This graphic novel follows a girl who learns more about friendship and family as she journeys across the fantastical land of Lirrin to tend to its majestic animals.

Lu dreams of being a great adventurer, just like her ah-ma, who is a world-renowned geozoologist. Ah-ma has traveled far and wide, researching unique animals like dreamy cloud-jellies, enormous sunfish, and playful mossgoats. There’s nothing Lu loves more than reading Ah-ma’s letters about her quests, even if she and her mom struggle to understand the Cylian language Ah-ma writes in.

But when Ah-ma’s letters suddenly stop, Lu becomes worried. So when a nearby town needs a geozoologist, Lu decides to go on the journey to find Ah-ma. She charts a course with the help of Ren, an old friend turned new travel buddy.

As they follow in Ah-ma’s footsteps, Lu begins to discover the complex relationships between geofauna—and between people. What stories has Ah-ma never told her? And what’s Ren hiding from her?

This was such a fun adventure of a graphic novel, but it also had so much depth to it. We follow Lu and Ren as they go on an adventure to not only follow in Lu’s grandmother’s legacy, but also to attempt to locate her as it has been some time since Lu heard from her. They both come from very different families with different dynamics and expectations, which leads to some misunderstandings between the two along the way. It’s also a story about finding your own path rather than trying to mold yourself after someone else and touches on grief as well. I felt there was a really good balance of the beautiful art style, delightful creatures and heavy topics that were explored.

Happy reading!

Where would you like to travel? The aquarium, the amusement park, the great outdoors, the hot springs, or all the way across Japan? Make a plan and pack your little bag!

The cute kitties of Mofusand have conquered Japan and now, they’re taking a trip! Incredible illustrator JUNO brings the lives and travels of these cats to life in F’alling In Love with a Traveling Cat: Mofusand’s 1st Illustration Book!’ A cute collections of narrative illustrations and text that will be beloved by readers and cat-fanciers of all ages!

This book was so adorable and a great palette cleanser for me. While there is some text, it is mostly a picture book of all the Mofusand cats in different travel locations and doing different activities, everything ranging from going to an amusement park, to getting relaxing spa treatment. The art style is whimsical and fun, and there were little tidbits here and there that were entertaining, sprinkled among the images. It was a super quick read, but also super fun.

Happy reading!

Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead. This ghost story “powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife” raved Kirkus in a starred review!

Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.

Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.

As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….

When I initially picked this one up I was not expecting it to go as deep as it did. There’s a lot of talk about grief, how different people might think of those that have been lost, despair and loss. The ghosts aren’t the only ones who have lessons to learn, but Dorian does as well as he navigates helping the ghosts, especially after discovering that they can’t move on in the afterlife. The story was full of a lot of heart, a little humor and some underhanded plots. The art style was charming and suited the characters and setting perfectly, I especially liked how the ghosts were portrayed.

Happy reading!

Lavender Clouds is a collection of autobiographical comics about mental health, neurodiversity and feelings!

Lavender Clouds is a collection of short comics centered on anxiety, depression, neurodivergence and more. I can honestly say it was refreshing that during a lot of this book I was feeling reassured that I’m not the only one who feels the things described in the comics, but also it was quite a shock that everything fit so well. If you deal with any of the issues listed, or anything adjacent to them then this collection will likely speak to you. The comics perfectly capture some of the struggles of anxiety and other conditions and so much of the internal dialogue or struggle. It’s great to be seen and I’m so glad to see more books coming out talking about things like anxiety and neurodivergence.

Happy reading!