Julie's Reads: The Graphic Novel Edition

 

Shows all panels of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the events around William the Conqueror's taking of England in 1066 while providing a nice comic book style narrative. 

May be the nerdiest thing I have ever bought, and I'm so happy I did. 

Pages: 52

That’s right, your favorite princess, demon, and elf-hybrid-thing from Matt Groening’s popular animated series DISENCHANTMENT is now available in comic form! 

Pages: 224

Lore Olympus Vol. 4 by Rachel Smythe

 

The rumor mill of Olympus is constantly churning, but Persephone and Hades are all anyone can talk about. With the constant gossip creating intense pressure on the pair, they decide to slow down their budding romance and focus on sorting out their own issues first.

But that's easier said than done.

Pages: 416

Umbrella Academy Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way

So it's like the first season, but different...
184 Pages

Crumbs by Danie Stirling

It's magic and it's fluffy.
Just like....a witch who's a seer, but she sees the present, and a boy who wants to be a musician and works at a magical bakery. Just. Fluff. and the world concept.
fjkldsa
384 Pages

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

 Pages: 296

"Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us."

I am starting banned books week early this year with this difficult yet amazing graphic novel. The author does not hold back in describing the holocaust through his fathers experiences, and the experience of getting the story out of him. This is a book that I wish more people would read. It is so haunting and powerful in telling the duel stories, that of the holocaust survivor and their children trying to make sense of the past. 

Squire

 Squire

By Sara Alfageeh

Pages: 336

"Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program. It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined."

I don't often read graphic novels, but my friend convinced me to buy this one and read it. It is such a cool story and reminds me of Tamora pierce woman knights, only in a middle-eastern inspired setting. The artwork was rich and full of movement and I loved the training montages. I was sad when the story ended as it left a very open ending that makes me hope for more installments in the future.

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

When the web-series that turned into books goes on a hiatus, so you don't have your weekly dose of new fluff...
Ok but the way we're dealing with mental health. Nick's mom is just. The best. Nick being the adorable loving cutie-pie that the world needs. The concerned golden retriever baby.
Just let them text! Yes this could be seen as kind of dependent on each other but like....they teenages. mere youts. This relationship is statistically way more healthy than a lot of others. Let the babies talk. 
The New Years scene.
I have to remind myself that they're Brits so like...their idea of vacation and I don't know...self-care, view of work and school-life, lifestyle mentality, are different than the U.S. that and they have British accents and are like....right next to a gazillion countries so it makes sense and that they can walk everywhere because stuff is close. 
The dogs. I'm always here for the dogs. 
I feel so seen for reasons. Also I would die for Charlie (and Nick, always Nick, but we're specifying Charlie today). I would kill for him. Either way what bliss. 
Tori is so cool and I hope to be as amazing as her one day....
My children. Just trying their best. Just:

384 Pages

Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman

All the kermit heart emojis....because this is wholesome and I can't.
Reading this on my phone: 

Nick. You need to stop. You are killing me with your pureness.. I love him. Can I keep him. His cute little bi heart...like....not trying to stereotype, but he just looks like someone who's bi (it's the cuffed shirts for me). How did he not know he was bi
320 Pages

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

by Adrian Tomine

Rated: 3 out of 5 stars

Pages: 200

 Adrian Tomine writes about his life as an award-winning cartoonist. He shares his questioning if his life is really worthwhile. He has a charmed career with awards and accolades but did the good out weigh the bad: the humiliation, slights and insults over the years by his own industry?

His memories remind him he is lucky to have a childhood dream as his career, but life still happens in between with chaotic book tours, disastrous interviews, awkward social interactions, and marriage. While his relationships give him fodder for his comics, do the comics give anything back? Illustrated to resemble an artist's sketchbook, he shares the ups and downs of  his life with you the reader.  

Graphic Novels

 Attack on Titan Volumes 8-11 by Hajime Isayama

This series is so good. Hey, let's protect humanity-why the heck are you helping the monsters?! Wait... OH MY GOSH THEY ARE IN THE WALL. WHAAA??!? 

