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bites_of_books's reviews
700 reviews
Thor: The Trials of Loki by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sebastian Fiumara
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
These comics delve deeper into Loki's character, how he thinks, and why he's done all of the things that have made him so famous.
I loved the art style and the writing! I'll definitely look for more from this writer/artist duo.
I loved the art style and the writing! I'll definitely look for more from this writer/artist duo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Alcohol, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten Vol. 3 by Riddle Kamimura
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very cute manga, it's still very much a feel good story with nothing too surprising but nice nonetheless.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Yes, I truly love well-crafted historical fiction that spans generations and this one did not disappoint.
The characters are complex and multidimensional, the prose is beautiful and careful in how it describes each event and each decision made by the characters. The historical context is given without it being overwhelming or dry and it makes it all feel urgent.
I breezed through this book and I'll definitely pick up other works by Min Jin Lee. Highly recommend!
The characters are complex and multidimensional, the prose is beautiful and careful in how it describes each event and each decision made by the characters. The historical context is given without it being overwhelming or dry and it makes it all feel urgent.
I breezed through this book and I'll definitely pick up other works by Min Jin Lee. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicide, War, Xenophobia, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Car accident, Addiction, Child death, Racial slurs, Classism, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was just a fun and cute fantasy story about a young girl who has magical powers to manipulate bread. Someone is after magical folks and she ends up in the middle of it all.
It's great for young adults since it does have some good lessons about believing in yourself and also learning about others who aren't like yourself.
I recommend to any young reader and anyone who'd like a cute fantasy story with battles involving bread.
It's great for young adults since it does have some good lessons about believing in yourself and also learning about others who aren't like yourself.
I recommend to any young reader and anyone who'd like a cute fantasy story with battles involving bread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Excrement
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Things Fall Apart is fiction but truly read like nonfiction at times, in a good way. I felt like all the characters were real and that made me feel even more for them as the story went on. Okonkwo is a complex character, a strong-willed man, proud of his heritage, and willing to do anything to protect all he cares about. The ending saddened me deeply, I have no words for that but I will say that it will stay with me for a long time.
I highly recommend, do take care and check content warnings though, not an easy read!
I highly recommend, do take care and check content warnings though, not an easy read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, War, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If you know me, you'll know that I love dark and complex storytelling and Fingersmith fits both to a T!
We follow Sue and Maud, one grew up with a group of thieves in the heart of London and the other was raised by a book obsessed man. There is plotting and scheming, there's questionable morals, a lot of tension, and slow burning passion.
If you like complex stories where there isn't clear good and bad characters, full of original ideas and an impecable storytelling style, this is for you!
We follow Sue and Maud, one grew up with a group of thieves in the heart of London and the other was raised by a book obsessed man. There is plotting and scheming, there's questionable morals, a lot of tension, and slow burning passion.
If you like complex stories where there isn't clear good and bad characters, full of original ideas and an impecable storytelling style, this is for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexism, Grief, Body shaming, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence
Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten Vol. 2 by Riddle Kamimura
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this second volume!
Now that I'm used to Sabu's personality it's really funny how he reacts to both the same and also new things. I love the story of these really tough looking people saving all the stray animals and being intimidating so that no one messes with them. True heroes!
Looking forward to the next one!
Now that I'm used to Sabu's personality it's really funny how he reacts to both the same and also new things. I love the story of these really tough looking people saving all the stray animals and being intimidating so that no one messes with them. True heroes!
Looking forward to the next one!
Tokyo Love Story: A Manga Memoir of One Woman's Journey in the World's Most Exciting City (Told in English and Japanese Text) by Julie Blanchin Fujita
informative
fast-paced
1.0
Absolutely not!
The way that Japanese people are described in this book is incredibly objectifying and superficial. There's no nuance to any of the topics shown and it is at best a scrapbook of the author's experiences in Japan.
Also, in the back it says that her Japanese husband, Issei Fujita, did the Japanese translations but he's only mentioned in the back when he clearly should have been listed as a co-author.
For these reasons I don't recommend this graphic novel.
The way that Japanese people are described in this book is incredibly objectifying and superficial. There's no nuance to any of the topics shown and it is at best a scrapbook of the author's experiences in Japan.
Also, in the back it says that her Japanese husband, Issei Fujita, did the Japanese translations but he's only mentioned in the back when he clearly should have been listed as a co-author.
