Maker of fine queer comics (and some pretty trashy ones too). Author of THE GOLDEN HOUR, THE DEEP & DARK BLUE and CROSSPLAY. http://linktr.ee/nikismith
I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.
Cry Wolf Girl by Ariel Slamet Reis
A beautiful short comic about mental health struggles told as a fairy tale. Stunning page layouts and very effective use of a limited color palette. It's brief and open ended, like a poem.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman read by Jeff Hays (relisten)
In the near future, an alien invasion of Earth kills the majority of all humans and traps the survivors in a D&D style underground dungeon game show for the entertainment of trillions of intergalactic viewers. Carl, a 27 year old former coast guard, ends up in the dungeon wearing only his boxers, crocs, and a leather jacket with his ex-girlfriend's prized long haired Persian cat as a companion. Dazed, frightened, and freezing, Carl has to learn the rules quickly or die. He has gained access to an inventory he can fill with items, weapons, spells, and loot, as well as the ability to level up skills. But nearly everything in the dungeon is trying to kill him and his cat, Princess Donut. This is a very popcorn entertainment story, mixing elements of the Hunger Games, Ready Player One and a classic D&D campaign. I found the audio books on The Palace Project app with the login of my local public library- initially the audio books were Audible exclusive (gross). The audio quality and sound editing adds a ton to the experience of this story and I highly recommend listening to these on audio if you can.
Thoughts on returning to re-listen to this book after finishing book 7: I was a bit surprised by how dark this book felt, given that the violence and gore have definitely increased as the series goes on. I think the two boss battles in level 1 are actually some of the most upsetting fights of the series, as Carl and Donut don't yet have a concept of the wider world outside the game, any way to strike back against their corporate enemies, and those two fights are against people from Earth who have been turned into monsters. I think this book more fatphobia/bodyshaming in the language used around monsters than is used later on, which also makes those fights feel nasty and uncomfortable in a way the fights after level 3 usually don't. I relistened with my sibling and found myself wanting to give them spoilers to ensure they'd want to keep listening into book 2 and beyond. Good to remember for when I rec this series in the future!
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
In fall 1914, as WWI spreads across Europe, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, students at a prestigious boy's boarding school in the English countryside, watch their older classmates enlist and then watch the obituaries flow in an endless stream into the school newspaper. Half-German Gaunt feels especially conflicted about the war, but enlists in an attempt to ease the anti-German sentiment his family is facing- and to run away from his all-consuming crush on his best friend. The brutality of the front is unlike anything he's every witnessed, and he struggles to convey it in his letters back to Ellwood and his family. He's horrified when Ellwood, underage, enlists and joins him in the trenches. But the war also shifts Gaunt's thoughts on the relative danger of kissing a boy when he's likely to be shot any day now. This is an emotional, well researched, bittersweet queer coming of age story rich with poetry quotes, letters, and fictional newspaper excerpts. I have some pacing complaints- the overuse of flashbacks in the first third makes the pacing choppy in the early chapters, and there's one section I wish I could move to later on in the book. But I had a great time reading this impressive debut and look forward to what Alice Winn might write next!
Girl Crush vol 1 by Midori Tayama
After some childhood trauma, Tenka decides to mold herself into the most perfect person she can possibly be so that no one will ever abandon her ever again. In high school, she has perfect grades, is beautiful, good at sports, leads her high school dance club, gets high scores in karaoke. But she doesn't have any particular passions, other than a crush on a childhood friend who was kind to her when she needed it most. Then she encounters Erian- cute, bubbly, sincere, and with a steely determination to go to South Korea and train as a kpop idol. Tenka is frustrated and jealous of Erian's open nature, but she is pulled into the girl's orbit and finds herself helping out Erian whenever she can. Then she decides that competing with Erian is her new project, so she also flies to South Korea to audition. The mix of friendship and one-sided rivalry between them proves a strong fuel. This is a short, breezy first volume of a promising series. I like the lose expressive line art which captures dance well. Finished book 1 and immediately started book 2!
Girl Crush vol 2 by Midori Tayama
Tenka doesn't get a callback from her first audition in South Korea, but Erian does. Tenka returns to Japan after a rude awakening about her relative dance and language skills. But Tenka isn't one to accept failure so easily. She confronts a vulnerable conversation and outs her head down to study. When she returns to South Korea a second time, she has a much stronger set of skills under her belt and the outcome is very different. I'm still really enjoying this fast paced, well-drawn manga. The art and story both have a nimble kind of lightness which read fast but still allow for slower emotional beats.
Haikyu!! Vol 9 by Haruichi Furudate translated by Adrienne Beck
A new potential recruit starts shadowing Karasuno High Volleyball Club manager Shimizu to see if she's interested in taking on the job when Shimizu graduates. She is immediately overwhelmed by, but also inspired by, the passion of the players. Meanwhile Hinata and Kagayama face their most difficult challenge yet- passing their spring exams on the first try. If they have to do makeup tests on the weekend, they will miss an exciting trip to Tokyo to face their friendly rivals and Nekoma and several of the other powerful teams in that prefecture. Can Hinata ace his English test and get to play?? Or will be fail and be forced to stay home? Read exciting vol 9 to find out!
