Lore Olympus

Lore Olympus, Vol. 1

by Rachel Smythe

Del Ray, 2021. Unpaged

Graphic Novel

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology.

Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she's allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place--and her own power.

I love Greek mythology and this modern retelling is so interesting! Persephone is fresh and new to the outside world (Olympus) and is eager and excited to take advantage of all it has to offer. Hades is handsome and brooding, just like Mr. Rochester or Mr. Darcy, so of course you fall in love with him right away. The artwork is gorgeous and I find I'm just gazing at the images until I get anxious and move on with the story. It's definitely dramatic and gritty (*language) but I'm invested enough to continue the series.

If you like Lore Olympus, you might also like:

Hera

by Jennifer Saint

Flatiron Books, 2024. 388 pages

Fantasy

Even the gods must have their queen. When the immortal goddess Hera and her brother Zeus overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see that Zeus is just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed. While Zeus ascends, Hera is relegated to the role of wife and mother, a role she never wanted. She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world? In this enthralling retelling, Greek mythology's most famous and maligned goddess finally tells her own story, as power, passion, and divine strength collide in the heart of Olympus.

Aphrodite

by Phoenicia Rogerson

Hanover Square Press, 2025. 470 pages

Fantasy

Aphrodite saw the gods on Mount Olympus and decided she wanted a piece of what they had. Only problem is, she's not a goddess, just a lowly being who's supposed to remain in a distant cave, keeping the threads of Fate woven neatly. But Aphrodite's never let anyone tell her what to do ... Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, she convinces everyone she's the goddess of love and that her rightful place is among the Olympians, who lord it over everyone else at the top of the world, but under the stifling rule of Zeus. For the first time, she has the best of everything, as well as friends, peers, even loved ones. Only, being a goddess isn't quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she's had enough.

I, Medusa

by Ayana Gray

Random House, 2025. 320 pages

Fantasy

Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else's story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents--both gods, albeit minor ones--she dreams of leaving her family's island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In Athens' colorful market streets and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena's favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, a drunken night between girl and god ends in violence, and the course of Meddy's promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. Her locs transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity--not as a victim, but as a vigilante--and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the cross currents between her heart's deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

Pigeons!

Pigeons!: A fable for our times
by Marc Chalvin
Street Noise Books, 2025. 191 pages. Graphic Novels

A contemporary political allegory of power, to remind us of the dangers of following a dictator and surrendering your freedom. Life is simple for the pigeons. They have no desire to contemplate their future or take control of it. Free from responsibility, they are all too willing to submit to a strong authority. This is precisely what a cruel and power-hungry crow was waiting for--a perfect opportunity to wield his natural talents as a tyrant. The crow enforces law and order, but also terror and arbitrary rules. Everyone seems to accept this situation--or maybe, they are too scared to resist. Until an idealistic seagull steps in determined to challenge the system through debate and free elections. 

The allegory is blunt, and the pigeons and their story are equal parts frustrating and comical. However, the illustrations and ruminations are still on point, and you might be feeling some kinship with a certain seagull by the very end. 

If you like Pigeons! : a fable for our times you might also like:

Birds of Maine
by Michael Deforge
Drawn & Quarterly, 2022. 459 pages. Graphic Novels

Long after the demise of humankind, birds roam freely around a new earth complete with fruitful trees, sophisticated fungal networks, and an enviable socialist order. The universal worm feeds all, there are no weekends, and economics is as fantastical a stud as unicorn psychology. No concept of money or wealth plagues the thoughts of these free-minded birds. Instead, there are angsty teens who form bands to show off their best bird song and other youngsters who yearn to become clothing designers even though clothes are only necessary during war. (The truly honorable professions for most birds are historian or librarian). These birds are free to crush on hot pelicans and live their best lives until a crash-laded human from the moon threatens to change everything. 

Maus: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman
Pantheon Books, 1997. 295 pages. Graphic Novels

Using animal figures to suggest the nature of the characters -- Nazis are cats, Jews are mice, Americans are dogs -- Spiegelman movingly portrays his parents' experiences and, my extension, the widespread horrors of the Nazi campaign to exterminate the Jews in Europe. 

RBL

The Last Time We Spoke

The Last Time We Spoke

By Jesse Mechanic

Street Noise Books, 2025. 146 pages. Graphic Novels

When he was a teenager, Jesse Mechanic's mother passed away after a long struggle with cancer. In this memoir, he looks back on that time, and on the ways that experience followed him throughout his life. Struggling with school while dealing with attentional problems and the overwhelming tsunami of grief, this book tells the story of Mechanics slow work to figure out a life for himself. It's about obsessive-compulsive disorder, intrusive thoughts, and depression. It's about what loss can teach us, and how trauma can be both debilitating and beautiful. It's about standing in dark rooms for long enough for your eyes to adjust. 

This is an emotionally vulnerable look into a life colored by loss. With beautiful illustrations and tender ruminations, this is recommended to all those who have experienced the death of a loved one, young or old.  

If you liked The Last Time We Spoke, you might also like:

Something, Not Nothing

By Sarah Leavitt

Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024. 141 pages. Graphic Novels

In April 2020, cartoonist Sarah Leavitt's partner of twenty-two years, Donimo, died with medical assistance after years of severe chronic pain and a rapid decline at the end of her life. About a month after Donimo's death, Sarah began making comics again as a way to deal with her profound sense of grief and loss.

Dancing at the Pity Party

By Tyler Feder

Dial Books, 2020. 201 pages. YA Comics 

Tyler Feder shares her story of her mother's first oncology appointment to facing reality as a motherless daughter in this frank and refreshingly funny graphic memoir.

RBL

Cry Out Loud

Cry Out Loud

By Tara O'Connor

Random House Graphic, 2025. 243 pages. YA Comics

Nobody understands Nell. Strongheaded, fiercely independent, and constantly furious, Nell just wants to be free to carve out her own path in life. And she doesn't care whether her mom or anyone else approves of her choices. But what Nell doesn't know is that her destiny was etched in stone generations ago. After getting suspended from school, Nell is forced to go live with an aunt and uncle whom she's never met before. Her sense of unease quickly evolves into terror when Nell discovers that she's been chosen as the latest victim in a perilous plot that spans centuries and has left countless bodies in its wake.

This is a fun YA horror graphic novel perfect for teens (and adults!) with just enough unease built in to satisfy. I particularly enjoyed the full color illustrations, and looking up how to pronounce the Irish names. A great read for spooky season and for those who enjoy coming of age and found family stories.  

If you liked Cry Out Loud, you might also like:

Creepy Cat

By Cotton Valent

Seven Seas Entertainment, 2021. 127 pages. YA Comics

Flora moves into a mysterious mansion and finds it inhabited by a strange creature-Creepy Cat! Thus begins her strange and sometimes dangerous life with a feline roommate. This gothic comedy brings the chuckles...and the chills.

Muted

By Miranda Mundt

Ten Speed Graphic, 2025. 313 pages. Graphic Novels

A summoning ritual gone awry kicks off a lush, witchy graphic novel series with joyful streaks of found family and sapphic romance.

RBL

Papaya Salad

Papaya Salad

By Elisa Macellari
Dark House Books, 2020. 223 pages. Graphic Novel Biography.

The debut graphic novel from Thai-Italian illustrator Elisa Macellari, Papaya Salad tells the story of her great-uncle Sompong who found himself in Europe on military scholarship on the eve of World War II. A gentle and resolute man in love with books and languages, in search of his place in the world, Sompong chronicles his life during the war and falling for his wife, finding humor and joy even as the world changes irrevocably around him.

Summer Reading just ended but don't worry, the library has more challenges for you. One of them is A Year of Reading, where we challenge you to read 12 books from different categories.  This is a great way to expand your reading horizons, win prizes, and make the librarians proud of you.  This is the book I read to fulfill the Biography category.  I tend to leave my nonfiction books unfinished and biographies are often long and extra daunting.  So I went slightly unconventional and chose a graphic novel (yes, it still counts).  The other trick when reading outside your comfort zone is to make sure that there is something that really interests you about the book. For example, if you usually read fast-paced mysteries, maybe you can try one of our true crime books in the 364s. In this case I really loved the art style, a good color theme will always hook me. So even when I began to think there wasn't enough dragons in this story I was still willing to continue.  If you are also looking for a biography to read this was a great one!  The author takes us through some major world events through the lens of an ordinary man who very quickly found a place in my heart.  World War II buffs especially will enjoy this unique perspective on the time period. 

