General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests)
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Hello everyone! I am pretty new to light novels and am looking for some completed series to read. The only series I have read is Full Metal Panic! So pretty much any suggestions will be something I have not read. Genre does not matter. I largely prefer world building and character development, but anything you think is great to read is fine, regardless.
The only requirement I have is that it has to have a happy ending, and largely be light in tone. It doesn't have to be completely happy the entire time but not intensely depressing, either. Thank you for your time.
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@Shenrai Welcome to light novels!
For a list of series that J-Novel Club has fully published in English, check out the filters on our Series page. Here's a direct link with the "Completed" filter already checked: https://j-novel.club/series?status=complete
Of these ones, the only one I've personally read is Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte, which is a short 2 volumes but very nice.For non-JNC series... most of the stuff I'm reading is ongoing, but here are some you could check out:
- The Empty Box and the Zeroth Maria
- I haven't finished reading it yet, so not sure if it's a happy ending or not.
- Spice & Wolf (you might see a few random volumes come out periodically, but the main story is complete)
- The Holy Grail of Eris (same as above, there's a 4th volume that's set after the completed main story)
- The NPCs in This Village Sim Game Must Be Real!
- The Empty Box and the Zeroth Maria
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@Shenrai - complete and fun: Woof Woof Story -- if you like early FUNA (Abilities Average) or just like adorable little puppy dogs which the MC totally is for sure ;-) then you'll enjoy this light and (ahem) fluffy series.
Also, you might consider slice of life stories that are not "complete" but don't need to be because there are no cliffhangers. The early volumes of I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years are that kind of story, and so is all 12 of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
JNC's Smartphone may never end, but the main arc ended 6? books ago and you can stop there or the second "ending" which was wrapping up the relationships not a battle.
JNC's Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?! is complete at four volumes and the sweetness will give you cavities and/or diabetes.
JNC's My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World is clever, fun, and complete. The author's Instant Death Cheat series is probably nearing completion but no idea yet how happy the ending will be.
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@Shenrai
Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte is a sweet 2 volume romcom about two high-schoolers who are doing a color commentary while playing an otome game when they realize that the Prince character can hear them, so they decide to help him realize that his fiancée, the "villainess" Lieselotte, is actually a huge tsundere who is easily embarrassed and has trouble expressing her feelings. The two high-schoolers decide two use their commentary skills to bring forth the happiest possible ending.Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend: Roomies and Romance romcom about a boy and a girl who make a pact to help each other find the perfect Otaku date. They also end up as roommates. Sweet and 5 volumes long
A Lily Blooms in Another World single volume Yuri isekai series. Typical fantasy setting, girl whisks her lady love off to the countryside
Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress! after Tanya's sexist party leader kicks her out of the party she decides to get her revenge, and she ends up teaming up with a "wicked" sorceress who's less wicked in the sense of being evil and more wicked in the sense of being really cool 😎 Despite the main character's desire for "revenge" this is a lighthearted series; the tag line reads: "It's time to kick ass, kiss girls, and dismantle the patriarchy!"
Finally you might check out Lazy Dungeon Master which just finished; a fun mostly lighthearted isekai series with some good fantasy battles a lot of clever schemes from the main character, the eponymous lazy dungeon master
Moreover I wholeheartedly second the recommendation of Holy Grail of Eris; a great pair leading ladies in a story full of intrigue
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@Lily-Garden said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend: Roomies and Romance romcom about a boy and a girl who make a pact to help each other find the perfect Otaku date. They also end up as roommates. Sweet and 5 volumes long
@Shenrai I will point out that this one is currently on catchup for this month. So you could try to binge the entire series if you're a member (or subscribe and try it out for a low price).
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@Shenrai, some great suggestions already but I’ll tack onto this list:
- “Me, a Genius? I Was Reborn into Another World and I Think They've Got the Wrong Idea!” from J-Novel Club. It’s a comedy, and while it does involve getting “reborn in another world”, its one that closely resembles our own modern world, which is what sets up many of the misunderstandings that follow the protagonist. Only three volumes, but light-hearted good fun.
Also, there are some light novels that are self-contained in a single volume, if that appeals. Two I had a particularly good time with are “The Weakest Manga Villainess Wants Her Freedom” and “As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy-Bad Endings”, both published by Cross Infinite World. Both are romantic comedies, but with a good dash of action, too. They each run about 300 pages long, so about the same length as many regular novels, if you’re worried about the stories ending too soon should you enjoy them.
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@Dawnaxis said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
@Shenrai, some great suggestions already but I’ll tack onto this list:
- “Me, a Genius? I Was Reborn into Another World and I Think They've Got the Wrong Idea!” from J-Novel Club. It’s a comedy, and while it does involve getting “reborn in another world”, its one that closely resembles our own modern world, which is what sets up many of the misunderstandings that follow the protagonist. Only three volumes, but light-hearted good fun.
Also, there are some light novels that are self-contained in a single volume, if that appeals. Two I had a particularly good time with are “The Weakest Manga Villainess Wants Her Freedom” and “As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy-Bad Endings”, both published by Cross Infinite World. Both are romantic comedies, but with a good dash of action, too. They each run about 300 pages long, so about the same length as many regular novels, if you’re worried about the stories ending too soon should you enjoy them.
