4 Horrifying Graphic Novels/Comics #WickedGoodReads

October is #WickedGoodReads Month here at Outlandish Lit and GXO. This is the final week!. Today's topic: scary graphic novels and comics (see the full list of discussion topics here).

  BLACK HOLE BY CHARLES BURNS

Charles Burns' illustrations are so iconic, you have to read this if just to see them. His mind is also particularly peculiar. Black Hole is a bit dark and gruesome, but it's utterly fascinating.

Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. We learn from the out-set that a strange plague has descended upon the area’s teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested in any number of ways — from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) — but once you’ve got it, that’s it. There’s no turning back.

As we inhabit the heads of several key characters — some kids who have it, some who don’t, some who are about to get it — what unfolds isn’t the expected battle to fight the plague, or bring heightened awareness to it , or even to treat it. What we become witness to instead is a fascinating and eerie portrait of the nature of high school alienation itself — the savagery, the cruelty, the relentless anxiety and ennui, the longing for escape.

And then the murders start.

HARROW COUNTY BY CULLEN BUNN

This is a comic series that's still running; currently volume one is out. The art is super charming and so is the main character. The "country haints" are delightfully creepy and so is the story of the witch that rules them.

Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures--and to the land itself--in a way she never imagined.
A southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.'s Tyler Crook!

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS BY FABIEN VEHLMANN

SO cute and SO creepy. Beautiful Darkness looks like a big illustrated storybook about fairies and little animals, but then it gets so so dark. I highly recommend it.

Kerascoët’s and Fabien Vehlmann’s unsettling and gorgeous anti-fairy tale is a searing condemnation of our vast capacity for evil writ tiny. Join princess Aurora and her friends as they journey to civilization's heart of darkness in a bleak allegory about surviving the human experience.  The sweet faces and bright leaves of Kerascoët’s delicate watercolors serve to highlight the evil that dwells beneath Vehlmann's story as pettiness, greed, and jealousy take over. Beautiful Darkness is a harrowing look behind the routine politeness and meaningless kindness of civilized society.

THROUGH THE WOODS BY EMILY CARROLL

Another one with bonkers good art. This is a collection of creepy short, fairy tale-like stories. I LOVED it. You can read one of the best ones online here. The online format works really well. Upon looking at her site, you might be able to see all the stories there, but if you love them, buy the book!!

'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

What are your favorite horror comics and graphic novels?

Sorry for the delay in this post. I just got a new laptop and scheduling got a little out of whack. Tomorrow is my last #wickedgoodreads post with scary short stories!

15 Weird Dream-like Reads

If you're looking for some more #weirdathon picks, look no further. Atmosphere is probably the most important thing to me in writing. If the atmosphere of a book can make me feel like I'm somewhere else, I'm satisfied. If that place is strange and dreamy, I'm in love. It's no wonder that half of these weird dream-like books are all-time favorites.

You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by 
Alexandra Kleeman

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I want everybody to read this book. In this bizarre debut, main character, A, lives with her roommate, B who is starting to get more and more like her. Their world is strange. A is weirdly obsessed with the complex and disturbing commercials for a not-really-food called Kandy Kakes. Grocery stores shift aisles around regularly to optimize time spent wandering confused, buying things they don't need. And don't even get me started on the cult. Every sentence Kleeman writes is beautiful, disturbing, funny, and/or startling. This novel is some insane and clever commentary on society and body image.

Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball

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In this quiet (ha!) novel, a man confesses to committing a crime where eight elderly people disappeared from their homes, despite not having done it. Then he refuses to speak ever again. This incident is explored through a collection of interviews with related individuals, documents, and photos. And it's not gimmicky at all. I felt like I was carefully looking through peculiar evidence. Many individuals tell what seem like unrelated, dreamy anecdotes. I still can't stop thinking about them and what they could mean. Beautiful.

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann

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This standalone graphic novel is fuuuucked up. It's a whimsical little garden party with tiny characters, but it's also a gruesome horror show. Very much a fairy tale. A disturbing fairy tale. The cutesy drawings of maggoty little fairies continue to haunt, and delight, me. So much fun to read. Startlingly funny.

Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck

MY REVIEW

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This is one of my favorite short story collections ever. Swedish author Karin Tidbeck creates the most sublime little realities that we get to visit. They are VERY dreamy and very Scandinavian. There's a link to one of the stories from the collection in my original review. If you like speculative fiction, this is not a collection to miss.

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera

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A girls journey in crossing the border from Mexico to America is chronicled in strange, fluid storytelling. At once gritty and fairy tale-like. This is a short lyrical tale about language, family, and culture. I felt like I was floating through it. It wasn't a favorite of mine overall, but there were some parts that got me right in the heart.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

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Through the Woods is a collection of short comics from Emily Carroll. They are all so creepy and stunning, I don't even know where to begin. It's like light-hearted horror with some of the most beautiful illustrations I've ever seen. If you're a fan of comics, you must check this out. They're a delight to read. I felt like I was in a quiet, wintry nightmare the whole time. You can read one of the comics from the collection here. DO IT.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

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This is a straight up horror novel for fans of Blair Witch Project. The story follows some campers as they get lost in a forest where things aren't quite what they seem. It is HEART THUMPINGLY tense almost the entire time. I was so spooked. But then, halfway through, Nevill flips the script and takes the story to a whole different place. I liked the first half better, but the second was definitely dreamy and weird. I felt like I had been hit over the head as the madness ensued.

Of Things Gone Astray by Janina Matthewson

MY REVIEW

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In this novel, a collection of unrelated people lose stuff. Their sense of direction, the front of their house, their place of work (like physically it's gone), etc. Also a girl turns into a tree? It's a really whimsical read.

X'ed Out by Charles Burns

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The first in a trilogy, X'ed Out is a graphic novel that opens with the main character waking up to see a hole in his wall. And when he climbs through it, following his cat who had died, he ends up in a CRAZY world. You can tell the difference because he suddenly looks cartoony. Also there are significantly more worm things with faces. The book moves fluidly back and forth between his adventures in this strange world and flash backs of what went wrong in his real life. If you've read Black Hole by Charles Burns, expect the same kind of disturbing nonsense that you could never dream up on your own. This trilogy is great.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

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Karen Russell is the word goddess of my life, and this is one of my favorite books. Her writing is actually superb. Some of the most gorgeous writing I've ever encountered. So she can deftly whip up some weird ass atmosphere. Having your setting be a run down theme park in a swamp certainly helps with that atmosphere. A family copes with the death of the mother in very different, surreal ways. The main character is like always wandering around in a dream. There are definitely ghost boyfriends too. Among SO MANY things. Please go read this, it's beautiful.

The Woods, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV

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Do you like LOST? Do you like comics? Read this one. A high school is all of a sudden transported to some whole other, slightly magical world that nobody can make heads or tails of. It is just my type of weird. There's a hint at maybe aliens or at least something Ancient Aliens-y?? It's like The Breakfast Club, but with more angry monsters.

All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

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Actually one of my favorite books of all time that I NEED everybody to read. Jake White lives on her own on an island with some sheep. But something starts to kill her sheep. The atmosphere is so tense; Wyld's writing so amazing. Every other chapter it switches back to Jake's past and how she got there. But it's told reverse chronologically, so at first it's confusing, but then you appreciate how things are being revealed to you. Very dreamy, very recommended.

The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips

MY REVIEW

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Back in nightmare town!! Everything about The Beautiful Bureaucrat is uncanny and odd and tense. Her boss doesn't have a face. Her job doesn't make sense (hellooooo anxiety dreams) and she just types strings of numbers in a tiny office that has dirty handprints on the wall. One day her husband disappears then a couple days later he's back with no explanation. And learning more about the corporation she works for doesn't seem to help. I laughed, I cringed, I gasped. Helen Phillips is one hell of a writer. I couldn't leave this nightmare world once I had started; it was too good to put down.

