Staff Picks
Light Novels in the Library (2022 Update)
- Thomas M.
- Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Collection
It has been over a year since the library's light novel collection became its own official category. The light novel list from 2021 still has many gateways. A new wave of titles is here, with plenty of adaptations, side stories, and reincarnations into a new life.
Final Fantasy XV
Dawn of the Future
Published in 2020
To oppose the gods or yield to fate? That is the question confronting each of the characters in The Dawn of the Future. Ardyn, having saved countless lives from the Starscourge, means to become the Founder King of Lucis and instead is cast into tragic exile. On the day the Empire falls, as the imperial capital collapses around them, Commodore Aranea is entrusted with the life of a singular young girl. The Oracle Lunafreya, upon awakening from the slumber of death, discovers that her body has undergone an extraordinary transformation. And after gazing upon the eternal, Noctis, the True King, finally comes to terms with his destiny. Herein lie the stories of the dawning of a new world in Final Fantasy XV.
Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!. Volume 1
Published in 2018
"When she turns ten years old, Adele von Ascham is hit with a horrible headache - and memories of her previous life as an eighteen-year-old Japanese girl named Kurihara Misato. That life changed abruptly, however, when Misato died trying to aid a little girl and met god. During that meeting, she made an odd request and asked for average abilities in her next life. But few things - especially wishes - ever go quite as planned"--Amazon.com
In Another World with My Smartphone. 1
Published in 2017
"After a freak accident involving some lightning winds up zapping him dead, 15-year-old Mochizuki Touya wakes up to find himself face-to-face with God. "I am afraid to say that I have made a bit of a blunder..." laments the old coot. But all is not lost! God says that he can reincarnate Touya into a world of fantasy, and as a bonus, he gets to bring his smartphone along with him! So begins Touya's adventure in a new, anachronistic pseudo-medieval world."
The Tunnel to Summer
The Exit of Goodbyes
Published in 2022
"One summer morning before school, Kaoru hears an unsettling rumor--of a mysterious tunnel that can grant any wish to those who enter it, but ages them dramatically in exchange. At first, he writes it off as nothing more than an urban legend, but that very night, he happens upon the selfsame passage: the Urashima Tunnel. As he stands before its gaping maw, a thought occurs to him--if this tunnel truly does have the power to grant any wish, could he use it to bring his younger sister back from her untimely death five years prior? Yet when he returns to explore the tunnel the next day, he finds he's been followed by the new girl in class: a total enigma by the name of Anzu. She takes an interest in Kaoru, and they agree to work together to investigate the time-twisting tunnel and uncover its mysteries. Together, they might achieve their deepest desires...but are they prepared for what it may cost them?" -- back cover
Spice & Wolf. Vol. 1
Published in 2009
"The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine-- that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of a fetching girl with wolf ears and a tail, Holo has wearied of tending to harvests in the countryside and strikes up a bargain with the merchant to lend him the cunning of 'Holo the Wisewolf' to increase his profits in exchange for taking her along on his travels. What kind of businessman could turn down such an offer? Lawrence soon learns, though, that having an ancient goddess as a traveling companion can be a bit of a mixed blessing. Will this wolf girl turn out to be too wild to tame?" --From publisher's web site.
One Piece
Ace's Story. Vol. 1, Formation of the Spade Pirates
Published in 2020
"Washed up on the shores of a deserted island at the edge of the East Blue Sea, two men from different backgrounds unite in their shared thirst for adventure. One of them, Portgaz D. Ace, will follow in his infamous father's footsteps as the captain of a pirate crew. The other, Masked Deuce, becomes the reluctant first member of Ace's Spade Pirates. Survival is not enough for these seafaring buccaneers, as together they seek treasure, excitement, and a route to the New World."--Page [4] of cover.
Mirai
Published in 2018
With the arrival of a new baby sister in the house, 4-year-old Kun worries his parents may not love him as much, but when Mirai appears in a magical garden she tells him she is his sister from the future.
