Poly-land (Raises Knowledge / Diligence): available via an event on 7/15, but only under specific circumstances:
    • Go to your room on the evening of 7/15 before spending any time doing anything else. You'll get a call from your Strength s-link friend asking to hang out on the 17th. Agree.
    • If your Strength s-link is Basketball (Kou), he won't call if you're at rank 5 or 6, making this missable. With Daisuke, only max rank locks you out.
    • On the 17th, go to hang out. When prompted, say you're allergic; you'll get the book.
  • The O-Cha Way (Raises Knowledge / Expression): another book linked to the Strength s-link, available on 8/10:
    • You'll get a call on the Sunday asking you to hang out. If you agree and hang out, you'll be offered and can accept the book. 
    • As before, if you picked Basketball (Kou), you won't get a call if the s-link is at rank 5, 6 or 10. Daisuke (Soccer) won't call at rank 10.
  • The Divine Way (Raises Knowledge / Expression): available 8/21 during the summer festival, but not for everyone...
    • To access this book, you'll need to be in a lovers romantic relationship with most of the girls in the game; they'll then call and invite you to the festival.
    • However, Rise will call you and ask at any rank. If you accept, she gives the book.
    • Ai (Moon) and Ayane (Sun) will also call and ask at rank 3 or higher. Again, accept to get the book.
    • Finally, Yumi will call if she's rank 1 or rank 2, but then not again until you're rank 10 lovers. 
  • The Ramen Way (Raises Knowledge / Understanding)
    • This book is only available by eating at Aiya 8 times. It can be any 8 dishes, day or night - you'll get the book after your 8th meal there, but it is missable.

Persona 4 Golden Book Shop books and availability dates

The following books can be purchased at the Yomenaido shop - but different books are added to the store's stock from different dates, and all have different price points. Here's the dates each appears for sale from, their price points, and what each book helps you with.

  • The Lovely Man: raises Courage. Available 4/20, 1200 Yen
  • Expert Study Methods: raises Knowledge gained from studying. Available 4/20 1200 Yen
  • Beginner Fishing: increases how many times you can fish each session. Available 4/20, 1600 Yen
  • Off Today: Raises Understanding. Available 5/*6, 1500 Yen
  • Office Work Manual: Increases Diligence gained from envelope making. Available 5/6, 2800 Yen
  • English Made Easy: Increases Expression gained from translation. Available 6/1, 3200 Yen
  • Easy Origami: Increases Understanding from origami folding. Available 6/1, 3000 Yen
  • Forever Macho: Increases Courage. Available 6/11, 1200 Yen
  • 100 Ghost Stories: Increases Courage gained from the janitor work. Available 6/11, 3400 Yen
  • Catching Bugs: Increases number of bugs caught in the bug mini game. Available 6/11, 1800 Yen
  • Short on Cash: Increases Understanding. Available 6/28, 1500 Yen
  • Expert Fishing: adds a new fishing-related skill. Available 6/28, 4800 Yen
  • Man of History: Increases Courage. Available 7/15, 1200 Yen
  • Home Gardening: Makes vegetables harvestable more quickly. Available 7/15, 3600 Yen
  • Changing Careers: Raises Understanding. Available 8/4, 1500 Yen
  • Hyperspeed Reading: Allows you to read 2 chapters of a book per sitting. Available 8/4, 9800 Yen
  • Man-God: Raises Courage. Available from 8/24, 1200 Yen
  • Food Fight!: Increases stat boosts from eating at Aiya. Available 8/24, 4200 Yen
  • Sensei's Friends: Raises Understanding. Available from 9/20, 1500 Yen
  • Farewell to Man: Raises Courage. Available from 10/12, 1200 Yen
  • The Final Lesson: Raises Understanding. Available 11/1, 1500 Yen
  • World-Class Bugs: Catch more bugs in the mini-game. Available 11/1, 4800 Yen

Persona 4 Golden: Books gained from Side Quests

Finally, there's a handful of books that are available for completing certain quests. These are the last few books. Note that these are listed in our Persona 4 Golden quests guide, but we've detailed exactly how to get them here as well:

  • The Gentle Way: Reward for Quest 18 - Book Exchange. Raises Knowledge / Expression.
    • The Avid Reader outside the Yomenaido book store wants a Peach Seed item. These are common dungeon loot from chests. Give it to him to complete the quest and get the book.
  • The Punk's Way:  Reward for Quest 20 - Please Feed the Cat. Raises Knowledge / Expression.
    • You must have completed Quest 18, listed above, for this quest to appear.
    • Talk to the Avid Reader and learn of the cat. Find the cat on the far left of the Samegawa Riverbank. Feed it a fish from fishing or purchased through the shopping channel, then report back to get the book as a reward.
  • Guide to Pests: Reward for Quest 34 - Acquire Hard Boots. Raises Knowledge / Courage.
    • You must have completed Quest 20, listed above, to access this quest.
    • Return to the Avid Reader once again. They now want a pair of Hard Boots. 
    • Hard Boots can be purchased from the weapon store, but only after you've sold him 5 Thick Hides. This material is dropped by the Dancing Hand enemies found in the Steamy Bathouse, around the fifth floor. 
    • Turn in the materials, buy the Hard Boots, then return them to the Avid Reader to get this book as a reward.
  • Picross Rules!: Reward for Quest 40 - Acquire some Fashionable Dishes. Raises Understanding / Diligence. 
    • Quest 34 must have been completed for this quest to pop.
    • Once more, hit up the Avid Reader outside the book store. He wants three Fashionable Dishes now. These items are loot materials from standard-issue enemies. 
    • The best enemy to get these from are the Sky Balance enemies, easily found on Floor 10 of the Striptease dungeon. Don't sell these to Daidara Weapon store; turn them in to the Avid Reader for this book.
  •  Who Am I?: Reward for Quest 45 - A Test of Literary Memory. Raises Knowledge / Diligence.
    • Quest 40 must have been completed, of course.
    • Return to the Avid Reader one last time. He'll ask you four questions - to check if you read the four other books he gave you. The answers are as follows:
      • "Judo Medalists' names."
      • "How one should live as a punk."
      • "2 pages per pest."
      • "Me."