The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac by Sharma Shields

MY REVIEW

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In this novel, there are sasquatches and witches and other cryptids hanging out with humans. And they seem metaphorical. But also they're just characters in the novel, nbd.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

MY REVIEW

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Of course I have to mention the Southern Reach Trilogy for the umpteenth time. Annihilation, the first in the trilogy, is like the most tense, surreal nightmare/dream you could ever had. A group of four unnamed women take an expedition into a place called Area X. Every expedition beforehand has failed (everyone dies or everyone kills each other or everyone disappears or everyone shows up much later than dies of cancer, etc.). They have no idea what to expect. It's a short, transporting read that you can finish in one sitting. Oh my goodness, I love this book.

What are your favorite dream-like books?

Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection - A Review

Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection edited by Hope Nicholson
Publisher: Alternate History Comics. 2015.
Pages: 174
Genre: Comic
Source: Purchased



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MOONSHOT brings together dozens of creators from across North America to contribute comic book stories showcasing the rich heritage and identity of indigenous storytelling.

From traditional stories to exciting new visions of the future, this collection presents some of the finest comic book and graphic novel work in North America. The traditional stories presented in the book are with the permission from the elders in their respective communities, making this a truly genuine, never-before-seen publication. MOONSHOT is an incredible collection that is sure to amaze, intrigue and entertain!- Goodreads

When I first heard about this project, I was both very excited and kind of nervous. I had never before read short fiction in comic form. I didn't really have any idea that it was possible to tell an entire story within ten pages of panels. But this collection showed me how much can be pulled off. And it taught me an amazing wealth of things about the indigenous cultures of North America.

The stories range from visiting the origins of folklore, to seeing these stories' modern impact, to brilliantly imagined futuristic sci-fi stories blended with folklore. It continued to surprise me throughout, and the artwork is absolutely stunning. Between every few stories there's a 1-2 page spread featuring an unrelated work of art that often took my breath away.

Obviously it's hard to judge an anthology of stories written by different people. There are some that really stood out, and there were some that were just ok. A number could've used more pages to really develop. There were probably more anthropomorfic animal characters than I normally would've liked to read about, but that's sort of to be expected if some of the stories explore tales related to local wildlife. And there's one story that I just didn't understand at all. All of that being said, the good stories and the incredible artwork were both fascinating enough to make up for them.

A few of my favorites:

Vision Quest: Echo - In a beautiful collage of a limited number of images, a young deaf girl explains the importance of storytelling to her family and culture. She learns how storytelling is possible through images. I probably cried the first time I read this one.

The Qallupiluk: Forgiven - This one isn't technically a comic. It's a short story with an accompanying illustration every other page. It is SO CREEPY. The Qallupiluk is a creature from Inuit legend that comes from the deep Arctic ocean. It's kind of shapeless, with spines and fins, that can morph into other forms. In this story a young Inuit girl makes the mistake of approaching the creature in the water.

Ue-Pucase: Water Master - A futuristic story about two space travelers visiting another planet, this is based on Muscogee Creek story"The Young Man Who Turned Into a Snake." I loved the blend of space travel, modern dialogue, and what turns out to be startlingly real folklore.

Ayanisach - This one may be my very favorite, but it's hard to decide. An old woman teaches her grandson how to tell the story of their people. It starts with what sounds like folklore, then reaches into modern day and explains how an apocalypse of sorts went down. Extraterrestrials were involved and their people had to fight back. The protagonist goes on to tell the story to his young friends in the city, because the retelling of stories is what will teach others in the future.

Some of the following stories you may interpret as having specific morals and lessons, but that is not necessarily their intention. Stories really are the foundation of our lives. They are how those close to us will remember us after we've gone. In life, not all of our stories have a strict beginning, middle, and end. Our Best stories are moments in time that help us make sense of our world. And that is what this anthology is for.

There's been a long, long history of Indigenous peoples having their culture appropriated in mainstream media. Especially when it comes to comics, indigenous characters are often turned flat and one-dimensional; caricatures that are either foolish or barbaric. Their stories/traditions are blown out of proportion to comic levels and/or completely misunderstood. There is rarely any amount of respect involved when appropriating these stories and ideas. With this collection of comics, indigenous peoples are taking space that they deserve to create and tell their own stories. And they are damn good.

