There will be spoilers!

Books

Reviews of books I've read. There are links to the Gutenberg.org pages for each book (the ones I can find). You'll probably need a bit of existing context to fully understand the reviews.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

11/10, one of my favorites of all time and always will be. I feel a deep connection to Gregor Samsa and he is an incredibly well-written character. I find that many books have a lot of focus on side characters (not that I have an issue with that; I don't, it's just an observation), but the focus in The Metamorphosis is almost completely on Gregor and his thoughts and internal feelings on the world around him. As someone with mental health issues, I find myself focusing on the world just as much as he does. I highly, highly recommend this book. It's short, so there's no reason you shouldn't read it. Gutenberg.org link.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

8/10, it was one of the first books that really got me into classic literature and reading in general. I feel that it's often misunderstood, which bothers me. Don't get me started on other adaptations of it. 0/10 for all of them. But, the book itself is amazing, and I love it dearly even though it's one I haven't re-read as much as others. Both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are incredibly written characters with a lot of interpretive emotional depth; similar to what I wish to have in my own story. (I'm writing a story, by the way!) It's also a good metaphor for mental health struggles that I believe have been shunned. I find myself having mood swings often when I'm unmedicated, and I often feel a second presence of a personified subconscious, much like Jekyll's Hyde. I recommend it, but it's certainly something you have to read multiple times to understand a bit better. Gutenberg.org link.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Infinity out of ten. This book is what made me interested in war history, specifically World War One. Although it's old, it's still highly relevant, especially with everything happening in our world. The camaraderie between the characters is an excellent representation of the relationships between soldiers. Stanislaus Katczinsky is one of my favorite characters. I haven't watched any of the movies yet, so I can't comment on them. Read All Quiet on the Western Front. It's not a suggestion. Read it. Now. Here's a link to it on the Gutenberg Project for free: Gutenberg.org link. You have no excuse to not read it. Do it!

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

3/10. I don't really like it. I think it's a bit redundant and the topics are obvious. I'm sure it was relevant for the time it was written, but I don't think it's a worth-it read in modern times, especially with how much information is available and much more digestible. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you want to read it, then go ahead. I couldn't find a link on Gutenberg.org, but there is a link to it on Typelit.io here. It's mostly a typing practice website, but there's a reading mode you can enable.

Comics & Manga

Reviews of comics & manga I've read. I can't give any links to them, but you can look some up on Mangadex for free.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica by Magica Quartet

8/10, I really love this manga. I don't really know what to say about it, but it's one of my favorite manga I've read. The art is very nice, the character and background designs are very pleasing. I'm always interested in time-travel things, and I think the way they portrayed that in the manga was very well-done. Although Kyubey is an emotionless alien thing, I do think it's just as well-written as Madoka and Homura. Its character arc is interesting, and learning its motives was as well. I do recommend this, and if you're new to manga, I do think it's a good starter in terms of the deeper, heavier works in the genre. I also love the Mahou Shoujo genre and magical girls, and I truly think that this is the pinnacle of a more mature magical girl media.

The next few will be about the works of Junji Ito I've read. The scoring system is based on how good I think it is compared to what is, in my opinion, his best work. (No Longer Human.)

Tomie by Junji Ito

7/10, I do like it. The art and character designs are incredible, like all of Junji Ito's works. Tomie is an interesting character and I love her personality. The contrast between how normal the world she lives in is and how abnormal she is gives it a nice touch. My only criticism is that it lacks the depth that other Junji Ito works do. I do recommend this.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

Another infinity out of ten. This is truly a masterpiece of literature, not just manga, or just horror, or just art -- an overall masterpiece. As with all of Junji Ito's works, the art is amazing. I love the characters and how they interact with each other and the world. How oblivious everyone other than the main characters are about the weird things happening until the beginning of the climax. I also think it's another good metaphorical representation of mental illness. When you're reading it, you start noticing spirals everywhere, and even if it's a simple thing, it's interesting to digest how many spirals there are in daily life that most don't notice. Even right now I can see spirals all around me. Shuichi is probably my favorite Junji Ito character. I don't know how to explain it, but the way he knows everything before anyone else does is very interesting. Once again, I highly, highly recommend this.

Souichi by Junji Ito

6/10, another one I do like, and I think it's a fairly good introduction to Junji Ito if you've never read his works before. I like Souchi as a character and his personality; it's very fun to learn more about his behavior and subtle things he does to the people around him. I don't know what else to say about it, especially since I haven't read it in a long time, but this is another one I recommend.

No Longer Human by Junji Ito

Oh, boy. How do I even start. What's bigger than infinity? This is way more infinity out of ten than anything. Junji Ito's rendition of the novel No Longer Human by late Japanese author Osamu Dazai is just utterly incredible. Before I continue though, please note that I have not yet read the original. Anyway, this book means so much to me. The main character, Yozo Oba, is so, so well written. He's another incredible representation of mental illness, addiction, and trauma. I find myself relating to him a lot, especially with how alienated he is from those around him and how he constantly has to mask himself, but eventually he can't keep up the facade and collapses. His lovers come and go often, and it's the same for me with all my friends and the very few romantic relationships I've had. Him joining the secret movement shows how he's so desperate to fit in that he'll fake caring about anything or anyone at all. Again, I often feel the same way. I also think that Junji Ito's version is very respectful to Osamu Dazai, as he died due to suicide and had unfortunate circumstances, but Junji Ito's version doesn't mock it whatsoever, is true to the source material, and is still something amazing. I recommend this, but only if you have a strong stomach and are able to handle serious discussions of rape, abuse, mental illness, addiction, etc. If you're in the right, healthy mindset, read it.