Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos and Me by Lorina Mapa

Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos and Me
by Lorina Mapa

Published: 2017
Publisher: Conundrum Press
Paperback: 140
Rating: 4
Memoir, Graphic Novel, Filipino | Goodreads

When she learns of her beloved father's fatal car accident, Lorina Mapa flies to Manila to attend his funeral. Weaving the past with the present, Mapa entertains with stories about religion, pop culture, adolescence, and social class, including her experiences of the 1986 People Power Revolution which made headlines around the world. It is a love letter to her parents, family, friends, country of birth, and in the end, perhaps even to herself.

Peekabook:

My two-bits:

Loved finding favorites in the author's pop references. Also, liked learning about what went down in the PI during the 80s.

~*~
* part of Filipino Reading Challenge (here)

Mary by Brea Grant

Mary
The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter
by Brea Grant
illustrated by Yishan Li

Published: 2020
Publisher: Six Foot Press
Paperback: 144
Rating: 4
Paranormal, YA, Graphic Novel, Ghosts | Goodreads

Angsty teenager Mary Shelley is not interested in carrying on her family’s celebrated legacy of being a great writer, but she soon discovers that she has the not-so-celebrated (and super-secret) Shelley power to heal monsters, just like her famous ancestor, and those monsters are not going to let her ignore her true calling anytime soon.

The Shelley family history is filled with great writers: the original Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, the acclaimed mystery writer Tawny Shelley, cookbook maven Phyllis Shelley… the list goes on and on. But this Mary Shelley, named after her great-great-great-great-great grandmother, doesn’t want anything to do with that legacy. Then a strangely pale (and really cute) boy named Adam shows up and asks her to heal a wound he got under mysterious circumstances, and Mary learns something new about her family: the first Mary Shelley had the power to heal monsters, and Mary has it, too. Now the monsters won’t stop showing up, Mary can’t get her mother Tawny to leave her alone about writing something (anything!), she can’t tell her best friend Rhonda any of this, and all Mary wants is to pass biology.

Peekabook:

My two-bits:

Cute horror with a coming-of-age nudge in an unusual way.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher
* part of Fraterfest (here)

Happy release: Mary by Brea Grant

Mary
The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter
by Brea Grant
illustrated by Yishan Li
Paranormal, YA, Graphic Novel, Ghosts | Goodreads
Release date: October 6, 2020

Angsty teenager Mary Shelley is not interested in carrying on her family’s celebrated legacy of being a great writer, but she soon discovers that she has the not-so-celebrated (and super-secret) Shelley power to heal monsters, just like her famous ancestor, and those monsters are not going to let her ignore her true calling anytime soon.

The Shelley family history is filled with great writers: the original Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, the acclaimed mystery writer Tawny Shelley, cookbook maven Phyllis Shelley…the list goes on and on. But this Mary Shelley, named after her great-great-great-great-great grandmother, doesn’t want anything to do with that legacy. Th2020en a strangely pale (and really cute) boy named Adam shows up and asks her to heal a wound he got under mysterious circumstances, and Mary learns something new about her family: the first Mary Shelley had the power to heal monsters, and Mary has it, too. Now the monsters won’t stop showing up, Mary can’t get her mother Tawny to leave her alone about writing something (anything!), she can’t tell her best friend Rhonda any of this, and all Mary wants is to pass biology.

I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib

I Was Their American Dream
by Malaka Gharib

Published: 2019
Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers
Paperback: 160
Rating: 4
Graphic Novel, Memoir, Egyptian Filipino | Goodreads

First sentence(s):
When I was growing up, my mom would always say: You have to be better than us.

One part Mari Andrew, one part Marjane Satrapi, I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir is a triumphant tale of self-discovery, a celebration of a family's rich heritage, and a love letter to American immigrant freedom. Malaka Gharib's illustrations come alive with teenage antics and earnest questions about identity and culture, while providing thoughtful insight into the lives of modern immigrants and the generation of millennial children they raised.

