Hey all,
I’m back with another “Cafe Talk” (woohoo it returns!), which is, for all my newcomers as of late, a free-flowing, comment-welcome segment that tends to lean towards anime “happenings,” or perhaps loose conversations related to my life and what’s new.
Today I wanted to discuss something that I’ve really been hammering down on in my updates (no, not my Danganronpa obsession). It’s reading, yup, I’ve gotten back into poppin’ open books and inhaling the words off of the pages. Specifically speaking, I’ve been getting into light novels more, partially to get to know them better (what they are, why they are so popular), but more so because I’ve been craving some light, short reads featuring our favorite anime characters. And what do you know? That’s exactly what a light novel is!
I do not own this image.
Now, I have those couple series that I’ve been following on my own (Monogatari, Sword Art Online), but I was in search of something different at the time, a fresh tale featuring beautiful characters and all their cool adventures and mishaps. So I turned over to Twitter as a tool (and not just a place to retweet Yuri!!! On ICE artwork) to find out the kinds of light novels you guys are into right now. This way, I could also incorporate my Twitter with my blog more. Thank you to all who replied—it was very helpful, as I think I found some great contenders!
BEFORE I tell you the titles I plan to read, I want to let you know a bit about me: I’m a collector, a buyer of books, movies, and everything in between. This tends to put me at odds with libraries, as I find myself unable to simply rent/check out my entertainment—I NEED TO OWN IT, to hold it knowing that it’s MINE. Isn’t this terrible!? Gosh, I’m the worst, haha, but I might’ve found a remedy to my dilemma . . .
Through Amazon’s USED books system (or eBay), if the volume I desire is available for, say, around $5 (shipping included), I’ll buy it, and hopefully review it, too! Doesn’t it kinda sound like fun? The idea just sorta came to me, and so long as I can get the books for cheap and have time to read them, well then, the more used literature, the better!
(I will ALSO be taking recommendations for single-volume/very short manga stories!)
AND SO, after weeding out the ones that didn’t intrigue me via synopsis, I present you with the following titles I picked up and the wonderful people who recommended them to me:
Mel—Seraph of the End—Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen
Simply Gee—Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime
Lethargic Ramblings—The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Moonlitasteria—Harmony
Myself—A Certain Magical Index
As of right this moment, November 16, I’ve yet to actually purchase Guren Ichinose or The Empty Box, but I WILL, I promise!!
So what do you guys think? Is this a great way to interact with the community, read the works that excite some of you, and give used books a nice home, or is it a terrible waste of money and a poor way to pick up new novels? You ought to let me know! If you see any improvements to this “game” that I can make, let me know those, too. And lastly, if you have a little spare cash, I encourage you to join in on the madness!
Should all of this go smoothly, look out for another spontaneous Twitter call, as I could end up reading one of YOUR favorites so long as it is daring enough to meet the requirements of the game! ‘Till next time, everyone!
– Takuto, your host
Takuto's Anime Cafe 
That’s a fantastic idea although I think you should take a leap of faith and not read the synopsis before hand.. Would your fellow bloggers ever steer you wrong?!
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Also if you decide to take my advice please let me know. I may have some suggestions…
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Some of us are a bit . . . Well, we all like a good trick. But I never considered that, perhaps for the next recommendation. Thank you Irina!
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Great idea in my eyes. I love bargain hunting for books, and buying in the way you are opens up the possibility of finding some real gems that you may have otherwise missed.
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Bargain hunting, especially for anime-related goods, can be SO eye-opening! I’m glad we have the same outlook on second-hand shopping (and saving)!
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It’s amazing what you can find if you look too.
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This is actually an amazing idea. I’m all for it!
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Seems like a fun thing to do, I bet it will make for some pretty interesting content too 🙂
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Really a very cool idea to say the least. I am like you: a collector as well. I also need to own everything lol 😂😂😂 Though that also means I’m continually running out of space 😊😊
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Ahh, fellow collectors think alike! Like you, I seem to be finding myself losing space by the minute, but you know, it feels like a good problem to have. 🙂
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Hey, that used book thing sounds cool!
This sounds really interesting Taku-san~
Oh Orange! I’ve been meaning to read that from a LONG time….
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YES, Orange is sooo good, especially the manga (it’s short, too)! I hope to continue doing the blind-buy game in 2018!
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For The Next Amazon Used Blind Buy Game Café Talk Buy These My Hero Academia High School DXD Ouran High School Host Club Kiss Him Not Me And My Love Story The Reasons I Said High School DXD Ouran High School Host Club Plus Kiss Him Not Me And My Love Story Because I Seen Season 1 Of These Anime’s And I’M Going To Hopefully Get Ouran High School Host Club Plus High School DXD English Manga’s Volume’s 2 From Barnes And Noble. If There Is A Barnes And Noble By You There Is Always A Yen Press Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale On Manga’s In December Of Every Year Which Is What I Did Last Year And Got Early Manga’s For My Birthday This Year In April 2017. So If Your Bored Do Watch Sakura Quest High School DXD March Comes In Like A Lion Love And Lies Little Witch Academia My Love Story Welcome To The Ballroom Blend S Recovery Of An MMO Junkie Masamune Kun’s No Revenge Princess Principal Hastakoi Monster Monster Musume Welcome To The Ballroom Plus Every Day With Monster Girls All Out You Will Be Delighted With The Story Lines And All The Regular And New Characters In These Anime’s I For One Hoping That Sakura Quest NTR Netsuzou Trap Monster Musume Everyday Life With Monster Girls Masamune-Kun’s No Revenge Love And Lies Gets Renewed For Season 2 In 2018 Have A Blessed Week And Do Hoping That Your Halloween Went Ok A Few Days Then It’s Thanksgiving Keep On Posting Updates On Here Daily 🙂
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This sounds like an exciting endeavor! Good luck, I hope that the reads you end up with are all delightful. I myself have never read a light novel, and have only learned of their existence in the last handful of months. I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about their general quality, but imagine that overall they’re pretty fun.
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Reviewing light novels sounds like a great addition to your blog.
I used to read loads as a child, but sadly these days other hobbies have taken over my free time. The best I can manage is audiobooks on the walk to work. Sadly there don’t seem to be many anime audio books.
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Looking at this now, I’m honestly not sure when I’ll get around to it. But I always have the chance to do so if I feel the urge!
I, too, have neglected reading for the longest time. And to think it was such a huge part of my life as a elementary/middle school kid. Damn you, anime! In this day and age, I think that merely attempting to squeeze in the time for a good book, audio or not, is a valiant, noble effort. I know they can be hard to find, these anime audio books, but if you haven’t already, I believe Kizumonogatari has an excellent audio version of the same, grim tale.
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