Graphic novels are sometimes dismissed as being just for younger readers, but that's not the case.
Graphic novels are a format, not a genre, and can be non-fiction as well as fiction. So much more than just superheroes and Snoopy, graphic novels win awards, and are as entertaining as they are diverse. Stunning artwork combines with captions and dialogue to create a unique experience for readers.
Here’s 6 picks we love – click the titles to reserve them today.
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1. Last Fair Deal Gone Down – Ace Atkins
From New York Times-bestselling author, Ace Atkins, comes the graphic novel adaptation of his Edgar Award-nominated story featuring New Orleans blues historian/detective Nick Travers.
It's Christmas in New Orleans. For many, it's the best season of the year. But instead of spending time with the people he cares about, Nick Travers is investigating the death of his friend, Fats. At first it appears that Fats took his own life, but Nick quickly discovers that the saxophone is missing from Fats' apartment. He soon learns that there is more to the story than a simple suicide, and the woman who Fats had been paying to keep him company may hold the answers.
2. Talking to Strangers – Marianne Boucher
It was the summer of 1980, and Marianne Boucher was ready to chase her figure skating dream. Fuelled by the desire to rise above her mundane high-school life, she sought a new adventure as a glamorous performer in L.A. And then a chance encounter on a California beach introduced her to a new group of people…
Talking to Strangers is the true story of Marianne Boucher's experiences in a cult. Told in mesmerizing graphic memoir form, with vivid text and art alike, Marianne shares how she fell in with devotees of a frightening spiritual abuser, and how she eventually, painfully, pulled herself out.
3. Finding Joy - Gary Andrews
When his wife, Joy, died very suddenly, a daily drawing became the way Gary Andrews dealt with his grief.
From learning how to juggle his kids' playdates and single-handedly organising Christmas, to getting used to the empty side of the bed, Gary's honest and often hilarious illustrations have touched the hearts of thousands on social media.
Finding Joy is the story of how one family learned to live again after tragedy.
4. The Placebo Man – Tomer Hanuka
New Yorker artist Tomer Hanuka collects his best comics work from five years, including stories previously published in Bipolar, the award-winning comics series co-created with his twin brother. This collection of nine short stories deals with identity, memory, and destiny. From the hollow existence of twenty-something urbanites in Brooklyn and their magical parallel lives, to a dense psychological collage of a split-second lifetime, the stories touch a raw nerve we never knew we had.
5. Relish – Lucy Knisley
Lucy Knisley loves food. The daughter of a chef and a gourmet, this talented young cartoonist comes by her obsession honestly. In her forthright, thoughtful, and funny memoir, Lucy traces key episodes in her life thus far, framed by what she was eating at the time and lessons learned about food, cooking, and life. Each chapter is bookended with an illustrated recipe—many of them treasured family dishes, and a few of them Lucy's original inventions.
6. Brave New World – Fred Fordham (Based on the novel by Aldous Huxley)
Originally published in 1932, Brave New World is one of the most revered and profound works of twentieth century literature. Touching on themes of control, humanity, technology, and influence, Aldous Huxley's enduring classic is a reflection and a warning of the age in which it was written, yet remains frighteningly relevant today.
With its surreal imagery and otherworldly backdrop, Brave New World adapts beautifully to the graphic novel form. Fred Fordham's singular artistic flair and attention to detail and color captures this thought-provoking novel as never before, and introduces it to a new generation, and countless modern readers, in a fresh and compelling way.
