The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Comics & Graphic Novels

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

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Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
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I read Beetle & the Hollowbones in one sitting over morning coffee. The art and story charmed me to no end! This middle-grade graphic novel is a perfect recommendation for fans of Corpse Bride and Halloweentown, a creepy-cute and sweet tale of growing up, friendship, magic, and love. A must-read for fellow year-round Halloween lovers!

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne, (List Price: $12.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781534441545, April 2020)

Reviewed by Cristina Russell, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida

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The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat

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The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat
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This world’s people will perish by burning up in a solar flare unless the four swords that rained down from the heavens are united to open a portal to an alternate universe. Unfortunately, the owner of the sword demands to use it for revenge first and doesn’t give a rat’s behind about suns dying or oceans evaporating. A compelling read and I’m interested to see how they expand on the lore of the swords.

The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat, (List Price: $29.99, Humanoids Inc., 9781643375762, April 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

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by Trung Le Nguyen
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This gorgeously illustrated graphic novel deftly weaves traditional fairy tales into the life of a young, gay teen just trying to figure everything out.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, (List Price: $17.99, Random House Graphic, 9781984851598, October 2020)

Reviewed by Shauna Sinyard, Park Road Books in Charlotte, North Carolina

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Food School by Jade Armstrong

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Fool School by Jade Armstrong
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Fool School tells the story of a non-binary person going through a three-month recovery for their binge-eating disorder. Shows the struggles in their relationships, the friends they make in the program, and overall while starting to fully recover. Must read, fast book, cute graphics, not too heavy (told in a comedic way, but still tasteful). TW: for Eating Disorders

Food School by Jade Armstrong, (List Price: $15, Conundrum Press, 9781772620962, April 2024)

Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

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Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
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Val believes that her family is cursed and they will always be unlucky in love. I loved the sweet and charming graphics and learning about the art of lion dancing. Val’s courage and determination to try and open her heart even if it may end in heartbreak is inspiring. I truly enjoyed this book!

Lunar New Year Love StoryLunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, (List Price: $25.99, First Second, 9781626728103, January 2024)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small

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Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small
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David Small always packs a punch in the most sublet ways. His illustrations perfectly compliment these stories of longing and the fragility of life.

Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small, (List Price: $25, Liveright, 9781324092827, March 2024)

Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson

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Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson
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Fast-moving, silly, with just the right amount of character introspection. When you fail at something you’ve literally dedicated your life to, it can feel like you’ve failed at life. Mira’s journey is very literal in that she gets injured and can no longer skate, disrupting her parents’ plans for the Olympics. Luckily, she’s kidnapped by a vampire roller derby team that is in desperate need of a “mandatory human member.”

Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson, (List Price: $13.99, Labyrinth Road, 9780593485712, April 2024)

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small

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The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small
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David Small’s illustrations give life to three short stories about age. identity, and metamorphosis in the vein of Franz Kafka and Alfred Hitchcock. Each story positions a person beside a beast in some way, which aids in contextualizing our very human experiences. The illustration is dreamlike; and although the stories are short, they are abundant with depth.

The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories by David Small, (List Price: $25, Liveright, 9781324092827, March 2024)

Reviewed by Isabel Agajanian, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle
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Originally published in Spanish under the title Estoy Fatal, Gracias, this graphic novel follows Jo, a young witch who moves from Spain to London for a dream job making potions. But for all the good things in her life, there are quite a few bad things- an abusive team leader at work, a controlling roommate at home, and a boyfriend who tells her she just needs to more positive- and soon Jo’s depression and feelings that she’s trying so hard to keep locked away explode into literal dragons. This book is a charming way to learn to deal with overwhelming emotions, as Jo starts therapy and learns how to live with her feelings. I absolutely adore the world Pickle has created!

I Feel Awful, ThanksI Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle, (List Price: $17.99, Oni Press, 9781637153000, March 2024)

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

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Lunar New Year Love Story by Yang, Gene Luen
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A rom-com focusing on a young woman who makes a deal with a spirit over her heart, unless she can find true love, and her partner, who is shy and healing after a major loss. Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham use their prose and art to share a fun story, as well as education on Asian-American culture and history. A good romp of a read for those in love or trying to find it.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, (List Price: $17.99, First Second, 9781250908261, January 2024)

Reviewed by Hilton Airall, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp

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Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp
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Ink Girls is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story about a group of girls in a Renaissance-inspired word who are determined to fight for truth. It shows firsthand how deeply important it is that truth comes first, above the discomfort of change. Everything else will fall into place, and friends deserving of you will flock to you. I can’t wait to push this graphic novel into everyone\’s hands!

Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp, (List Price: $15.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780063027107, November 2023)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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49 Days by Agnes Lee

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49 Days by Agnes Lee
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An introspective and emotional exploration of life after death, both for those who have been lost and have experienced a loss, Lee has succeeded in capturing the full spectrum of emotions in a limited range of color. From scenes of laughter to those where no one can bear to speak, her graphic novel explores the different ways in which we know one another. What a deeply human story, and what a deeply moving way to consider each other. Part slice of life, part emotional trial, this is a particularly successful emotional exploration of grief.

49 Days by Agnes Lee, (List Price: $ , Levine Querido, 9781646143740, 2024-03-05)

Reviewed by Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Kitten Ninja by Colleen AF Venable

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Kitten Ninja by Colleen AF Venable
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Who better to protect you than a cute (I mean, fearsome) kitten?! Kitten Ninja can catch a light, fight a ball of yarn, and help a friend, but at the end of the day it is snuggling on a lap that wins the day. The combination of humor and delightful illustrations will have readers hooked from Page 1. Perfect for kids just finding their way into graphic novels (or for those already in love with Cat Ninja).

Kitten Ninja by Colleen AF Venable, (List Price: $11.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524888190, 2024-02-27)

Reviewed by Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America by Rafael Medoff

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Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to Americaby Rafael Medoff
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WOW WOW WOW WOW. Where do I even begin with this review. First of all, the four men this is written about are true heroes and truly badass. Animated like a classic comic book and even is “narrated” by Lee Falk, the creator of the Phantom comics. Broken up into four stories about four men who helped get the news about the Holocaust to America and try to stop the Nazi war on Jews. Each story had my heart racing, tears starting, and honestly I don’t think I blinked this entire book. Random thoughts while reading: It is wild that Alan Cranston was only 24 during the time he printed “the book Hitler didn’t want you to read” ( an ACTUAL English translation of the German Mein Kampf). The Captain aboard the St. Louis was a total badass and refused to let the Jewish refugee passengers go back to Germany if they could not find refuge in Cuba. I absolutely love that there is a real life bio at the end of each story telling you about the actual person the story was written about. It’s heartbreaking that all these men thought that they didn’t do that much to help them in the end (limitations out of their control), but in reality they saved tens of thousands of Jewish people. America sucks. Wild how history is repeating itself – another genocide and America refusing to step in and help even though that’s literally what the foundation of this country was supposed to be built on *insert major eye roll* Absolutely incredible read overall, especially if you are interested in WWII. I am not sure why the stories of these four men are not taught in school, but more people need to be made aware of their courageous stories.

Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America by Rafael Medoff, (List Price: $19.99, Dark Horse Books, 9781506737607, FEbruary 2024)

Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

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The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
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This adorable graphic novel about a shape-shifting selkie and a teen lesbian who hasn’t fully accepted her queerness is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is a great book for young queer people with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely sapphic romance that you can easily devour in one sitting. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of young readers!

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, (List Price: $24.99, Graphix, 9781338540574, June 2021)

Reviewed by Candice Huber, Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

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