Might be off-topic since it seems that many here prefer Japanese LNs, but I'm currently reading:

• Leveling with the Gods - power-scaling regression story, I thought that the pacing was incredibly fast but it still kept everything coherent. The main story has finished, but the side story is still going on, which I would argue is nearly as interesting as the main story. The side characters enrich the story so much despite the entire novel taking a more serious tone, there's still really great moments of "this is what I've been fighting for." My friend has described it as "Solo Max Level Newbie but more serious" (also a good read btw)

• Level Up with Skills - main story still not finished, this is basically the opposite of The World After The Fall in that the MC ABUSES the system and is getting overpowered by being scrupulous essentially. There's not many very good points, but it also doesnt really do anything wrong IMO. Very fast paced and a really enjoyable read. Very serious tone with less humor than Leveling with the Gods but with a lot of interesting powers (suffers a tiny bit from "chosen one" trope and it feels like a lot really does fall into MC's hands, but I've read enough power-scaling that I don't mind it)

I went ahead and finished up by binge of Reincarnated as a Sword getting through books 13, 14, and 15. It was actually my first time reading Book 15 and I had forgotten a lot of the things that had happened in 14 so re-reading that was good refresher.

Anyway, wow Book 15 was such a wild ride! There was definitely hints of stuff happening in book 14 to set up book 15 but when 15 hit it was SO FREAKING COOL! A huge chunk of the story was devoted to Teacher and Fran's relationship. Is he a sword first, or a guardian first? We had seen some hints of this before in the Fanatix arc but it really took center stage for the Magic Academy arc.

So yeah, seeing how things came together at the end, how all the pieces fit together in the end to create something new... just super cool. We got to see a LOT of different character's secrets too and meet some new faces along the way.

On a side note, book 15 confirmed that Season 2 of Reincarnated of a Sword would be coming. Since season 1 was books 1 and 2, I bet season 2 will be books 3 and 4, so still no tournament arc. Oh well.

Anyway, I finally got the first book of Bookworm and started reading it, so look forward to that next time.

Is the Strongest in Another World a Hero? A Demon Lord? No! it’s a Fairy ~desu! WN c1-64 - Another web novel this week. I was expecting a cotton candy but all I have got is cotton. MC gets the strongest in couple of chpters. Starts parting and throws an Idol concert. Everyone is hangover the next day. Worldbuilding is nonexistant. It didn't keep me interested.

Honorable mention as I wanted to write a similar story where the MC is the only one aware of the cosmic horrors on the planet. I mentioned it once in a mid-week discussion. Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer Manga c1-50 The world intriguing, art is pretty enough, harem is subtle enough that it didn't click for me at first that's a harem manga. Not original but fresh enough to keep me interested.

P.S. Today The Hannalore 5th Year (Ascendance of a Bookworm spin-off) starts pre-publishing. Yay!

Ascendance of a Bookworm - Part 2 - Volume 4

I rewatched the anime after it’s been mentioned here so much lately and had to read the extra chapters. Now I am hooked again…

On a side note I have Frans on the mind now.

Isekai Walking: Volume 1 Elesia Kingdom Arc - Confusing start. I had to double check if this really was the first volume. One of the pre-chapter illustrations was a "Current Stats" character sheet with maxed out skills, etc. Something you would expect at the end of the volume but not before you even read the first sentence. The prologue also start off in the middle and the first chapter is a flashback to the start of the story when MC got summoned. The story itself is a pretty basic fantasy isekai with videogame elments (skills, levels, status windows), adventurer guild with E-S ranks, receptionists are all beautiful, etc.. MC gets summoned to defeat the demon lord, is deemed to have a useless skill and gets kicked out of the castle, learns that his skill is actually OP and starts adventuring as a lowly E-Rank but gets better step by step (get it? hahahaha, because he levels up by walking...). Anyway, he starts doing delivery quests and basically becomes an isekai postman. Or fantasy MC from Death Stranding. He's just missing the jar baby. At least for a while until it turns back into generic adventuring (herb gathering, wolve slaying, goblin slying, orc slaying, little slave loli saving, growing the party by one saved slave loli, etc. It's generic as they come but if you are in the mood for a generic isekai its entertaining enough. It's like a Marvel movie. If you've seen one you've seen them all but sometimes that just thing you want.

Jeanette the Genius: Defying My Evil Stepmother by Starting a Business with My Ride-or-Die Fiancé! Volume 1 - Super dense MC bordering on autistic. Especially funny since the title suggests she's a genius when she doesn't even get the most basic social cues. For example her step-mother and step-sister are bullying her but she believes that they are just giving her "rewards" to overcome so she gets more competent. Just imagine I would tell you to eat shit and then you'll happily munch away thinking how nice I am that I'm helping you to strenghten your imune system. It's an overexeggerated example but that's exactly MC's mindset. And that schtick is growing tiresome 2 chapters in.