General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests)
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@russellfruck , in addition to many good suggestions above, one series I recently enjoyed a lot is Cooking with Wild Game. It's very chilled, wholesome and entertaining.
I initially skipped it because the title did not entice me, but similarly as with Bookworm I grew fond of it as I read it.
13 volumes are published and the pre-pubs for volume 14 are coming out currently.
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My favourite light novels are (from very good down to good):
Campfire cooking in another world
Overlord
Lazy Dungeon Master
Death March to the parallel world
Outer Ragna
Defeating the demon lord's a cinch
Der Werwolf: Annals of Veight
So I'm a spider, so what
Konosuba
Combatants will be dispatched
The hero is overpowered but overly cautious
The eminence in shadow
Log Horizon
That time I reincarnated as a slime
Demon Lord, Retry
The great cleric
Her majesty's swarm
Skeleton knight in another world
Tearmoon Empire
Solo leveling
Trapped in a dating simI've read these light novel series more than once, because I like them so much.
I'm so happy people write series like these!
The top 3 novels/series, I've read 3 times or more because I think those are the very best, but really, I think all of the series in this list are good and enjoyable to read. -
@robd said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Defeating the demon lord's a cinch
That was a fun one, though it seems to be stalled or cancelled :( . Also, the editing on the last volume was a bit ragged, with either some continuity errors or botched translations. It was still fun despite that.
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@unknownmat said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Please recommend series that are well-written. I'm not looking for a particular genre or style. My focus here is on works that are competently constructed.
In addition to some of the J-Novel Club series that other people have already recommended, such as Tearmoon Empire and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, there are some light novels from other publishers that I think are well-constructed.
I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level by Kisetsu Morita is one of my favourites. It's not to everyone's taste, but for a slice of life series of fluff where nothing too bad happens, it's great. It usually makes me laugh. It's not realistic, but it is absurd in directions that I like.
Interspecies Reviewers only has one volume out. It is a collection of erotic short stories that is better constructed than a lot of others in the genre, though that is a low bar to be sure. Again, not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it.
Reinventing the Meta at the VRMMO Academy by Hayaken isn't that good for characters, but is good at evoking the feeling of playing a game and messing around with different concepts of character builds and optimizing stats and combat styles.
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@harmlessdave
That last volume... the one that takes place under(/above) water.
I don't really remember errors in the text or continuity errors... but it's a great episode. It took me a re-read before I could fully appreciate its over-the-top weirdness. Now I can only look back on it with a smile. -
@unknownmat obviously answering this very late, but the two series that I love due to the writing are Otherside Picnic and Dahlia in Bloom.
Dahlia is new to JNC so you can read all of volume 1. Cozy world with snappy dialogue, it's quickly become a favourite of mine.
Otherside has sharply observed characters and the author manages to give the supernatural plot a really distinct groundedness. An underappreciated gem.
In both series, I think it helps that the main characters are a little older than your standard shonen fare.
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Apothecary Diaries deals with a young girl using her brain in a difficult situation. It plays out in a more-or-less real world situation. No overpowered protagonists, otherworldly knowledge or mention of ranked adventurers.
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To second @axehand recommendation,
the MC of Apothecary Dairies is a great character with a sharp tongue and she takes no sh*t from anyone
“There’s always a story. It’s all stories, really. The sun coming up every day is a story. Everything’s got a story in it. Change the story, change the world.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
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@franziska-nagel said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Didn't I say to Make My Abilities Average suffers from its painfully slow pace, once Mile meets her second group of friends the story slows to a crawl, and what her friends in the Capital are going through is much more entertaining than what Mile is doing.
The side story with the deaf girl is interesting but the cover art lies, it's not a cute story.
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My recommends are,
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord, the MC is a bit overpowered but has definite limits on how much MP he can spend, and he keeps running into enemies that push him to his limits. What I like most is that he has a mental illness, knows it, and as the story progresses, he slowly gets a handle on it. The LNs are well written.
Goblin Slayer, just an overall good read.
The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen, a dead series but an interesting concept, it mostly suffers from a lack of world building but I find it a pretty well written series, it's just too bad it died just as it was getting better.
Mushoku Tensei is a pretty good series and even though I don't like the MC, he's kind of a scum bag, he does have his moments when he shines, and the supporting characters are well written.
Sword Art Online Alternate Gun Gale Online, is just awesome if you're into guns.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil, is a very good read but it is not really a LN, very dense and full of info but I really enjoy reading about Tanya's adventures in military life.
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@lily-garden Started reading it and it's pretty good but I know I've seen something like it before. There was a Asian tv show about life in the Chinese Imperial harem. The themes and events are pretty close.
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@folker46 said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
@lily-garden Started reading it and it's pretty good but I know I've seen something like it before. There was a Asian tv show about life in the Chinese Imperial harem. The themes and events are pretty close.
I think you're thinking of The Story of Saiunkoku. They're...rather similar.
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@poisonedbite No, it was live action. There are a lot of live action stories about the harems and I didn't see one that looked similar so maybe I'm misremembering, it was a long time ago.
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I am currently reading Mobuseka. The full name is The World Otome Games is Tough for mobs. It's funny as hell. It's not a J novel club series but it us still. Good read.