768 pages (192*4)

Plunge by Joe Hill and Stuart Immonen

Ghost ship suddenly shows up after being missing for 30+ years? Okay. Out in the middle of no man's (is)land in the Bering Strait? Cool. Zombies? Sure-wait... worms? Alien worms? Animated corpses controlled by alien worms? This just got interesting.

168 pages

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

I knew of it, but I really didn't know about this event. Wow, the research that was put into this, hunting down the firsthand accounts and interviews of everyone involved. Backderf's work is always great. If you haven't yet read My Friend Dahmer I'd highly recommend it. (That title though! Of course I had that song stuck in my head all the way through it...)

288 pages

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado, Dani and Tamra Bonvillain

Excellent example of body horror. That stomach/sinkhole image will stick with me for a while. Also, why do dear-headed women keep showing up in the things I read recently? Maybe it's too much horror. Wait, no... you can never have too much horror.

160 pages

Sapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen, and Daniel Casanave

Yeah, I've been meaning to get to this one for a while. No, I don't think it's cheating to opt for the graphic novel adaptation. Honestly, I love reading about paleoanthropology and  early human history, so I may go back to the print at some point anyway.

248 pages

Attack on Titan Volumes 6/7 by Hajime Isayama

Oluo is obnoxious. Kinda glad he's dead, 

 but why did they have to kill Petra too?! T-T

The forest fight scenes remind me so much of Naruto. 

The female titan is so cool! I think I know who she is... 

...but I was dumb and didn't put the entire arc on hold at once... Bleeeggghhhhh!!

Yeah, I know I can read this online, but do I like doing that? NO. I'm stubborn.

384 pages (192+192)

December Hodge Podge

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

This book was SO. AMAZINGLY. AWESOME. I could not put it down! Feminist dystopia, a suffocating religion, vengeful witches in the wood, curses and escapes and dungeons-- Okay, I have to stop. Just go read it, especially if you like the Handmaid's Tale or fantasy horror. 

368 pages

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

Dude. The writing. I could feel myself being crushed by the walls of a cave. And such creative settings! Heavy metal bands fit so well into horror, but Hendrix also highlights the horror of materialism and the distractions of the modern world. I need to read more of his books!

336 pages

Read Harder Challenge #22

Chapel of Ease by Alex Bledsoe

The fourth Tufa novel, and still going strong. It's nice that for once we get a non-straight Tufa-human couple. I want to watch a hillbilly fairy musical. They never tell us what's in the box! Gaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

320 pages

The Dollhouse Family by M.R. Carey, Peter Gross

Creepy dolls are one of my favorite horror tropes because I find them genuinely scary. But the dolls here aren't the really creepy part. A demonic dollhouse is overly possessive of its family, chasing them across generations. A fun read, good for a rainy afternoon.

160 pages

Daphne Byrne by Laura Marks, Kelley Jones

The Spiritualist movement of the 19th century has long interested me. Yes, lets manipulate people's grief so we can be parasites on society. This story just throws some actual demons in.

160 pages

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter

It's long, but the payoff was worth it! I really didn't know much about turn of the century labor movements, and this got me interested in looking up and reading more. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn deserves more recognition, and I'm tempted to track down some of her writings. The parallels in this novel to inequalities to today make the setting feel even more real. Very well written historical fiction!

352 pages

Come Back to Me by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti

Not the best Wonder Woman comic, but enjoyable. Starts off as standard Wonder Woman fun, ends up in some weird dinosaur time travel space stadium mess. Definitely better WW comics out there. 

160 pages

Educated by Tara Westover

This one stuck with me. I still think about it, and I read it weeks ago. An amazing memoir about a girl who never went to school, then entered college and went on to get her PhD. Her childhood memories are disturbing and tragic. The conflicts with her family in the fallout are relateable.  Reminded me of a lot of my dreams, and it has definitely got me thinking. 

352 pages    

Read Harder Challenge #12

Attack on Titan Volumes 4/5 by Hajime Isayama

 

This series. So good. More Titan lore, More epic 3D battles, more chaotic fights. The story is too good, a blend of mystery, thriller, fantasy, and of course, horror. 

