Japanese Light Novel Book Club discussion

Welcome to the group!

Introduce yourself here!

Hi! I'm Selena,, and I am the group leader! Pleasure to meet you! *bows*

I've been reading light novels since the early ones made available from Tokyopop (my first was .hack // AI Buster). My favorite is probably Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime, and I constantly follow what the latest light novels are that are coming out.

I haven't read a lot of actual novels that have come out of Japan, but I can't wait to start. :)

I'm guessing this is a new group since it's so small.

I'm Keith ,I've pretty much been interested in japanese culture my whole life but only began reading Japanese books earlier this year via "Battle Royale" and "12 views from the distance"

I'm currently reading a highly informational book that documents japanese culture, called "meeting with Japan". Its about an Italian photographer locked up in an intermittent camp during WW2 and upon his release decides to stay and live in japan,He traveled all over the country and could speak fluent japanese.i highly recommend it to anyone that wants to understand the psyche of the japanese mind.

Keith wrote: "I'm guessing this is a new group since it's so small.

I'm Keith ,I've pretty much been interested in japanese culture my whole life but only began reading Japanese books earlier this year via "Ba..."

Ha ha, yup. This group just started this morning.

That book sounds really interesting. I should see if the library has a copy. :) Who's it written by?

Selena wrote: "Keith wrote: "I'm guessing this is a new group since it's so small.

I'm Keith ,I've pretty much been interested in japanese culture my whole life but only began reading Japanese books earlier thi..."

Fosco Mariani, you probably will have to order it online,used ones can cost a few buckks but new ones are like $50 if i remember right

Library's got it. :) Yay freebies, lol. Thanks!

Hi everyone. I'm Mike, lead mod over at one of our sister groups, Josei and Seinen Readers (18+ only).

Been reading light novels off and on for years, but only just recently got around to Japanese novels. Read Battle Royale (which was excellent) and started 1Q84 (which I've trouble getting into and haven't read much).

Favorite LN is a tie between Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World and Book Girl and the Captive Fool. The entire Book Girl series has been fantastic.

Excited to see this new group get going and I hope everyone enjoys it. :)

^ Thanks for joining in, Mike. :) I look forward to reading together.

Hello everyone, I'm Parker.

I started reading Japanese light novels about a year ago when I discovered a few online.
My absolute favorite series is Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index), and my second favorite is Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru So Desu yo? (Problem Children are Coming From Another Dimension, Aren't They?)

I tend to read in bursts. I'll typically read a whole LN in a night then take a month off...

I'm also a huge anime watcher; I used to be president of my college's anime club.

I look forward to discovering more great books with you all!

Hello everyone! My name is Mayumi, and it's nice to meet everyone. I have read quite a bit of light novels throughout the years. My favorite has to be やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている 1(Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru).

I haven't read a lot of Japanese novels, due to them being harder to read and my local bookstore doesn't have many choices. However, from the small amount that I've read my favorite has to be Brave Story.

I look forward to discovering different books with the group :)

^ Nice to meet you Mayumi. Have you seen the Yahari Ore anime? If so how does it compare to the novels?

Parker wrote: "^ Nice to meet you Mayumi. Have you seen the Yahari Ore anime? If so how does it compare to the novels?"

Nice to meet you too! The Yahari anime was pretty good. The casting and the animation was really well done! The anime covers volumes 1-6. It did leave out quite a bit of stuff (which I'm hoping that they might animate in season 2), but it doesn't detract to much from the series.

Ah. Yes it did have great animation. Could I pick up reading at volume 7 then and be ok (having watched the anime)?

Hi Everyone,

I'm Jean and I've been on a buddy read with Mike and Selena with the Bookgirl series and just read Haruki Murakami's latest, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Battle Royale and the fourth book in the Bookgirl series.

Waiting in the pile to be read soon is Kieli (from another group read) and Malice to be released in a few weeks -- can't wait. I love Keigo Higashino's novels. I particularly enjoy the Detective Galileo series which also spawn a tv series and movies which I also enjoy.

Anyway, look forward to finding new reads and discussing them.

Hi Jean! Wondering when I'd spot you here. :)

I actually won Malice in a giveaway. Not sure when I'll get to reading it, with all the group reads I have going on and the back log of books I've been meaning to read. XD

Selena wrote: "Hi Jean! Wondering when I'd spot you here. :)

I actually won Malice in a giveaway. Not sure when I'll get to reading it, with all the group reads I have going on and the back log of books I've bee..."


Lucky! Totally understand about back log of reading!!!!! Ooo...maybe a buddy read later in the year?


Thanks for starting the group!

Hello! I'm a reader of English language novels set in Japan, but have only just found this group.

Welcome to the group, Martha!

Parker wrote: "Ah. Yes it did have great animation. Could I pick up reading at volume 7 then and be ok (having watched the anime)?"

Sorry for the late reply, it should be alright. But it's probably best to go and read it in order.