If you like Papaya Salad, you might also like: 

The Photographer of Mauthausen

By Salva Rubio

Dead Reckoning, 2020. Unpaged. Graphic Novel, Nonfiction.

This is a dramatic retelling of true events in the life of Francisco Boix, a Spanish press photographer and communist who fled to France at the beginning of World War II. Through an odd turn of events, Boix finds himself the confidant of an SS officer who is documenting prisoner deaths at the camp. Boix realizes that he has a chance to prove Nazi war crimes by stealing the negatives of these perverse photos--but only at the risk of his own life, that of a young Spanish boy he has sworn to protect, and, indeed, that of every prisoner in the camp.

Swansong 1945

By Walter Kempowski

W.W. Norton & Company, 2015. 479 pages. Nonfiction.

Swansong 1945 chronicles the end of Nazi Germany and World War II in Europe through hundreds of letters, diaries, and autobiographical accounts covering four days that fateful spring: Hitler's birthday on April 20, American and Soviet troops meeting at the Elbe on April 25, Hitler's suicide on April 30, and finally the German surrender on May 8. Side by side, we encounter vivid, first-person accounts of civilians fleeing Berlin, ordinary German soldiers determined to fight to the bitter end, American POWs dreaming of home, concentration-camp survivors' first descriptions of their horrific experiences, as well as the intimate thoughts of figures such as Eisenhower, Churchill, Stalin, Joseph Goebbels, and Hitler himself. These firsthand accounts, painstakingly collected and organized by renowned German author Walter Kempowski, provide the raw material of history and present a panoramic view of those tumultuous days. The more than 1,000 extracts include a British soldier writing to his parents to tell them there are no baths but plenty of eggs and chocolate, an American soldier describing "the tremendous burst of lilacs" as he approaches the Elbe, Mussolini wishing Hitler a happy birthday, Eva Braun bragging to a girlfriend about what a "crack shot" she's become, and much more. An extraordinary account of suffering and survival, Swansong 1945 brings to life the end of Nazi Germany and the war in Europe.

Audrey Hepburn

By Michelle Botton
NBM Graphic Novels, 2024. 175 pages. Graphic Novel, Biography.

When Audrey Hepburn is mentioned, one thinks of her being beautiful and elegant, of her films, or of how her image is used to recall something immortal and fashionable. But Audrey was also a little girl who saw the Second World War with her own eyes, a woman who was at times fragile at work and in her private life, with a strong desire for motherhood and, above all, a boundless love for children that would lead her to find her true vocation, far from dancing or acting: she will in fact become a UNICEF ambassador to raise awareness in the world and help minors in difficulty.

KJ

Ephemera: A Memoir

Ephemera: A Memoir
By Briana Loewinsohn
Fantagraphics Books, 2023. 189 pages. Biography/Memoir

Ephemera is a poetic and dreamlike take on a graphic memoir that follows a grown woman's recollection of her early childhood memories and the gossamer existence of her mother. Set in a garden, forest, and greenhouse, it illustrates the story of a daughter trying to relate to a parent who struggles with mental illness. With careful dips forward and back in time, we are guided through the weeds alongside the narrator, adressing quiet themes of isolation, growth, confusion, acceptance, and the fog of childhood. It is an aching, medetative twist on the autobiography, infusing a typically tell-all and straightforward genre with an account laced instead with an ethereal fusion of memory and imagination. 