Girl Crush vol 3 by Midori Tayama
Tenka starts her first week as a kpop trainee and meets the two other newbies she is paired with: Jiwoo, the talented dancer with a bad attitude she met previously and tiny, cute, shy Minchae who has a gorgeous voice but no dancing skills. Tenka is the oldest of the three and while she is a proficient dancer and singer, she doesn't especially shine in either. What she can do is study hard and learn fast, which is good, because their new manager makes Tenka the leader of their team of three and tells them to prepare a song performance for the next monthly evaluation. Of course Jiwoo wants to pick a very difficult high-energy song from the company's star boy group... Tenka isn't sure that's the right choice for the three of them, but goes along with it. This was a exciting installment, I am already invested in the developing secondary characters, and the author does such a good job showing the teen's relative dance skills with contrast of their body language during choreography scenes. I'm hooked!
Girl Crush vol 4 by Midori Tayama
The monthly evaluations are fast approaching but Tenka's team is so determined to place well that they add some complicated acrobatics into their choreo and risk a serious injury. Tenka debates how to balance the fierce energy of Jiwoo with cute, shy Minchae. In a very exciting twist of events for me personally, one of the characters admits they don't feel like a male or female person but would like to use their art to express ideas beyond gender. I would love to see more of this theme as the series continues but even if this is the only time it comes up I am still delighted for this nonbinary rep in my kpop idol manga!
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson read by Daphna Kouma
In the kingdom of Orrun, emperors serve for a term of no more than 24 years, and when their term ends eight contestants (one representing each of the eight animal Guardians) compete in a series of grueling tests to win the next imperial term. Neema, the royal scholar, has been working frantically to plan the festival week surrounding the current imperial contest and when the first night's dinner arrives she thinks she can finally relax. She cannot. That evening, one of the contestants is murdered and Neema is given four days to solve the murder, or she might end up sharing the victim's fate. She is surrounded by some of the most highly trained warriors, assassins, entertainers, and spies of the kingdom and also a tangle of family secrets and betrayals stretching back generations. Neema will probably need divine aid in order to survive this contest- luckily, she has it. There were many things I enjoyed about this chunky fantasy novel, but it's also impossible to review it without observing that it is objectively too long. The book goes in so many directions, contains lengthy flashbacks, and the inciting incident of the story- the murder- doesn't take place until about the 20% mark, or almost 5 hours into the audiobook. I found it difficult to find my footing in the story before that point, during which Neema frets over multiple things that seemingly won't matter or pay off until book two, and makes some really poor decisions. The emotional immaturity of many of the royal court and the whimsical joking sometimes make this book read younger than I think the author intended- it wants to be a sweeping epic fantasy but the way Neema is ostracized by her peers feels like high school. The world building, the lore of the animal guardians, and the cleverness of the trails and mystery kept me engaged and I will probably pick up book two, but I wish this book had been tightened up a little because it almost lost me in the first 20%. If you want to give this a try, you gotta be patient with it for the first 150 pages.
Cinder House by Freya Marsk read by Anna Burnett
This is such a well-structured and satisfying novella! What a pleasure to read a book in which every piece is considered, necessary, and well used. It's a fairy tale retelling of Cinderella, but creative and different enough that I often forgot that while I was listening and got caught up in its magic. Ella is already dead when the story starts, for one, and it winds on its own way from there. It has a queerer ending than I expected! Really enjoyed the audiobook.
Haikyu!! Vol 10 by Haruichi Furudate translated by Adrienne Beck
The volleyball boys are out for summer and that means a week long training camp in Tokyo! The Karasuno team is all out of sync because multiple players are working to develop new skills which haven't come together yet. Except not Kei Tsukishima, who doesn't particularly want to work any harder than he needs to. He plays the same position as Hinata, middle blocker, and even though he's taller, has more volleyball instincts, and more years of experience he has kind of mentally given up his position- until players around him challenge him to take the game more seriously. This series does SO MUCH character work with showing what kind of player a person is, how they handle defeat, and how they fail or rise to a challenge. All other sports fiction writers should be reading the shit out of Haikyu and taking notes!!
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park translated by Anton Hur
Translated from Korean and set in Seoul, this novel is comprised of four connected stories about a gay man, Young, during his college years and into his early 30s. Each chapter focuses on an important relationship, and between these relationships Young struggles with job discrimination and underemployment, alcoholism, health issues; but he also starts writing, beginning to find success in his literary career. Characters come in and out of Young's life including Jaehee, his college best friend and roommate (somehow these two chaotic students share a 300 square foot apartment), a toxic and homophobic boyfriend who copy-edits Young's diary, Young's mother (struggling through a battle with cancer), and the cute gay bartender who might just be the love of Young's life. I really appreciated this window into a gay man's life in SK from clubbing to dating to military enlistment to STIs. For much of the book, Young is pretty stuck in the circumstances of being visibly queer in a homophobic society but he also refuses to compromise who he is. If you can, pick up the paperback edition with the Booker Award stamp on the cover as it has a bonus interview with the author and afterward by the translator which are both delightful.