Best Comics of 2015

I'm being sneaky again and calling this a "best of" list next to "2015," but it's really just the best of the comics/graphic novels I read during 2015. GOTCHA! To be fair, 7 of them were published in 2015 (or one in their series was).

As I've mentioned before, 2015 was the year of sequential art for me and I really loved exploring what the format has to offer. For the sake of this list, I'm only counting comics that have been published in bound volumes. Otherwise it would be WAY too complicated.

I noticed I don't really review comics/graphic novels here, because I'm not sure if it's too niche an interest. Let me know if you feel otherwise and maybe I'll consider ~changing my ways~.

This week: - Best Backlist of 2015 - Weirdest Books of 2015 - Best Books of 2015 -

1. // Rat Queens, Vol. 1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe
I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed with volume one (Sass & Sorcery) and I'm obsessed with volume two which actually came out this year. The characters are just phenomenal, the story is fun, and the dialogue is hilarious. Always excited to get a new issue in my pull.

2. // Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Yup, I finally started Saga. And got caught up with Saga. Realizing that I had no more volumes to read in the middle of the year was absolutely devastating, because this series absolutely lives up to all the hype. READ IT.

3. // Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
This standalone graphic novel simultaneously gave me all the feelings and made me feel not well-read at all. Bechdel is super smart and incredible at story telling. Her life is worth hearing about. It will definitely move you.

4. // Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Sweet, sweet Nimona. This is a graphic novel that's technically for kids, but it is pure unadulterated fun at any age. An absolute hilarious delight to read.

5. // Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
BADASS. SO GOOD. Like Orange is the New Black in space. But more sci-fi-y. You don't need me to tell you how glorious this feminist series is. I'm sure you've already heard.

6. // Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson
This series for kids is also a delight to read at any age and, SURPRISE, it's written by the same beautiful person. Stevenson really knocked it out of the park with volume one and volume two of Lumberjanes. Girl power! Friendship! Magic!

7. // The Divine by Boaz Lavie
I wrote about how beautiful this is before, and I still find myself plucking it off the shelf at the bookstore just to gaze at the colors. A graphic novel with a Princess Mononoke feel, you will be unsettled and in awe.

8. // Black Hole by Charles Burns
Black Hole is perhaps the weirdest thing I read/saw all year. If weird sex-related mutations is off putting to you, maybe don't check this one out. But I really loved it. The black and white illustrations are bizarre and the story will leave you saying "what the fuck" every other page. It's a good one.

9. // Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Kelly Sue DeConnick can do no wrong. I'm so excited that this series started its second arc and I'm getting Pretty Deadly in my pull a year or so after the first volume was published. Manga-y western magic folklore is my new favorite genre.

10. // X'ed Out by Charles Burns
And by X'ed Out, I pretty much just mean the entire trilogy that this book begins. Charles Burns' work is so startling and strange. It's like a beautiful acid trip of a car crash that I can't look away from. And it helped that the plot sort of vaguely reminded me of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, everyone's favorite Gameboy Advance game (right?).

What was your favorite comic or graphic novel of 2015?

The Divine: Possibly The Most Stunning Graphic Novel Ever

The Divine by Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka, Boaz Lavie
Publisher: First Second. July 2015.
Pages: 160
Genre: Graphic Novel
Source: Library



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Mark's out of the military, these days, with his boring, safe civilian job doing explosives consulting. But you never really get away from war. So it feels inevitable when his old army buddy Jason comes calling, with a lucrative military contract for a mining job in an obscure South-East Asian country called Quanlom. They'll have to operate under the radar--Quanlom is being torn apart by civil war, and the US military isn't strictly supposed to be there.

With no career prospects and a baby on the way, Mark finds himself making the worst mistake of his life and signing on with Jason. What awaits him in Quanlom is going to change everything.
What awaits him in Quanlom is weirdness of the highest order: a civil war led by ten-year-old twins wielding something that looks a lot like magic, leading an army of warriors who look a lot like gods.
What awaits him in Quanlom is an actual goddamn dragon.- Goodreads

The creation of The Divine has a really fascinating backstory. The creators saw a photo in the news of two young twins who had just held 800 people hostage in a Thai hospital. The Hanuka Brothers and Lavie created a story for them.

