Recommended Reading: Graphic Novels
With so many graphic novel-lovers on staff, it’s well past time we shared some of our favorite titles.
When COVID-19 hit, and we all entered quarantine, many of us struggled to get back into the swing of our normal reading habits. And like so many who struggled with reading at this or other times, we turned to graphic novels for the PICTURES, but stayed, of course, for the incredible stories! These are some of the books that were great companions to us, in our time of need, and we’re so grateful for them!
Anything by Lynda Barry
Lynda Barry has been one of my heroes since I was about ten years old–I loved her Marlys cartoons, and had every compendium of them. Her drawings are as full of pathos and childhood misery as you can get, but they also always made me laugh. As an adult, I still love the Marlys cartoons, but Barry's more recent books–What It Is and Picture This–offer a generous window into her creative process, and at this moment in history, when so many of us have been knocked out of our creative routines, these books are more than personal or informative or inspiring, they are a lifeline to whatever is bubbling deep inside us, trying to come out. Thank you, Lynda Barry, for throwing these buoys into the ocean. –Emma
Moonstruck by Grace Ellis
This was such a cute book. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time I read it! The art is gorgeous, the story and characters were the embodiment of a grandma's hug, and I'd love to read the next volume! Queer and non-binary characters, blossoming new relationships, and a werewolf who seems to be afraid of losing herself when she transforms (eep!) results in a lot of sweetness and realness to be found. Set in a lovely college town filled with co-existing magical beings of all kinds, the story follows werewolf barista, Julie, on her second date with werewolf Selena and Chet, the centaur. They go off to see a magician show, only for the act to go horribly wrong, and Chet is rendered human. So now, it is up to Julie, Selena, Chet, and their magical friends to beat the magician at his own game! –Daisy
Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
Sweet, new middle-grade graphic novel for wanna-be witches! Also totally recommend to 90s kids who loved Sabrina The Teenage Witch just as much as me - it's a similar vibe!
Effie goes to live with her two aunts in Brooklyn (that is where Books Are Magic lives too!) where she learns she is more magical than she initially could fathom. –Jacque
Passing for Human by Liana Finck
There is something genius about Liana Finck. You may recognize her illustrations from her frequent appearances in the New Yorker or her spirited Instagram. She has an uncanny ability to notice and bring humor to some of life’s strangest and hard to articulate feelings. Passing for Human explores the isolation and the uncertainty of being an artist, and the search for and acceptance of the more hidden aspects of ourselves. This book spoke to me on so many levels and solidified my love for Liana and her truly original mind. –Colleen
I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib
Malaka Gharib is the child of a Catholic, Filipino mother and a Muslim, Egyptian father. In this graphic memoir, she puts all the nuances and complexities of her identity as a first-generation American kid on the page, rendering her experiences with charming red, white, and blue illustrations. Details of her upbringing in a multicultural, immigrant neighborhood are contrasted against her adulthood experiences reconciling with what it means to be the “other” in a world where normal/mainstream = white. At once incredibly specific and incredibly relatable, this coming-of-age offers a heartwarming look into just one of the countless ways we define and experience “American-ness.” –Serena
The Wicked + the Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
A longtime favorite of mine–every 90 years, a pantheon of twelve gods are reincarnated in the bodies of mortal young adults. They have two years to live, and then they die. But now, in this new cycle, before they have the chance to go out with a blaze of glory, they're being picked off one by one. The character design is phenomenal–each of the gods is inspired by a different musician, so we have a butch lesbian David Bowie as Lucifer, and Inanna is absolutely dripping with Prince vibes. Each volume of this fantastic series had me desperate for more, because the plot is just that twisty. –Abby
Coyote Doggirl by Lisa Hanawalt
From the illustrator of Bojack Horseman and Tuca and Bertie, Hanawalt brings her iconic style of the perfect combination of whimsical and serious to this homage to the Western genre about a badass coyote/dog and her trusty steed. Subverting popular tropes with humor and graceful ease, when separated from her best friend Red in an attack by desert dogs, the fiercely independent Coyote gets taken in by a wolf clan where she confronts her place, her power, and her purpose, and of course her mission to reunite with Red. –Colleen
Tomie by Junji Ito
If you're a fan of horror, you need to read this manga. The collection is centered around the titular character Tomie, a succubus-like creature who possesses the ability to make anyone fall in love with her no matter what monstrous form she takes. I can't say much beyond that without giving away half the stories, but if you're in the mood to get spooked, this is the perfect book to read alone at night. –Abby
Relish by Lucy Knisley
Relish (the graphic memoir AND the food, just kidding relish the food is only okay) occupies a special place in my heart because it really gets at the ability for food to have an emotional, sentimental resonance. I know, I know, it really is so cliche to talk about the relationship between literature, food and memory, but even if you (like me) hate the word “Proustian,” you’ll find delight (and some really great recipes) in this completely non-pretentious, gloriously illustrated volume. –Michael C
Snowpiercer: The Escape by Jacques Lob & Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards by Bong Joon Ho
Those who love Parasite should totally watch Snowpiercer (Bong Joon Ho's first film in English)! Parasite is genius but Snowpiercer will always be my original favorite of Bong Joon-Ho's works. That being said, Snowpiercer, the graphic novel, is just as cool. While you're at it I totally recommend binging on all graphic novels relating to Bong Joon Ho's films. Parasite and Snowpiercer are the perfect duo. –Jacque
Lady Killer by Joëlle Jones
Picture-perfect mom by day, trained assassin by night, are you intrigued? As far as her amiable husband Gene and neighbors are concerned, Josie Schuller manages the household and volunteers at a hospice. This is a facade for Josie's secret fifteen years running as a contract killer. Demonstrating an aversion to firearms and none for getting bloody, she's fielded contracts for her boss, Mr. Stenholm. When the big boss begins to doubt Josie's commitment to her work, because of course, she can't balance being a mother and wife with a job, barf, he decides to have Josie terminated. Bad idea. Violence ensues, and it is GLORIOUS! –Daisy
Monstress by Marjorie Liu
Maika Halfwolf is a fighter: unyielding and uncompromising, even in the face of the brutal reality of life after war. In the tenuous beginnings of a ceasefire, Maika is hunting for the answers to the questions surrounding the mysteries of her life, her mother’s death, and the ancient, hungry creature that has newly made its home inside her. The worldbuilding is uniquely engrossing, and it’s truly one of the most gorgeous comics I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Liu and Takeda won a laundry list of awards for Monstress for a reason, folks. There are four volumes out now. –Abby
Adventure Zone Vol. 1 by Clint McElroy et al.