I almost had Me, a Genius? on my list too -- I hesitated because even though I really enjoyed it, it's ended but not finished. Volumes 1-2 make a good arc but 3 leaves some things dangling.
One series that isn't completed yet but has no need to be: Dragon Daddy Diaries.. Full of wholesome goodness, with no worries about cliffhangers or unhappy endings.
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@HarmlessDave Actually, it's done now. V4 brought things to a close.
EDIT: V4 of Dragon Daddy Diaries, that is.
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@TheGrimLich said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
@HarmlessDave Actually, it's done now. V4 brought things to a close.
EDIT: V4 of Dragon Daddy Diaries, that is.
Ah, thanks --v4 is in my pile of books to read over the holidays.
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Hello again! I was hoping to get some recommendations on any romcoms. My main requirements are that there shouldn't be any form of harems involved, and that the MC should actually be tolerable. I am primarily avoiding those that self deprecate themselves constantly, and are always amazed that someone could even fall for them in any way, shape, or form. Its just frustrating. Thanks for all your time.
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@Shenrai Yashiro-kun's Guide to Going Solo is an interesting single volume story (that also has an afterstory that is not required reading). It's a story about people reaching out to make connections, and learning how to appreciate that others need different amount of times in a group than they themselves might.
My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex - the series isn't as "bad" as the title might make it out to be. The couple dated in middle school and broke up, never met each other's (single) parent, found out their parents were dating when marriage was being considered and both agreed to never, ever mention their past because they wanted their parents to be happy. The series itself deals with the lingering romantic feelings they didn't quite get over after their breakup (middle schoolers didn't communicate well, shocking), navigating entering high school, as well as the relationship drama that occurs in others around them.
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@Shenrai
An Introvert's Hookup Hick-up's doesn't seem to have been mentioned.
It's sweet, no harem so far and no sign of any legit way one would appear, the male MC has reasonable self esteem and decent socialization skills and is legit nice, the female lead is a sweetie. Good relations with their respective families.
Jokes are made in the discussion topic concerning potential diabetes as a reaction to each section as it posts.
Volume one is complete, volume 2 is still in pre-pub [it's a JNC project]. -
@Shenrai said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Hello again! I was hoping to get some recommendations on any romcoms. My main requirements are that there shouldn't be any form of harems involved, and that the MC should actually be tolerable. I am primarily avoiding those that self deprecate themselves constantly, and are always amazed that someone could even fall for them in any way, shape, or form. Its just frustrating. Thanks for all your time.
I'll repeat this one:
JNC's Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?! is complete at four volumes and the sweetness will give you cavities and/or diabetes.
and add:
JNC's How to Love Your Elf Bride has an MC who isn't self-deprecating, he's just painfully innocent about romance. There are some fun running gags about the couple's childhoods that I won't spoil. (Note: the original title is ...Slave Elf Bride, but he never treats her as one. This is 100% not the isekai trope of "good master" and it isn't an isekai.)
JNC's Welcome to Japan Ms. Elf is another sweet one but with more adventure than Detestable Demon Lord.
JNC gave this one the harem tag, but it really is not. Harem fans would be shaking their fists at the false advertising ;) : Now I'm a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon
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@Shenrai Tales of Marielle Clarac has a female MC who sees herself as plain and a bit of a wallflower but actively leans into those traits to take full advantage of them. She is a noblewoman who is secretly a novelist so her response to other nobles being nasty is "Great! I could use this in my novels!" She is a woman of action and self-assured with full confidence in herself
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Hey,
Would appreciate everyone’s help. I’m looking for a light novels with an elf as the main protagonist. Elf or High Elf MC, please. I’ve read In the Land of Leadale and Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I'm Bored. Thanks!
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@nohashtag The main perspective character in To Another World... With Land Mines! is technically an elf, but it's not very relevant to most of the story.
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@nohashtag - This is a spoiler since it doesn't come up until volume 4?, but the MC of
and the series has an ongoing focus on elven society.
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@nohashtag said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
Hey,
Would appreciate everyone’s help. I’m looking for a light novels with an elf as the main protagonist. Elf or High Elf MC, please. I’ve read In the Land of Leadale and Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I'm Bored. Thanks!
Are you looking for a specific book you remember from the past that you don't remember the title of and want to find again? Or just looking for stuff covering that topic? If the former, a little more info about any plot you remember might be helpful.
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@pcj I’m looking for recommendations. Sorry if I wasn’t clear enough.
@myskaros I love Land Mines! I hope we meet more elves.
@HarmlessDave I’ve watched the anime and tried this but sadly wasn’t for me. Thanks so much though!
Finding novels with elves as the main protagonists is hard. Honestly, this is Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I'm Bored fault.
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@nohashtag - it's western fantasy not a LN, but C. J. Cherryh's The Dreaming Tree is good (originally published as The Dreamstone and The Tree of Swords and Jewels).