For these reasons I don't recommend this graphic novel.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a gift from one of my best friends and I breezed through it!
Narratively there were a couple of things that seemed a bit forced, things that took me out of the story because they were presented in a way that just didn't fully work for me. That being said, I think the characters were really unique and interesting with really complex motivations. I liked the outspoken main character who sticks to her values and doesn't let romance or anything else get in the way of the things that matter most to her.
All in all this is a story of a chemist who happens to be a woman in the 1950s and all the obstacles that she must overcome to reach her goals. On the way she finds love, family, and friends, which was quite satisfying to read about. However, it's not an easy read there are difficult topics that are pretty hard to read so do check content warnings before reading!
Narratively there were a couple of things that seemed a bit forced, things that took me out of the story because they were presented in a way that just didn't fully work for me. That being said, I think the characters were really unique and interesting with really complex motivations. I liked the outspoken main character who sticks to her values and doesn't let romance or anything else get in the way of the things that matter most to her.
All in all this is a story of a chemist who happens to be a woman in the 1950s and all the obstacles that she must overcome to reach her goals. On the way she finds love, family, and friends, which was quite satisfying to read about. However, it's not an easy read there are difficult topics that are pretty hard to read so do check content warnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, and Suicide
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Mountain in the Sea is a really well constructed speculative novel. We follow a couple of different characters in the not so far future where AI and technology have evolved into day-to-day tools. Along with technology, capitalism and major corporations have continued to profit and take over a lot of the world at the expense of natural resources and indigenous communities.
Ray Nayler explores the topic of humans communicating with a different species, in this case the octopus, and in the process learning a lot about ourselves. Who are we in the octopus' eyes? Are we fellow living beings or are we invaders threatening their environment?
There are so many topics discussed in this book that it's hard for me to put it all into coherent thoughts. A big one was human to human interactions. Today a lot of us live our lives mostly online, communicating with people via text, video calls, etc., and have lower face to face interactions. In this book we see what might happen if we end up replacing humans with AI as part of therapy or just because it's convenient to have someone who is just there to listen to us without us having to reciprocate the energy.
Another big topic is that of individuals choosing a path of least resistance vs the path that leads to something good. It is about individuals being brave and making choices, choosing to live and stop being indifferent to fellow people and things going on in the world.
In one of the sub-plots we follow a man who ends up as a slave on a fishing vessel that is controlled by AI. The vessel's only goal is to get as much of the scarce protein left in the ocean and the interactions in this sub-plot really left me thinking. We accept that the things we consume have to come from somewhere but we rarely actually think and acknowledge the labor that each component requires and how ethical it all is or isn't.
All in all, I highly recommend this book for everyone. If you enjoy reading about science and where it might take us this is a must read. If you care about our world and our place in it definitely read this. This is not an easy read but it's definitely necessary, it should make you think and question what is happening around us all, and hopefully convince you to make the choices that will lead us all in a better direction.
PS. For me this was like a zombie film, not really about the zombies. This is not about the octopus, it's about the humans.
Ray Nayler explores the topic of humans communicating with a different species, in this case the octopus, and in the process learning a lot about ourselves. Who are we in the octopus' eyes? Are we fellow living beings or are we invaders threatening their environment?
There are so many topics discussed in this book that it's hard for me to put it all into coherent thoughts. A big one was human to human interactions. Today a lot of us live our lives mostly online, communicating with people via text, video calls, etc., and have lower face to face interactions. In this book we see what might happen if we end up replacing humans with AI as part of therapy or just because it's convenient to have someone who is just there to listen to us without us having to reciprocate the energy.
Another big topic is that of individuals choosing a path of least resistance vs the path that leads to something good. It is about individuals being brave and making choices, choosing to live and stop being indifferent to fellow people and things going on in the world.
In one of the sub-plots we follow a man who ends up as a slave on a fishing vessel that is controlled by AI. The vessel's only goal is to get as much of the scarce protein left in the ocean and the interactions in this sub-plot really left me thinking. We accept that the things we consume have to come from somewhere but we rarely actually think and acknowledge the labor that each component requires and how ethical it all is or isn't.
All in all, I highly recommend this book for everyone. If you enjoy reading about science and where it might take us this is a must read. If you care about our world and our place in it definitely read this. This is not an easy read but it's definitely necessary, it should make you think and question what is happening around us all, and hopefully convince you to make the choices that will lead us all in a better direction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Blood, Death, Colonisation, Murder, Classism, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence