Great Graphic Novels to Enjoy in July!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the heart of summer! This week, I want to take a look at some of my favorite graphic novels from the last couple of years. Graphic novels are a great way to interact with a story in a compelling and meaningful way while using multiple media to really get a message across! For me, a graphic novel is the perfect light read, something I can read in an afternoon while lounging or even while distracted by other things. I am intentionally avoiding comic books and manga in this list as I really want to shine some light on the lengthier and non-episodic pieces, which sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

Without further ado, then, some great graphic novels to carry you through these sweltering summer days!

First up, Almost American Girl, written and illustrated by Robin Ha. A beautifully illustrated memoir about Robin, who comes to America from South Korea with her mother on what appears to be a vacation. However, the vacation turns into a relocation when Robin's mom - the person she's closest to in the whole world - reveals her intentions to marry a Korean-American and immigrate the two of them, and Robin's world takes a rather wild turn. Full of ideas about what it means to belong and searching for a sense of meaning, Almost American Girl is a great work about the power of art. This, in turn, is served by the amazing artwork used by this graphic novel! I loved so much about this story, but its clever and beautiful art really sells it for me. A worthy use of an A/C afternoon!

Next up on this week's list is Bloom, written by Kevin Panetta. A splendid blend of slow and sweet romance and the importance of the consequences our choices carry, Bloom centers around Ari, who is struggling to find his place in the world. By rights, he is to inherit his family's bakery, but it's fallen on hard times and Ari doesn't really want to be chained to sourdough starter for the rest of his life. He dreams of playing in a band or, really, anything miles away. Enter Hector, a stalwart, even-keeled gentleman who happens to love baking. As the slow-burn romance unfolds, the leading lads' characters are wonderfully developed by intelligent and able prose. This story, coupled with an amazing monochromatic style at the hands of the incredible Savanna Garucheau was a novel I disappeared into for a few hours and emerged from feeling better about things - what more could one ask for?

While Bloom does wonderfully with the beginning of a relationship, my next pick, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki, does wonderfully with the ways in which a relationship can end. Not that the end of a relationship is anything close to wonderful, however this beautiful book examines with earnest candor the messy ways in which a toxic relationship harms a person. This book is must-read material for, well, everybody, but especially for people who've been through a messy breakup! We see the dysfunction Freddy, in her obsession over Laura Dean, brings to her life. Freddy's other relationships with friends and family suffer, and this book pulls no punches in exploring the depths of love gone sideways. Not to mention the incredible art, illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, which takes advantage of the subtlety of design to do some truly incredible things that help tell this story. This is a graphic novel I have a hard time imagining without the pictures, which truly makes it stand out. The best of both worlds!

Okay, this next graphic novel is a little bit of a cheat, as it's more like a one-shot comic book or a graphic short-story, but it's too good not to include. I refer to Rainbow Rowell's Pumpkinheads. It's tempting to call this a perfect autumn read because it so strongly summons the best parts of fall, but I think that'd be underselling it. This is a book about the magic of one purposeful day. The best kind of story that details the celebration of the end of one great thing before the start of something new and unknown. A lot of the magic of the story comes from the amazing illustrations, crafted by the incredible Faith Erin Hicks, which really capture the setting. I love a good story about living in the moment, and this is one of the best of them. It's short but full of potent memory and well-crafted characters, and I enjoyed so much the friendship between Deja and Josiah. I'm thinking about reading it again just talking about it!

One of my favorite aspects of graphic novels is the way in which they can express emotion. As so much of how we communicate is non-verbal, having facial expressions and body language illustrated really helps communicate a tone or feeling. Hey, Kiddo, written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, is a deep and heavy look at family, at grief, and at growing through difficult circumstances. It is a masterwork at the art of conveying emotions, and at coming to terms with the difference between perfection and acceptance. The loose, flowing watercolor illustrations contrast well with the heavy and concrete topic matter, and I love the attention to detail that happens in key moments throughout the story. While it's not a typical summertime read, it is extraordinarily good, full of moving and sometimes difficult scenes that deal with Jarrett's family struggle with drug addiction. People looking for a pick-me-up should maybe look elsewhere, but for folks who want a great story, even if it hurts a little, this is an excellent choice. Also, it uses art as a coping mechanism, and I love it!

Finally, I've saved my favorite for last. Those of you who know me already know how I feel about Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak as a work of great importance to the field of YA novels. Speak: The Graphic Novel came out in 2018, so it's a little older than these other books, but the graphic novel edition so greatly enhances one of my favorite works for people to read that I had to include it. The stark, monochromatic illustrations provided by Emily Carroll place a powerful emphasis on Melinda's struggles with her trauma, and the subtle changes in her that promote her growth. A compelling and satisfying read from start to finish, Speak stands as a testament to what a graphic novel could be - the merger of two forms of art so flawlessly symbiotic that the story is enhanced page after page. Read this book.

As the first days of July wind down and the Fourth of July holiday fast approaches, I hope you'll pick up a graphic novel or two from this list - they really are exceptional, and I love that art and written word merge so well to create something more than the sum of its parts. Next week, I'll be back with another set of recommendations, so I hope you'll stop by! Remember that even though the NFPL is closed for renovations, these books can be checked out electronically through Libby and enjoyed on any e-reader or phone. Graphic novels look great on screens, too! I hope to see you again next week!