At times, this memoir felt much less like an autobiography and more like poetry and meditation woven into illustration. Details are sparse in some aspects, but incredibly deep and rich in others, making for a fascinating contrast of focus. For example, while we see the author's brother from time to time in her memories, we are never able to learn his name. Yet no less than a half dozen plants are identified by scientific classification, the author explaining that she learned all of these details and how to care for each plant from her mother. Their relationship is explored in this extended metaphor, describing how poor soil and infrequent water made it difficult for a true mother-daughter bond to flourish between them. And yet a longing remains, the author feeling that if she can just take care of the plants that her mother loved, she could come to know the woman she saw so infrequently in her youth. It is a heartbreaking tale well aware of it's own tragedy that nonetheless clings to a defiant fragment of hope. A beautiful understanding that while some things can be nursed and watered and encouraged into growth, others are simply made to wither, existing for a short time before they fade away. Or in other words, exist as something ephemeral.

If you like Ephemera: A Memoir, you might also like:

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened By Allie Brosh Simon & Shuster, 2013. 369 pages. Biography/ Memoir

Autobiographical, illustrated essays and cartoons from the author's popular blog that humorously and candidly deals with her own idiosyncrasies and battles with depression.

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth : an Auto-bio-graphic-novel

By Zoe Thorogood

Image Comics, 2023. 192 pages. Biography/ Memoir

Zoe Thorogood records six months of her own life as it falls apart in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how. An intimate and meta-narrative look into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival through the ups and downs of anxiety, depression, and imposter syndrome as she forges a promising career in sequential art and finds herself along the way.

Impossible People : a Completely Average Recovery Story

By Julia Wertz

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2023. 320 pages. Biography/ Memoir

Celebrated cartoonist Julia Wertz chronicles her haphazard attempts at sobriety and the relentlessly challenging, surprisingly funny, and occasionally absurd cycle of addiction and recovery.

It Rhymes With Takei

It Rhymes With Takei

By George Takei

Top Shelf Productions, 2025. 332 pages. Graphic Novels Biography/Memoir

In a moving, emotional graphic memoir, the Star Trek actor, activist and social media star shares his personal journey from a closeted youth in the 1950s to coming out at 68, revealing how love, fear and activism shaped his identity.

A candid story told beautifully through words and art.  Recommended for those interested in this famous actor and activist, or simply in reading more books by members of the LGBTQIA+ community about their lived experiences.  

If you liked It Rhymes With Takei, you might also like: 

The Color of Always
By Brent Fisher
A Wave Blue World, 2023. 138 pages. Graphic Novels Nonfiction

The flutter of first dates, the thrill of a text-back, the heart-stopping seconds before coming out, and the rush when finally discovering who you truly are--all of these life-changing moments across the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experience are ready to explore in this bright and inspiring comics anthology! The Color of Always is a collection of personal stories, testimonies, heirlooms, evocations, and evangelisms for queer creators and readers that celebrates feeling good about who you are, and coming into your own at last.

Gaythiest:Coming out of my Orthodox Childhood

By Lonnie Mann

Street Noise Books, 2024. 256 pages. Graphic Novels Biography/Memoir

A coming-of-age graphic novel memoir about a young man who, growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community, realizes he's gay and struggles to reconcile his faith with who he is.

RBL

Teen Titans: Starfire

Teen Titans: Starfire

By Kami Garcia

DC Comics, 2024. 196 pages. Young Adult Comic.

When Kori Anderson, who has a connective tissue disorder, and her popular older sister, Kira, participate in a pharmaceutical company's clinical trial, she begins to discover strange powers and hopes to discover the truth about these abilities--and her sister's boyfriend.

A Teen Titans origin story, this book is the fifth in the Teen Titans series by Kami Garcia.  I was able to read and enjoy this book even though I haven't read the first four, so if Starfire is your girl and you're meh about the other Teen Titans, you can read just this one! (Although, if you like the story as much as I did, you'll probably want to read the rest of them before Teen Titans: Together releases in November of this year). The relationship between Kori and Kira was explored well, and the rest of the Teen Titans coming in near the end was a great addition the story.  Another inclusive addition to the DC comics universe!  

If you liked Teen Titans: Starfire, you may also like:

I Am Not Starfire

By Mariko Tamaki

DC Comics, 2021. 166 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Seventeen-year-old Mandy, who dyes her hair black and hates almost everyone, is not like her mother, the tall, sparkly alien superhero Starfire, so when someone from Starfire's past arrives, Mandy must make a choice about who she is and what she should risk to save her mom.