Midsummer Sisters by Niki Smith
Kenzie and Quinn are step-sisters but they've grown up side by side their whole lives, sharing rooms and toys, parents and grandparents, space and squabbles and support. But now their parents can't stop arguing and the girls are worried that if their parents separate, they won't share anything anymore. During a particularly bad week their grandma Diane swoops the girls up to take to her beach house in the Outer Banks in North Caroline where she works as a vet for the wild horses that roam the islands. Kenzie is thrilled to spend time outside looking for fossilized shark teeth and other treasures the waves wash up. Quinn is more reluctant, often glued to her phone, texting someone maybe more than a friend back home who she will dearly miss is she has to move away. This warmhearted and emotional sibling story unfolds over the summer as the girls try to find their footing in a new reality, commit to their relationship with one another, and uncover some of the magic of the wild horses of the islands. Niki Smith is a comics rockstar, the sea breeze practically lifts off the pages, the linework is so deft and confident. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy, but when it's out in June 2026 you should buy it for all of the kids in your life!
So a few weeks ago I participated in a 24 hour comic day event organized by comicinbayern in Erlangen. Instead of 24 pages, I carved 24 little 7.5*7.5cm lino squares and printed them. The event had prompts to give you ideas, and mine was 'butterfly effect'. So here we are!
I'll be printing more copies of this little guy. At some point. When I'm not deep in the end of year work stress.
The Raven Sits, a linocut, handprinted zine/minicomic based on an excerpt of Lord Byron's Manfred.
Yes, I know the raven stone is actually the gallows, but I both dislike hanging people and very much like my ravens a little stupid.
No, I don't know how to make things simple and fast. 😔
This will be available at Yayuco in Dachau and Y-Con in Paris this November, and probably a few cons next year. If you really want one, shipping included, message me!
Shout-out to @niki-smith and Weemina who built me a little printing press and helped with cutting out a million pages. Ilyvm.
Also shout-out to @meggietheramm who I stole the format from!
hello!! im sure you get many asks like this all the forevers but i recently read Sea Legs, and as someone that has found myself in a similar situation, i adore how you handled it with the proper realism, thank you for not dumbing down the real life issues :)
Thanks so much! I passed your message along to Jules, the writer of Sea Legs-- she's really grateful to hear the experience rang true. That was really important to both of us.
SEA LEGS is going on TOUR! Well, a teeny tour! I get to fly back home to the US so rarely, so Jules and I really wanted to make the most of it and celebrate Sea Legs properly~ 🌊🌊🌊
May 2 - At Children's Book World in Haverford, PA, just outside of Philly! 4:30pm, see you there!
May 3 - It’s the Silver Unicorn Kids Graphic Novel Festival in Acton, MA! We can’t WAIT! We’ll be tabling all day (and I’ll have all of my books, not just Sea Legs!), and also be on a few panels with a bunch of other amazing cartoonists:
11:00 am - 11:45 am: Panel Graphic Novel Debuts - Jules
11:45 am - 12:45 pm: Panel: Standing Up (in the face of book bans) - Niki
1:30 pm - 2:30pm: Panel: Being the New Kid - Jules
May 6 - At Betty's Books just outside of St. Louis! 6pm, come by and say hi!!
There will be Janey stickers. There will be flying fish temporary tattoos for those in the KNOW. Please come and talk to us about your favorite fish and the weirdest place you ever went swimming. 🐟🐠🐡⛵
I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.
Before I get to the reviews this month, I have to bring up the fact that the current fascist, book-hating administration is trying to defund/destroy the The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The IMLS is an independent federal agency that provides grants to libraries and museums across the country. According to the American Library Association, the IMLS provides "the majority of federal library funds." The IMLS says it awarded $266 million in grants and research funding to cultural institutions last year. This money goes to help staff, fund maintenance, and create new programs. And as of March 31, every single member of its approximately 70 person staff has been put on administrative leave. This could have devastating effects to libraries across the country. (source)
Please! Write or call your state governor and state reps about this. Here's the sample email I sent, which I modified from a template sent out by Authors Against Book Bans:
I am writing to express my support for federal museum and library funding, and to urge you to stand against President Trump's recent Executive Order against the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
As I'm sure you know, the IMLS provides important support for local libraries and museums across the state and the country. IMLS makes grants that bridge funding gaps in local libraries and museums allowing them to better serve our communities by targeting each community's unique needs. These grants improve internet access to rural areas, support tribal libraries, ensure that libraries offer interlibrary loans, fund language programs, subsidize programs for veterans, businesses, and entrepreneurs, and so much more.
As an author, libraries directly support my career. As a reader, I check out over 100 books a year from the library for reading and research, way more than I could ever afford to buy or have space to store. Libraries personally benefit my life in so many ways. Please stand against cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and ensure museums and libraries can continue to benefit communities across the United States.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End vol 1 by Kanehito Yamada, art by Tsukasa Abe, translated by Misa
I had already watched a few episodes of the anime, so the set up of this story was familiar to me. Frieren is an elf mage who traveled with the adventuring band who killed the demon king decades ago. She has not visibly aged, but her traveling companions are all old men how. 50 years after their big victory, she returns to travel with them again. That's the last time she seems one of them alive. She realizes she had not processed how short human lives are in comparison to her own, and vows to do a better job getting to know the next group of humans whose lives touch her own. This is a contemplative and slow burn story, but with a lot of tenderness. I definitely want to keep reading more of this rambling adventure!
I Think Our Son is Gay vol 1 by Okura translated by Leo McDonagh
A very gentle slice of life story, told from the POV of a mother of two teen boys. She suspects her older son, in high school, is probably gay and has a crush on one of his classmates. She begins trying to support him in subtle ways and slowly educates herself more about the queer community, while wondering how to share this information with her husband (who is often away on work trips and sees their children less often than she does). The chapters are very short and often silly, giving the book overall a very light tone.
Survival of the Friendliest by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods read by Rene Ruiz
The majority of this book outlines some very interesting animal research on the effects of domestication, specifically self-domestication, over time. The Russian "friendly foxes" project, a silver fox breeding program where the only trait selected for was friendliness/openness to humans, is one of the main studies discussed and I enjoyed learning more about it. Over generations, the foxes selected for friendliness started to show surprising physical changes- wider variety of coat colors, curlier tails, smaller teeth, and increased social communication skills. The authors combine this with studies on bonobo monkeys, chimpanzees, dogs, and human fossil skulls, to present an argument that it was friendliness and cooperation, not strength or "fitness", that lead to humans dominance over other early human species such as neanderthals. The last quarter of the book then tries to turn this research into an explanation on how and why humans also dehumanize each other and how in-groups give rise to fascism. I wasn't as sold on the contemporary political theorizing, but I still think this book is worth a read.
Homesick: Stories by Nino Cipri
This is a WONDERFUL short story collection, nine stories, each with some kind of speculative or fantasy element, and nearly all with a queer or trans main character. The stories gained momentum as they went a long, many of them making me exclaim "how did you think of that?" A few of the longer pieces are particular standouts- "The Shape of My Name", in which a trans man recons with his family's history of time travel; "Presque Vu", in which the inhabitants of a town connect over their shared personal hauntings (the main character coughs up old keys); and "Before We Disperse Like Star Stuff" in which a queer friend group of academics deals with the fall out of a massive archeological discovery, and the way one of them ran away with the story to publish without the other two, leading a breakup and also a Smithsonian documentary. Nino Cipri is on my immediate-read list!
She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat vol 5 by Sakaomi Yuzaki translated by Caleb Cook
This serious continues to be SO CHARMING! Nomoto and Kasuga continue to house hunt, but run into difficulties on renting together as a same sex couple. Their friends are there to cheer lead, and offer resources and support. I love these foodie lesbians!
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
Set in 1993, and heavily based on the author's lived experience, this graphic novel follows Janey's very unusual fourth grade year. Her parents own and live on a 40-foot steel sailing ship. They've been mooring in Miami, Florida, and Janey has been attending a regular public school where she has made a best friend, Rae. But Janey's parents want to set to sea again, so Janey and her cat Sassa are off to the Caribbean. There are many wonderful things about sailing- new islands, new food, new views every morning- but it's lonely too. Janey sends letters to Rae but can only receive them when the family stays in a port long enough to get a PO box. She's often bored, doesn't want to do her homework, wishes she had any friends near by. Finally the family's boat, the Merrimaid, stops St Thomas for a while, where her parents get part time jobs. Janey spots a girl only a little older living on another boat in the harbor. Astrid is aloof, challenging, mysterious, and knows a lot of places on the island where kids can get into trouble. Janey is entranced by her, but too young to see the precarious and potentially abusive situation Astrid is living in. This book is BEAUTIFULLY drawn, bright and sharp. I was completely drawn in to Janey's world and the struggles she faces with her parents and her two very different friends, Rae and Astrid. This book brought back how hard it was to maintain a long distance friendship in the 90s, and also pointed out how easy it is for kids without responsible adults in their lives to disappear off the map. It's more challenging and dark than the colorful cover suggests but I HIGHLY recommend it.
I Think Our Son is Gay vol 2 by Okura translated by Leo McDonagh
This gentle slice of life story continues. Tomoko, mother of two sons, one or both of whom might be queer, borrows a gay manga series to read from a friend and leaves it in the living room for her possibly queer teen to find. She also learns that one of her co-works at work is gay, and open to answering some questions. I really enjoy the slow, realistic journey of a parent figuring out how to be supportive of her kids.
I Think Our Son is Gay vol 3 by Okura translated by Leo McDonagh
The cast of characters is slowly expanding! A neighbor, who probably has a crush on her gay son Hiroki, starts at Hiroki's high school. I like that we are starting to learn more about Hiroki's younger brother Yuri, who at the moment reads like a very aro-ace character. The main tension point is Tomoko's husband, who has some really basic homophobic beliefs and occasionally says shitty things without seeming to realize they might be hurtful. Tomoko is more patient with him that I would be.
I Think Our Son is Gay vol 4 by Okura translated by Leo McDonagh
Tomoko is such a wonderful and loving parent to her two probably queer sons. The elder son is dealing with the very normal high school rejection of his crush starting to date someone else, and the younger feels more and more aro-ace and maybe even agender. This is such a gentle, soft parenting story with a lot of sweetness and humor.
