This batch on non-fiction includes the culinary art of sushi, a vivid portrait of Lebanese youth, a tale of trauma and survival, the history of pinball, and NBM's new focus graphic novel on Rosa Parks.
ART OF SUSHI HC
(W) Franckie Alarcon (A) Franckie Alarcon
Fly to Japan and come discover all there is to know about sushi. After revealing the secrets of chocolate to us, Franckie Alarcon offers a gourmet panorama of this exceptional dish that has conquered the planet! But do you really know sushi? The author traveled to Japan to meet all the players involved in the making of this true work of culinary art. From the traditional starred chef to the young cook who is shaking up the rules, including all the artisans and producers involved, this book covers the most emblematic of Japanese products from A to Z. A fascinating journey of discovery that, along the way, tells a lot about Japan itself.
OCT211594
Why this caught my eye:
Just file this under 'all food comics are worth checking out'.
HANGING ON BY A THREAD GN
(W) Noemie (A/CA) Noemie
Noémie is 18 years old when she falls ill. A brilliant and funny art student, she burns the candle at both ends, with joy and anticipation... until her body throws everything back in her face. A fight ensues between her and her cancer set against the backdrop of Beirut, its madness, its multiculturalism, and its inimitable character.
A unique, autobiographical project and vivid portrait of Lebanese youth.
OCT211347
Why this caught my eye:
Preview pages are looking pretty interesting, plus Noemie's art style is giving me some Melinda Gebbie vibes as well.
OUR LITTLE SECRET HC
(W) Emily Carrington (A/CA) Emily Carrington
At 15, Emily is a relatively typical teenage girl living in the Maritimes who lives with her dad and spends all her free time outdoors. Enter her neighbor who offers to lend a helping hand to a girl in need. Three words: "Our Little Secret," and Emily's fate is sealed. Now in her fifties, Carrington has crafted a compulsively readable debut that shows a powerful command of the comics medium. Our Little Secret is a testament to survival and to the importance of telling your story your way.
OCT211404
Why this caught my eye:
Early reviews and preview pages are making this sound like an impressive debut and possibly one of the more important books to be popping up in early 2022.
PINBALL GRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE SILVER BALL HC
(W) Jon Chad (A/CA) Jon Chad
For fans of Brian "Box" Brown's Tetris and the cult-hit documentary King of Kong, Jon Chad illustrates the little-known story of pinball-how it works and why it all matters in an age of special effects and on-screen gaming. In 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. He was there to challenge the citywide ban on pinball by proving this was a game of skill, not chance. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and artform hung in the balance. Thus opens Jon Chad's comprehensive graphic guide to the history of the captivating, capricious-and at times infuriating!-game of pinball.
DEC211615
Why this caught my eye:
In general all FirstSecond books are going to be some quality material, but I've recently been taking more of an interest in pinball so this just looked like it would be a lot of fun.
ROSA PARKS GN
(W) Mariapaola Pesce (A) Matteo Mancini
Montgomery, Alabama, December 1, 1955: at the end of the working day, 42-year-old Rosa Parks, a black leather dressmaker, takes bus 2857, heading home. She sits in a center row, but when a white passenger gets on after a few stops, the driver asks her to get up to give him her seat, as required by the rules. Rosa knows them well: the blacks sit in the back, the whites in front, while the center seats are mixed and can only be used if all the others are occupied, but the whites retain priority. "No," Rosa replies, she doesn't intend to get up. That simple refusal turns her into a heroine of black rights, engaged in the fight against segregation that oppresses Alabama and other southern states, becoming the propellant of the historic bus boycott in Montgomery led by Martin Luther King. This is her story shown in a context of why it is still so resonant today.
DEC211729
Why this caught my eye:
Saw some early preview pages and this just looks like it would be a solid addition to schools and libraries.
That's it for this batch, we'll hit up some manga next time!