Book Recommendations

This is a shortlist of books originally in Japanese I'm personally fond of and would recommend to any Japanese speakers or learners. A lot of these have no (official) English release, but I'll note otherwise when applicable. Most of the manga have fan translations out there. Links in Japanese will point to official pages where they exist.

If you don't care to scroll through the whole list the three things I will emphatically recommend are 雨の塔 (Ame no Tou), 付き合ってあげてもいいかな (Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii Kana), and ミモザの告白 (Mimosa no Kokuhaku).

If you end up reading anything here because of my recommendation, I'd love to hear about it (links in the About page)!

Contents

• Novels
• Web/Light Novels
• Anthologies and Collections
• Manga

Novels

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• 四畳半神話大系 (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) by 森見登美彦 (Tomihiko Morimi)
  HarperCollins has put out an English translation by Emily Balistrieri: The Tatami Galaxy. This was also adapted into an anime.

• やがて海へと届く (Yagate Umi e to Todoku) by 彩瀬まる (Maru Ayase)
  This was also adapted into a feature film in 2022.

• 帝国の女 (Teikoku no Onna) by 宮木あや子 (Ayako Miyagi)

• 雨の塔 (Ame no Tou) by 宮木あや子 (Ayako Miyagi)
  This was adapted into a stage play in 2021 and it is one of the single greatest regrets of my life that I have no means of seeing it.

Web/Light Novels

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• ミモザの告白 (Mimosa no Kokuhaku) by 八目迷 (Mei Hachimoku)
  Seven Seas is in the process of putting out a licensed English translation by Evan Ward: The Mimosa Confessions.

• 夏に溺れる (Natsu ni Oboreru) by 青葉寄 (Yoru Aoba)

• 佐伯沙弥加について (Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite) by 入間人間 (Hitoma Iruma)
  Seven Seas has put out a licensed English translation by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda: Regarding Saeki Sayaka. It's a companion series to Bloom Into You.

• 週に一度クラスメイトを買う話 (Shuu ni Ichido Classmate o Kau Hanashi) by 羽田宇佐 (Usa Haneda)
  There are a couple fan translations of this one floating around, but the only ones that have caught up to the latest chapters are all MTL. I'm not personally a huge fan of them, but I have unreasonably high standards (haha). Look up shuukura if you're so inclined. It's also being adapted into a manga.

Anthologies and Collections

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• 零合 (Zerogoh)
  This is a literary magazine that focuses exclusively on publishing yuri short stories. They have two issues out currently, both of which are excellent.

• 百合小説コレクションwiz (Yuri Shousetsu Collection wiz)

Manga

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• きみが死ぬまで恋をしたい (Kimi ga Shinu made Koi o Shitai) by あおのなち (Aononachi)
  Kodansha has licensed this one for Spring 2025.

• さよならダイアモンド (Sayonara Diamond) by 蛭塚都 (Miyako Hiruzuka)

• ぜんぶ壊して地獄で愛して (Zenbu Kowashite Jigoku de Aishite) by くわばらたもつ (Tamotsu Kuwabara)

• 付き合ってあげてもいいかな (Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii Kana) by たみふる (Tamifull)
  Viz has licensed this one: How Do We Relationship?.

• ラストサマー・バケーション (Last Summer Vacation) by 東洋トタン (Totan Touyou)

• 合格のための！ やさしい三角関係入門 (Goukaku no Tame no! Yasashii Sankakukei Nyuumon) by 缶乃 (Kanno)

• 姉の親友、私の恋人 (Ane no Shin'yuu, Watashi no Koibito) by 藤松盟 (Mei Fujimatsu)

• やがて君になる (Yagate Kimi ni Naru) by 仲谷鳰 (Nio Nakatani)
  Seven Seas has licensed this one: Bloom Into You. It's also been adapted into an anime and a stage play.