Memoir allows readers a glimpse into the lives of others, the struggles they’ve gone through, the lessons they’ve learned, showing the width and breadth of the human experience. And with the added visual element, graphic memoir brings another dimension to the story and pulls the reader into the setting without the need for prose description, visually transporting readers to lands and perspectives different from their own. The prose lays out the storyline, and the illustration provides the details, allowing for a different kind of comprehension. Memoir feels especially suited to the graphic novel format. These are the stories of real people unfolding before your eyes. The visuals help with understanding differences, but they can also make similarities more striking too. Maybe you’ll learn something new; maybe you’ll find a bit of yourself in the story. Each reading experience is important and powerful. No matter your age or experience, graphic memoirs are accessible and valuable for all. Interested in trying graphic memoir? Showcasing a variety of different art styles, here are some more recent releases I recommend. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark A Vagrant fame, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beatons, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. After university, Beaton heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush, part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful…

With a beautiful blend of art and prose, graphic novels are one of the most accessible mediums out there. Even if you’re not a huge reader, a graphic novel is easy to pick up and digest. More than just superhero comics and manga, graphic novels contain stories from many different genres—mystery/thriller, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and so much more. While comics and graphic novels are certainly not a new thing, their popularity continues to rise, and many best-selling books and shows now have graphic novel adaptations. Did you know Game of Thrones has a graphic novel adaptation? Or Octavia Butler’s Kindred? My favorite subgenre, though, is graphic memoir. These are real people telling their stories through the medium of comics. The visuals add another layer to the story, bringing more atmosphere and emotion to the work and giving the reader a more vivid picture of events on the page. Graphic memoirs allow readers to visually understand the author’s perspective and picture what life is like for someone else in a deeper way, transporting readers to situations and places other than their own. This format also presents a unique opportunity to make memoirs accessible and appealing to younger readers. In fact, there are many graphic memoirs marketed to both middle grade and young adult readers, introducing diverse perspectives and important issues to kids at a young age in a tangible and digestible way. No matter your age or experience, graphic memoirs are accessible and valuable for all. They are a testament to how…

Know someone who loves a suspenseful page-turner? From fast-paced action to stories that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, thrillers can encompass a wide variety of subjects, themes, and plotlines. With book buying season upon us, these selections are sure to make great gifts for the thriller lover in your life. Recursion by Blake Crouch From the best-selling author of Dark Matter comes another science fiction thriller about time, identity, and memory, taking readers on a whirlwind ride of twists and turns. For the past eight months, Barry Sutton of the NYPD has been investigating cases of a new affliction dubbed False Memory Syndrome, which leaves its victims with memories of a life they never lived. Meanwhile, neuroscientist Helena Smith has dedicated her life to researching memory and the human brain in the hopes of curing her mother’s Alzheimer’s. As Barry’s investigation leads him to cross paths with Helena, they will have to work together to bring down a force that threatens to unmake reality itself. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone. It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter. And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. Before too long she’s staying the…