My graphic novels reading month has been going well. In addition to the books below I also listened to 2 audiobooks in series I follow. The Fallen by David Baldacci is #4 of the Amos Decker series. Amos and Jamison are visiting her sister and Amos wastes no time in finding dead bodies. He does what he does and uncovers one conspiracy after another. Great listen, especially if you are familiar with run down towns suffering from the opioid crisis. Night School by Lee Child is #21 of the Jack Reacher series and takes place when he is still in the military. A nice diversion from the nomadic Reacher, but I could have done without the scene involving a woman and mule having relations on a stage for a group of cheering men. That was a real low point of the series for me.
I also reviewed The Good Kings by Kara Cooney for a book tour, Loved it.
We watched the miniseries Midnight Mass on Netflix. Have you seen it? It seemed all eerily sinister in the beginning and then turned absolutely insane. Can’t say I liked it but it was quite a ride.
Beverly, with is spartan illustrations started normally with a story about teens working in the summer and ended with a story about Beverly the masseuse. They were all loosely connected and followed a timeline of sorts. Strange, somewhat disturbing, and beyond my ability to really appreciate. 134 pages.
Everything is Beautiful, and I’m Not Afraid is a fictional graphic novel inspired by real life. How much truth I don’t know, but it reads like a memoir. A young immigrant comes out as bi to her conservative Chinese family and she becomes lost, no longer knowing where home is. I loved the art and wanted to love the ‘story’ more than I did. I’m sure this would appeal more to the reader going through similar issues with family and finding self worth.
“What do you think is the biggest waste of time?”
“Comparing yourself to others.”
“One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things.”
“Asking for help isn’t giving up,” said the horse. “It’s refusing to give up.”
“Sometimes I worry you’ll all realize I’m ordinary,” said the boy.
“Love doesn’t need you to be extraordinary,” said the mole.
I am in love with this puzzle! I’ve never done one with a velvet finish and took a bit to get used to, but the extra dimension it gives to this piece of art is gorgeous. Clement Mmaduakor Nwafor is the Nigerian artist. Thanks for a perfect puzzle @completingthepuzzleofficial
Today’s book is Afar, a YA sci-fi/fantasy featuring a girl who can transport into the bodies of people on other planets in her sleep and her brother who gets into trouble but gets a monkey out of it 🐒. I enjoyed the art and the storylines and can see this appealing to many teens. Perfectly done! (Thank goodness after my first few days of graphic novel month)
This is the story of The Welcoming Chair, beloved children book author Rosemary Wells’ family heirloom that tells the story of the American immigrant. From her preface…
“America’s door is open to suffering people from foreign lands,” my dad told me. “It’s America’s fundamental generosity of spirit that makes her hold her head high in a world of trouble. And it will always be so.”
‘My father’s words were true until recently. Lady Liberty’s message is today challenged by those who want to shut that door.
This book is based in part on my own family’s legends, as told to me by my grandmother Marguerite Leopold Bamberger and as passed down to her from her grandmother Ruth Seigbert’s diary.’
Wonderful story and gorgeous illustrations.
I read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale by Renee Nault and was blown away by how good it was. I have never read the book, seen the movie, or watched the current miniseries. Still, as a person who loves books I knew what it was about. The art was gorgeous and there was just enough information, never too much to insult the reader, to draw you in and keep the pages turning excitedly. In a dystopian world women are again second class citizens and forced into designated roles where they must stay. The handmaids serve one purpose only, to bear children. The question of who a woman’s body belongs to takes center stage. It was fantastic ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery is by her grandson Miles Hyman. This story I knew. Lotteries are held in each town once a year and the ‘winner’ gets an extra special prize. Haunting and beautifully adapted with a special forward by Hyman telling some memories of his grandmother. Loved it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
If you have a reluctant classics reader, let them start here. 📖
I couldn’t do a graphic novel month without including some serious award winning classics. I read these two outstanding books by Art Spieglman (the first winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1992).
It’s the story of the Holocaust based on Spiegelman’s interviews with his survivor father and also of his life with his father as he got older. He, his father, and the other Jewish people are depicted as mice and the Nazis as cats.
So moving, both as a Holocaust history, but also a relationship story between father and son. One I’m not going to forget anytime soon.
Stacy's Books 
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is one that has been on my radar for several months. I sounds very uplifting. I really need to get a copy!
Excellent book choices.
I had no idea that Margaret Atwood had picked an illustrator to make The Handmaid’s Tale into a graphic novel. Sounds really fascinating. I wonder if Atwood contributed to the retelling. I’ve only read the book (and its sequel) but haven’t seen any of the dramas.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Maus is one of those books I read long, long ago, but I have never forgotten. A powerful story.
Some of the other graphic novels I’ve read that were quite memorable are the series by Lucy Knisley; The New Kid by Jerry Craft; the March series; Shaun Tan books.
I wonder what the best graphic novels are considered to be. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a list of what are considered the best.
I couldn’t get into Midnight Mass.
Thanks for mentioning the graphic version of The Handmaid’s Tale, I’ve added it to my wish list.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse is one I need to read.
The graphic novel of a Handmaid’s Tale sounds wonderful as well. I have not read the book or seen the show either.
Your books look great and I love the puzzle. Not much tv viewing for me lately but I’ve been clearing my NG review shelf.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was a favorite… such a wonderful book!
I am terrible at reading graphic novels. I have such a hard time slowing down and paying attention to the illustrations. My daughter on the other hand has always loved them. I might pick up The Handmaid’s Tale for her. I don’t think she’s read the original.