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton read by John Pirhalla and Katherine Chin
The plot of this book is engaging, but the prose is bad. Mickey Barnes is an "expendable" on a terraforming human colony mission on a cold, icy planet. Before the mission left, his entire consciousness was scanned and uploaded to a server, and his biology encoded so the mission can print new versions of him as needed. He is the only member of the roughly 200 person colony who has received this treatment, and it's his duty to do jobs that require a human but will likely get them killed, such as fixing the nuclear reactor, testing out medical procedures, or exploring the system of crevasses and caves below the ice- which happen to be full of insect-like alien species of unknown intelligence levels. This book has some very fun world building and clever twists, but the main character himself is an idiot who regularly makes mistakes that could have been easily avoided with even just a modicum of advanced planning. I would describe the writing as workman-like, just competent enough to get the story told, but often undercutting the emotional impact of the events with quips and fairly shallow character work. I haven't seen the movie but I have a feeling it might be better than the book, a rarity.
I Think Our Son is Gay vol 5 by Okura translated by Leo McDonagh
I'm so glad the main character finally confronted her husband on his careless homophobic remarks! Also I loved the story like of Hiroki getting into a girl idol group named Soup=Soup, what a perfect name for a group. If this is the last book of the series I am satisfied :) If there are more I will read them!
Paladin of Souls by Lois Mcmaster Bujold read by Kate Reading
Ista is now the Dowager Royina of all Chalion, but she's having trouble shaking the titles she's been known by for most the past two decades: Mad Ista, hysterical Ista, Ista who needs to be watched because she is danger to herself. In her mid-40s, Ista despairs that the family curse, now broken, might define the rest of her life as well. Then inspiration strikes: perhaps a pilgrimage under an assumed name could prove the vehicle to travel, see some more of the world, breath some clearer air, and spend company with some young, adventurous people less defined by their dark pasts. And so Ista takes to the road with just one young lady's maid, two travel wardens, a small trope of soldiers dedicated to the Daughter and one a divine of the Bastard's order as her spiritual advisor. In truth, Ista wants nothing more to do with the gods. But the gods, it seems, are not yet done with her. The simple pilgrimage quickly runs into demons, secret conspiracies, death magic, and a danger that might strike all the way to the heart of the kingdom. And Ista finds that she still has the capacity for both sweetness and steal when the world demands them. This was my second time reading this book, but the first as an adult, and I absolutely LOVED it this go around. The audiobook reader is excellent and I am living for middle-aged fantasy protagonists these days. Give me a character who has seen some shit and nevertheless persists!
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Set in a near future world which is drowning under decades of torrential rains, this lyrical, tense family drama follows three estranged sisters after the death of their patriarch father. Isla, the oldest, is a therapist in middle of a divorce; she feels the most pulled to manage the family tragedy of the death, funeral, will, and her more unruly sisters' emotions. Irene, the middle sister, struggles to throw off her teen role as "the angry one", though a very loving partner has softened her rough edges over time. And their half sister, Agnes, younger by 11 years, wants nothing to do with any of this and doesn't feel she owes alliance or family feeling to the others. But all of them are haunted by the ghosts of their dead or missing parents, the abuse and neglect they suffered during a disrupted childhood. Plus there's the matter of the family home to deal with: a cold and luxurious house built on stilts which hold it above the rising water. I enjoyed the lovely prose, the fact that all three sisters are queer, and the exploration of how traumatized people try or fail to build and maintain relationships under many pressures, including climate crisis. The ending is a bit rushed and leaves as many questions open as answered. I might later lower my rating to 3.75, but I rounded up because I enjoyed my book club discussion about it so much.
Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold read by Grover Gardener
Lord Penric is on the way to his betrothal to a local cheese maker's daughter when he comes upon an elderly divine of the Bastard's order collapsed on the side of the road, surrounded by her anxious retinue. He stops to offer aid; he doesn't realized that he will end up becoming the host of the centuries old demon she carried. Suddenly the path of his small and certain future is thrown askew, and the road under his feet leads to places he hardly dared imagine. If, that is, he can figure out how to co-exist with a demonic being. I'm excited to start in on this novella series! I'm such a fan of Bujold's writing and very pleased to find many of these books are available in audio.
Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky
Preet is the most powerful magic user in her island community; her wife Valissa can't use even the most basic powers. But when the island is threatened by a dangerous withering fog, Valissa is the one who volunteers to try and discover its source. In her absence, Preet does a work of magic which is forbidden by the community to do alone; she and her child are exiled from the island and must find a new place to live safely. Will the two women be able to find other another again, and reconcile their believes about tradition, family, and power? This is a very beautiful and ultimately gentle story, mysterious, but compelling.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach read by Helen Laser
Phoebe Stone, a deeply depressed and recently divorced adjunct English professor, checks in at a beautiful hotel by the sea with the intent of killing herself after the end of one decadent night. But she starts to run into roadblocks immediately, including the fact that the entire rest of the hotel is fully booked for a 6 day wedding. Phoebe strikes up a blunt and unlikely friendship with the bride, and after a failed attempt at her own life, lets herself be pulled into the whirlwind of drama in the bridal party. The humor in this book is often dark, but it is also very funny and very human. I was impressed that the author made this kind of wild premise work as well as it did. I became invested in Phoebe's relationships with the bride, the groom, the groom's preteen daughter from a previous relationship, and various other attendees. I loved that part of Phoebe's decision to stick around and see what else life had to offer was breaking out a creative block and a decision to completely change everything about how she'd lived in the previous version of life. Big content warning for suicide; but I think it was handled thoughtfully.
