Best of My Reading Year

I sadly haven't done a ton of reading this year, but here are some of the ones I have:

Best Romance Book of Your Reading Year

Golden Time, by Yuyuko Takemiya

This slice of life story with a supernatural twist tells the story of Tada Banri, a young man who lost his memories in an accident and is now trying to move on with life by attending Tokyo University. There, he meets a rather eccentric girl named Kaga Koko. When pieces of his past come back to haunt him, Banri and Koko have to figure out how they really feel about each other.

Best Fantasy Book of Your Reading Year

Sword Art Online, by Reki Kawahara

In the year 2022, an amazing full-dive MMORPG is released. The world of Sword Art Online is such that the players have their own lives inside, not only fighting, but crafting, cooking, and creating relationships. However, on the evening of the release day, the creator announces that he will not allow them to log out and go to the real world unless they reach the 100th floor of the floating castle they live in. And, to make things more difficult, if they die in the game, they die in real life... 

Best Storyline of Your Reading Year

Death Note, written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata

I'm in love with this series. It brings up all sorts of questions about ethics and morality, like whether killing criminals makes you a hero or a villain. The pacing is wonderful, and every chapter brings a new twist I was not expecting. I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes graphic novels.


And because I've been largely into visual novels this year:

Best Art of Your Reading Year

Kiss of Revenge, by Voltage Inc

I love the style they used for this game. It's softer than many of the others, and the colors are lovely. 

Best Music of Your Reading Year

Tie between Love Letter from Thief X and Our Two Bedroom Story, by Voltage Inc

The music in LLFTX is seamless and orchestrated well. It really adds to the mood of the game, and nothing is quite like the music that plays when the thieves have a mission. OTBS has some of the prettiest music I've heard in a Voltage game. The piano themes are my favorite.