Books go cellular in Japan

Cellphone novels, composed on phone keypads by young women, have become a hot item in Japan, according to an article by Norimitsu Onishi appearing in The New York Times. Of last year's 10 best-selling novels in Japan, five were originally cellphone novels, mostly love stories written in abbreviated text messaging style with little plotting or character development.

The new genre is so successful that some are questioning whether it will hasten the decline of traditional Japanese literature. To learn more, read the full article.