Review by Future Man
The brightness of Brecht Evens' art is the first thing you'll notice when you look at The Making Of. It's so beautiful, it was hard for me to stop flipping through pages and actually begin reading the story. Once I did, I was almost immediately taken by the humor, well-paced storytelling and dynamic characters, each uniquely flawed in the most charming ways.
The plot roughly follows a group of people creating an art show, though each of them explain to the reader throughout the story the unimportance of the actual event and offer up an alternative meaning to be perceived through the story.
Really fun read!
Review by Naomi Gibson
If you've ever felt so frustrated with life that you just want to take a break to do nothing but think until you reach some sort of conclusion, you'll probably be intrigued by this book.
Review by Naomi Gibson
I checked this book out cuz the cover was pretty and I've been meaning to explore mr. palahniuk's work for a while. My inner horrible person thought it was a riot, my outer regular person was impressed by the artistic merit. No idea what any of it means, really, but 'twas enjoyable nonetheless.
Review by Jon Maurins
A truly magical story. So magical, in fact, that I am not tumbling over whether or not it is entirely true or not. It serves as an adventure into the limitless realm of imagination, the miraculous ability we have been granted from some mysterious force... Whether you believe that force is an accidental, circumstantial result of a plainly scientific chemical reaction, or whether you choose to use the (more captivating and engulfing, in my opinion) concept of god to signify the source of this experience as it is, you will find joy in reading this book.
As others have noted above, it is a quick read; I read it in a few days. Nonetheless, The Life of Pi is a story as thick as any with existential instigation. Come to it with an open mind, an open heart.
Review by Ryan Schafer
Gilead is as terrifying and complex as Oceana. If you want to be transported to a post-apocalyptic dystopian realm and spend some time thinking about gender and power structures read this book.
Review by Kryssanne Adams
Susceptible is told through minimalistic simple panels and soft cursive to soften the blow of Goglu's hard daily life. We follow her from early childhood up through the moment where she finally decides to leave her mother's emotionally unhealthy home. Many times Susceptible left me with eels in my belly, but it's worth reading to see Goglu find sources of empowerment in her life.
Review by Kryssanne Adams
What are you doing on the Internet? Are you growing as a person or is your brain just 'feasting' on an overload of information? Read this book and find out!
Review by Jeff Hoiland
sweet
Review by Jeff Hoiland
sweet
Review by Jeff Hoiland
This was the first book I checked out at the Alternative Library, I couldn't find it at other libraries.
This book is a memoir written byTerence Mckenna described as “a chronological narrative of a story that is both true and extraordinary.”
Review by Jeff Hoiland
I read this after reading 'Richard Yates', 'Shoplifting from American Apparel', 'Bed', 'Cognitive Behavioral Therapy', and many things posted on the internet by the author: Tao Lin. This was his first published novel. I think the title is the sound a dolphin makes when trying to communicate its deep & profound feelings of [something]. I feel excited when I think of reading the sentences of this book in the future. Sometimes I say "Tao Lin is my favorite author."
Review by Jeff Hoiland
sweet
Review by Jeff Hoiland
Sometimes I say 'Black Hole is my favorite graphic novel.'
I remember thinking of 'Black Hole' as a quintessential graphic novel of [something regarding young adulthood, high school, post-high school, and related bodily/mental/life changes].
The first time I read this I was ‘very stoned’ and ‘hiding’ in my room at my mother’s house.
Review by Jeff Hoiland
I remember 'the Stranger' awarded Jim Woodring as a 'genius of literature' in 2010. At the time I was very excited a 'genius of literature' was at work nearby in Seattle and immediately went to check out this book.
I was attracted to how the 'universe of Frank' seemed so complex & detailed & strange but remained stylistically cohesive - I think I've described it as 'hallucinatory' without further explanation a couple times in conversation. I enjoyed how the characters and the world around them appeared and behaved in ways that seemed incomprehensible then horribly or delightfully relatable.
I will probably enjoy looking at the pages of this book periodically in the future.
Review by David Zhang
A quirky and humorous book about a family getting back together for their parent's divorce. At times gritty, with a dash of magical realism. I often laughed out loud at the antics of the awkward, lovable characters going through bizarre (yet totally believable) family drama.
Review by Ryan Schafer
Camus's classic novel is both brilliant and disturbing. Read it if you enjoy dark, sociological fiction. As wary as I am of translations, the language in this book is beautiful and I got the sense that the essence of the original text was probably preserved in this translation. The novel follows a young clerk in mid 1940's Algeria who goes on trial for murder. We experience his odd disaffected psychology, and the uncompromising societal judgments of 'character' that take precedence over legal accountability in the court of law.
Review by Kryssanne Adams
As a reward for finishing Capacity, there's a little gnome that blesses every cup of tea that I drink, what an unexpected perk! The story is a journey into Theo Ellsworth's subconscious, and I don't want to spoil it for you beyond that. Brilliant!
Review by Spencer Holmes
What a great idea for a children's book . . . but it just didn't go very well. I was unimpressed by the prose and the handling of the plot and characters. Still a cool idea (basically a bunch of kids start their own religion).
Review by salishianantihero@riseup.net
Koike and Kojima have created a beautiful work of art that captivates the intrigue of readers with exquisite pen-work reminiscent of moku hanga (traditional Japanese woodblock printing) and a minimalist, but enthralling and well researched story of rōnin in feudal Japan. If you're into comics that show rather than tell, then this is the read for you!
Review by Jon Maurins
Jack picks up in Desolation Angels where he left off in Dharma Bums; working as a fire lookout at Desolation Peak in the nearby Cascade Mountains. However, his neurosis is seems much more pronounced in this book and I found myself feeling depressed at his consistent grimness. Nevertheless, it is a super interesting read, especially when you realize the extent to which Kerouac's "fiction" is actually an autobiographical legend. There is no doubt that Kerouac suffered deeply the existential pains all of us encounter as conscious living beings, and he was able to capture these dark discoveries in words that when you read them, you are forced to confront the darkness that lives inside you, too. We are all "The Void".