388 pages (194+194)

In Mad Love and War by Joy Harjo

This is one of her earlier collections, and I had a bit of trouble getting into it. Certainly quality, it makes you slow down and savor each line. Sometimes you have to reread the stanzas again and again for them to sink in.

79 pages

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

A collection of her speeches, so definitely a bit repetitive. The message is clear though, and I hope we are not too late to act. We only have a few years left, but we seem to be making the problem worse, not better. Tragedy of the Commons combined with Toxic Individualism just leads to ecological destruction. And really, it's not a money problem. It's an accountability problem.

80 pages

Read Harder Challenge #15

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

I love how Brosh is so funny even when talking about horrible things. I was getting weird looks from Matt because I was just sitting on the couch laughing my head off. That poor grocery clerk. That creepy neighbor kid needs some friends. I too identify with the balloon. Definitely check out her comics if you haven't. They will brighten your day!

528 pages

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

I have heard so much hype around this book, and I finally got around to it. Very much a thriller where you have to slowly piece the puzzle together. Still didn't expect that ending, love the added psychological dimensions. I was racing through this one.

336 pages

The Jedi Mind by Amy Ratcliffe

Little tidbits of wisdom, tied into the different characters of the Star Wars universe. The illustrations are just too cute!

80 pages

Steve Trevor DC Comics

This was a really cool collection of Wonder Woman comics featuring Steve Trevor. It includes the very first issues, the strange "New" look where she loses her powers from the 60's, and the great Perez issues from the 90's, as well as a handful of recent ones. Fun to see how her character has evolved over the years.

232 pages

The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. Malerich

This was a very fun historical fantasy novella, wherein a mill girl strike is aided by just a bit of magic. I thought it was an amazing setting, and I loved the sapphic side-romance. I was so enthralled I read this in one sitting. I never knew about brown lung and the stuffy fibrous airways which lead to untimely death for many women. Using the breath and blood you've poured into your looms to stop all work? Talk about seizing the means of production! I only wish this book was a bit longer to flesh out all the characters. 

128 pages

The Cowboy Meets His Match by Jessica Clare

I have never read a cowboy romance. I don't feel like I was missing much. I know a lot of readers love them, but they are just not for me.

301 pages

Read Harder Challenge #14

Basketful of Heads by Joe Hill, Leomacs

This comic is so good. Norse mythology, zombie heads, corrupt small town government, and a brave female protagonist totally dominating. The drawings are emotive, the colors dark yet colorful. A must read horror comic! 

184 pages

I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider

I'm a librarian. I can't resist book humor! Snider's comics are always clever.

128 pages

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo (art.)

 I enjoyed the first book in this series, Raven, so I picked this one up. Beast Boy's origin story isn't a common one for retellings (compare with the likely hundreds of versions to Wonder Woman's origin story), but it's a really fun one! Garfield Logan just wants to bulk up and be a beast. Instead he becomes... beasts. This one was fun, and I enjoy Gabriel Picolo's art style. 

180 pages

Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka

 

I really enjoyed Tezuka's Black Jack, and I've heard good things about this series so I thought I'd give it a try. It is really good! A fictional retelling of the story of the Buddha across eight volumes, this one starts with events leading up to and around his birth. There are a lot of fictional elements and even a few modern references, but mostly the artwork and story are stunning in their depiction of Ancient India. Very good start to what I am sure is an excellent series. 

400 pages

Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle

 

These comics are just way too stinkin' cute. We get doggos, cats, the absurdities of celebrations, and the silliness of everyday life. I especially enjoyed "The small eight-legged creature" and the "drainage expert game".

144 pages

Last Minute Additions

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

I loved his first book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing,  in which metal alien statues-affectionately named Carl-land all over the planet and people go nuts. This sequel is even better! Carl is back, and saves a primary character through alien prosthetics, leaving her with an android-like appearance. The group of friends then have to face off against a hyper-realistic virtual reality gaming company with much more nefarious intentions.I think what I like most about these books is that the author is not afraid to comment on tough current issues-income inequality, social media conspiracies, information privacy, the list goes on and on. This was a very fun science fiction duology!