Stories are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind by Annalee Newitz read by Alexandra Cohler
This audiobook was by turns informative, engaging, and deeply upsetting. Newitz spells out the history of the use of propaganda in American warfare, including as far back as the war for independence, and the many wars against Indian nations in the attempt to empty the West of its original people to make the land available for white settlers. During the years around WWII, several key thinkers penned books on physiological operations; some also wrote science fiction under other pen names. The same tactics that fed military thought on propaganda was also used by early advertisers. The book also lays out the Cambridge Analytica project and how clearly it falls into the use of psychological weapons by American corporations against American citizens, and tactic which is supposed to be illegal. I listened to this on audio during the Trans Rights Readaton ] and I'm glad I got to it but some chapters on the 2016 election and current targeting of books, libraries, and queer people were not a fun time to listen to. Newitz ends with a short chapter on "Psy-Ops disarmament" and of course it points to all of the things the current administration is trying to destroy: public educations, a robust library system, trusted new sources, and free movement of citizens across borders.
World Heist by Linnea Sterte
Two thieves, one a cursed child and the other with the face of a cat, set out to steal things as rare and difficult to obtain as a whole magical pocket realm and the lover of a god. Dreamy, brief, and gorgeously illustrated. Linnea Sterte is doing comics on a whole other level!
Penric and The Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold read by Grover Gardener
Lord Penric and his demon, Desdemona, have completed their temple training in a record three years and are now in service to the Princess-Archdivine of Martin's Bridge. He spends much of his time translating and copying manuscripts, but every now and then the Princess sends him out on a more interesting errand. So it happens that when a Locator of the Father's Order arrives on the tail of a runaway shaman who murdered a nobleman before fleeing, Penric is set to join the chase. But of course the case is more complicated than it seems, and more than one lost soul hangs in the balance. I had a great time with this second novella in the series; I finished it on a long drive just as the sun was rising over the Richmond bridge and it set a wonderful tone for my whole day.
Penric’s Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold read by Grover Gardener
I am continuing to devour these audiobooks at a ferocious rate! In this third adventure, Penric's vacation is rudely interrupted by a murder; he is pulled into the investigation because of his particular demon-given talents. The victim herself was a temple sorcerer; but who killed her, and why, and where her demon fled after her death are all obscure. This is a clever little bottle episode in the series. I look forward to reading more!
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag (re-read for bookclub)
This was exceptional. Mags, a recent high school graduate, lives a carefully controlled life. She cares for her aging grandmother, she works her restaurant shifts, she doesn't party, she doesn't let anyone get too close, even the girl she's sleeping with, who has a boyfriend. Also, she's feeding a dangerous secret, something fanged and strange that lives in the dark. Then Mags' careful routine is disrupted when a friend from childhood, Nessa, turns to the little town outside Joshua Tree where they both grew up. Nessa is being chased by a darkness of her own, and wants answers about a confusing childhood memory. The storytelling, the page layouts, the mixed use of color and black and white, all combined to build such delicious tension in this queer horror tale. Highly recommend!
Added in 2025: I re-read this for book club and on the second pass caught some clever foreshading and paid more attention to the elegant use of visual storytelling tools. This book is worth reading and worth re-reading!
Spent by Alison Bechdel
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Bechdel's newest, and most meta, comic. I was genuinely unsure if the premise of this one would work for me, but oh, it did. The main character of this book, Alison, is a cartoonist living in Vermont on a rescue pygmy goat farm. She is the author of a popular memoir about her relationship with her father, a troubled taxidermist who spent time in prison before his death. This book is currently being adapted into a multi-season TV show which is straying increasing farther and farther from reality. Alison's partner, Holly, does the majority of the work around the farm; that is, until one of her wood chopping videos goes viral and she starts dabbling as an influencer instead. Meanwhile, in town, Al and Hol's friends- Sparrow, Stuart, Ginger, and Lois- all live together in an experimental communal home. Yes, that's right, many of the old gang from Dykes to Watch Out For are back, with grayer hair, but just as much wit and spark as ever. JR is a nonbinary, asexual, poly freshman at Oberlin who runs a podcast and participates in campus protests for Gaza. Ginger is still teaching and in a long distance relationship. Sparrow and Stuart are contemplating opening their relationship up. Lois is organizing local events, some of which, unfortunately, turn into covid parties. I have no idea if this book will land for readers who haven't read Dykes to Watch Out For, but hopefully those who have will enjoy this return to the old cast as much as I did.
All but 5 of the books I read this month were courtesy of the library.
hey it's probably a really good idea to download a copy of your Master Promissory Note since most of them stipulate that your loans are *specifically owed to the Department of Education* and if you intend to dispute the debt in the wake of the DoE dissolving that will be really good to have
log in and then go to My Documents and download a copy of it. i'm serious. if trump dissolves the DoE entirely it may make the debt uncollectable depending on exactly how they do it, and he's too stupid to listen to lawyers that tell him when he's breaking the law. worst case you have an extra PDF on your computer. best case your student loans go away because you signed a contract to pay DoE and no one else. go download a copy.
graphic novels that I'm looking forward to this year
FLIP by Ngozi Ukazu
Bunt! (Ukazu and Mad Rupert) was one of my faves last year and I fully expect a bodyswap romance from the same author to knock it out of the park.
