June has already passed us by, and the summer season is in full-swing. Thanks to everyone who has participated in this site’s LN reading program! For July we will read the first volumes of The Isolator (as recently released by Yen Press) and Twilight-Colored Song User (as fan-translated online).
Here is a full schedule of our next set of weekly discussions:
Sunday, July 12th
- For The Isolator, read the prologue (“Fragment One” and “Fragment Two”) along with the first four chapters of the book proper. If you have the hardcover, this means up to page 50.
- For Twilight-Colored Song User, read the prologue and the first two chapters (labeled “First Play” and “Second Play”). On my Kindle, it equates to reading up to location 1258.
Sunday, July 19th
- For The Isolator, read chapters 5, 6, and 7. This will bring you to page 138 in the hardcover edition.
- For Song User, read the chapters “Interval Play” and “Third Play.” This is up to location 1898 on my Kindle.
Sunday, July 26th
- For The Isolator, read chapters 8 and 9 to finish the story.
- For Song User, finish the story with the chapters “Fourth Play,” “Final Play,” and “Awarded Play.” (Up to location 3142 on Kindle.)
If you decide to read ahead on either of these books, that's fine -- just don't post spoilers for later readings in the discussions. I'll see about putting a mini-schedule in the sidebar to serve as a reminder for anyone who is interested in reading either (or both) of these books.
And now, time for our monthly round-up of links:
- Here is a an article from Organization Anti-Social Geniuses, interviewing Frog-kun on what it’s like translating light novels.
- Frog-kun also posted translations of a couple Japanese reviews for the two novels we read last month in the LN reading program (Kagerou Daze and Mimizuku).
- Kuuderes_shadow posted an interesting list regarding light novel sales in Japan: a ranking of top sales for the novels’ first three weeks of release.
- Anime News Network meanwhile took a look at popular light novels between 2008 and 2011, and noted which ones have yet to receive an anime adaptation of any sort. (Note: Twilight-Colored Song User at #11, and Mimizuku at #22.)
- For some reviews, here is one from Windborne for One Day, I Turned into a Villainess Noble Girl. (Otoburi)
- And one from The Geeky Corner for Sword Art Online volume 4.
- From Honya’s Bookshelf, here is one for Death Note: Another Note.
And that’s everything I have for now! (As always, feel free to leave links to anything else from the last month in the comments.) I won’t be surprised if there’s some more light novel-related news coming up in the next few days though, while Anime Expo is in full swing. (Yen Press panel is on Sunday, I believe.) I’ll be sure to keep updates here going in the meantime.