It’s been a while since I did a book review post on Instagram. When I started my Substack, I knew it was something I wanted to share over here. Usually I would include a mix of books, but I’ve read so many fantastic graphic novels this year that—in sticking with the name and theme of this newsletter—I thought I’d focus my first post on seven works of graphic literature that I read and loved earlier this year, starting with:
It’s been a long time since I read this children’s classic, but it popped back into my consciousness when I found out that a new friend (and now comics workshop collaborator!) K. Woodman-Maynard had been working on this lovely watercolor graphic novel adaptation for publication back in September. I can’t imagine what a huge and intimidating challenge it must be to preserve the integrity of an existing classic while making your own unique interpretation of it, but K. has done exactly that—I love how she has masterfully used the visual language and metaphorical power of comics to make a new and extraordinary version that does justice to the big themes present in the original. It was beautiful, powerful, and emotional (I cried at the end) and I would highly recommend it to middle grade readers and adults alike.
To see the behind-the-scenes process of making Tuck Everlasting and for great creative advice, check out K.’s Substack Creating Comics.
The Mythmakers follows the lives of C.S. Lewis and J.R. R. Tolkien from childhood to adulthood, focusing on how the ups and downs of their friendship influenced their respective work(s). As a fan of both authors and as an artist myself, it was a great reminder that art doesn’t get created in a vacuum; Hendrix draws interesting parallels between the experiences each author went through, and how those experiences influenced their writing (I’ll just say: the presence of giant spiders in Lord of The Rings makes more sense now!). He also highlights the pivotal role that collaboration and community played in Tolkien’s and Lewis’ evolution as writers. What made this book really unique to me was how Hendrix wove in information about the differences between myths, fairy tales, and fantasy as a sort of “side quest” in the book. It was highly creative, enjoyable, and I came away feeling both inspired and enlightened.
I loved Vera Brosgol’s book Anya’s Ghost, so when her newest graphic novel came highly recommended by the staff at Comix Experience in SF, I snatched it up—and had finished it within two hours. This was pretty much a perfect 5-star fantasy graphic novel read for me: it had a plucky heroine going through a “damsel in distress” role reversal, a well-conceived story with some fun plot twists, a message about empowerment that didn’t feel too heavy-handed, and unique characters that I felt like I had the time to get to know and to care for. I’m glad to now have this book in my collection and look forward to reading it again in the future!
Middle school is usually not an experience I would want to revisit, but Dan Santat perfectly captured not only the awkwardness and difficulties of being that age, but some of the wonderful moments of growth and the magic of friendship. This book was extra nostalgic for me, because I read it while staying at my family home in Seattle this past May and—after turning the last page—I immediately went to the basement to pull out the scrapbook from my own 8th grade trip to France. It was a good reminder of how important those friendships were to navigating that time in my life, and how grateful I am that many of them have lasted into adulthood.
This book feels like reading a mashup of A Bugs Life and Planet Earth—there is humor and strong storytelling here, but the book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of a bug-eat-bug world. (Which makes a lot of sense, given that it was created by someone with a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences who did post-doc work at a honey bee research laboratory.) There was one particular twist—I won’t spoil it—that made me hesitate in recommending it to my bug-obsessed former reading tutoring student (who was 7 at the time). But apparently he loved it, and I appreciate that the book respects kids enough to share the truths about *cue Lion King music* the circle of life. 🐜
We’ve now reached the “French graphic novels in translation” section of this post, which feels appropriate as my January 12 move to Paris approaches 🙀! Thieves is a visually enticing queer romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. The story was sweet, but I especially loved Bryon’s use of visuals, her character style, and the way she played with color and panel layouts throughout. Good for fans of the series Heartstopper.
There is just something about reading these inspiring stories of women from throughout history that made my eyes well up almost every time I read one—women are amazing! While some names were very recognizable to me (Tove Jansson, Joséphine Baker) others I encountered for the first time (Leymah Gbowee, Giorgina Reid). Bagieu does an excellent job at condensing key moments from each woman’s life into a short stories that are compelling and uplifting. I read the untranslated version to practice my French, which is only about 1/4 of the full book in English, and I look forward to picking up the rest of the volumes after my move.
*Culotté is an adjective in French that means “daring” or “bold” (the extra "es” at the end here makes it feminine + plural); but the title also contains the word “culotte,” or “panty.”
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As of today, I’m currently reading: Making Nonfiction Comics by Eleri Harris & Shay Mirk, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Hunger Like a Thirst by Besha Rodell, and Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity by Pam Grossman.
What are you reading right now? Let me know in the comments!
All of the links in this post go to Bookshop.org, because I can’t in good conscience send anyone to Amazon for books. That said, if you have the chance: supporting your local bookstore (or library) is even better!
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