Written by Moriah
With how the semester has been going, it’s been hard to keep track of anything. Aside from homework, one of the only things I have been able to get through in terms of reading have been graphic novels (and yes they do count as actual reading.) When I’m having a particularly bad day and need something I know I already like, I tend to pick up one of these from my shelves.
Thieves – Lucie Byron
Ella wakes up hungover after a party with an assortment of items that don’t belong to her. And as she tries to piece together the events of that night and return the items to their rightful owners, she also ends up taking that journey with her crush Madeleine, who also might have a problem with stealing.
Out of all of what I aim to suggest, this is the one that is highest on my reread list right now. Kleptomaniacs falling in love as they try to fix their wrongs? I’m invested and the author can have my money. The colors are limited but in a way that strengthens the mood and atmosphere of each scene, it’s so easy to tell when someone is anxious or cheerful aside from the obvious line art within the panels.
Belle of the Ball – Mari Costa
The story starts with a High school Senior Hawkins working up the courage to ask out her crush Regina, only to find out that Regina is back to dating her girlfriend Chloe. Which causes a misunderstanding between these three. Regina gets Hawkins to tutor Chloe so the both of them can get to the same college, Hawkins is surpised these two want anything to do with her, and Chloe realizes that she actually used to know Hawkins when they were kids.
Whenever I feel like a grump, I pick this one up. It’s just so cheerful, sweet, and pretty. The plot doesn’t stray from the synopsis for any shock value, it just adds layers to everything. Normally love triangles in romance gets on my nerves, but this just makes sense. This is the most bright and pink book I own, so it looks almost out of place next to my horror shelf. But I love it just the way it is.
A Guest in the house – E.M Carroll
Newly married Abby is just getting settled moving into her husband’s house, learning how to maneuver in the aftermath of his late wife, Sheila. However, while cleaning through things, taking care of her new step-daughter and talking with neighbors, she begins to question the circumstances around Sheila’s death. Doesn’t help that a ghost is following her around whispering things in her ear.
Tone shift of the suggestions, this one is an adult horror. Carroll has some of the best artwork I’ve ever seen, along with being such a strong thriller writer in the graphic novel field. I’ve been keeping up with their work slowly and it wasn’t until I could borrow this from the library that I realized I needed to own it as soon as possible. The color palette and the character interactions added to the eerie style in a beautiful and haunting way.
Snapdragon – Kat Leyh
Snap is in need of help from the local witch after finding a possum injured outside of her class. But the local witch turns out to just be an old lady named Jacks running a small– and creepy– business of selling roadkill skeletons. They still work together to save the animal, but Snap begins to notice that maybe Jacks does have magic, and could teach Snap if she really wanted to.
For a year after I had first read this, I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to read a book in order to get to know me better. While that specific list has changed recently, this is still close to my heart. I got it as a birthday gift from a family member and it was one of those reads that gets you out of a slump. Leyh has a beautiful art style and I just could not ignore the chance to put this on the list. Also there is a drawing of a frog on page 151, has to be mentioned.
Lucky Penny – Ananth Hirsh, Yuko Ota
Penny Brighton is cursed. Or she just has bad luck, getting fired and losing her apartment was just the beginning of the many mishaps headed her way. But Penny has a plan. Living in her best friend Helen’s storage unit and attempting to work at the laundromat that her nemesis manages, said nemesis being Helen’s twelve-year-old brother. Things are moving in a direction, Penny just isn’t sure if the direction is up or fully downhill.
This was the book that actually got me back into reading years ago. I’ve gotten the chance to read the original black and white version as well as the recently released color edition done with Julia Hagerty. It fully leans into the silly parts of any bad situation that Penny gets backed into, giving off the feelings of a sitcom rather than a drama. But also the banter between her and pretty much everyone she comes across is nearly ridiculous in a lovely way.
I guess the theme of these recommendations aside from the formatting would just be “chaotic women doing weird stuff but having love and support in their lives”, or just being messed up entirely. And I support those wrongs [these characters have never done anything wrong in their lives though] But I support them no matter what.