The Journal of the Lincoln Heights Literary Society Miscellanea and Ephemeron
Ontology on the Go!
Living For Tomorrow
Story and Art by Taishi Zaou
Published by the Doki Doki Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN10: 1569700842
ISBN13: 9781569700846
Review by Linda Yau
This is the BL name for the same mangaka as Princes Princess… This is one of her favorite mangaka, so let’s just say that I finally learned of the reason why I-hisu likes this author so much. Continue reading “Yaoi Review: Living for Tomorrow”
Hitohira vol. 3
Story and Art: Idumi Kirihara
Published by Aurora Publishing
ISBN-10: 1934496537
ISBN-13: 978-1934496534
Review by Kris
The time has arrived! It’s the day of the school festival and by the end we’ll find out which club gets to stay and which club must close its doors forever. The Theatre Research Group has worked very hard and will do their best in performing the play. Of course Mugi is so nervous she continually passes out. But there is one problem that might be bigger than Mugi freezing on the spot. That problem is Nono’s voice. Nono has a vocal condition that causes her to lose her voice. Nono knows that this may be a problem but insists that the show must go on. The crew decides that if Nono’s voice is going to disappear she’ll give a sign and they’ll improvise their performance.
Continue reading “Manga Review: Hitohira vol. 3”
Reported and Photographs by Linda Yau
Acknowledged as the largest professional book fair in North America, Book Expo American was held the last week of May at the Jacob Javis Center in New York City. The Expo began on Wednesday and ended on Sunday. Continue reading “Book Expo America 2009 – Part 1”
Hey, Sensei?
By Yaya Sakuragi
Published by Juné Manga
ISBN 13: 978-1-56970-047-1
Review by April Kimm
Yaya Sakuragi is the mangaka of “Calorie,” “Soba ni Oitene,” “Renai Kyoutei Nukegake Nashi!,” “Koi Cha no Osahou” (Tea for Two) published by Blu Manga, “Mizu no Kioku,” “Plus 20 cm no Kyori,” “Yume Musubi, Koi Musubi,” “Hotel Traffic,” and “Oujisama no Ren’ai Jijyou.” “Hey, Sensei?” is a manga with four chapters and an epilogue of the main story, an unrelated one-shot “Unbreakable Bones,” and an afterword by the author. It’s soft yaoi, and sensei doesn’t lose his virginity until the last chapter, which may be why there’s a smut scene in the one-shot.
Continue reading “Yaoi review: Hey, Sensei?”
Report by Tissie
Book Expo America, the largest book convention in the US, concluded on May 31, 2009 after 4 days of fanfare and dire predictions. Attendance was down this year significantly (11% below the previous BEA held in NYC). Many publishers who had exhibited in past years decided to sit this year out. Finally, many attending publishers greatly reduced the size of their booths.
So it leaves one to wonder, when it comes to the changing landscape of the book industry, are publishers getting smarter, is money simply getting tighter, or is it a combination of both?
Continue reading “Book Expo America 2009: Are publishers getting smart or is money getting tighter?”
Only the Ring Finger Knows novel 4
Story by Satoru Kannagi
Illustrations (all four of them) by Hotaru Odargiri
Published by Juné
ISBN 13: 978-1-56970-124-9
Review by Ginger Mayerson
Well, here we are again in the midst of the Yuichi/Wataru romance and it’s still just as annoying and frustrating as ever. Wataru is still stressed out, Yuichi is still mean, and I’m still rooting for Asaka to take Wataru away from Yuichi and make the poor little guy happy. Well, I doubt that’s going to happen because Wataru is an idiot and this is one of those first love/true love 4-evah kind of stories. And, unless Kannagi-sensi surprises me very much, Wataru will be thrashing around with Yuchi in this angstfest until the end of time. Kannagi seemed rather shocked when I suggested that Wataru could have sex with Asaka at least once. She’d probably faint if I suggested Yuichi’s older brother, Shohei, should seduce Wataru. Maybe I’m just embroidering this twisty story with some twisty ideas of my own because there’s so much angst and so little action and then what action there is is somewhat frustrating. However, I love these characters, I’ve stuck with them for six years and there’s only one more volume in this series of novels. So I think I’ll stick around and see what happens.