LOW ORBIT by Kazimir Lee
Kazimir collaborated on a comic with me a few years back and I got to sneak a peek at this book about small town teen alienation in progress - I'm so excited it's finally here!
MEAT EATERS by Meredith McClaren
This is a gnarly one in the best way! How do you return to your normal life when you're absolutely, positively undead?
SEA LEGS by Niki Smith & Jules Bakes
A middle grade book that asks, what would it be like to grow up on a sailboat? Out now!
HUNGER'S BITE by Taylor Robin
A suspense story where a cruise ship's long-term residents unravel a supernatural mystery that is out now!
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS by Ariel Slamet Ries
Also out now! If you could turn your dreams into reality, what would your dream boyfriend be prepared to do for you?
Pick up these books - if you can't buy them, request them at your local library or ask that they order them! That's also a huge help to authors.
Happy Endings take on a whole new meaning when you dive into the enchantingly lascivious fairy tales of Transfixed. Everywhere from Beanstalks to Babylon to Paul Bunyan's pants, bewitch your senses on a hedonistic journey with Winsome Wizards, Fabulous Fairy Godfathers, Shapeshifting Lovers, Beastly Maidens, and more!
Transfixed is a delectable collection of Trans & Genderqueer Erotic Fairy Tale comics. Send your inner sex goblin on a quest through twelve fantastical worlds of fairy tale bliss. This gorgeous collection of erotic comics will be printed in black and white and will contain over 200 PAGES of BRAND NEW naughty stories created just for this book!
Sea Legs is an interesting graphic novel about setting sail and leaving everything behind as a kid
Sea Legs is an interesting graphic novel about setting sail and leaving everything behind as a kid #comics #graphicnovel
Janey’s family is about to set sail for the adventure of a lifetime! The only problem? Janey must leave her school, her life, her best friend, the entire country behind for new adventures ― coral reefs, colorful markets, and new cultures. Life at sea is exhilarating, but there’s a major downside: when you’re raising anchor every few days with sights on a new harbor, it’s almost impossible to make…
The Deep & Dark Blue
by Niki Smith (Graphic Novel)
Published 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published in 2020, Niki Smith has crafted a middle grade graphic novel that excellently blends a fantasy adventure with queer character development with great balance. Our trans character isn’t just trans for the sake of it and neither is it their entire being. Nor does the fantasy and magic of it all kick it to the side. Smith makes the two intertwined and emotionally portrays to the reader the struggles on all sides of these two journeys.
The Deep & Dark Blue follows twin princes after a political coup usurps their noble home and they are forced to flee to the Communion of Blue to hide and plan their return and retaking of their home. While one of our protagonists, Hawke, strives to return to his old life and save his kingdom, his sister Grayce finally is able to lean into her true self as a girl and while she wants her home and country free, she wishes to remain in a place and space that lets her exist as the girl she is. Readers watch as Grayce slowly but surely comes into her identity and loves the version of herself she is becoming and presenting. Her and her brother’s emotions through this transition as well as that of fighting for their home is expertly portrayed with fantastic use of hues and characters’ facial expressions and actions. Character is everywhere in this world we are discovering and exploring with Hawke and Grayce.
Gracye’s transness in this story is handled beautifully, especially for young readers and trans individuals alike who are looking for warm and positive representation. Characters around her are quick to change their habits to fit her identity by using her correct name and pronouns as well as hold others accountable for messing it up. The tone in which her character and the characters around her react to this transformation is heartwarming and excellent to have in representation of something individuals can be fearful of sharing. Even if someone reading it is still hesitant or not able/ willing to share their change like Grayce, that can at least find some comfort in a world and characters that do- and to those readers, I hope you are safe and well loved by the people around you who matter the most to you.
A graphic novel like this can hold great space and significance in a library collection regardless of the place this library exists. I like the idea of maybe encouraging people to experiment with their own graphic novels or comics to express themselves in any way they feel true and comfortable. I also like the idea of maybe posing this to those who are further in their trans awareness in identity and maybe it could be an exercise in representing one’s self as they truly want to be. Not sure who that could be approached but little comic zines would be a stellar creative project to explore the world of creating comics/ the like.
-Ray
02/04/2024
Smith, N. (2020). The Deep & Dark Blue. Little, Brown and Company.
The Golden Hour
by Niki Smith - eBook
Published 2021 by Little, Brown Ink
I know I've already read a work by Niki Smith this session, but I couldn't help but be pulled in by the story of this comic as well- photography is a weakness for me. The Golden Hour follows main character Manuel as he struggles with his anxiety and dissociation following a traumatic instance of gun violence in the art studio at his school. As an anchor when he experiences these negative feelings, he uses his phone as a camera to take pictures and ground himself. When returning to school following the incident, he finds himself distant and lonely until connecting with a couple other students in his class: Sebastian and Caysha. Manuel discovers ways to confront his fears and trauma while spending time with his friends and coping with the aftermath of an event all too familiar for students across a country who feel that gun laws protect the gun owners more than the civilians who deal with the consequences of poor regulation and mental health resources.
