I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.
This week's topic is "Top Ten Quick Reads." I chose to focus specifically on graphic novels and graphic memoirs, which I can typically read in a few hours!
This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation.
This adorable two-volume series covers the four years of college of a queer baker, vlogger, and former figure skater as he joins the college's hockey team and navigates friendships, crushes, and his fear of getting checked on the ice.
Also a two-volume series (so far...?), this features a fantastic group of queer women trying to take down a patriarchal system throughout the galaxy. Fun and satisfying!
This is a graphic memoir of Bell's experience becoming hard of hearing after contacting meningitis at age four. Through her memories, you get some best practices for interacting with people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, and you also see her dealing with the relatable stresses of growing up, navigating school, friendships, and crushes.
This is a memoir, but a lot of it focuses on Bechdel's father and her attempts to understand his life after his untimely death; as she discovers her own sexual orientation, her journey is in the shadow of her father's revelations about his own sexuality, followed shortly by his death. It's a compelling read that makes excellent use of this format.
Kobabe's graphic memoir of slowly understanding one's gender and sexuality more precisely is an affirming mirror for a common queer journey, where identities don't just land overnight and then stick forever, but that doesn't mean that labels can't be helpful signposts along the way.
There is one more volume yet to be released in this series about two British schoolboys falling in love. Oseman has perfectly captured the experiences of crushes, friendships, family tensions, and the high school ecosystem throughout these graphic novels.
Framed by Rep. John Lewis showing up for President Obama's inauguration, this three-volume series tells the story of Lewis' childhood up through his extensive involvement with the civil rights movement. The story is clearly told, the artwork is cinematic, and you will likely learn a lot and gain a greater appreciation for how much the American civil rights heroes risked and sacrificed.
This story is an overview of 15 years of Iran's history combined with Satrapi's own coming of age. It's a quick read that's an accessible history lesson and occasionally quite funny while at other times heart-wrenching.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's a story of found family and embracing the things you love (even when they're unusual) and gender expression and magic. It has so much heart and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Which graphic novels do you love?
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: I Was Born for This, Ace, Curse of the Sand Witches, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Half of a Yellow Sun, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and Let the Great World Spin
Ten years ago I was reading: The Steerswoman and War and Peace
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