Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha tama ni tosyokan de syousetu wo yomimasu.

You can drop it. Japanese omits subjects when they’re understood, so たまに図書館で小説を読みます。 is perfectly natural. Keep 私は if you’re contrasting with someone else or explicitly setting the topic.

Why use は and not が after 私?

は marks the topic (what you’re talking about). が marks the grammatical subject and often highlights or answers “who/what” specifically. 私がたまに図書館で小説を読みます。 would sound like “It’s I who (occasionally) read novels at the library,” which is only natural if you’re emphasizing the “who.”

What does で after 図書館 do? Why not に?

で marks the place where an action happens. 図書館で = “at the library.” に marks destination or existence: 図書館に行きます (go to the library), 図書館にいます (be at the library). Reading is an action performed at a location, so use で.

What does を after 小説 do? Could I use が?

を marks the direct object of the verb: you read something, so 小説 takes を. 小説が読みます is ungrammatical in this meaning. If you change the verb (e.g., potential: 小説が読めます “novels can be read”), が can appear, but that’s a different structure.

How frequent is たまに compared to ときどき or よく?

A rough frequency feel:

いつも = always
よく = often
ときどき = sometimes
たまに = once in a while/occasionally (less frequent than ときどき)
あまり〜ない = rarely, hardly (requires the negative)
ぜんぜん〜ない = never (with the negative)

Is たまに one word, or たま + the particle に?

Historically it’s たま + に, but in modern use たまに functions as a single adverb meaning “occasionally.” You can’t drop the に here. It’s not the location/time に you choose; it’s part of the adverb.

Can I say たまには? What changes?

Yes. たまには adds a light contrastive nuance: “once in a while (as a change from the usual).” Example nuance: たまには図書館で小説を読みます。 = “Once in a while, I do read novels at the library (not my usual habit).” It’s also common in suggestions: たまには休んだほうがいいよ.

Where can I place たまに in the sentence?

Common and natural spots:

たまに図書館で小説を読みます。
図書館でたまに小説を読みます。 Japanese word order is flexible, but the neutral flow is roughly time/frequency → place → object → verb. Moving elements changes focus slightly; keep たまに intact (don’t split たま and に).

Why are there spaces between the words in the given sentence?

They’re for teaching purposes to show the parts. Normal Japanese doesn’t use spaces: 私はたまに図書館で小説を読みます。

Does 読みます mean present or future? How do I say “I am reading (now)”?

Non-past 読みます covers habitual actions and near-future intentions; context decides. For “I am reading (right now),” use the progressive: 読んでいます. Past is 読みました, negative is 読みません.

Does 小説 mean “a novel” or “novels” here? How do I be specific?

Japanese has no articles, so 小説を読みます can be generic or specific depending on context. To be explicit:

One novel: 小説を一冊読みます。
Two novels: 小説を二冊読みます。 For a generic/habitual statement, the original is fine.

Can I swap 図書館で and 小説を?

Yes. 図書館で小説を読みます and 小説を図書館で読みます are both correct. The first is the neutral flow; the second can put a bit more focus on the object.

How would I say “I (sometimes) go to the library to read novels”?

Two natural options:

Purpose with verb stem: たまに図書館に小説を読みに行きます。
Sequence: たまに図書館に行って、小説を読みます。

When should I use 読みます versus the plain form 読む?

Use 読みます for polite speech (to people you’re not close with, at work, etc.). Use 読む in casual contexts (friends, family, diaries). Keep the politeness level consistent within a conversation.

How do I pronounce を and the long vowel in しょうせつ?

を is pronounced “o” in modern standard Japanese. しょうせつ (shōsetsu) has a long “ō” in しょう (written as おう). たまに has all short vowels.

Is there a kanji way to write たまに?

Yes, 偶に, but it’s rare in everyday writing. たまに in hiragana is standard.

What happens if I say 小説は読みます?

Using は on 小説 makes it a (possibly contrastive) topic: 小説は読みます can imply “As for novels, I do read them (though maybe not other kinds of books),” or highlight novels in contrast to something else.