This batch features some fantasy political drama/romance, an anthology highlighting 29 trans & nonbinary comic artists, a hit Boys' Love webtoon/manhwa with gangsters and sales clerks, a memoir of particular interest to transgender and nonbinary runners, and a coming-of-age memoir focusing on the struggles with a strict religious upbringing.
MARBLE QUEEN TP
(W) Anna Kopp (A) Gabrielle Kari
The Marble Queen is a YA fantasy graphic novel that's the political drama of Nimona meets the heartfelt romance of The Princess and the Dressmaker, but this time in a sapphic romance surrounded by a mist of magic.
Princess Amelia's kingdom, Marion, is in shambles after months of their trade routes being ravaged by pirates, and now the only seemingly option left is for her to save it through a marriage alliance. When she gets an exorbitant offer from the royalty of Iliad-a country shrouded in mystery-Amelia accepts without question and leaves her home to begin a new life. But she lands on Iliad's shores to find that her betrothed isn't the country's prince, but the recently coronated Queen Salira. Shocked, Amelia tries to make sense of her situation and her confused heart: Salira has awakened strange new feelings inside her, but something dark hides behind the Queen's sorrowful eyes. Amelia must fight the demons of her own anxiety disorder before she can tackle her wife's, all while war looms on the horizon.
NOV231015
Why this caught my eye:
Easy sell with the Nimona/Dressmake pitch, and Kari's artwork looks great.
OUT SIDE TRANS & NONBINARY COMICS SC
(W) Various (A) Various
In this vibrant and affirming comics anthology, 29 trans & nonbinary comic artists share their personal journeys of self-discovery and acceptance. Equal parts encouraging, comforting, and life-affirming, The Out Side is a love letter to the trans and nonbinary community, designed to inspire anyone who may be struggling with their own identity and to help educate those who seek greater understanding. JUL231358
Why this caught my eye:
The larger the selection of anthologies like this that exist, the better. Side note, go check out Heartwood.
DANGEROUS CONVENIENCE STORE GN VOL 01
(W) 945/gusao (A/CA) 945/gusao
This hit Boys' Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first time! Yeo Eui-joon needs cash, so he works part-time at a convenience store-where the clientele includes hoodlums and mobsters. He's tired of being yelled at while ringing up booze and trying to talk his way out of extortion, but he's not tired of seeing a certain good-looking gangster walk in the door. Gunwoo is huge, gruff, and intimidating at first... but he seems to care about Eui-joon's well-being, and is quick to knock aside anyone giving Eui-joon a hard time. After Eui-joon gets a peek at the enormous condom size Gunwoo buys, a little spark of attraction might just grow into a big, fiery love story!
AUG232539
Why this caught my eye:
You can check out the webtoon here.
MIDDLE DISTANCE A GRAPHIC MEMOIR
(W) Mylo Choy (A) Mylo Choy
A charming, heartwarming, and poignant story of running and self-acceptance, Mylo Choy's Middle Distance combines exertion and introspection in an exploration of the physical body's connection to the human experience. It explores such themes as the interrelatedness of mind and body, the Buddhism with which Mylo was raised, emotional growth through effort but also repose, and the necessity of carving out space for nuance and acceptance. Concrete narrative scenes contrast with more abstract sequences to convey Mylo's journeys, both inner and outer, and how these inextricably intertwine. The approachability of comics as a medium, coupled with the relatability of Mylo's search for self-knowledge, results in an honest, searching work of particular interest to transgender and nonbinary runners.
JUL231992
Why this caught my eye:
A memoir from SelfMadeHero? Sold.
GAYTHEIST GN
(W) Lonnie Mann (A) Ryan Gatts
Lonnie's Orthodox Jewish community has always been clear: it's not okay to be gay. Growing up in a devout family and going to school at a yeshiva, he's told by his parents, his teachers, and his friends that being gay is a sin and an abomination. But as he gets older, he realizes that he likes boys, and wonders what kind of life he will be able to live. As Lonnie expands his world beyond the yeshiva to theater camp, college classes, and movie nights, he sees that the life he wants isn't compatible with the life of his parents - and his whole religious community.
DEC231742
Why this caught my eye:
Been eagerly awaiting the release of this book since back when Lonnie Mann was local to Seattle and we carried his book Thoughts From Iceland. You can preview it here and check out this review from Kirkus.
That's it for this batch, we'll check out some sci-fi titles on the next round!