Top Ten Graphic Novels on my TBR

This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday is all about the visuals, a kind of freebie topic focused on graphic novels/comics/picture books. Today, I’ll be talking about the ten graphic novels that are at the top of my wishlist. I’ve only really gotten into comics and graphic novels over the last couple of years, so a lot of the books that I mention here are probably already pretty well-established. I’ve heard amazing things about all of them, and I’m desperate to read each and every one of them!

As always, the covers will take you to the Goodreads pages.

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1. THE COMPLETE MAUS BY ART SPIEGELMAN.

This is the first graphic novel that made me think that it was a genre I could really get into. This is a non-fiction graphic novel addressing the Holocaust through cartoons wherein the Nazis are cats and Jewish people are mice. I’m really interested in the concept of this, and I’m looking forward to venturing into non-fiction graphic novels. I actually already own this, and I’m sure I’ll get around to reading it very soon.

 

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2. THE ONE HUNDRED NIGHTS OF HERO BY ISABEL GREENBERG.

 

I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this novel recently. From what I understand, this is a kind of Arabian Nights retelling about two women who love each other in a place where this isn’t really accepted. I’m really simplifying it here, but it sounds and looks beautiful.

Isabel Greenberg has another graphic novel called The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, that I’d also really like to read.

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3. IN REAL LIFE BY CORY DOCTOROW.

This is another book that’s been on my radar for quite a while. This is about a girl that spends most of her free time playing a MMORPG called Coarsegold. Through this, she meets a Chinese kid that collects valuable items and sells them to wealthier players. His actions in the game aren’t allowed, but if he doesn’t do it, there’s serious consequences in his real life.

This just sounds really interesting, and I love the cover art!

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4. THROUGH THE WOODS BY EMILY CARROLL.

 

This one just sounds so perfect for me that I genuinely can’t believe I haven’t bought it yet? This graphic novel is a collection of five short stories, all in the horror genre—which I’m sure many of you know is one of my favourite genres. Obviously I haven’t read it but for some reason it gives me The Bloody Chamber vibes? It’s been sitting on my wishlist for years, so I really need to just buy it already!

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5. SUNSTONE BY STJEPAN SEJIC.

I mean. This is unlike anything I ever read. I feel like I’ve seen it in a few places, but most recently saw Kitty G mention it and it piqued my interest again. It’s basically about two women in a BDSM relationship. So. There’s that. Honestly, it’s so different to what I normally gravitate towards but it gets such great reviews that I kind of want to check it out for myself.

 

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6. MONSTRESS BY MARJORIE M. LIU.

I’m mostly drawn to this one because of it’s concept—it’s set in an alternate, matriarchal Asia. I do think I’ve mostly seen mixed reviews for this one, so it keeps jumping on and off my wishlist. But really, the fact that I keep putting it back on my wishlist means that I’m drawn to it. I really like the look of the art, and quite a few reviews have mentioned that it’s pretty dark, which I’m always down for.

 

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7. PAPER GIRLS BY BRIAN K. VAUGHAN.

I’m already in love with Brian K. Vaughan’s other comic series, Saga, so it was inevitable that I’d be drawn to this series too. I know very little about it, to be honest, but I don’t really mind. This is another series that I feel gets mixed reviews, but I’m still interested in eventually picking it up!

 

 

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8. THIS ONE SUMMER BY MARIKO TAMAKI & JILLIAN TAMAKI.

 

I really couldn’t say what it is about this that intrigues me so much. It’s so different from all the other graphic novels I’ve listed here. The artwork looks really lovely, and I’m fond of the blue colour scheme. It just sounds like a gentle, low-key look at a certain point in a girl’s life, and I’m interested to see how that might play out in a graphic novel format.

 

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9. TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT BY MARIA STOIAN.

Back to the serious, Take It As a Compliment is an anthology of sorts collecting the stories of several men and women. Each looks at sexual abuse, violence, and harassment. I feel like this is a book that’s going to make me angry, as any book about rape culture inevitably does, but I want to read it all the same.

 

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10. PERSEPOLIS BY MARJANE SATRAPI.

Finally, I’m ending this with another non-fiction graphic novel. This is essentially an autobiography, as Satrapi discusses her own experiences growing up in Tehran, and her life after. This is another one I’ve heard great things about, and I’m always eager to read about experiences that differ from my own.

 

 

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So those are some of the graphic novels/comics on my wishlist! As always, if you’ve read any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If nothing else, you’ll be helping me decide which of these I buy first haha!