The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley

By Melissa Marr

DC Comics, 2024. 171 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Harleen Quinzel is many things, a gymnast, anxious, broke... but the last thing anyone would call her is evil. Harley Quinn on the other hand... When Harleen signs up to participate in a clinical research trial with her girlfriend, Pamela, the most she can hope for is extra cash in her wallet and a chance to get her anxiety under control. But what she gets instead are increasingly larger gaps in her memory and stolen mementos from some guy named Jack she's never met. Soon, Harleen discovers she's sharing her life with Harley - a take-no-prisoners, who-cares-about attendance, maybe-we-oughtta-save-the-bunnies kind of girl. She is the opposite of Harleen in many ways. She is anarchy in a cute dress. And although she's throwing Harleen's life completely off track, maybe she ain't so bad either...

ERB

Hover Girls

HoverGirls
By Geneva Bowers
Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2024. 234 pages. Young Adult Comic

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers to stop them is the perfect way for them to become famous. But being heroes isn't as easy as it seems--and Los Aquaceros is in more danger than they imagine.

Fashion designer Kim and moody, troubled-kid Jalissa are trying to make it on their own in a beachside city that reads like an alternate universe Los Angeles. when an experience by the ocean gives them powers in a Spiderman-esque experience, they learn the importance of moving on from the past, communicating with each other, and being brave. Rather fast-paced with cute, full-color illustrated panels, this bubbly superhero story doesn't give you much to chew on, but is a fun, quick read!

If you liked HoverGirls, you may also like:

The History of Everything
By Victoria Evans
HarperAlley, 2025. 231 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Daisy and Agnes have always had each other. And that's all they've ever needed--or wanted, at least. So when Agnes's mom drops the bombshell that she and Agnes are moving at the end of the summer, the girls are crushed. All seems lost until the pair unearth "The History of Everything," an old friendship scrapbook with the ultimate bucket list to make their last summer together unforgettable. But when Daisy starts dating a charming drummer, her social calendar suddenly has less room for her best friend. Insecurities bubble to the surface, and Daisy and Agnes begin to question if their friendship is meant to last the summer, much less forever.

Greater Secrets
By Ananth Hirsh
RH Graphic, 2024. 211 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
A long time ago, Maya's family was given the ability to see a mysterious pillar of light in the distance, but when her sister leaves to follow her light she goes missing--and Maya soon finds herself on a surreal road trip with two people she barely knows, headed towards a ghost town where her sister was last seen.

Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story
By Nicole Maines
DC Comics, 2024. 205 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
When Nia, a trans girl, has visions of the future, she suppresses her powers in order to protect her relationship with her sister and moves to Metropolis, where, guided by her dreams, she begins to understand her abilities and is given a choice: accept her new responsibility as a Seer or give it all up for a chance at normalcy.

ERB

Strange Bedfellows

Strange Bedfellows
By Ariel Slamet Ries
HarperAlley, 2025. 275 pages. Young Adult Comic.

In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at utopia: Meridian, a remote alien planet where you're more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed. None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control--from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world. Oberon's newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers. Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon's life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own--dangerous ones. Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams--even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with--the only way to find happiness in reality?

The title and cover of this book made me wonder if I would like this book, but I absolutely fell in love with it!  Easily my favorite graphic novel that I've read this year, Strange Bedfellows has diverse, lifelike characters, a plot that keeps the pages turning, and stunning, full-color artwork.  My first instinct after reading this was to recommend it to everyone I know!  If you like friends-to-lovers stories, science fiction, or superheroes, definitely give this one a look!  It's well-written and well-worth the reader's time.

If you liked Strange Bedfellows, you may also like:

Dreamover
By Dani Diaz
Top Shelf Productions, 2025. 308 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Amber's a headstrong goofball with a temper. Nico's a shy, self-conscious emo boy. But they've been best friends since third grade, and she can't hide her feelings for him any longer. At the end of their eighth-grade beach trip, she confesses... and the feeling is mutual! Thus begins a glorious, blissful summer of first love. But once high school starts, life gets more complicated. Faced with early mornings, bullies, homework, and other stresses, Amber and Nico cling to each other, neglecting their friends. Soon, Amber starts to wish she and Nico could escape from it all. One night, as they fall asleep playing video games, Amber gets her wish...

