Mothballs is a powerful graphic novel about secret family histories, conflicts between generations, and forming one’s own identity despite societal expectations. Nineteen-year-old Rocio’s grandmother Vilma dies, and Rocio inherits her house. Rocio’s relationship with her grandmother was strained; Rocio’s interest in photography, as well as other things, angered Vilma. As Rocio considers her own future, … Continue reading Review: Mothballs, by Sole Otero (Fantagraphics)
Review: Anna, by Mia Oberländer, translated by Nika Knight (Fantagraphics)
Anna has a problem; she’s too tall for her small (and small-minded) German town. She receives little sympathy or support from her mother (also named Anna), who despairs at her daughter’s abnormality. Anna tries to navigate life towering above everyone else, tackling motherhood, and embracing her differences. Anna is a wonderfully charming and funny graphic … Continue reading Review: Anna, by Mia Oberländer, translated by Nika Knight (Fantagraphics)
Review: Tender, by Beth Hetland (Fantagraphics)
Oh man, this was a really tough read. Beth Hetland’s debut graphic novel is about the negative effects of social media, and how trying to “keep up” with societal expectations can prove to be our undoing. Carolann wants the kind of perfect life that she sees on Instagram. With no immediate romantic prospects, she engineers … Continue reading Review: Tender, by Beth Hetland (Fantagraphics)
More Reading Ramblings
Since my last update, I finished The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, and I absolutely loved it. It was genuinely terrifying; Kingfisher has a great line in creating incredibly disturbing images. My full review can be found on Goodreads, but to summarize, The Hollow Places is one of the scariest and funniest books I’ve ever read. … Continue reading More Reading Ramblings
Graphic Novel Reviews – February 2016
Soppy by Philippa Rice I spend far too much time on Buzzfeed, but one good thing about it is beneath all the lists about cats dressed as bees, or articles about failed 90s pop stars, they run some great features on upcoming illustrators. It was this article especially that introduced me to the beautiful work of … Continue reading Graphic Novel Reviews – February 2016
Graphic Novel Reviews – January 2016
The Pill Box - David Hughes Thank the lord for the Guardian, and their wide coverage of graphic novels. Without them, I probably wouldn't have heard of David Hughes' weird and unsettling seaside tale. The Pillbox contains interlinked two tales, based around a strange beach on east coast of England. The first is about Jack, … Continue reading Graphic Novel Reviews – January 2016
My Favorite Books of 2015
This post was originally posted on my other blog, She Went To California, on December 16th 2015. I’ve felt extremely fortunate for various reasons this year. Not only have I been granted the rare luxury of free time, I’m also lucky enough to live across the road from a ridiculously well-funded library. At the time … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2015
California Reading 