Continue reading “Book review: Only the Ring Finger Knows, v. 4”
Love Round!!
Story and Art: Hinako Takanaga
Published by the Deux Press Imprint of Aurora Publishing, Inc.
ISBN-10: 1934496553
ISBN-13: 978-1934496558
Review by Kris
Kaoru Komatsuna is very sensitive. He has a feminine name and has soft feminine features. Everyone knows that this is a hot button issue with him and not to approach it. Well, all but one person. Junya Kubo happened to pick up Komatsuna’s student notebook and made the mistake of commenting on his name. Next thing Kubo knows is that some adorable shrimp knocked him out, which is a shocking thing in and of itself. Why, you ask? Well Kubo is a boxer who is in training to become a pro.
Continue reading “Yaoi Review: Love Round!!”
Mystic Investigators
by Patrick Thomas
Dark Quest Books, 2009
ISBN: 0979690145
Review by Ida Vega-Landow
Well, what do you know, here’s another collection of short stories by my homeboy Patrick Thomas! This one was published by Dark Quest Books instead of Padwolf, so you’re going to have to go to www.darkquestbooks.com and click on “Fiction” to get your hands on it. But it’s worth it, believe me! Within this slim volume are eleven tales of terror, most of them with a lighter side to leaven the horror. But not all of them. Be warned, you may find some of these stories a little too much for your psyche, especially if you’re the type who believes in government conspiracies about the paranormal—Area 51, men in black, the Jersey Devil, and so on. Our boy Patrick goes into some deep, dark waters here, the kind where a lot of creepy things are swimming beneath the surface, most of them eager to chew your legs off. But more often it’s just your mind they feed upon, infesting your imagination to the point where you’ll find yourself sleeping with a nightlight on, or keeping a flashlight under your pillow to investigate those strange noises you hear at night when you’re home alone.
Continue reading “Book review: Mystic Investigators”
Fairy With a Gun
The Collected Terrorbelle
by Patrick Thomas
Padwolf Publishing 2009
ISBN: 1890096415
Review by Ida Vega-Landow
Here’s a new book by my favorite male horror/fantasy author, whose body of work rivals Stephen King’s in volume. Unfortunately, he’s just a hometown phenomenon here in NYC, otherwise he’d be giving Mr. King a run for his money. And two for the show, as Patrick himself would undoubtedly add. Okay, so he’s addicted to corny puns. He’s also a bit careless about his spelling and grammar, and occasionally slips in his continuity. I try not to let little things like that bother me when I’m reading something I enjoy, and I do enjoy anything by Patrick Thomas, though it does bother me that he’s practically an underground writer. Maybe someday he will be given the respect and fame that he deserves. As well as a vigilant proofreader!
Continue reading “Book review: Fairy With a Gun”
The Nymphos of Rocky Flats
Written by Mario Acevedo
ISBN-10: 0060833262
ISBN-13: 978-0060833268
EOS Publishing
Review by Budd
Felix Gomez was just your everyday soldier. Then, while fighting in the Iraq war, he is turned into a vampire. Now his guilt about the war keeps him from drinking human blood. Adapting to his life as a vampire, Felix becomes a private detective. His vampire abilities give him a distinct advantage. Felix’s next job is finding out why the women of Rocky Flatts have become nymphomaniacs. Oddly the Vanatori, a group of vampire hunters, shows up while felix is working this job and starts killing vampires in the Denver area. Felix’s vampire abilities are starting to fail him as he rushes against the clock to stop the Vanatori and solve the mystery.
Continue reading “Book reivew: The Nymphos of Rocky Flats”