Honestly just throwing in books you know nothing about besides a rough summary is fine. I still have a few ‘classic’ mystery authors I haven’t read in Japanese and no idea when I’ll get around to them as my 積読 pile is *checks* 58 books 
I should work on that…
4 Likes
Ah, this makes me feel so much better! 
I was feeling slightly anxious about my own pile of bought and as yet unread books being 15 books high , which is more than I read this year, while my list of books I’m possibly interested in is in the several dozens and keeps growing. 
4 Likes
Interestingly, 15 is also the limit I am allowing myself. But I am standing at 14 right now. 
(Well, if I ignore the free garbage I grabbed from booklive, which I do 
)
6 Likes
In my defense a sizeable chunk are old paperbacks I got for free because a library was taking them out of circulation 
Grateful to live in an area with a higher Japanese population (and multiple colleges teaching Japanese probably helps).
6 Likes
I am really looking forward to the next one. I don’t really keep pace with the club, but I like reading other people’s opinion and stuff. Reading is such a solitary thing that it’s fun to sometimes feel like it’s a group activity. 
(Also, I get to read books, I would probably not pick up on my own. That’s always a plus.)
These are noob numbers. 
my physical 積読 pile is over 100 books. 
It doesn’t look like 100 books… I thougth it was maybe 50 or so… 
My digital one is a multitude of that. (The 本好き books alone are like 30 volumes - and I have a few LN series on standby.) Someone send help. 
I need to control myself next time I am in Japan. 
5 Likes
One more nomination:
Book: そして五人がいなくなる<名探偵夢水清志郎事件ノート> | L25 (そして五人がいなくなる [vol 1 of 名探偵夢水清志郎事件ノート])
Is there an ebook available?: yes (currently part of KU)
Summary - Japanese
夢水清志郎は名探偵。表札にも名刺にも、ちゃんとそう書いてある。だけど、ものわすれの名人で、自分がごはんを食べたかどうかさえわすれちゃう。おまけに、ものぐさでマイペース。こんな名（迷）探偵が、つぎつぎに子どもを消してしまう怪人「伯爵」事件に挑戦すれば、たちまち謎は解決……するわけはない。笑いがいっぱいの謎解きミステリー
Summary - English
Yumemizu Seishiro is a master detective. It says so on his nameplate and business card. However, he is a master at forgetting things, and even forgets whether he has eaten his dinner or not. In addition, he is lazy and goes at his own pace. When this famous (or lost) detective takes on the case of the “Count”, a monster who makes children disappear one after another, the mystery is immediately solved…not. A mystery with lots of laughs!
Why are you nominating this book: I want to read something easier. It might also attract a few new readers that feel intimidated by level 30+ books. But essentially, I heard a few Japanese people talk about this series as their gateway into mystery novels and love of reading and that piqued my interest.
4 Likes
Oh, I really like the look of this one! I don’t know if we’ve had a nomination with the “not really a detective in reality” archetype yet. I also appreciate the lower level nomination; I hope we can bring in a wider reading group if it gets chosen!
2 Likes
Do you all think it might be worth noting clearly when a book is for younger audiences? I’ve only read two books that turned out to be for young adults or younger (not that they were labeled as such), and I felt very unsatisfied by both of them. I guess I’m too far removed from the intended target group. I have nothing against the book club picking such books, but I’d find it helpful to know beforehand what the intended audience is.
5 Likes
I think it would be nice! I think I was the one who suggested this book, and I didn’t realize ahead of time, else I’dve marked it when nominating. 
2 Likes
I have read some amazing (English) middle grade books in recent years. I don’t think that target audience necessarily makes for an uninteresting book, but mystery is a bit special in that regard since they will be simpler and less dark on principal. Though middle grade mysteries can be quite a fun romp. I struggle most with YA since they kinda try to be adult but are just not enough adult to be interesting to an actual adult. Middle grade just tries to be fun/interesting. 
6 Likes
I only knew 体育館の殺人 was meant for younger audiences having looked at reviews and such. Japan doesn’t seem to put things into a YA category as much so you’re more or less going with a gut feeling based on cover art, description, writing style, etc.
