Do you like Japanese light novels?

[.Sev]

I just got into reading these about a month or two ago, and so far I:ve only read zero no tsukaima and The melancholy of haruhi suzumiya (Of course)
And I just found out they have translated the first Shakugan no shana novel yesterday, so im gonna buy the volume soon...
And i'm going to read the toradora novels sooner or later

[Gjallarhorn]

Kino no Tabi is perhaps the best thing I have ever read. Shame every book other than the first isn't going to be translated into english.

I've also read the first 6 volumes Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu. Better than the anime and an okay, read, but nothing special.

[Cobra Commander]

I'd give it a try, but I've never tried it. Assuming I could find an english one that I was interested in.

[Diocletian]

I've only read the Shana novels and it doesn't feel quite right. I feel like I'm reading a children's book from a book fair. I prefer to stick to real books and manga if possible.

[Taikutsu_Remedy]

Not a particular fan of light novels; I'm generally a non-fiction reader.

Though yeah, the few light novels that I have read seem...as if they were written for younger readers.

[Doom85]

I've bought and read Welcome to the NHK and the first Haruhi Suzumiya novels, and loved them. And they're definitely not aimed at kids judging by the content.

[.Sev]

well usually I read the light novels of anime I like, I haven't read any before the anime though.

[Gjallarhorn]

I've only read the Shana novels and it doesn't feel quite right. I feel like I'm reading a children's book from a book fair. I prefer to stick to real books and manga if possible.

I'll agree to this. The Haruhi novels read more like a television script than a "novel".

One of the reasons I love Kino no Tabi so much is because, despite its short length, is it reads like a traditional novel. Then again, most light-novels I've read have been dialogue-heavy, whereas Kino no Tabi was more about setting and scenery.

[Datenshi]

I used to read a lot of them.

My all-time favorite is probably Trinity Blood (the story is epic after it takes a turn for high science fiction in the later books), but a lot of the best light novels are the ones that never became serialized, or made into an anime. I stopped buying Kino No Tabi after the seventh volume or so.

Some good light novels I've read recently:

DDD 2
Sprite Spiegel (written by one of my favorite authors)
Young Gun Carnival
Rengoku No Escude / Escude of Purgatory

[Doom85]

I'll agree to this. The Haruhi novels read more like a television script than a "novel".

Are you guys reading fan-translations or the official translations? Because the first book is in print, and I've got it and it reads nothing like a script.

[Gjallarhorn]

Are you guys reading fan-translations or the official translations? Because the first book is in print, and I've got it and it reads nothing like a script.

What I mean was not that it was formatted as a script, but it's very, very, very dialogue heavy, and most of what isn't dialogue is inner-monolog on the part of Kyon.