I really like Read Real Japanese (http://www.amazon.com/Read-Real-Japanese...1568365292). It's a collection of short stories from different contemporary authors. It comes with translations of difficult passages, a vocabulary list, and extensive commentary.
The level of the stories varies, you might find some very hard and others easier. But because they are all short, you can get though even the tougher ones in a reasonable amount of time. Plus it's a great introduction to a range of Japanese authors.
The level of the stories varies, you might find some very hard and others easier. But because they are all short, you can get though even the tougher ones in a reasonable amount of time. Plus it's a great introduction to a range of Japanese authors.