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Quick, Transportive Books to Read in One Sitting
Graphic novels, comic series, and short-form stories for a quick escape.
Published on June 22, 2022
Convenience Store Woman: A Novel
Sayaka MurataA delightfully odd book, this slim, 130-page Japanese novel follows a woman who feels out of place everywhere, except when behind the counter of her convenience store. (Convenience stores in Japan are truly magical places, unlike their American counterparts.) A surprisingly sweet read about someone who’s probably a sociopath.
The Deep
Rivers SolomonSolomon’s “The Deep” is based on a Hugo Award-nominated song from Clipping, the rap group headed by Daveed Diggs. It’s about a group of mermaid-like people descended from pregnant slaves who perished when they were tossed overboard crossing the Atlantic. This Lammy Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror winner defines the word haunting. For a book that’s under 200 pages, you’ll be surprised at how much of a punch Solomon packs as she draws readers into the world of the Wajinru.
Bitch Planet Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine
Kelly Sue DeConnickIn a futuristic world, women must meekly comply or be exiled to the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost, better known as Bitch Planet. But some aren’t going silently. This grindhouse-style graphic novel (the first in a series of 10) is a brash, sarcastic, and self-aware tale that dares to ask, “Are you woman enough to survive?”
The Magicians #1
Lev GrossmanIf you don’t have the time to invest in five seasons of the SyFy series “The Magicians,” you’re in luck. The creative team behind the hit show and original novels produced a collection of graphic novels set in the same universe as Quentin Coldwater. New characters, old rivalries, and sinister plots feature heavily in this expansion of the magic and mythology at Brakebills University.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Charlie MackesyMackesy’s quiet and profound collection of uplifting messages prove that there really is beauty in simplicity. Whimsical line illustrations accompany a simple tale of a boy’s adventure and the life-changing advice he receives from the unlikely friends he makes along the way. This lovely, 64-page illustrated book is a quick pick-me-up.
Fence Vol. 1
C. S. PacatRegardless of how much you know about the world of fencing, you’ll quickly find yourself engrossed in the world of parries and feints with this cute and queer YA comic series. Centered on a competitive all-boys high school fencing team, Vol 1 has everything including a fiery enemies-to-lovers romance, a competitive rivalry between two half-brothers, and plenty of heartwarming moments of friendship and boarding school shenanigans.
Saga Vol. 1
Brian K. VaughanVaughan (“Y: The Last Man,” “Ex Machina”) effortlessly weaves fantasy, science fiction, and drama into one immersive graphic novel. Two star-crossed lovers from warring factions risk everything to raise their daughter safely in an increasingly hostile world. Vaughan’s expertly crafted story lines combined with Staples’s beautiful illustrations will leave you spellbound — there’s a reason the New York Times, IGN, The Examiner, and SF Weekly all voted it one of the top graphic novels of the year upon its release in 2013.
When My Brother Was an Aztec
Natalie Diaz“When My Brother Was an Aztec / he lived in our basement and sacrificed my parents / every morning. It was awful. Unforgivable. But they kept coming / back for more. They loved him, was all they could say.” So starts Diaz’s heartbreaking, lyrical poetry collection about her brother’s addiction to meth, about the plights particular to Native peoples, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
I Would Leave Me If I Could.: A Collection of Poetry
HalseyHalsey, platinum-selling singer-songwriter, turns her lyrical talents to poetry in her first published collection, “I Would Leave Me If I Could.” Heartrending and vulnerable, she captures the raw emotions of surviving abusive relationships, the nuances of mental illness, and her experiences with life and love thus far.