©AP/SIPA

If you were a fan of Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke", this is the graphic novel for you. It's a graphic novel interested in similar things. The effect of war on people and their land, colonialism, violence, and crazy weird gods of old still being around and getting pissed at humans. It's an incredible blend of modern issues and ancient cultural traditions. It's so everything I want in a book.

©Tomer Hanuka

The twin boys are super magical and hardcore. The main character, Mark, and his relationship with army buddy Jason, who ropes him into coming to work on a project in Quanlom is intense. The only complaint as far as story goes that I and a lot of other seem to have is that it's a little too straight forward; perhaps a little shallow. It doesn't go quite deep enough. But then there's the ending. I won't spoil it, but people have some theories and I would urge you to spend a little time thinking about what else the last panel could mean. PREPARE FOR GOOSEBUMPS.

Finally, it would be a crime not to mention this: the art. I have never in my life been more blown away by the use of color and composition in a graphic novel. The entire book is absolutely beautiful. Intense monochromatic overlays reshape the entire atmosphere of a scene. Mystical aspects of Quanlom are intensely vibrant. The violence and gore is so violent and gory it becomes bizarre and entrancing. The world takes on a shining quality. I have no words. Do yourself a favor: find this book somewhere just to flip through it and be in awe.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Aug 31, 2015]

The book slump is over. At least as far as I can tell. Tiny Beautiful Things totally fixed me (in more way than one). Rat Queens also got me completely pumped about comics again (not that I hadn't been, I just hadn't thought about them as much). It's actually perfect. It's violent and smart and funny and feminist and many-body-types-positive. Oh man, don't even get me started. I can't wait to read more. I have a feeling I now have the ability to tear through the rest of my library books pile.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
• The Captive Condition by Kevin P. Keating
• Rat Queens Vol. 1, Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe

CURRENTLY READING:

 

 

If you guys didn't know, the historic Book of the Month Club is back!! It has a whole bunch of cool judges (Emily St. John Mandel, Liberty Hardy, etc.) and it's officially launches again in September. They had a preview month in August and I got my book late, but I've started reading After Perfect: A Daughter's Memoir by Christina McDowell and hope to finish in time to get in on some of the online discussions. It's about the daughter of a man who knew the man Wolf of Wall Street was based on and got arrested for similar things, so clearly it's going to be a little crazy/sad/fascinating.

What are you reading this week?

 

What Is A Pull List?: An Intro To Comics

Update (1/2/16): I've now added Rat Queens, Wytches, Descender, and Plutona to my pull list. I removed Trees, bc it got really really boring.

Lately I've been very interested in comics. I'm both interested in the format and the strange ecosystem that is distinctly different from book publishing and buying. I've only really mentioned this stuff in passing, but I've gotten several questions about what a pull list is and where to start with comics. Here I am with (basically) everything you need to know.

WHAT IS A PULL LIST?

If you know that you like a comic series and you want to get each single issue when it comes out, you can have your local comic book store "pull" the issues and set them aside for you. This also helps the comic book store know what they should be ordering and it helps the comic creator. Some comic book stores have a minimum amount of comics you can pull, but a lot don't have any type of rules. You'll have to ask them about it. If they aren't friendly or helpful, FIND A DIFFERENT COMIC BOOK STORE.

Here are the series I'm currently interested in enough to have pulled for me.

1. // Harrow County by Cullen Bunn - This is a creepy comic series about a young girl who is apparently a witch reincarnated sort of. The rural setting is super eerie and the "haints" (or ghosts/monsters/demons) are too.

2. // Invader Zim by Jhonen Vasquez - This is a continuation of the old Nickelodeon show, Invader Zim. Like it continues exactly where it left off. If that sets your heart aflutter, go get this immediately. It's as good as it sounds.

3. // Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick - A great feminist comic about a planet-jail where women are sent if they are non-compliant. Features an interesting, diverse cast. Volume 1 comes out in September, so check that out!

4. // Trees by Warren Ellis - Enormous alien structures that look sort of like trees get placed on the earth, crushing cities and people. Then they just sit there quietly. No explanation. This series explores the mystery of these "trees." Volume 1 is out.

5. // Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick - This is a fascinating and surreal mythical Western folklorey story about Death's daughter. It is shocking and the magical realism is great and so is the art and ugh. It's just so strange and beautiful. Volume 1 is out and it's a must read.

WHERE DO I START?

The way I started figuring out what comic series to look for was by perusing sites like Panels to see what comics people are currently talking about. From there, I get volumes of them from the library to see if I actually like them before I commit. Volumes are published books that hold 4-6 single issues of a comic in one book. If you find that you just like reading all the issues in a row in a single book, that's fine! You can do that! Some of us (me) are more impatient and can't handle the months and months of waiting for certain series, though.

If you're new to reading comics or graphic novels, here are some volumes/books you should absolutely find at a library or bookstore. Most of these are standalone graphic novels, but they will convert you into fans of the sequential art format, I swear it.

1. // Saga by Brian K. Vaughan - Running series - This. You need to read this. No exceptions. There's no way for me to describe it that would communicate how excellent it is. It's like Romeo and Juliet in space except really, really smart and funny. And with some fantastic creatures and characters. Fiona Staples' art is amazing. DO NOT SKIP THIS ONE. Bonus: It's still running, so you can add it to your pull list once you're caught up with the 4 volumes that are out!

2. // Watchmen by Alan Moore - Standalone book - I'm not into superheroes really, but Watchmen is everything. It's lauded as one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, and for good reason. There are flawed heroes and some superb commentary on our world/humanity, the superhero genre, and morality. Absolutely brilliant.

3. // Fun Home by Alison Bechdel - Standalone book - A little nervous about all the space and the heroes? That's ok. You can check out this amazing graphic memoir written by the creator of the Bechdel Test. This book will make you cry. It's about her troubled relationship with her father and his death, the secrets he kept, and her own coming out story. Painful, beautiful, and funny.

4. // Ghost World by Daniel Clowes - Standalone book - This one is really funny and slightly less painful. If your personality is anything like mine, you will love this story of a snarky girl who recently finished high school and is trying to make some big decisions about what to do with her life. The characters are so quirky and judgmental and funny. This is a realistic portrayal of the awkward struggle with the new found control over one's life.


I have some pretty specific taste, so this certainly isn't an exhaustive list of excellent comics and graphic novels! But I hope this helps gets you started on a potential comic reading journey.


Want a more specific recommendation? Leave your likes and dislikes in the comments!

What comic series/graphic novels would you recommend?

5 Quirky Books to Make You Feel Normal

The First Bad Man by Miranda July
Publisher: Scribner. Jan 13, 2015
Genre: Literary Fiction, Humor
Source: Library
Pages: 276
First Line: I drove to the doctor's office as if I was starring in a movie Phillip was watching--windows down, hair blowing, just one hand on the wheel.


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I wouldn't use a British accent out loud, but I'd be using one in my head and it would carry over.

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Miranda July never fails to capture the weirdness of everyday life, and that comes into full focus in her debut novel, The First Bad Man. The main character is an awkward middle-aged woman named Cheryl whose thoughts are so quirky and hilarious, it feels like you're in the head of a more demented character from "The Office."

Cheryl's high strung, very particular, and very bizarre. She mostly stays in her own head throughout her life, imagining infinite lifetimes loving one man who actually doesn't give her the time of day and communicating telepathically with babies (who she imagines are all the same baby soul). That is until Cheryl's boss forces her to let her mean-spirited 21-year-old daughter stay with Cheryl, and her life completely unravels. It's funny, it's moving, it's poignant. It's very Miranda July. A warning: There's some (sort of) graphic sex stuff. But like it's funny and bizarre.

Every night my plan was to make it to dawn and then feel out the options. But that was just it--there were no options. There had been options, before the baby, but none of them had been pursued. I had not flown to Japan by myself to see what it was like there. I had not gone to nightclubs and said Tell me everything about yourself to strangers. I had not even gone to the movies by myself. I had been quiet when there was no reason to be quiet and consistent when consistency didn't matter. For the last twenty years I had lived as if I was taking care of a newborn baby.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books. March 1998
Genre: Graphic novel
Source: Library
Pages: 80
First Line: Why do you have this?