Every Day: The Graphic Novel
By David Levithan
Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 198 pages. Young Adult Comic.

A graphic novel adaptation of the groundbreaking, beloved New York Times' bestselling novel about a teen who wakes up in a different body each day and the love that eludes them. Every morning A wakes in a different person's body, in a different person's life, learning over the years to never get too attached, until he wakes up in the body of Justin and falls in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone they want to be with--day in, day out, day after day. But can Rhiannon love someone who is destined to change every day? 

ERB

How to Baby

How to baby : a no-advice-given guide to motherhood
by Liana Finck
New York: The Dial Press, 2024. 254 pages. Biography

How do you know if you're ready to have a baby? How do you know if you might be pregnant? And how do you deal with peeing all the time and being hungry all the time and fielding well-meaning but kind of insulting advice and finding a doula and being dropped by your old friends and learning why it's called mom brain and not dad brain and spending half your life on hold with your insurance company and the tyranny of the milestones you're not meeting and negotiating boundaries with in-laws and realizing that your heart now exists outside of your chest and in the body of this tiny little being whose entire existence depends on the quality of your care? To tackle these questions and many others, award-winning cartoonist and memoirist Liana Finck began illustrating her early years of motherhood, sharing her joys, fears, and insecurities with her many fans.

If you're weary of picture-perfect parenting guides that offer step-by-step instructions on what to do, How to Baby by Laura Finck is the book for you! It presents pregnancy and parenthood in their raw, unfiltered reality—highlighting the struggles and challenges that are often glossed over. Finck shares her personal journey, and while it may not mirror your own, it offers a sense of solidarity for anyone facing the ups and downs of parenthood. While some might interpret this book as a collection of complaints, I view it as a candid reflection of the shared human experience. It's a reminder that you're not alone in this journey.

If you liked How to Baby, you might also like: 

Proxy Mom: my experience with postpartum depression
by Sophie Adriansen
New York : NBM Graphic Novels, 2024. 144 pages. Graphic Novel

Marietta and Chuck, madly in love, are expecting a baby. But childbirth marks the end of the fairy tale. Zoe's birth didn't go as Marietta imagined, and the maternal instinct is slow to manifest itself. While she no longer recognizes her body, Marietta feels herself losing her footing in the face of this vulnerable baby for whom she is now responsible. Will she manage to feel like a mother? To love her baby? To stop thinking that a proxy mom would do better than her? A humorful but realist viewpoint on a problem experienced by a significant number of new mothers, with an insight on how to overcome it.

Kid gloves: nine months of careful chaos
by Lucy Knisley
New York: First Second, 2019. 247 pages. Graphic Novel

If you work hard enough, if you want it enough, if you're smart and talented and "good enough," you can do anything. Except get pregnant. Her whole life, Lucy Knisley wanted to be a mother. But when it was finally the perfect time, conceiving turned out to be harder than anything she'd ever attempted. Fertility problems were followed by miscarriages, and her eventual successful pregnancy plagued by health issues, up to a dramatic, near-death experience during labor and delivery. This moving, hilarious, and surprisingly informative memoir not only follows Lucy's personal transition into motherhood but also illustrates the history and science of reproductive health from all angles, including curious facts and inspiring (and notorious) figures in medicine and midwifery. Whether you've got kids, want them, or want nothing to do with them, there's something in this graphic memoir to open your mind and heart.

Go to sleep (I miss you): cartoons from the fog of new parenthood
by Lucy Knisley
New York: First Second, 2020. 177 pages. Graphic Novel

Lucy Knisley is one of the great memoirists of the graphic novel format. Following the completion of her pregnancy memoir Kid Gloves (and the birth of her baby), Lucy embarked on a new project: documenting new motherhood in short, spontaneous little cartoons, which she posted on her Instagram, and which quickly gained her a huge cult following among other moms.

BWW