I am also into Demon Lord Retry. But volume 8 is taking forever for it to be licensed and translated.
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@bookmaniareader said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
I am currently reading Mobuseka. The full name is The World Otome Games is Tough for mobs. It's funny as hell. It's not a J novel club series but it us still. Good read.
Yes, it's pretty good, I'm looking forward to volume 6 in June.
For those who are missing Woof Woof Story now that it has ended:
Even Dogs Go to Other Worlds: Life in Another World with My Beloved Hound, Vol. 1 -- ordinary guy and his pet dog get isekai'd, and the dog becomes a fenrir, but is still a sweet and loyal little doggy at heart. Harmless slice of life fun.
I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-loving Villainess Vol.1 -- a low-stress villainess story where she avoids her fate by adopting a cat. Mostly harmless slice of life.
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@Crimson-Wise said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Altina the Sword Princess - a more conventional fantasy military story. The author knows where he's going, and is able to use use comedy and clichés when it's appropriate. It's quite fun to read.
@Lily-Garden said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
also, I would like to second the recommendations for Faraway Paladin and Altina
Well, after more than a year I finally got around to reading Altina. I wanted to thank you guys for the suggestion. It was indeed well-written - exactly what I'd been looking for. Although it shifted perspective a few different times, I never found myself bored or skipping through chapters because equally enjoyed reading about Regis, Altina, Bastion and Elize, Eddie and Felicia, and Latreille. The world was well constructed, the characters were believable, the political intrigue felt - err intriguing, and the battle scenes were a joy to read.
Thanks a lot!
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@unknownmat said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Well, after more than a year I finally got around to reading Altina. I wanted to thank you guys for the suggestion. It was indeed well-written - exactly what I'd been looking for. Although it shifted perspective a few different times, I never found myself bored or skipping through chapters because equally enjoyed reading about Regis, Altina, Bastion and Elize, Eddie and Felicia, and Latreille. The world was well constructed, the characters were believable, the political intrigue felt - err intriguing, and the battle scenes were a joy to read.
Thanks a lot!
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it so much! As a bookworm and aspiring librarian there are few things that make me happier than when someone enjoys a book I suggest!
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@Lily-Garden said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
@unknownmat said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Well, after more than a year I finally got around to reading Altina. I wanted to thank you guys for the suggestion. It was indeed well-written - exactly what I'd been looking for. Although it shifted perspective a few different times, I never found myself bored or skipping through chapters because equally enjoyed reading about Regis, Altina, Bastion and Elize, Eddie and Felicia, and Latreille. The world was well constructed, the characters were believable, the political intrigue felt - err intriguing, and the battle scenes were a joy to read.
Thanks a lot!
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it so much! As a bookworm and aspiring librarian there are few things that make me happier than when someone enjoys a book I suggest!
As a retired librarian, yeah, knowing that someone enjoyed a book you recommended, or that the information you assisted them in tracking down was just what they needed, it's a wonderful feeling.
Makes your day; that's when you feel that it was all worthwhile, getting the degree and everything. -
I've been trying to get into some more light novels besides just a couple of them, but I've been struggling to find any that stick, especially when it comes to new releases. Anyone able to come up with some recommendations based on these titles that I (have) read? I wouldn't put behind the possibility that there isn't a match, and that my expectations are too high, but it's worth a shot.
Ascendance of a Bookworm (still reading)
Dahlia in Bloom (still reading)
Infinite Dendrogram (ended up dropping at around volume 17, in the middle of the battle royale event. There wasn't a defining moment to why I dropped it, but it do be a turn off when the game isn't how a game functions, especially how the supreme embryos work (only 1 person getting it is really unfair, and it's a whole tier upgrade. Also the lack of any replay value due to being soul bound to an avatar does grind my gears). There are some cool things in it, like Hugh and Franklin, Shu's martial arts beating statistics, and the execution of most fighting mechanics, but it's hard to be sold that it's a revered international mmorpg).
Seirei Gensouki (I don't know how I gone through all of it until I hit prepub of 16. It's not my cup of tea, either. Must be what catchup does to a mofo)
Magician who rose from Failure (dropped at 4. It's good, but the other characters are real dumb, and that one fight against the bandit leader really pushed the limit. Also that the lore is spoonfed quite hard)
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom (still reading)
Bakarina (still reading, hope it's not carelessly concluded (but it should end soon))
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@22144418 Some suggestions I think you might like based on what you're reading/have dropped:
- Tearmoon Empire - misunderstanding medieval comedy that reveals its depth and lore as you read more
- My Daughter Returned an S-Rank Adventurer - ensemble cast, feels very western fantasy, honestly just really different from most other fantasy LN stories
- Apothecary Diaries - imperial China-set mystery series starring a teenage girl detective with an unhealthy obsession with poisons
- Ideal Sponger Life - "random Japanese guy gets to marry the queen of a fantasy world" is chapter 1, then the rest of the series covers the actual politics and complications of his new position
- Altina the Sword Princess - male protagonist is book-smart, female protagonist is strong but kind of dumb, they come together to win battles in medieval not-Europe at the dawn of the age of guns
- Der Werwolf - werewolf wants to integrate with humans instead of killing them, leading to a new human/demon faction that raises hell across the continent