Malaka's upbringing will look familiar to anyone who grew up in the pre-internet era, but her particular story is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream.

The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigates her childhood chasing her parents' ideals, learning to code-switch between her family's Filipino and Egyptian customs, adapting to white culture to fit in, crushing on skater boys, and trying to understand the tension between holding onto cultural values and trying to be an all-American kid.

Peekabook:

My two-bits:

Fun way to get perspectives of the American dream and growing up as an Asian American.

~*~
* part of October Filipino American History Month

* part of Filipino Reading Challenge (here)

Shiver: Selected Stories by Junji Itō

Shiver:
Selected Stories by Junji Itō
translated by Jocelyn Allen, Naomi Kokubo
edited by Masumi Washington

Published: 2017
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Genre: Short Stories, Horror, Graphic Novel, Japan
Hardback: 392
Rating: 5
Goodreads

A best-of story selection by the master of horror manga.

This volume includes nine of Junji Ito’s best short stories, as selected by the author himself and presented with accompanying notes and commentary. An arm peppered with tiny holes dangles from a sick girl’s window… After an idol hangs herself, balloons bearing faces appear in the sky, some even featuring your own face… An amateur film crew hires an extremely individualistic fashion model and faces a real bloody ending… An offering of nine fresh nightmares for the delight of horror fans.

1. Used Record or Second-Hand Record (from House of the Marionettes, Ayatsuri no Yashiki)
a story about people fighting over the ownership of a record that has a singer's singing as they died recorded on it.

2. Shiver (from Slug Girl, Namekuji no Shoujo)
a story about a cursed jade stone that causes holes to open up all over a person's body if they're around it.

3. Fashion Model (from Souichi's Diary of Curses, Sōichi no Noroi no Nikki)
a story about an oddly ominous fashion model.

4. Hanging Balloons (from The Face Burglar, Kao Dorobou)
a story about balloon headed dopplegangers out to hunt their counterparts the moment they go outside.

5. Marionette Mansion (from House of the Marionettes, Ayatsuri no Yashiki)
a story about a family who rather than deciding what they do or how they live, they instead hire puppeteers to control their actions via strings from the attic of their home.

6. Painter (from Tomie)
a story about a strange but beautiful woman named Tomie who wishes for an artist to accurately capture her beauty, and all the misfortune that happens as a result...

7. The Long Dream (from The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel, Ton'neru kitan)
a story about a man who claims that the length of his dreams are becoming longer and longer and about how he begins to change as his dreams extend farther and farther.

8. Honored Ancestors (from The Face Burglar, Kao Dorobou)
a story about an amnesiac girl and the encounter that caused her to lose her memories and about carrying on the family line. At all costs.

9. Greased (from Voices in the Dark, Yami no Koe
a story about oil and grease.

10. Fashion Model: Cursed Frame (bonus story)
a bit more of story #3, Fashion Model

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

PERFECTLY creepy and twisted to give the shivers, indeed. Loved the notes and commentary after each story.

~*~
* monthly theme: True Crime, Hunger, Horror, Harassment

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Bloom
by Kevin Panetta
illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2019
Publisher: First Second
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, YA, Romance
Hardback: 368
Rating: 5

Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band―if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom . . . that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything.

Writer Kevin Panetta and artist Savanna Ganucheau concoct a delicious recipe of intricately illustrated baking scenes and blushing young love, in which the choices we make can have terrible consequences, but the people who love us can help us grow.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Done in a blue tinge, this is a lovely mashup of first love and baking.

~*~
* part of the Blog All About It Challenge: Bloom (here)

Happy Horror Release: Haunted House

Infidel
by Pornsak Pichetshote
Aaron Campbell, José Villarrubia
-Horror, Ghosts, Graphic Novel
Release date: October 2, 2018
Amazon | Goodreads
A haunted house story for the 21st century, INFIDEL follows an American Muslim woman and her multi-racial neighbors who move into a building haunted by entities that feed off xenophobia.