Martha wrote: "Hello! I'm a reader of English language novels set in Japan, but have only just found this group."

Welcome Martha! Good to have you with us. I hope you like our little group once things get started. :)

Hi, my name it Juvia. I am a reader of pretty much everything, but I really love manga. I really enjoy Japanese culture and reading about it. I have been wanting to read some Japanese light novels for a while (I even own the first Book Girl light novel, but still have not had a chance to read it), so I am glad to see a group dedicated to this. Looking forward to reading with you all :)

Hi Juvia! Long time no see. :)

Book Girl is a really good series. You definitely need to read it.

Yahalloo :D

I just read a few LNs, but I liked the experience reading them.
It's just sad that very few LNs are licensed outside Japan. In my country, I recall there are just less than 10 titles ever released (and they're obscure ones, like a single volume shoujo-ai/yuri LN I never heard of, with a not so good translation), I think it's starting to show some good signs recently, though (hopefully, at least Attack on Titan Before the Fall has already been announced).
And thus sometimes I can't help reading fan translation -_-
My favorites so far are NisiOisiN's works (Bakemonogatari, Zaregoto), Durarara!!, Hyouka, and.. I guess I've yet to discover more x)
Judging from some anime adaptation of LNs, I see many promising titles.

@Juvia
Welcome! I can tell just by your username you're a manga fan. This is the place to be to find out about and read LNs.

@Hardian
Also welcome! Are there a lot of Indonesian fan translations online? Can do you also read English translations?
Its amazing seeing an anime and finding out its a novel you can read more of.

Hardian wrote: "Yahalloo :D

I just read a few LNs, but I liked the experience reading them.
It's just sad that very few LNs are licensed outside Japan. In my country, I recall there are just less than 10 titles e..."

Hey Hardian! Welcome to the group!

LNs are just starting to really get a foothold in the US, so I know how you feel. LNs really took a hit here when a certain publisher that had been publishing a good number went bankrupt because no one wanted to take on the "proven risk." That idea's finally starting to change, so maybe you'll see more too. :)

Parker wrote: "@Hardian
Also welcome! Are there a lot of Indonesian fan translations online? Can do you also read English translations?
Its amazing seeing an anime and finding out its a novel you can read more of."

I'm not sure, I don't follow Indonesian fan translation.
I read English fan translation. And since I'm not native English speaker and have no idea about the quality of the translation, I have no objection as long as I think they're in the level of acceptable English equivalent.

Yeah, I really look forward to read more of Durarara!! before the second season airs, or Baccano!, I'm becoming a fan of Ryohgo Narita :)

Selena wrote: "LNs are just starting to really get a foothold in the US, so I know how you feel. LNs really took a hit here when a certain publisher that had been publishing a good number went bankrupt because no one wanted to take on the "proven risk." That idea's finally starting to change, so maybe you'll see more too. :)"

Thank you, Selena.
I do hope so! LNs are just getting more and more popular here thanks to the increasing numbers of their anime/manga adaptation.
From 2004-2008 actually a publisher released quite a lot of LNs here, though the only title I know is God Family (Kamisama Kazoku), the others are not very well-known LNs. However, the sale didn't seem to go very well and so they stopped it. It's just in the beginning of this year that readers started to talk about LNs and excites many requests for releases to some publishers. And now Before the Fall is about to be released. So I think we can be more optimistic about it.
It's still hard to think that they'll take the risk to release the rather unpopular LNs, though. They put up a poll, and shame that Kino's Journey or Book Girl or many other older/low profile LNs are not so popular here.

I can't exactly comment on the translation quality either, but I can say that if it was poor over an entire book things would stop making sense, so its either a good translation or an amazingly talented translator rewrote a bunch to be a good book yet somehow had it not diverge too far from the manga/anime etc.

I'm looking forward to more Durarara!! too.

Hi I'm Ashlei, I go by Ash on Goodreads. I am a member of the sister groups, so I am excited to join this group as well. I am way more of a manga than light novel reader, but hopefully this group will introduce me to more light novels. I actually only discovered light novels around two years ago when I finished Durarara & felt like there had to be way more to the story. So I searched & searched & finally dscovered light novels. I look forward to reading more. :)

^ Welcome to the group, Ash! Hope you find some good LNs with us. :)

Thanks Selena, me too. :)

Hi everyone! I am Mehsi and I love manga and light novels. I am also a member of the Shoujo Manga Book Club, and Selena recommended to me to join this one as well. So here I am.

I have read quite a few light novels, but they are so hard to find in English. Like Kino's journey, I got one volume, but it seems Tokyopop never cared to release the rest. :(
Luckily I saw that Yen Press is getting more and more Light Novel releases and there are quite a few I am looking forward to.

And I hope that thanks to this group I will find some new light novels to enjoy. :)

Welcome to the group Mehsi!

