Light novels are a huge and popular medium in Japan, and increasingly so in the West as well. The more good ones pour in, however, the harder it gets to sift through and find the best light novels to read. What you’ll find here is a selection of the best light novels currently available in …
When we hear tales of myths and folklore, we often think of Norse and Greek mythology. But British folklore, legends, and myth are nothing short of enchanting. In our list of British books, you’ll discover folktales, meet mystical creatures, learn British songs, and more. Take a journey through wooded forests, mystical places, and beautiful countrysides. …
It’s often the great European and American mystery writers of the 19th and 20th centuries — writers like Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle — whom we first turn to when looking for a great detective novel. However, the truth is that the Japanese mystery novels (honkaku) of the 20th century and …
There is something special about a short book. It is humble in its smallness; the author seems to say “this is the extent of my idea, and I hope you enjoy it anyway.” The short book is also a challenging medium, as there is no room for filler or fluff, and each word must be …
Seinen manga covers a wide variety of genres. In fact, it’s a type of manga that isn’t restricted by genre boundaries at all. But that has nothing to do with quality. And so, irrespective of genre or age, quality is still quality, and the best seinen manga can be found across all genres of manga. …
Japanese folktales have had an enormous impact on the history of fiction and storytelling, not only in their native Japan, but across the world. Now, in collaboration with Short Shorts Film Festival and Japan Cultural Expo, three young contemporary Japanese writers from Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Kumamoto have each written a short story inspired by traditional …
Booktube is a niche within the enormous world of YouTube, but it is a niche with thousands of dedicated followers, most of whom are kind and enthusiastic people. Compared to many other corners of YouTube, the corner known as booktube is a really comfortable place to hang out, speaking as a booktuber who gets little …
Year after year, we are treated to more incredible Japanese books in translation. After the fantastic turn-out of Japanese books in 2021 — especially Kyoko Nakajima’s Things Remembered and Things Forgotten and Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven — 2022 has a lot to live up to. Luckily, all signs point to 2022 being an even better year …
Pat Barker, whose books feature on this list of the best Greek mythology books, once said that history is about then, but myths are about now. If anything proves that statement to be true, it’s the books on this list. What you’ll find here are two kinds of Greek mythology books: compendiums of Greek myths …
Of all the most beloved, best-selling manga — the ones with the biggest legacies; the staunchest fanbases; the biggest numbers — most of them are classic or modern shonen manga. But many of those shonen manga are now finished and ageing. Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach. These names are being replaced, but by what? By these …