Law of the Desert Born by Louis L'Amour

Law of the Desert Born
by Louis L'Amour
Charles Santino, Beau L'Amour, Katherine Nolan, Thomas Yeates

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Published: 2013
Publisher: Bantam
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, Western
Hardback: 160
Rating: 5

The first graphic novel adaptation of the work of master storyteller Louis L’Amour is a dynamic tale of the Old West that explores the borderlands of loyalty and betrayal with the emotional grittiness of a noir thriller.

New Mexico, 1887, a land in the midst of the worst drought anyone can remember. Family histories and loyalties run deep, but when rancher Tom Forrester has his access to the Pecos River cut off by the son of his old partner, he convinces his foreman, Shad Marone, to pay Jud Bowman back for the discourtesy. Yet what starts as a simple act of petty revenge quickly spirals into a cycle of violence that no one can control.

Now Marone is on the run, pursued by a sheriff’s posse across a rugged desert landscape. Leading the chase is Jesus Lopez, a half-Mexican, half-Apache with a personal stake in bringing Shad to justice. Newly released from jail, trusted by no one, Lopez swears he’s the only man who can track Marone down. That may be true. But who will live and who will die and what price will be paid in suffering are open questions. Fate and the Jornada del Muerto desert possess a harsh justice that is all their own.

With a propulsive script from Beau L’Amour and Kathy Nolan, adapted by Charles Santino and illustrated in bold black-and-white by Thomas Yeates, Law of the Desert Born captures the dust and blood of Louis L’Amour’s West—a world where the difference between a hero and a villain can be as wide as the gap between an act of kindness or brutality or as narrow as a misspoken word.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

A little bit of everything old western style in this novella turned graphic novel. I loved the artwork with its charcoal sketch vibe.

~*~
* part of the Blog All About It Challenge: Escape (here)

Miss Don't Touch Me by Hubert Boulard

Miss Don't Touch Me, Vol. 1
(Miss Pas Touche #1-2)
by Hubert Boulard
illustrated by Kerascoët
translated by Joe Johnson

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2008
Publisher: NBM Publishing, Inc.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, France, Paris
Paperback: 96
Rating: 5

Miss Pas Touche series:
Miss Pas Touche #1-2
Miss Pas Touche #3-4

First sentence(s):
"I don't like it when Agatha goes out and night and leaves me all alone."

Paris in the thirties. The Butcher of the Dances is on the prowl for young loose women. Blanche works as a maid along with the only family she knows, her sister, fun-loving Agatha. Suddenly, Blanche loses her to what she saw was murder but others only write off as suicide. She decides to take matters into her own hands. In her pursuit, she ends up hired into a luxury house of call-girls. She even becomes quite good at certain lascivious practices while still remaining a virgin! But she also doesn t lose sight of her goal: find the Butcher. A suspenseful spicy tale as only the French could so lightly get away with, yet deceptive in its depth and realism. By the artist of Dungeon Early Years.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

This colorful graphic novel is a dark one in regards to murder and shady business in Paris of the 30's. It is an interesting take on an unusual heroine-in-the-making.

~*~

Miss Don't Touch Me, Vol. 2
(Miss Pas Touche #3-4)
by Hubert Boulard
illustrated by Kerascoët

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2010
Publisher: NBM Publishing, Inc.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, France, Paris
Paperback: 96
Rating: 5

Miss Pas Touche series:
Miss Pas Touche #1-2
Miss Pas Touche #3-4

Blanche tries to leave the Pompadour, the high class house of call-girls, but their hooks are in deep. Nevertheless she encounters what could be her ticket out: a very handsome and very respectful young rich man, Antoine. She also reunites with her long-lost mother. It all seems rather idyllic but Antoine may be a little too respectful and how come her mother suddenly reappears?

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

The story of Blanche continues with whoas that continue to befall the heroine who remains true to herself.


~*~
* part of Paris in July (here)

Cruising Through the Louvre by David Prudhomme

Cruising Through the Louvre
by David Prudhomme

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2016
Publisher: NBM Publishing
Genre: Graphic Novel, Art, France, Paris
Hardback: 80
Rating: 4

Louvre Collection series::
The Cross-Eyed Mutt
On The Odd Hours
Sky Over The Louvre
The Museum Vaults
Cruising Through The Louvre
Rohan At The Louvre
Glacial Period
Guardians Of The Louvre

An artist’s unique take on the museum experience: peoplewatching

Author and artist David Prudhomme meanders through the Louvre, feeling as if in the panels of a giant comic while he himself is creating his own is this graphic novel. In this institution, all manner of people from all over the world rub elbows quietly. So Prudhomme decides to cruise through the museum, not to look at the world famous art, but to observe the people and their interaction with it. As he wanders, he discovers a group of students somehow stuck together just as in the shipwreck on the Raft of the Medusa; a man standing behind the Seated Scribe, as if attempting to read over his shoulder; and in the hall of antiquities, a woman placing her head in a lion’s mouth. This work presents readers a strange, silent, and casual choreography, danced in the midst of one of the most prestigious museums in the world.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Mostly views of people looking at art. Along with famous art pieces scattered throughout the book, prodigious amounts of cell phones - seems like one per page.

~*~
* part of Paris in July (here)

I Am A Hero, Omnibus 4 and 5 by Kengo Hanazawa

I Am A Hero
Omnibus, Volume 4
by Kengo Hanazawa

Amazon
Goodreads

Published: 2017
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Genre: Graphic Novel, Zombies, Japan
Paperback: 480
Rating: 5

series:
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 1
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 2
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 3
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 4
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 5
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 6
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 7

My two-bits:

Our heroes end up meeting their first set of survivors who have been living on the rooftop of a mall. Hideo is tested by the group and his shotgun starts to get more action.


~*~

I Am A Hero
Omnibus, Volume 5
by Kengo Hanazawa

Amazon
Goodreads

Published: January 2018
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Genre: Graphic Novel, Zombies, Japan
Paperback: 432
Rating: 4

My two-bits:

The heroes decide to break away from the mall rates and go on a road trip.

This omnibus includes stories from other survivors one of which is in Taiwan. While it gives a sense of what is going on elsewhere, I prefer sticking with the Hideo and his group with brief inserts of other world happenings.

~*~
* part of World Reads challenge - Japan pt 2 (here)

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story
by Marie Kondo
illustrated by Yuko Uramoto

Find out more about this book and author:
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BookExcerpt
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Published: 2017
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Genre: Graphic Novel, Japan
Paperback: 192
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
You really want to tidy up, but you don't believe you can. If this describes you, don't worry. You, too, can be just like Chiaki in this story.

Marie Kondo presents the fictional story of Chiaki, a young woman in Tokyo who struggles with a cluttered apartment, messy love life, and lack of direction. After receiving a complaint from her attractive next-door neighbor about the sad state of her balcony, Chiaki gets Kondo to take her on as a client. Through a series of entertaining and insightful lessons, Kondo helps Chiaki get her home--and life--in order. This insightful, illustrated case study is perfect for people looking for a fun introduction to the KonMari Method of tidying up, as well as tried-and-true fans of Marie Kondo eager for a new way to think about what sparks joy.

My two-bits:

This is just as helpful as the book this manga was based on, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. The added illustrations make the process easy to follow. FYI there are videos online as well for visual instructions.

And a cute romance is added to this art of organizing to make this a fun read.

~*~
* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Dark Tales: The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft

Dark Tales:
The Call of Cthulhu
by H. P. Lovecraft,
illustrated by Dave Shephard

Find out more about this book and author:
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Just released: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Canterbury Classics
Genre: Horror, Graphic Novel
Paperback: 128
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
February 28, 1925, Providence, Rhode Island, sculptor Henry Wilcox sleeps fitfully and dreams of strange, monstrous forms...

In this Dark Tale, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming...

H.P. Lovecraft’s story of supernatural monsters deep in the Pacific, told in graphic novel format, will keep you on the edge of your seat. More than 100 pages of illustrated horror and adventure await! Henry Wilcox can’t ignore his dreams of an enormous green monster calling to him from an underwater alien city. He seeks the help of Professor Angell, who dies suddenly, leaving a box of research on the subject for his nephew, Francis. Francis seeks answers about his uncle’s death, and in the process uncovers evidence of a cult waiting for the Great Old Ones to return.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

CTHULHU struck me as a weird and mysterious name. I wondered what and why it is referenced in the scifi genre. This graphic novel is a great way to be introduced to the Cthulhu phenomenon. I am now more curious to read the original story.

The introduction gives some insight on the background and inspiration of H.P. Lovecraft's story.

The illustrations are spot on to get the vibe of the time periods in the story.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 3 by Kengo Hanazawa

I Am A Hero
Omnibus, Volume 3
by Kengo Hanazawa

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2017
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Genre: Graphic Novel, Zombies, Japan
Paperback: 512
Rating: 5

series:
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 1
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 2
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 3
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 4
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 5
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 6
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 7

First sentence(s):
...that was from the ministry of health labor and welfare, and now, if everyone watching could please listen carefully...

Hideo and his new ward, young Hiromi, head out of the desolate forest they've been hiding in, hoping to find refuge at a local shrine. Once there, however, they soon realize that populated areas are just as dangerous as the haunted woods they've left! A new ally may help them find a safe place to hole up again--but one quick, deadly bite could threaten all of their lives! Collecting two of the original Japanese volumes into each Dark Horse edition, this value-priced excursion into the world's weirdest zombie apocalypse is not to be missed!

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Got some baby zombies and swimming zombies as the duo travels to the fifth station of Mt. Fuji. They gain an addition to their group.

Starting to get into types of survivalists.

Interesting definitions for "hero" are presented that cause for pause.

~*~
* part of May zombie month (here)

* part of World Reads challenge - Japan pt 2 (here)

Just So Happens by Fumio Obata

Just So Happens
by Fumio Obata

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Published: 2015
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Genre: Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Japan
Paperback: 160
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
How long have I been here?

Yumiko was born in Japan but has made a life in London, losing herself in its cosmopolitan bustle. She has a gallery show of her art, a good job, and a good guy she plans to marry. The culture she grew up in seems very far away—until her brother phones with the news that their father has died. Yumiko returns to Tokyo and finds herself immersed in the rituals of death while also plunged into the rituals of life—fish bars, bullet trains, pagodas—as she confronts the question of where her future really lies. Just So Happens deals both gently and powerfully with grief, identity, and the pressure not to disappoint one’s parents, even after they’re gone, in a look at the relationships that build the foundation of our lives.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

This contemporary novel follows the protagonist with experiences of a young adult from London to Japan.

Loved the intro to Noh theatre and some of the Japanese funeral custom.

Fun trivia:

Fumio's artwork made an appearance at a Duran Duran concert - Careless Memories (Live in London) - quite bloody ;-)



~*~
* part of World Reads challenge - Japan pt 2 (here)

I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 2 by Kengo Hanazawa

I Am A Hero
Omnibus, Volume 2
by Kengo Hanazawa

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2016
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Genre: Graphic Novel, Zombies, Japan
Paperback: 512
Rating: 4

series:
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 1
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 2
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 3
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 4
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 5
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 6
I Am A Hero, Omnibus, Volume 7

First sentence(s):
Is that guy in the suit bleeding?

Collecting two of the original Japanese volumes into each Dark Horse edition, this value-priced excursion into the world's weirdest zombie apocalypse is not to be missed! Having escaped being eaten by his zombie girlfriend and torn apart by his infected co-workers, Hideo Suzuki continues to head away from civilization and the bloodthirsty hordes taking over Japan. In a "suicide forest" that winds up being just as dangerous as the city, Hideo finds a young girl who needs help and who could also help him more than he realizes! The zombie apocalypse has never been more surreal! Collects the original Japanese I Am a Hero Japanese volumes 3 and 4.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

This collection continues the slow becoming of a hero of this hero with travel on a train (and zombies) that ends up at the suicide forest aka Sea of Trees near Mt. Fuji.

