Julie Bulger
Are you familiar with our adult graphic novel collection? Graphic novels are not just for children or teens. Whether you enjoy fiction, nonfiction, biographies or memoirs, these novels are a format that encompasses all genres and has something for everyone. It is one reason why I enjoy them, since the combination of text and artwork adds variety and something different to my reading list. In between the regular novels I read, it’s great to squeeze in a graphic novel, especially while I’m waiting for my next eBook hold to come in through our Libby app.
Within the past couple of years, the library’s adult graphic novel collection has been growing. I’ve enjoyed exploring the collection as new titles are regularly added. Over the past year I have discovered the fantastic science fiction series Descender, the southern gothic horror of Harrow County, the world-building Monstress, and the Japanese folklore inspired Wayward. Currently I’m reading Ed Brubaker’s Criminal series. I really liked Brubaker’s recent graphic novel Pulp (which is our featured title for our new graphic novel book club. More details below!) and now I want to explore more of his work. With the high cost of purchasing graphic novels on their own, being able to access the library’s collection has been incredibly cost saving. And the collection has grown to where you can now check out up to 20 graphic novels to your library account!
If you are new to the graphic novel format, here are some suggested titles to get you started: Neil Gaiman’s award-winning Sandman is a dark fantasy series that was originally published back in the early 1990s and is one of the few graphic novels to
make it on the New York Times bestseller list. Joe Hill’s Locke & Key is another great fantasy series which has recently been adapted into a TV show on Netflix. Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: the Last Man and Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead are two different post-apocalyptic science fiction series. If you’re interested in non-fiction, check out George Takei’s memoir They Called Us Enemy.
Beyond our physical collection, our online service, Hoopla, has an impressive comics and graphic novel collection. You can enjoy thousands of comics and graphic novel titles on demand on your computer or devices.
And with the growth of our collection comes a new virtual program for adults: the Graphic Novel Book Club! Do you already love graphic novels, or is this a format that’s new to you? Either way, come join the virtual discussion on the last Wednesday of each month. For February, we will be discussing Ed Brubaker’s novel Pulp. The novel is available through Hoopla and in book form here at the library.