452 pages

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is the first of her people to attend Oomza University, even though it means she will be ostracized by her community. However, trying to maintain her traditions in a high-tech society also does not help her fit in with her peers. Then the Meduse attack.. I was amazed at how much world building Okorafor was able to put into 90 pages. This was a really good novella, and I will probably pick up the others in the short series.

90 pages

Read Harder Task #17


Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

A loose retelling of Snow White set in a Massachusetts small town during the 1950's/60's. Boy escapes her abusive father, eventually falling in love with a carpenter. Their daughter, Bird, is dark skinned, and exposes them as African Americans passing for white. Honestly, I thought the plot dragged a bit, but that final plot twist at the end makes the story worth it.

308 pages

Read Harder Task #2



Fashion Jewelry: A beginner's guide to jewelry making by Courtney Legenhausen

I've been dabbling with some jewelry making for a while, and I thought I'd finally pick up a book to learn the actual techniques, instead of my current stumbling along with Pinterest and Youtube videos. Apparently I was opening jump rings wrong. I also know the correct way to finish a piece. And crimp beads are lifesavers. With lots of step by step pictures, I thought it was useful for a beginner.

175 pages




Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland

I wish they would have told me this was based on a true story up front, because I thought the premise was ridiculous-if this was fiction, why would someone write such a dismal novel? Florence, while training to prepare for her English Channel swim, accidentally drowns. Her family decides not to tell her sister, because they are afraid she will get upset and miscarry as she did before. So, we get six months of family members frantically trying to keep a secret. Meanwhile, there's a weird subplot about Florida real estate? I was not impressed.

309 pages




The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Xiomara feels unheard by her family, her church, and to some extent, her friends. Secretly dating Aman, and forced into confirmation classes by her mother, she channels her frustrations into her notebook. She finally finds her voice through an invitation to join her school's poetry slam club-allowing her to blossom. The audiobook of this is sooo good, and hearing the poetry spoken by the actual author is quite effective.

361 pages

Read Harder Task #8


The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

This intense story follows the lives of three women in an Irish quarantined maternity ward over three days during the flu of 1918. The story is brutal, refusing to shy away from the reality of medical interventions, nauseating symptoms, and the brutality of poverty and the Irish orphanage system of the time. This book was very detailed, emotional and shocking. Definitely not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

295 pages




Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh 

When Henry Silver arrives as a new resident of Greenhollow, his interest in folklore leads him to investigate the Wild Man of the wood. Dryads, old curses, a mysterious past, teen abductions, and a gentle romance compose this creative fantasy retelling of the Green Man myth. I thought it was a great debut, and I plan to look out for Tesh's next book.

109 pages




The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill

A companion novel to The Tea Dragon Society, this graphic novel provides some backstory for two society members of the first book. They return to Silverleaf village, where everyone lives alongside tea dragons. we meet a young dragon who has just awoken from an unintended 80 year nap. Once again the artwork is beautiful, the characters are diverse, and the tea dragons are adorable. I never thought I would see sign language in a graphic novel-it was very well done!

131 pages



Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump

I've been trying to stay away from reading political stuff right now (easier said than done), but the premise for this family narrative and memoir was too tempting. Mary's personal experiences, familial knowledge and clinical Ph.D psychologist's expertise give us a unique character study that certainly explains... a lot. Toxic families create toxic people. A very interesting read.

225 pages





The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The reviews for this book were so positive, but I thought it was so bad. I get it, it's a memoir about grief, but using obscure references to celebrities and writers just left me lost and confused. Way too much name dropping, and not really much emotion, considering her situation. If I wasn't listening to the audiobook, I probably would not have finished this one.

227 pages




You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez, Julie Maroh (ill.)

A coming of age story about friends drifting apart, college applications, and discovering your truth. Of course, the main character lives in a desert and has magical powers that react to water-you know, just to make it interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a comic focused entirely on Aqualad. I love how DC has been embracing such diverse characters lately. This was fun!

186 pages



And now I am FINALLY caught up so I don't have to do these crazy long posts.