Five books appeared on my Audible account last week but there was only one I HAD to listen to right away - Follow Me Back. I was immediately drawn to the fact that it's told through police transcripts, DMs, Tweets, etc.

Reasons you'll love Follow Me Back:
Sense of mystery and urgency. You start the book at almost the end of the story...And work backwards. Needless to say, it starts off with you wondering WTF happened - and slowly uncovering it.
Two characters and their love story. Come on, you totally fantasized that your celeb crush would learn about you and fall head over heels for you. (PS Jensen Ackles, I'm waiting for that Tweet that solidifies our feelings for each other).
THAT ENDING. Like, what even????????? I need book 2 STAT.

Mariko Tamaki is a goddess and Hulk is one of the best series I've read.

You're reading this, right?

Come for the creative team and stay for the flawless story, art, and FEELS that you'll have after Motor Crush Vol. 1.

I am a big time fan of this creative team, having read Batgirl start to finish (and not continuing after they left...It is NOT the same). This team is known for stretching the boundaries within the traditional comic world, something those of us who are not male or not white (or, heaven forbid, both - yay for a WOC lead who likes girls!) desperately yearn for.

Motor Crush is set in a sci-fi futuristic world where technology is a regular part of your life...and by regular I mean in your face. Little video balls follow the racers around, capturing their lives off the track. Kind of creepy-annoying - a feeling our main character makes well known.

Speaking of main character, Domino is on her way to being the world's greatest. She is kicking ass and taking names - and will constantly have you on the edge of your seat. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, which is easily eroded as you see her interact with the people she cares for. She also has a couple of bad habits that keep readers on the edge of their seat. See, there's Crush, the highly valued (but mysterious) substance that helps boost riders past the finish line. Domino is on a mission to collect it...For more than what's on the surface. This book can be dark and twisty, which is portrayed through Babs Tarr's choice of colors.

This race to find Crush becomes a central plot point, where fast cars, cute girls (helllooo Lola), and Domino's recently uncovered past play a role. We are left with a huge cliffhanger at the end of issue 5 - and a long wait till issue 6!

Petition for Mariko Tamaki to write all the comics and Joelle Jones to draw all the comics.

Fantastic through and through.

AHHH!!! I might as well have been trapped in the Dreamfall because I listened to this in a day. I need book 2!!

Messy and beautiful. I finished this one in a day. Full review soon.

Told in three interwoven stories - two based on real historical events and one fictional - How to Survive the North is the story of how decisions can lead you down a different path than you expect. Metaphorically and physically!

I found the characters and the setting to be fascinating, both brought to life by vivid artwork and narrative that grabs you. Who knew the Arctic climate could be so fascinating? Watching the characters on the expeditions fight off polar bears, scurvy, hunger, and loneliness kept me engaged all the way through. In contrast, the professor in modern day fought his own demons, a narrative that paired well with decisions of the past and the will to move through life.

Highly recommend if you want something a little different with depth!

Well, this is bullshit. I came for a story of best friends in a band and left sobbing.

(Seriously, don't miss this one)

Things I expected in this graphic novel: music. friends. a story of friends coming together through music.

Things I did not expect in this graphic novel: tears streaming down my face at the end.

Oh man, this book gave me SO MANY FEELS and now I want everyone who’s into friendship stories, graphic novels, music, or in need of a good cry to pick it up and read it. NOW.

Tom, Dan, Mark, and Jacoby aren’t the typical band members you’d expect. They aren’t even the friends you’d expect, with Mark being a “jock” and Jacoby being a slightly mysterious foreign exchange student. But I dare you to read this and not fall in love with each and every one of them. Some of the biggest hearts here!

Stereotypical Freaks is the story of four young men finding their way together through the creation of a band. I loved how each chapter was paired with classic rock/punk songs (plus a Paramore reference…And a lot of Green Day). The songs speak to the tone of the chapter and where the story is at the time.

There’s a significant story development toward the end that is just gut wrenching. I loved the writing and the art in this one; the creative team really brought this story to life.

Alias meets The Bachelorette, with a twist!

Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy meets boy. One of them has to die. 😩

You’re all incredibly beautiful young men and you should relish the chance to show everyone how handsome you are.

Ok so it's a little more complicated than that. Imagine Alias meets The Bachelorette, where two boys are tasked to make a girl fall in love with himself and the loser gets a one way ticket out of this world. Yikes. All for the name of spying and political gains. Add a little complication in that the boys are more interested in each other than they are the girl...And maybe more than living.

I loved this book. The way Cale created the characters and made you fall in love with them as they fell in love with each other. You're watching and you're wondering how it's going to end with such high stakes. You're hoping for some loophole. You know it doesn't work that way.

Part of the charm of this book is how Cale pokes fun at tropes and crushes them at the same time. The Love Interest manages to create an original story from tales as old as time.

Do the nice boys always finish last? Guess you'll have to read and see.

The way Cale wove pop culture and music into the story made this fangirl's heart sing. I was so thrilled to chat with him about the musical influences (Midnight Show is one of my fav Killers songs!) so check out his guest post on our blog!