I'm in Love with the Villainess. Novel 1
Published in 2020
"Dear Archnemesis ... Won't You Be Mine? Ordinary office worker Oohashi Rei wakes up in the body of the protagonist of her favorite otome game, Revolution. To her delight, the first person to greet her is also her favorite character, Claire Francois--the main antagonist of the story! Now, Rei is determined to romance Claire instead of the game's male leads. But how will her villainous ladylove react to this new courtship?!"--Provided by publisher
Fullmetal Alchemist
The Land of Sand
Published in 2021
"Somewhere between magic, art and science exists a world of alchemy. And into this world travel Edward and Alphonse Elric--two brothers in search of the Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate alchemical treasure! The mining town of Xenotime has seen better days. Once renowned for its skilled goldsmiths, it now lies forgotten in a sea of sand, its mines empty and its fields barren. The townsfolk's only hope lies with the talented state alchemist Edward Elric and his brother, Alphonse. But who is the real Edward Elric? When the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother arrive in Xenotime searching for the Philosopher's Stone, they discover that two strangers have stolen their names and their reputations! Will the real Elric brothers set things right, or will the battle between the true and false brothers shatter Xenotime's only chance for survival? Plus a bonus story, The Phantom of Warehouse 13!"--Provided by publisher.
5 Centimeters Per Second
One More Side
Published in 2019
"This official novelization narrates from the other side--for instance, from the point-of-view of the girl rather than the boy in the legendary first segment, "Cherry Blossoms"--To tell a story that is both deeply engaging for first-timers and astonishingly fresh for fans of the film"-- Amazon.com
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Published in 2020
"In the Soviet-occupied Japan of an alternate history, two childhood friends who have grown apart find each other again and begin a search for a missing third friend--and possibly save the world in the process"-- Provided by publisher.
Vampire Hunter D. Omnibus Book 1
Published in 2021
"A new omnibus collecting the first three volumes of Vampire Hunter D! It is 12,090 A.D., thousands of years since the human race nearly destroyed itself in a nuclear war--a folly foreseen by those who waited to emerge out of the underground... not from shelters, but from crypts! The aristocratic vampire lords known as the Nobles inherited our world, and with dark science and immortal patience made real the things that mortals had merely dreamed, whether voyaging to the distant stars, or conjuring monsters to roam the Earth. Yet the grand civilization of the Nobles has grown decadent, and as the terrorized remnants of humanity at last found the strength to rebel, their undying lords have been pushed back to the Frontier--the violent borderlands where humans still remain the prey of vampires, who for all their knowledge and power have never lost their obsession with our living flesh, blood... and souls! In this bizarre and deadly far future the most dangerous thing of all is not a vampire, but the one who hunts them--the one who is half them--a dhampir, the unearthly beautiful wanderer known as D."--Provided by publisher.
Sasuke's Story. Star Pupil
Published in 2020
"When Sasuke is given the task of training of Team Seven, Boruto is delighted, but he has trouble accepting his master's teachings. And then pop star Himeno Lily jumps in with a mission for them."-- Provided by publisher.
Naruto's Story
Family Day
Published in 2018
"To celebrate Family Day, Konohagakure's new holiday, Naruto and his daughter, Himawari, are on the hunt for an elusive must-have item. Hinata wants to make the day memorable for her family, and even Sasuke makes special time with his daughter, Sarada, and his wife, Sakura! At the end of the day, will Family Day be a success?"--Amazon
Otherside Picnic. Onmibus 1
Published in 2020
Sorawo Kamikoshi's first encounter with Toriko Nishina was on the Otherside, right after witnessing an otherworldly apparition and almost dying. Ever since that day Sorawo's life as an exhausted university student changed forever. In the Otherside, a place where internet urban legends become real, dangerous beings like the Kunekune and Hasshaku-sama appear -- specters she'd only ever heard whispered of in online ghost stories. Toriko and Sorawo set foot into this abnormal world for research, for profit -- and to find a missing person that is near and dear to someone's heart. A tale of two girls' bizarre exploration and survival, brought to you by an up-and-coming Sci-fi author.
Bakemonogatari
Monster Tale
Published in 2016
There's a girl at their school who is always ill. She routinely arrives late, leaves early, or doesn't show up at all, and skips gym as a matter of course. She's pretty, and the boys take to whispering that she's a cloistered princess. As the self-described worst loser in her class soon finds out, they just don't know what a monster she is. So begins a tale of mysterious maladies that are supernatural in origin yet deeply revealing of the human psyche, a set of case files as given to unexpected feeling as it is to irreverent humor. So begins the legendary novel that kicked off the MONOGATARI series, whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim. This first of three parts introduces Senjogahara and Hachikuji, and fans of the blockbuster prequel KIZUMONOGATARI will be delighted to meet their favorite crazies again: the weirdly reliable narrator Araragi, class president among class presidents Hanekawa, shady problem-solver Oshino, and a certain pale, blonde former vampire.
