So you better be good.

Like last year (see below), J LHLS will be covering this event. And won’t that be grand?

(2008: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.)

Apparently Brooklyn, NY is some kind of vortex of all good things (this, this, I’m sure there’s more, and also a restaurant that sounded amazing I can’t find the link to [Rachel, I sent it to you, maybe you can dig it up]). So in that spirit, I’m going to review the half dozen brownies (yes, brownies) Rachel Livingston sent me from Baked, located, yes, in Brooklyn.
» Continue reading “Brooklyntopia: Baked”

Check the sidebar or the J LHLS Twitter page for updates from Linda Yau, Jilly Gee, and Rachel Livingston at Book Expo in New York. We’re Twitterfied, all right.

Dead And Gone
A Sookie Stackhouse novel
By Charlaine Harris
Published by Ace Books, 2009
ISBN-10: 0441017150
ISBN-13: 978-0441017157

Review by Ida Vega-Landow

Once again I bring you a review about my favorite horror/fantasy author. I should say my favorite female horror/fantasy author, since my homeboy Patrick Thomas is still the man where that particular genre is concerned. Even Stephen King can’t hold a candle to Charlaine Harris or Patrick Thomas when it comes to describing things that go bump in the night and comparing them to the everyday horrors perpetrated by your fellow humans. Having delved into the psyches of vampires, werewolves, and witches in her past novels, in this novel Ms. Harris now features a supernatural species she has only mentioned in passing—fairies.
» Continue reading “Book review: Dead and Gone”

Train Train
Story and Art: Eiki Eiki
Published by the Doki Doki Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN13: 9781569700969
ISBN10: 1569700966

Review by I-hsiu Lin

A young man’s dream of becoming a train operator…is not as easy as it seems. Especially since he has been assigned to Minami Kitazawa station. With a premise like that, the story doesn’t seem to be very interesting. However, once you step through the doors of the station master’s office, you’re surrounded by four hot guys…along with a mob of fangirls. Dealing with the attention from his weird senpais, mobs of female fans and learning about his job all at once…for one young man with aspiring dreams, it may just be too much for him. But Asahi Saruta will never give up!
» Continue reading “Manga Review: Train Train”

Princess Princess Plus
Story and Art: Mikiyo Tsuda
Published by the Doki Doki Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN13: 9781569700907
ISBN10: 1569700907

Review by I-hsiu Lin

The Princess System. Guys dressing up as girls to bring up the morale of an all male school. It’s a system unique to this particular school. The three princesses have survived their freshmen year of jumping through various hoops that comes with their jobs and they are ready to step off their thrones. They have worked hard and deserved their peaceful years as normal students. However, they can’t rest yet because coming next is training the new princesses!
» Continue reading “Manga Review: Princess Princess Plus”

Prodigal Son Volume 1
Story by Antony Johnston
Art by Wilson Totosa
Lettering By Zach Matheny
Published by the Del Rey Manga Imprint of Random House, Inc.
ISBN-10: 0345505166
ISBN-13: 978-0345505163

Review By Budd

Wolverine is a fan favorite character in Marvel comic books. He was first featured in the Incredible Hulk comics and soon found himself as a member of the New X-Men. His past has always been shrouded in mystery. Wolverine: Prodigal Son is a re-imagining of the Logan character in a more youthful, modern setting with manga style artwork.
» Continue reading “Manga Review: Wolverine Prodigal Son 1″

Mortal Temptations
By Allyson James
Published by: Berkley Trade
ISBN-13: 978-0425223697
MSRP: $15.00

Reviewed by Tissie

This review originally appeared at 3 Girl Group.

Patrica Lake’s world is turned upside down when she finds a winged, demi-god unconscious on the floor of her antique store. Her unexpected visitor is Nico, a powerful deity cursed by Hera to be a slave to female sexual desire. As punishment for chasing after one of Hera’s priestesses, he is sentenced to an eternity of heartbreak as he is used by one female after another and tossed aside along with his partner in crime and demi-god Andreas. Patrica, of course, holds the key to ending their enchantment…

» Continue reading “Book Review: Mortal Temptations”

Turn Coat
Written by: Jim Butcher
Published by RoC
ISBN: 9780451462565

Reviewed by Lauren Lapinski

A wizard accused of a crime he claims not to have committed, a creature of myth and nightmare on the loose in Chicago, a traitor amongst the White Council of wizards, and only one man in the phone book who is willing to take it all on. Combine these elements together and you get Turn Coat. The eleventh book in The Dresden Files series, Jim Butcher once again delivers a story full of wit, hilarity, evil doer ass kicking, and plenty of spell casting to go around. From the first chapter all the way to the end of the novel, you are brought directly into the story, all the while trying to figure out who is the true traitor on the White Council.
» Continue reading “Turn Coat Review”

breath vol. 2
Story and Art: Chifumi Ochi
Published by Yaoi Generation
ISBN-13: 978-0-9821880-1-9

Review by Kris

Review originally appeared at Manic About Manga at http://www.manicaboutmanga.com. Check it out!

