Good Reads & Views

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Listen in on Mira Jacob’s conversations with her young son, husband, parents, friends, and colleagues. In this creative, thought-provoking memoir in graphic novel form, Jacob—the daughter of immigrants from India—addresses race, ethnicity, and identity through conversations that are sometimes somber and painful, sometimes hilarious, and often filled with moments of perfect connection… and disconnection.

Why you might like it: While Jacob addresses serious issues, she introduces moments of humor and infuses her writing with love for her family. (Some charming elements: her son likes to moonwalk like his idol Michael Jackson, and her parents comment on each other’s foibles in a humorous, affectionate way.)

Book buzz: Named one of the ten best books of the year by the Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly, and the New York Public Library.

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Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
Fiction

What it’s about: An endearing extraterrestrial being lands on earth, encounters all sorts of creatures, and is completely befuddled by earthlings. This charming and wise graphic novel about a stranger in a strange land explores the mysteries of humanity.

Why you might like it: If you’d enjoy reading a mash-up of Are You My Mother? and The Little Prince, then this book is for you. Also, if you think you’d like a self-improvement book disguised as a graphic novel about a confused but wise extraterrestrial, then pick up this book.

You might also like: Jonny Sun (aka Jomny Sun) illustrates the charming book Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for You and Me by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll
Nonfiction

After she called the cops on a party, Melinda is shunned in school by almost everyone. She’s depressed and angry and won’t say why, but slowly she finds her voice through art and tells her side of the story. The original book Speak was a powerful semi-autobiographical novel about sexual assault. Emily Carroll’s images enhance the story and show Melinda’s unspoken emotions and her evolution through art.

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Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel Adapted by Mariah Marsden, illustrated by Brenna Thummler
J Nonfiction

Confession: I am not a big fan of Anne of Green Gables. I haven’t seen much of the television show, and I haven’t read the series by L. M. Montgomery. Yet I may have to correct that after reading this graphic novel adaptation. (However, if you are not a fan of spoilers, you might want to savor this book after reading the original series or seeing the show.)

The glorious, shimmering green lines of the illustrations of life on Prince Edward Island make readers fall in love with the place just as the orphan Anne does when she comes to live with somber siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Anne’s flaming red hair, overactive imagination and constant chatter intrude into the serene landscape and brighten the static lives of everyone in Avonlea as she grows up.

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Audubon: On The Wings of the World by Fabien Grolleau
Biography

John James Audubon studied animal behavior and painted wildlife engaged in eating, nesting and other activities, bringing them to life on the page. Yet despite his love of nature, he killed many animals to use as models in his work. This poetic meditation on his life shows his obsession with nature and his struggle to provide for his family. (A note in the book addresses Audubon’s disconnect with how colonial expansion affected the wilderness he sought and the Native American tribes he visited.) The detailed illustrations capture Audubon’s wonder at his discoveries in the natural world. Although at the time, his work was considered less than scientific, today Audubon’s paintings and prints are greatly prized by collectors. A quick and engrossing read.

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The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone
Nonfiction

Not a graphic novel reader? No problem. This book still might be for you. Gladstone, a journalist herself, examines the history and current state of journalism. She provides several new lenses through which a person can view the media, and it makes reading/watching/listening to the news even more interesting after reading about the various types of bias (it’s more than just political) and thinking about how objective a journalist could (and should) be. Gladstone’s narrative voice is casual, which fits the format. Graphic nonfiction—it’s education in comic book format, folks!

Habibi by Craig Thompson
Nonfiction

This intricately drawn graphic novel follows the lives of two slave refugee children, Dodola and Zam, as they struggle to preserve their freedom in an imagined Middle Eastern locale. Zam is a very young boy when he is rescued from certain death by Dodola, a few years his senior. She cares for him for years until they become separated and Zam must search for her. Their moving story runs parallel to many Koranic stories Dodola told Zam in his youth. Thompson’s beautiful illustrations draw heavily on the Arabic script and Middle Eastern motifs.

Dante's Divine Comedy by Seymour Chwast
Nonfiction

Many artists have portrayed Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) Divina Commedia, making it one of the most illustrated books. Chwast's first graphic novel sets this 14^th century classic as an irreverent film noir. Dante – the detective – wears a trenchcoat, fedora, and sunglasses, and smokes a pipe. He is led through the Inferno and Purgatory by the ancient Roman poet Virgil who is replete with mustache, bowler hat, spats, and a walking stick. Dante’s deceased love Beatrice, wearing fine clothing and lipstick, takes over in Paradise. They encounter evil demons, serpents, and various sinners, along with angels that look like they were choreographed for a Ziegfield Follies production or Esther Williams film. Through his deceptively minimalist drawings (with witty allusions to medieval art), Chwast gives us a succinct but layered telling of Dante’s story.