Tokyopop was bad about their light novels. They hardly finished any of them (I think the .hack// ones only finished because they were so short). Kino they actually reordered chapters because, well, Tokyopop.

I'm glad Yen Press is releasing a whole bunch, too. :) Hopefully, they'll pick up some of the LNs that Tokyopop dropped, like Kino or Gosick *crosses fingers*

Thanks Selena!

And yep, and sadly not only their light novels. I got quite a lot of unfinished manga series here too. Yeah .hack is finished, and I am indeed also guessing that is because they are mostly 1 to 3 volumes max. And Kino's chapters were reordered? Really? Urgh.

Me too, I got a whole bunch I am looking forward to, and my wallet is already crying. ;) Oh, I would love it if they would pick some of Tokyopop's dropped ones. Gosick is indeed also one that I loved, only one volume came out, I loved it, wanted more and then found out that they just dropped it and that there never will be a second or more volume until someone picks it up.
I am crossing my fingers that Yen Press will continue with this path of releasing/licensing LNs, and not go the Tokypop way (aka dropping things while they are not yet finished).

Yeah. Pop by the Kino no Tabi thread for the actual order (the person I'm buddy reading and I discussed that in depth, lol).

Yen Press has a good record so far. They finished "Book Girl" and "My Girlfriend's a Geek", and they're close to completion on a few others.

Part of the problem with Tokyopop, I think, is that they had staff problems. From what I understand, they kept booting editors and translators like crazy, so things would drop because they never hired a replacement. I've also heard that they lost licenses because the original Japanese publishers got really angry with them screwing things up (super low quality releases, changing orders of chapters like with Kino, or changing artwork in manga).

I will check that thread then, thanks. Kind of interested how they messed it up.

Yeah, they seem to really be going the right way, let's hope they keep up with it. Book Girl was wonderful, still hoping they will also get the short stories novels.

That is just crazy, that they did things like that. Now, I think the way that the boss of Tokyopop quit also said enough about how things went in there. With him just quitting, and then after a few years coming back and just thinking he could just BANG start up again, get licenses and all that. And then he was amazed that no one wanted him (not Japan, not the people who read manga/light novels).
And I can imagine them losing licenses if they consistently screwed up everything. Bleh, stupid Tokyopop. It is a wonder they came so far.

I'm going to start up a general discussion thread so we don't gum up the intro thread, lol. I'll reply to you there and put a link here.

EDIT: Here's the link to General Blah Blah Blah.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Ah, good idea. We don't want to clutter up this intro thread. :)

I will pop up over to the General Blah then.

@Ash - Welcome! Ashlei is such a pretty name! Just personal opinion. Having more to the story is always great! Durarara!! has a 2nd season on the way too.

@Meshi - There are a lot of fan translations of light novels online of those that don't have official releases. Quality can be variable, and sometimes (often) its only a few books here and there. Baka-tsuki is a good place to start for fan translations.

@Parker: Thanks, but I know about those (and also tried a few), but sadly I can't really read very long on a pc. My eyes just tire pretty fast and I get an headache. I can read on an e-reader, but also not for too long of a time. So I will just have to wait for official releases and print releases.

^ Oh yeah. A lot have that problem. Luckily more and more are getting printed.

Thanks Parker, that's sweet of you to say. :). I always felt Durarara ended too soon, that's why I was so glad to find the Light Novel. A second season should be awesome.

Parker wrote: "^ Oh yeah. A lot have that problem. Luckily more and more are getting printed."

Yep, luckily for that. Can't wait to see what light novels will get licensed. :)

Hi, I'm Adar, I'm from Israel and I'm known to enjoy a good light novel now and again.

Nice to meet you all :]

Welcome to the group, Adar! Nice to meet you.

Hey hey a light novel group, hopefully it grows and we get some good discussion.

Aaron wrote: "Hey hey a light novel group, hopefully it grows and we get some good discussion."

I hope so too. :)

Thanks for joining us! Welcome to the group!

Welcome Adar & Aaron!

ありがと

Hello! I joined two groups in one day and forgot to introduce myself in this one, even though I have been posting. My name is Allison, and I'm a graduate student in history that thinks way too hard about everything I read. I started reading light novels when the Haruhi Suzumiya books started coming out in the US, but at this point, I buy quite a bit of what I can get my hands on. I'm not well-versed in light novels that aren't getting official US releases, but I do my best to keep up with what is coming out and scour used bookstores and Amazon to find cheap copies of releases from before I got into the genre. (I should have copies of Maid Machinegun and Ballad of a Shinigami coming in the mail either today or tomorrow!) Good or bad, no book is useless when it comes to understanding a subset of literature (light novels seem like something bigger than just a genre) and any conventions that it might have, so it's always fun to read something new.

Regardless of all that, I really look forward to participating in future book club discussions! It will be fantastic to have people to talk to while reading these books.

Welcome Allison! Ballad of a Shinigami sounds really interesting. Would you mind telling me what it's about?

Welcome Allison!