Kohshi Yanagi and Arata Kirishima are still holding to the master/slave contract that Yanagi came up with in last volume (if interested click here to read my review). Things seem to be going OK, well at least OK enough when forcing someone into a sexual relationship. Yanagi started bringing Arata to his home instead of a hotel because of convenience, which this fact really does come in handy. Arata has the tendency to not eat, especially when he’s busy. Soon Yanagi starts cooking meals for Arata. As far as I know when you’re blackmailing someone you usually don’t show much compassion. Yanagi is a bit confused by this new feeling. But Yanagi isn’t the only one who is confused. Arata is also feeling something but he doesn’t know what it is.
» Continue reading “Yaoi Review: breath vol. 2″

Eat or be Eaten
Story by Jinko Fuyuno
Art by Yaminaru Enjin
Published by Juné, imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN10: 1569706174
ISBN13: 9781569706176

Review by Linda Yau

As a management consultant, Masaki Ashizawa has been sent by his job to find the perfect candidate for a new innovative French restaurant, where the owner is already a renowned chef, but wants to nurture new talent. Ashizawa finds the chosen chef in Shuichiro Tsukbaki owner of Individu, a small French restaurant. Tsubaki is a man who cooks dishes that Ashizawa grown to savor and enjoy greatly. However, when Ashizawa approaches Tsubaki with the offer, the chef refuses. Now Ashizawa is left to try and convince Tsubaki, of the potential, but what would happen if there is a hidden reason for Tsubaki’s refusal? » Continue reading “Yaoi Review: Eat or be Eaten”

Time Lag
Story: Shinobu Gothoh
Art: Hotaru Odagiri
Published by the Juné Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN13: 9781569709214
ISBN10: 1569709211

Review by I-hsiu Lin

Two confessions and two rejections…but he doesn’t want to give up.

Satoru is in love with the star athlete of the school, Shirou. For the last two years, he would confess his feelings and be rejected. Though they were childhood friends, they don’t seem to be friends any longer. Seiichi has always comforted Satoru and encourage him to move on…but he couldn’t. As a photographer and a boy in love, his eyes are only on Shirou.

Supportive, calm Seiichi is editor in chief of the school newspaper where Satoru is photographer. Who Seiichi loves is obvious to everyone, except to Satoru. There are misunderstandings that take three years to unravel…but when Shirou and Satoru finally understand the past, will it be that easy to talk to each other?
» Continue reading “Yaoi Review: Time Lag”

The Magic Touch
Story and Art by Izumi Tsubaki
Published by Shoujo Beat, imprint of Viz Media.
ISBN10: 1421516713
ISBN13: 9781421516714

Review by Linda Yau

The purpose of a massage is to often relax and de-stress a person. So what would it be like to have a massage society in your high school? The purpose of this club is to unite students who are interested in practicing to massage others, and what would happen if there is sparks there? The Magic Touch with a tag line of “Romance is at your fingertips!” is such a shoujo series.
» Continue reading “Manga Review: The Magic Touch vol. 1″

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei vol. 1
Story and Art: Koji Kumeta
Published by the Del Rey Manga Imprint of Random House, Inc.
ISBN-10: 0-345-50893-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-50893-5

Review by Kris

I’m the type of reader that whenever I hear (or in this case read) a lot of hype surrounding a particular title, I tend to shy away. Actually, I’m like that with more than just books but that’s beyond the point. Really the only reason why I decided to volunteer to review this manga was because I was trying to round out my shipment of review materials from the editor here at J LHLS. I have to say I can see why the buzz surrounding this title is so positive. It’s a really wacky title. Many say that this title is mostly geared to the otaku (major manga and/or anime freak) but I think that the layman, like me, can enjoy it.
» Continue reading “Manga Review: Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei v1″

by Tom Good
Photography by Gregor Torrence and Tom Good

“I like getting to hug people.” That’s how one young woman answered the question, “what do you like best about Sakura-Con?”

“What is it about an anime convention that allows you to hug people?” I asked.

“It feels like we’re all one big family,” she said.

The convention keeps growing, with this year’s member count at 16,586 — up from 13,600 last year — and a “turnstile” count of 45,560 for the weekend. Can 16,000 people really feel like a family? Yes, at Sakura-Con they can. The convention takes its name from the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, which fits well with the blossoming anime subculture.
» Continue reading “Convention Report: Sakura-Con 2009″