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If you like your quirky a little less whimsical, you have got to check out this brilliant graphic novel made just for pessimists hoping life is a little less shitty and weird than it seems to be. Illustrated beautifully in just blue and white, Ghost World follows recent high school graduates, Enid and Rebecca. Neither of them are planning to go to college and their future is kind of a mystery to them. They spend their days going to diners, watching/judging the strange characters in their towns, and stirring up mostly benign mischief.

It's really easy to relate to these characters as they do weird shit and hate people. I totally related to Enid. Her relationships with the people in the graphic novel PERFECTLY paralleled my relationships with certain people in real life. But even though it's funny and on point, it gets very real by the end when the girls start having to make actual decisions about their lives. The awkward struggle with this new found control over what your life is could not have been portrayed better.

The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac by Sharma Shields
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks. Jan 27, 2015
Genre: Literary fiction, Magical realism
Source: Library
Pages: 400
First Line: Eli Roebuck lived with his parents, Greg and Agnes, in a tiny cabin near Stateline.


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Eli Roebuck sees his mother leave his family for a sasquatch one day. I was ready for this to be a metaphor, but there is legitimately a sasquatch (Mr. Krantz) who lives his sasquatch life in the forest. And there are unicorns. And bird people. And lake monsters. I mean, granted, there's still some metaphor. But it's weird. Really weird.

We follow Eli as he grows up and continues his obsession with finding this sasquatch. It affects all aspects of his life, and we get to look into the lives of people this obsession touches: both of his wives, his daughter, his father, his mother. It's a very strange, very excellent look at the effect obsession has on families and what damage can be done--and hopefully reversed. And the magical realism is a fantastic blend of whimsical and dark.

The Wallcreeper by Nell Zink
Publisher: Dorothy. Oct 1, 2014
Genre: Literary fiction
Source: Purchased
Pages: 200
First Line: I was looking at the map when Stephen swerved, hit the rock, and occasioned the miscarriage.


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The characters in this book are some weird, confusing assholes. The Wallcreeper is a strange tale about some pretentious weirdos who are married. Well, Tiffany married Stephen really quickly and then they kind of also explore extra-marital affairs, which is sometimes not a big deal but is other times a very big deal. They're kind of both lazily interested in a future together and furthering potential careers, but not to the extent that they aren't just floating around talking about birds one minute then quantum physics in relation to babies the next.

The structure is dreamy and weird. Tiffany and Stephen eventually turn into eco-terrorists. Their relationships get more complicated. But throughout it stays smart, witty, and really well written. Everything Zink writes is so on point. Her descriptions of sex, life, and death are all strange but super accurate. She's definitely talented and this book is definitely crazy. Zink captures how messy and volatile life and relationships can be, but it makes you grateful that you're probably less involved in eco-terrorism than they are.

"Wait a second," I said. "I don't mean to sound like a crank, but are you saying that what makes our relationship valuable is my willingness to suffer for you? Are you aware that I've never suffered for you for even, like, one second? That's what makes our relationship so optimal, in my opinion."

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Publisher: Penguin. 1962
Genre: Horror
Source: Purchased
Pages: 146
First Line: My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood.


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Ok, maybe quirky isn't the BEST way to describe this book. Horrifying might be better. Or creepy. But the characters who live in the Blackwood house are actually the quirkiest ever. Merricat, the main character, is super into magic words, not allowing herself to go into certain rooms, and poisonous mushrooms. Just normal 18-year-old girl stuff. Her cat is her best friend, so it's easy to relate.

Anyway, this book is a big, weird puzzle surrounding the death of her family due to arsenic put in the sugar bowl. Her sister was arrested for it, but got acquitted. Now the two girls and their uncle rarely leave the big, old house. You'll be immediately sucked into how creepy and bizarre they all are, and you'll need to keep reading as fast as you can to figure out what's going on. If you haven't read Shirley Jackson before, read her short story "The Lottery" then this. Also, this book has the greatest opening paragraph of all time:

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Robert Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

Merricat, you have my heart.