byebrook's reviews
73 reviews

Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.5

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
have to renew my library loan - will finish eventually!
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
have to renew my library loan - will finish eventually!
Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Layover by Lacie Waldon

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.0

Truly just a very okay cheesy romcom - like it was fun and flirty and that’s about it.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Another fun romp with the Thursday Murder Club!
Watchmen by Alan Moore

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

i get why my professor said “you can never just read Watchmen, you can only ever re-read it,” because even as you begin to read it the first time you will find yourself stopping and flipping back to the past moments you’ve read to uncover references you didn’t know were there at first.  like DAMN this comic is full of little easter eggs and niche references that you only see once you’ve started to read through. hell, the first pages contain a MASSIVE character easter-egg, and you don’t even bat an eye, because you have no clue yet. you can only go back an re-read that moment once your about halfway through the book, going “wait… i recognize him- is that..? no. way.” like there are so many of these moments, and it’s pretty damn brilliant in how they are done. especially when coupled with the fake in-universe prose pieces mixed throughout - like the pirate comics or the biography excerpts - i really like how it plays with the medium and genre of comics! 

overall, an interesting commentary on the ideas of heroes, humanity, morality, and who exactly watches those that watch us. while some aspects are definitely of-the-time and have aged less-than-stellar, i did enjoy this comic and analyzing what makes it tick.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

4.0

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

5.0

I walked past this book in a store a few years back and wanted to get it but passed it up - I wish I could go back in time and punch myself for not picking it up and not reading it sooner. It is so, soo good - heartwarming, emotional, and such a sweet depiction of queer romance in your teens. I did cry a bit reading it, but that's neither here nor there.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings