Louis Undercover is an excellently illustrated, absolutely gorgeous and haunting graphic novel. Louis is a young boy who is adjusting to going back and forth between his two parents who have recently split due to his father's alcoholism. The watercolor art and sketching is fantastic and really kept me in the story when I found the narrative arc a little weak and the main character emotionally underdeveloped. 

My gripes with this story are the lack of depth to Louis, but I can also see his focus on a crush as a coping mechanism that is highly realistic. I felt it wrapped up abruptly, and I wanted more attention to the emotions that were a consequence of one major plot point (that I won't spoil). Overall, the art in this one takes the cake- I just wish the story had kept up. 

Ink Girls is an all around phenomenal graphic novel. It will be a clear winner for middle grades readers as well as older readers (YA+). This is the story of a disabled girl named Cinzia who becomes apprentice to a printer, her disability is not a focus but it is not hidden either- perfect representation of how capable she is despite limitations and the expectations of others. 

As the story begins in this middle ages city, the printer Mestra Aronne is writing an avissi to reveal the corruption of the local ruling family. Mestra and Cinzia are quickly on the lam from authorities, and when Mestra is apprehended it becomes Cinzia's mission to evade capture and get her teacher released. Throughout this quest, Cinzia makes unlikely friendships with other girls and learns the power of the written word and fact based reporting regardless of intimidation. 

I loved the written story as well as the illustrations, which are honestly breathtaking. The way sea shanties swirl in the background reminds us that this is a port city and the illustrations occasionally see through walls like blueprints, almost reminding me of a puzzle. There are so many fun and creative elements to this story with a central message of the importance of facts, bravery, and reporting the truth. The author's note at the end explaining the connections to historical facts put this even further into top tier status. 

I think this has secured my top spot for graphic novel of 2023. A must read, in my opinion! 

Ooof, this hit even harder than I expected it to. I had never heard of Akim Aliu, but as a lover of graphic memoirs I eagerly picked it up at the library. My familiarity with hockey is limited to Letterkenny and Shoresy. It turns out that a lot of those depictions are actually based something. 

Akim is biracial and his parents have an incredible story of facing adversity to marry and then to immigrate for the sake of their children. Canada is the place they chose for opportunity for their sons, not planning for their youngest to fall in love with hockey. Hockey brings Akim great joy and serious suffering as he experiences the racism rampant in the sport. 

This memoir is not lighthearted, but it is so well done. I appreciate that even though it is YA, the gross and violent nature of racism in hockey was shown honestly. I do think some particular events were softened around the edges, but the basics are there. 

I think this is a powerful read for those who love memoirs, graphic novels, hockey, sports, or any combination of those. 

Five stars for this audiobook! I first attempted to read an ebook of this title and it was just too many big blocks of text with almost no dialogue, but read by the author the audiobook was delightful and poignant. 
 

Eddie Ndopu was the first radically disabled person to attend Oxford University in Great Britain. This book focuses on the challenges he faced after being accepted to Oxford and then during his time there in his graduate program. Eddie is fiercely intelligent and calls out ableism plainly. This book is an eye opener to how far we need to come as a society and a side of calling out the connection between capitalism and ableism. 

Don't miss this one and then do something positive for the disabled community. 

A solid good time, this turns the typical format of a murder mystery on its head a bit because the characters are all authors who think through all the aspects of the unexpected murder just like you'd expect a thriller author to do. 

This book kept me listening and laughing, I felt for the relatable characters and had fun disliking the more atrocious characters. I liked seeing the clues fall into place and the final twist at the end, while not shocking, was very fun and well done. 

I really wanted to love The Deep Sky. I picked it up because it was compared to The Hunger Games but set in space. There were strong competitive elements to explain that comparison, but this story didn't make me feel nearly as invested and connected to its characters. 

The Deep Sky is a slow, meandering mystery in space on a ship that is heading for a new planet to inhabit. On it are 80 people capable of bearing children who were selected through fierce competition. One innocuous day on a space walk, Asuka watches disaster unfold as her walk partner Kat explodes. Two more are found dead on the ship. Who is to blame? 

This book kept me invested enough to keep reading, but it felt so repetitive and long- much longer than it actually was. I was most drawn into the past timeline which explained the characters' experience competing to be on the elite mission. I'm open to reading what comes next from this author, but this one fell flat for me. 

In this novella from T. Kingfisher, we are met with Toadling. When she was born, she was stolen by fairies and grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of fairieland. Now that she has reached adulthood, the fae ask her to return to the human world and offer protection to a newborn child. The task is not nearly as simple as it sounds. 

And then somehow, centuries later, a knight approaches the ridge of thorns to break a curse that Toadling must defend. As Toadling explores the curse and traverses time and place, T. Kingfisher weaves a rich story that has lovely prose in a tight page count. 

If you love twisted fairy tales, this one is for you. I think I may not have been smart enough for this one in the right ways, but I know it'll be a delight for many readers and listeners.

Hands down, this is one of the best graphic novels I've read this year. Basil & Oregano is billed as Great British Bake Off meets magical boarding school and that's just part of the wonder that this book is giving. Sapphic, adorable, competition, and such great illustrations- pick this one up ASAP!

I picked up What Remains because I had a great time reading Emma in the Night, also by Wendy Walker. These two titles are very different, with a common thread of a female detective that is seeking answers. 

In What Remains, Detective Elise Sutton works on cold cases. One day she is in TJ Maxx when something terrible happens and all of her law enforcement training becomes very useful. Unfortunately, she struggles with the mental weight of that day and the man whose life she saved becomes the man who haunts her. 

This is a cat and mouse thriller, so it did have steady tension. I was engaged throughout, but I think it lacked the character relatability that I found in Emma in the Night. I think this will be great for readers who like more tension and military/police perspective as well as crime analysis. 

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor is a hilarious satire of gothic period novels told in the graphic novel format. Haley is a bored teenager obsessed with gothic romance and her English teacher is demanding that she write a book report on anything else. When she's outside later, she rescues someone drowning and is transported to the magical and mysterious Willowweep Manor. 

Suddenly in an alternate gothic novel universe, Haley must battle evil and use the tropes of the genre to her advantage. This book will have you truly laughing out loud and it's absurdity, witty banter, and jokes about the book tropes we love (or hate). 

If you like gothic romance like Rebecca or Wuthering Heights, this is a must read for serious laughs.