Graphic novels are an incredible storytelling medium and the more we encourage publishers to support the writers and illustrators with us, the more we will see the love and stories grow. I am so glad that graphics and manga have made their way into the mainstream enough for them to be available through libraries physically and digitally so extensively. I- as I'm sure many manga readers- have been working with what we can on third party sites and our high school libraries as much as we could but now we are eating good with the accessibility of this medium. The only drawback that I have seen consistently come up in regards to the digitization of this medium through applications like Libby is that two-page spreads and instances of flow between pages gets a little lost in translation; only seeing one page at a time. However, all in all, it's a fantastic resource to have and often readers don't mind the shift into a digital space if they really want to read it. Although, I see plenty of manga and comics still get out on hold and I love chatting folks up about the materials.
I like the idea of using these in story time, a way to project the panels and pages for the whole class to see as you read along and act/ animate scenes with the graphics. This could also be a fun addition to perhaps quiet story times or silent book clubs where we spend time all reading together with preferences met for mediums and materials.
-Ray
02/18/2024
Smith, N. (2022). The golden hour. Little, Brown.
Images from Author's Website
https://niki-smith.com/
What a time to be trans and alive in America. If you follow me, you are probably already horribly aware of the hundreds of pieces of anti-trans legislation that have been introduced in nearly every state, some seeking to ban trans healthcare for both minors and adults, some to ban drag, to ban trans people from restrooms, from sports teams, and in some of the most extreme cases take trans children away from parents who support their transitions. I highly recommend following The Trans Formations Project for their daily updates on the progress of these bills through the state government. They also have a very helpful tool on their website where you can search representatives by state and see exactly which legislators have introduced or voted on anti-trans bills, so you know exactly who to call and complain to about their terrible policies. The Trans Formations Project is active on insta, tumblr, twitter, discord, tiktok and FB. They are currently seeking volunteers and taking donations through their website. If you have the means, here are some other organizations you can support to combat these bills:
ACLU or especially the ACLU of Tennessee, which is ready to fight Tennessee’s new anti-drag bill in court
The Trans Law Center especially their Trans Health Legal Fund, which provides resources for trans people facing investigation, arrest or prosecution for seeking healthcare
Trans Life Line, a crisis support line in English and Spanish
Trans Latina Coalition
The Marsha P Johnson Institute
TGI Justice Project
For the Gworls
Keep up your courage! Keep up your strength! We’ve also had some pieces of good news this week too- Minnesota has become a refuge state for trans folks seeking gender-affirming healthcare, Michigan just expanded their protections of LGTBQ citizens, and Wyoming rejected a trans healthcare ban. All is not lost, but if you see a bill moving through your state’s legislation, please do make some noise about it!
instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble store
Wow, a lot of shit news this January, huh? Please remember that no one is actually able to tell you not to be trans. If you are trans, you are trans, whether or not you have done any medical transitioning. This is an extremely weird and scary time right now, but there are literally so many of us, and we are going to keep fighting for each other and supporting each other and getting each other the resources we need now and forever. Being trans is a joy and a gift! Some folks are trying to take away that joy! We will not let them! We will become ever more trans and more joyful as time goes on!
Has your name every appeared in the credits of a book, or is it likely to in the near future? Then you should join AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS! Transcript below the cut. A version of this zine formatted for print is available to download on my patreon.
Do you make books? Yes? I want YOU to join Authors Against Book Bans! By Maia Kobabe
WHAT IS AABB?
A coalition of writers, illustrators, editors & other book creators, standing united against the unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We support the availability of diverse voices in our libraries, in our schools, & in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, & to fight to ensure this freedom.
Our concern is not only for the books, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, & communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away.
WHAT CAN AABB OFFER YOU?
- Regional groups working on legislation to protect authors & the freedom to read state-by-state
- Online trainings on digital security, public speaking, & how to counter book challenges in your community
-Affinity groups for BIPOC authors, queer authors, authors with disabilities, indie, nonfiction, romance writers & more
-Support if your book is challenged!
-A very active discord community
Author: What if my book hasn’t been challenged?
Maia: JOIN!
Author: Ok, but what if I’m really busy and can’t do much organizing right now?
Maia: JOIN ANYWAY!
Even if all you do is sign up, your membership will help lend weight to the letters AABB sends to publishers & legislators. As of January 2025, AABB has 3500+ members. Check out the recent open letter to publishers on AABB’s socials & feel free to share it with your contacts.
An Open Letter to Our Publishers- instagram.com/p/DCzYmKcR8uq
Maia: I’ve been facing intense challenges to my book since 2021. Knowing that I am not alone in the fight against censorship is what keeps my spirits up!
Watching the folks in AABB share information, co-write legislation, show up to library & school board meetings, & speak up to publishers about the need to protect diverse books & minority authors has been amazing!
This is a weird & scary time to be an author, but you are not alone! Join thousands of us fighting for the freedom to read, the freedom to write, the freedom to teach, the freedom to learn, & the freedom to share our stories!
Our Mission Statement We are Authors Against Book Bans. We, a coalition of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and ot