A young female character is introduced who becomes a sidekick on this zombie adventure.

~*~
* part of World Reads challenge - Japan pt 2 (here)

Lulu Anew by Étienne Davodeau

Lulu Anew
by Étienne Davodeau

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Published: 2015
Publisher: NBM Publishing
Genre: Literary, Women's Fiction, Graphic Novel
Hardback: 160
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
I can only tell you what I know about Lulu.

At the end of yet another unproductive job interview, Lulu, on a whim, takes off for the shore just to get away from it all. She’s got a husband and kids left bewildered but it’s nothing against them. This is just her time, getting away from the grind and with no other plan than savoring it. Surprised at her own temerity, she meets other people on the edge of the world. It wasn’t meant to be for long. It wasn’t meant to be anything but in the end thrilling, fun, and possibly dangerous, this improvised experience will make of Lulu a different woman.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

LOVE how the premise of the story grabbed me which holds true from the first page of the story to the end.

The story is told through different perspectives other than directly from the main character, Lulu, which was refreshing and different than the norm.

Interesting twists and turns along the way for Lulu with support and care from friends.

My Brother's Husband: Volume One by Gengoroh Tagame

My Brother's Husband
Volume One
by Gengoroh Tagame
translated by Anne Ishii

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Published: 2017
Publisher: Pantheon
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, Japan
Paperback: 352
Rating: 5

series:
Volume One
Volume Two

First sentence(s):
Both the parents?
Yeah.
The bus flipped over on the highway and...
That's just horrible.

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi’s estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji’s past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it’s been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.

PeekAbook:

Interesting to see beefy muscular guys illustrated as with my limited manga reading I have always seen slim dudes.

My two-bits:

Fell in love with these characters. Fun way to learn a bit about gay culture in Japan as well as living in a small town there.

Becoming Unbecoming by Una

Becoming Unbecoming
by Una

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Published: 2015
Publisher: Myriad Editions
Genre: Feminism, Memoir, Graphic Novel
Paperback: 224
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
My name is Una. Una, meaning one. One life, one of many...

A devastating personal account of gender violence told in comic book form, set against the backdrop of the 1970s Yorkshire Ripper man-hunt

It’s 1977 and Una is 12. Other kids are into punk or ska, but Una is learning to play "Mull of Kintyre" by Wings on the guitar, and she thinks it’s a really good song. There's another song, chanted on the terraces by Leeds United fans. It might not have made it on to Top of the Pops, but the boys all sing it on the walk home from school: "One Yorkshire Ripper . . . There’s only one Yorkshire Ripper . . . One Yorkshire Ri-pper . . ." A serial murderer is at large in West Yorkshire and the police—despite spending more than two million man-hours hunting the killer and interviewing the man himself no less than nine times—are struggling to solve the case. As this national news story unfolds around her, Una finds herself on the receiving end of a series of violent acts for which she feels she is to blame. Unbecoming explores gender violence, blame, shame, and social responsibility. Through image and text Una asks what it means to grow up in a culture where male violence goes unpunished and unquestioned. With the benefit of hindsight Una explores her experience, wonders if anything has really changed and challenges a global culture that demands that the victims of violence pay its cost.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

I picked this up on impulse at the library without reading the premise. And, whoa. It is certainly something that fit perfect with the times and the times up movement.

With wonderful illustrations, history and thoughtful commentary on violence against women, this graphic novel is moving.

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

The Night Bookmobile
narrated by Audrey Niffenegger

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Published: 2010
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Hardback: 39
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
The first time I saw the Night Bookmobile, I was walking down Ravenswood Avenue at four o'clock in the morning.

'The Night Bookmobile' tells the story of a young woman who one night encounters a mysterious disappearing mobile library that happens to stock every book she has ever read. Seeing her history and her most intimate self in this library, she embarks on a search for the bookmobile. Over time her search turns into an obsession.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Found this to be an eerie yet bright story. Loved the colorful book filled illustrations.