Bond & Book
The Devotion of "the Surgery Room"
Published in 2021
Musubu Enoki is an ordinary high schooler with an extraordinary ability--he can hear the voices of books. When he happens to notice one lost and crying, the young man sets out to reunite a children's classic with its original owner. Musubu leaves no page unturned in his quest to assist tomes of all sorts, including "The Surgery Room" by classic Japanese author KyMka Izumi. But can this advocate for books really make their dreams come true...? Find out in this bibliomystery you won't want to put down!
The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Vol. 1, Thus, She is Reborn
Published in 2021
"The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as Japan. No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job...until she discovers it's impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever..."--Provided by publisher.
Your Name
Published in 2017
"Mitsuha, a high school girl living in a rural town deep in the mountains, has a dream that she is a boy living an unfamiliar life in Tokyo. Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo, dreams that he is a girl living in the mountains. As they realize they are changing places, their encounter sets the cogs of fate into motion."-- Provided by publisher.
Weathering with You
Published in 2019
The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, quickly finding himself pushed to his financial and personal limits when he meets the bright and strong-willed girl Hina, who possesses the power to stop the rain and clear the sky.
At Night, I Become a Monster
Published in 2020
"Every night, Adachi transforms into a nightmarish creature--and every morning, he reverts to human form. When he encounters his ostracized classmate Yano Satsuki in his monstrous state, the two develop a peculiar bond. But daylight brings its own form of terrors. Which is worse, the monster at night, or the cruel realities of the classroom by day?."--Page 4 of cover.
I Am Blue, in Pain and Fragile
Published in 2022
"Two young people in their first year of university, drawn to each other's passion, establish a secret society to pursue those ideals. But as time passes, the demands of a world that isn't kind to dreamers threatens to force them apart, filling the space between them with shattered hopes and the fallout of lies. A tender, tragic tale about growing past pain and the cruelty of youth." -- publishers marketing
I Had That Same Dream Again
Published in 2020
"An unhappy girl who engages in self-harm, a woman ostracized by society, and an old woman looking to live out her twilight years in peace—what could three such different people have in common? That’s what grade schooler Koyanagi Nanoka is trying to find out. Assigned by her teacher to define what “happiness” means to her, Nanoka sets out to get to know these three strangers—and through them, perhaps, to know herself too"-- Provided by publisher.
I Have a Secret
Published in 2021
Five high school classmates hold secrets close to their hearts -- hidden talents, unspoken feelings, and buried pain. As they collide with each other on the path to growing up, they might jostle some of those secrets free.
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Published in 2018
"A high school boy finds the diary of his classmate - only to discover that she's dying. Yamauchi Sakura has been silently suffering from a pancreatic disease, and now exactly one person outside her family knows. He swears to her that he won't tell anyone what he learned, and the shared secret brings them closer together in this deeply moving, first-person story that traces their developing relationship in Sakura's final months of life."-- (Source of summary not specified)
The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent. Novel 1
Published in 2020
Could workaholic office lady Sei by a legendary Saint? Not according to the crown prince of another world who summoned her and quickly declared a different girl was the real Saint! That suits Sei just fine -- she would much rather spend her days quietly helping people with her unbelievably powerful magic. But how long can Sei live her ideal life of leisure before her true nature is revealed?
Perfect Blue
Complete Metamorphosis
Published in 2018
"Kirigoe Mima is in the third year of her career as a pure and innocent pop idol. Feeling like something big needs to change, she plans to give her image a major update. When the new Mima is revealed-complete with a sexy outfit and a risqué photo book-one of her most obsessive fans refuses to accept her transformation. To restore Mima to the innocent girl of her debut, he puts a terrifying plan to action that throws her life into chaos and mortal peril."--Page [4] of cover.
Shikamaru's Story
Mourning Clouds
Published in 2021
"A rupture in the alliance at the Summit of the Five Kages could be the trigger for the Fifth Great Ninja War! Meanwhile, something is causing Shikamaru and his family to drift further and further apart. But Shikamaru has a very powerful card up his sleeve to bring peace to both the world and his family!"-- Amazon
Saga of Tanya the Evil. 1, Deus Lo Vult
Published in 2017
High above the blood-and-mud-soaked trenches, a young girl pits herself against army mages in high stakes aerial duels with bullets, spells, and bayonets. Her name is Tanya Degurechaff and she is the Devil of the Rhine, one of the greatest soldiers the Empire has ever seen! But inside her mind lives a ruthless, calculating ex-salaryman who enjoyed a peaceful life in Japan until he woke up in a war-torn world. Reborn as a destitute orphaned girl with nothing to her name but memories of a previous life, Tanya will do whatever it takes to survive, even if she can find it only behind the barrel of a gun!