PAPERBACK ONLY. If you recall, last month I told you that my desk was crowded with manga, many of which were still unread, thanks to an unprecedented Italian production. This month, the same thing is happening with books, both non-fiction and novels. Japan and its culture are trendy (in the best sense of the word), so even non-comics publishing is paying it a lot of attention. If you go to any bookstore, you'll notice that novels by Japanese authors have earned ample space, published by a wide variety of publishers. A few months ago, the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera launched a weekly series, entitled Giappone – storia cultura stile di vita, which collects essays of all kinds, ranging from travel reports to cuisine, from samurai to philosophy. A sort of "encyclopedia" of the Land of the Rising Sun that allows you to get interesting volumes at a great cover price. Rizzoli, meanwhile, is bringing a series to bookstores, titled Kimochi (Japanese for "sensation," "atmosphere," "mood"), dedicated to contemporary Japanese fiction. From what we've seen so far, these novels are steeped in Japanese atmospheres and settings, with a strong emotional impact, and in some ways aimed at a female rather than male audience (but don't worry, they can appeal to men too). I believe we won't stop here, and that other initiatives are bubbling away in the minds of editors and publishers. Japan still has much to say, and we Westerners still have much to understand. The only downside, as I mentioned at the beginning, is that my desk is full of volumes, far more than I can possibly read. Nippon Shock Magazine focuses primarily on manga and images, but as you well know, it also explores other aspects of Japan's diverse culture, so this month we've decided to dedicate our review section to novels. We obviously hope (and are confident) that you'll enjoy it. Happy reading!