Looking at the current nomination list (I’m leery to edit / add things to the list until the Discourse issues are fixed, so just for clarity we have one spot remaining):
赤ずきんちゃん is maybe not intended for young but it’s definitely silly.
アンデッドガール is likely YA
ノッキングオン・ロックドドア is likely YA
名探偵は嘘をつかない is likely YA
私が大好きな小説家 is a straight up ラノベ iirc, but yes, YA.
透明人間 looks maaaaaybe YA but the reviews don’t suggest that so unsure. One review said this though which…
AB型っぽい。
wat 
5 Likes
Thanks for doing all that work 
そして五人がいなくなる is 100% Middle Grade. I wonder why Japan doesn’t distinguish YA more. Or maybe the labels make it clear? (Books are often grouped by publisher rather than author in Japanese bookstores. Maybe ppl know that label XYZ from publisher XYZ is YA? 
)
4 Likes
Yes, please! 
I totally don’t doubt that there are good books for middle schoolers, it’s just that in the overwhelming majority of Japanese books I read for that age group you inevitably get to the “moralizing moments” because the author feels they need to teach the young readers something. And… that’s so… ugh… I’m sorry but I don’t need that any more.
I already found the title to be such a dead giveaway that I did not even look further
Oh, thanks for your classification! That helps a ton.
3 Likes
It’s time to vote!
As a reminder, 
NOMINATIONS ARE HERE 
ebooks typically have previews (立ち読み) so if the book is unrated and you’re unsure, or you just want to scope out the writing style, please make use of it! Keep in mind that a good deal of books are entered at 30 by default and some of the books with only one or two ratings can have pretty unstable ratings.
As with last time, you will have 5 votes in this poll, and any books to receive no votes will go in the Nomination Graveyard 
They can be renominated, but please wait at least two voting cycles before reintroducing them.
As a quick reminder, the schedule is as follows:
-
January 9th - voting opens
-
January 16th - voting closes and winner announced
-
January 30th - first weekly thread for the chosen book is opened!
Without further ado - the vote!
- 黒い森の記憶 | L30??
- グラスホッパー | L35
- 柔らかな頬 上 | L30??
- 赤ずきん、旅の途中で死体と出会う。 | L30??
- アンデッドガール・マーダーファルス 1 | L30??
- ノッキンオン・ロックドドア | L28??
- 砂の家 | L30??
- 変な家 | L27
- 木洩れ日に泳ぐ魚 | L33??
- 白光 | L30??
- 模倣の殺意 | L30??
- 名探偵は嘘をつかない | L38
- 透明人間は密室に潜む | L30??
- 私が大好きな小説家を殺すまで | L25??
- 吹雪の山荘 リレーミステリ | L30??
- テロリストのパラソル | L30??
- 七回死んだ男 | L30??
- 時空旅行者の砂時計 | 30??
- そして五人がいなくなる | L25
0 voters
7 Likes
ゎ‹ゎ‹( ˶˙ᴗ˙˶ )ゎ‹ゎ‹
|ωΦ;))))ﾄﾞｷﾄﾞｷ…
1 Like
This looks like some sort of ritual and Cthulhu text, haha. Trying to summon an Old God to get your picks to win?
5 Likes
I wish that would work. But alas, was just trying to show some excitement. Also, I just really like 顔文字. They are a lot of fun. 乁( ˙ ω˙乁)ｳｪｰｲ
3 Likes
I can “read” this one:
ゎ‹ゎ‹( ˶˙ᴗ˙˶ )ゎ‹ゎ‹
and this one:
乁( ˙ ω˙乁)ｳｪｰｲ
But this one is a complete mystery (ha! way to stay on topic!) to me:
|ωΦ;))))ﾄﾞｷﾄﾞｷ…
What is it supposed to be?
3 Likes
someone lurking around a corner (you only see 1 eye) with an excited heartbeat (ドキドキ) 
3 Likes
Seriously? I could just barely see a chick lying down with eggshell on its head (!) but an eye? I see no eye. 
2 Likes