If you didn’t already know, The Adventure Zone is a graphic novelization of the Dungeons & Dragons actual-play podcast of the same name. Part of the reason these graphic novels are so good is that they capture the mythologized quality of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign — the big, epic character-driven moments, sure, but they also don’t forget to include the hilarious and absurd throw-away gags, too. I fully believe that if you haven’t already started listening to the podcast, these graphic novels are the *best* way to get into this series because you get a feel for the characters much easier, and trust me, once the trio of Magnus, Taako and Merle have danced their way into your heart, you’ll never let ‘em go. *note: it looks like it might be for kids, but it is NOT for kids, unless they (and you, presumably their guardian) are very cool about *a lot* of stuff. –Michael C
Pilu of the Woods by Mai K Nguyen
I read Pilu of the Woods by Mai K Ngyuen on a bench outside Rhinebeck's Oblong Books & Music while visiting a friend last summer and I cried in public. It was so embarrassing. It’s about nature and friendship and the many different forms of grief and young girls feeling all of their terrible ugly feelings. Perfect for the 9+ crowd, and it’s got enough of an even blend of realistic and fantasy elements that I think it will appeal to fans of both. –Abby
Oakflat by Lauren Redniss
Author of Radioactive, the brilliant biography of Marie and Pierre Curie, Redniss moves west with this illustrated history of Oak Flat, sacred Apache lands in Arizona that sit atop one of the largest copper deposits in the country. While not own-voices, this is a sensitive and sobering look at the realities colonial settler & imperialist practices have had on native lands. I love this for the science, for the art, and for the tender reporting on the lives around Oak Flat. –Colleen
Spellbound and Aspara Engine by Bishakh Som
Aspara Engine is a collection of eight surreal, unsettling short comics filled with delicious and startling surprises. The collection is highly experimental, and though it defies genre conventions, I believe lovers of speculative fiction—especially speculative fiction pertaining to queerness and/or gender variance—will be very intrigued by these characters, who linger in your mind long after the stories end. Spellbound, on the other hand, is meta-autobiographical account of the artists’ coming-of-age as a professional illustrator and trans woman. While the two books are very different, both are invested in themes of transition and transformation, whether it pertains to gender, sexuality, profession, and/or the subjects’ creative-spiritual energies. Both books also center desi women, and draw from the author’s South Asian heritage. An artist-author to look out for, for sure! –Serena
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson
This series is so damn adorable and hilarious! The art is gorgeous, the writing fantastic, and the characters are quirky and totally unique. Every adventure the group set out on involves glorious butt-kicking, and all the sisterhood feels we love. With stories similar to the popular Gravity Falls TV series, young ones will adore all the weird ongoings of the camp and will be desperate to figure out every mystery that falls into the laps of Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley.
P.S. The girls' showcase a variety of skin colors, body types, and sexualities, which is always a huge plus for me! –Daisy
Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
One thing that I really love about Tomine’s work is his honest treatment of male fragility, an aspect that is on full display in Killing and Dying. The men in these stories (or at least, some of them) try to be good but don’t always find it within themselves. It bares their irredeemability in a way that I found absolutely striking, complicated, and often very sad; but I loved the way that Tomine doesn’t sentence his characters from the beginning, leaving their actions and their fragility to speak for themselves. –Michael C
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
Saga is the first graphic novel I ever picked up, and it was and still is my number one go-to recommendation. The story follows Alana and Marko, two soldiers on the opposite sides of a never ending war who fall in love and birth a child, a daughter who many people don't want to be known to the public. Their daughter, Hazel, narrates the series and gives the tale a childlike wonder that we don't see in graphic stories like these. There's not a single uninteresting moment in any of the volumes. It's fast-paced, it's imaginative, creative, amazingly drawn, and there's one hell of a love story inside it! –Daisy
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan
Another win for Mr. Vaughan! If you are a fan of Stranger Things, The Goonies, and E.T. (basically the 80s), this is the series for you! In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. I loved the concept of a girl squad running around to solve the world's issues. I loved the sass, the artwork, the clothing, and the vibe of the entire book. I love that each girl in the group has a distinct personality and a thoroughly flushed storyline. The girls are separated several times throughout the story, and I never felt like the "main character" was missing. Though the story does get confusing as time goes on, pun intended, it's fun, unpredictable, and keeps you wanting more. –Daisy
Commute by Erin Williams
A deeply intimate look at the dichotomy women face of being hyper-sexualized or completely invisible. While on her daily commute, interacting with strangers, Williams reflects on memories of troubling encounters with men, with her addictions, and her recovery. Commute inhabits a liminal space of in-between, investigating moments that live between well-defined areas of guilt, shame, and vulnerability and speaks to a pivotal moment in our culture for women, femmes, and nonbinary people that must navigate the complexities of validation and abuse under the patriarchy. –Colleen
