The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Biography & Memoir

Buff Soul by Moa Romanova

A super fun sisters-in-arms rock tour misadventure, as three pals from Europe rock their way from California to Austin, with guest stars, sex, drugs, and friend conflict galore as the past, tensions, and secrets fester. With eye-popping and completely original art, this makes for a wild, enjoyable, and surprisingly touching graphic novel.

Buff Soul by Moa Romanova, (List Price: $29.99, Fantagraphics, 9798875000683, August 2025)

Reviewed by Seth Tucker, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Talking to My Father’s Ghost by Alex Krokus

This creative graphic memoir tells the story of two brothers and their mother navigating the grief process after losing their dad (and husband) to cancer. Grief isn’t linear, and the characters (and extended family) all process the death differently. The titular ghost is only visible to Alex, and their relationship is beautiful, showing that death doesn’t have to be the end.

Talking to My Father’s Ghost by Alex Krokus, (List Price: $22.95, Chronicle Books, 9781797228181, August 2025)

Reviewed by Daniel Jordan, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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You Can Never Die by Harry Bliss

Emotionally prepare yourself before reading this graphic memoir of a man and his beloved dog. Heartfelt and funny, cartoonist Harry Bliss takes us through his day-to-day musings about daily life alongside his trusty, four-legged sidekick.

You Can Never Die by Harry Bliss, (List Price: $32, Celadon Books, 9781250883681, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Gender Queer is Maia Kobabe’s autobiography about eir journey to identifying as nonbinary and asexual, and coming out to eir family and society. I devoured this book in one sitting. Usually, I struggle with graphic novels because my brain has a hard time processing images and words at the same time, but this was so seamless and gorgeously put together that I flew through it with no trouble at all! I laughed, I teared up, and most of all, I learned. As a heterosexual, cis-gender person, I can never fully understand what it’s like to identify as anyone else. But Kobabe’s memoir is so honest and vulnerable that I feel I’ve come that much closer to understanding. Gender Queer deals with so many issues that every young person goes through in life, no matter how they identify. Things like dealing with body hair that shows up during puberty, figuring out who you are and what you want in your friendships and relationships, how to say no in uncomfortable situations, self-acceptance, and how to express yourself. But it also deals with topics that we need to talk about more – like gender dysphoria, coming out, and using proper pronouns. It’s an essential read for everyone – whether you’re looking for beautiful representation or a path to learn more about our nonbinary and asexual friends. Gender Queer is an award-winning book for a reason! I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, (List Price: $19.99, Oni Press, 9781549304002, May 2019)

Reviewed by Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Ginseng Roots: A Memoir by Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson bursts back onto the Comix scene with this exquisitely crafted hybrid memoir/socio-cultural essay that explores his youthful experience working Wisconsin’s Ginseng farms and the fascinating history of this prized root as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. A book as rich in information as it is beautifully adorned.

Ginseng Roots: A Memoir by Craig Thompson, (List Price: $35, Pantheon, 9780593700778, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Precious Rubbish by Kayla E.

Kayla E. is a ferociously inventive and blisteringly effective comix maker with an incredibly focused, original vision. Something of Chris Ware’s laser-honed visual sense and brutally tragicomic writing is in her artistic DNA, but melded with a rawer, bodily expression not unlike Lynda Barry or Phoebe Gloeckner’s. Precious Rubbish almost violently morphs and subverts the bubblegum slapstick of Nancy, Little Lulu, et al, and subverts the candy shine surfaces of 20th C. commercial illustrations, to make a universe of pain, sorrow, and black humor go down like a Coke and a smile mixed with acid and lye. Utterly brilliant.

Precious Rubbish by Kayla E., (List Price: $29.99, Fantagraphics, 9781683969280, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Audrey Hepburn by Dorilys Giachetto

I’m not a huge reader of graphic novels, but when I saw this, I knew I had to open it up. I already had a lot of knowledge of her lifetime as she was a big idol of mine growing up, and she always reminded me of my dad. The content of this novel really spans her entire lifetime, summing it up perfectly, and I was also obsessed with the illustrative style used. I think it made it so much more special that her son, Luca, was part of the foreword as well.

Audrey Hepburn by Dorilys Giachetto, (List Price: $24.99, NBM Publishing, 9781681123462, November 2024)

Reviewed by Kenzie Karoly, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America by Rafael Medoff

WOW WOW WOW WOW. Where do I even begin with this review. First of all, the four men this is written about are true heroes and truly badass. Animated like a classic comic book and even is “narrated” by Lee Falk, the creator of the Phantom comics. Broken up into four stories about four men who helped get the news about the Holocaust to America and try to stop the Nazi war on Jews. Each story had my heart racing, tears starting, and honestly I don’t think I blinked this entire book. Random thoughts while reading: It is wild that Alan Cranston was only 24 during the time he printed “the book Hitler didn’t want you to read” ( an ACTUAL English translation of the German Mein Kampf). The Captain aboard the St. Louis was a total badass and refused to let the Jewish refugee passengers go back to Germany if they could not find refuge in Cuba. I absolutely love that there is a real life bio at the end of each story telling you about the actual person the story was written about. It’s heartbreaking that all these men thought that they didn’t do that much to help them in the end (limitations out of their control), but in reality they saved tens of thousands of Jewish people. America sucks. Wild how history is repeating itself – another genocide and America refusing to step in and help even though that’s literally what the foundation of this country was supposed to be built on *insert major eye roll* Absolutely incredible read overall, especially if you are interested in WWII. I am not sure why the stories of these four men are not taught in school, but more people need to be made aware of their courageous stories.

Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America by Rafael Medoff, (List Price: $19.99, Dark Horse Books, 9781506737607, FEbruary 2024)

Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Spotlight on: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

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Maia Kobabe Photo Credit Maia Kobabe

I spent a lot of time not knowing what I was, not having a label for how I felt. I can’t tell you how many countless pages of journal entries I wrote asking, “Am I gay, am I bi, am I a lesbian, am I a boy, am I a girl, am I neither, am I half and half” etc. This questioning took up a huge amount of my mental space, and I definitely wanted to hold the readers in that period of uncertainty, in that undefined grey area. ” ―Maia Kobabe, Interview, Geeks Out

 

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

What booksellers are saying about Gender Queer

  • Gender Queer is Maia Kobabe’s autobiography about eir journey to identifying as nonbinary and asexual, and coming out to eir family and society. It’s an essential read for everyone – whether you’re looking for beautiful representation or a path to learn more about our nonbinary and asexual friends. Gender Queer deals with so many issues that every young person goes through in life, no matter how they identify. It is an award-winning book for a reason! ―Emily Lessig from The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia
    Buy from The Violet Fox Bookshop

  • I think the thing I admired most about this book was the tender honesty with which Kobabe shares eir most intimate and private moments. This book shares with us the story of a brilliantly unique life while also inviting the reader in and bridging the gap between author and reader in the most personal ways. E leaves no detail of eir story unexplored or unexposed. How gracious e is with us, to be so truthful. Excellently done. Highly recommend to anyone curious to understand and learn more about the lived experiences of genderqueer individuals, or to anyone genderqueer themself looking to see themselves in literature.
      ―Juliet Rosner from E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
    Buy from E. Shaver, bookseller

  • A beautiful memoir of self-discovery and what Maia overcame as a teen/young adult to finally feel at home in eir body, and things e *still* struggles with to this day. Captures the confusing and overwhelming experiences of young LGBTQ persons in a relatable, sometimes humorous(!) way  ―Mallory Sutton from Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia
    Buy from Bards Alley

About Maia Kobabe

Maia Kobabe is a nonbinary, queer author and illustrator from the Bay Area, California. Eir first full length book, Gender Queer: A Memoir, was published in May 2019. Maia’s short comics have been published by The Nib and in many anthologies including The Secret Loves of Geek, Faster That Light Y’All, Gothic Tales of Haunted Love, Shout Out, Advance Death Saves and Be Gay, Do Comics. Before setting out to work freelance full-time, e worked for over ten years in libraries. Eir work is heavily influenced by fairy tales, homesickness, and the search for identity.

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MonsterMind: Dealing With Anxiety & Self-Doubt by Alfonso Casas

Casas’ most recent graphic novel is a wonderful, poignant dive into living with mental health issues. Creating monsters out of feelings, Casas gives a visual representation of how trauma, anxiety, fear, and other pests affect daily life, especially in the midst of a pandemic. I really appreciated the hopeful but realistic ending of this. It’s a reminder that though these things will always live with us, there are ways to fight them.

MonsterMind: Dealing With Anxiety & Self-Doubt by Alfonso Casas, (List Price: $19.99, Ablaze, 9781950912476, January 2022)

Reviewed by Grace Quinn, Foggy Pine Books in Boone, North Carolina

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Mennonite Valley Girl by Carla Funk

After reading the very first page, I knew I’d love this book. Funk’s language is poetic, and the humor is soft and subtle. I braced myself for trauma, but was so delighted to find the interior life of a young girl who wants more out of life than what she sees around her. Universal, old as time, yet fresh and gripping. I saw myself in every page.

Mennonite Valley Girl by Carla Funk, (List Price: 27.95, Greystone Books, 9781771645157, September 2021)

Reviewed by Sissy Gardner, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Dear Senthuran by Awaeke Emezi

A dazzling and devastating look into the life of one of the most unique voices of modern lit. Read to learn how an Ogbanje navigates the highs and lows of success. You may have more in common with a god than you think. (would ‘spirit’ be a better substitute for ‘god’ here? I can’t recall if they refer to themselves as ‘god’ or ‘godly’ throughout) Emezi paints their world with a set of custom brushes. No matter the angle of your view, the picture comes to life in this book. Although these letters are personal and specific, the messages relayed will resonate with a wide audience. The prose, as always, is visceral, raw, and unflinching. The words center around heartbreak and personhood, destruction and growth. A sibling book to their astounding debut, Freshwater.

Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi (List Price: $27.00, Riverhead Books, 9780593329191, 5/11/2021)

Reviewed by Caroline Bergeron, Garden District Bookshop in New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts

One Friday in early November 1954, sixth three year-Old Annie Wilkins left Minot, Maine in with her little dachshund mix Depeche Toi, her Morgan horse Tarzan, a few dollars, and not much more than the clothes on her back. But what Annie had that no one could see was pluck. Pluck and determination and a plan, to walk with Depeche Toi and Tarzan all the way to California to fulfill the dream her mother never got to see realized. This absolutely delightful story of Annie’s journey will no doubt make readers laugh, shake their heads in disbelief, cringe with worry, and stir up a bit of both horse love and wanderlust. This is THE Feel-good book of the summer, and i can’t wait to put it in the hands of my customers.

The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts (List Price: $28, Ballantine Books, 9780525619321, 6/1/2021)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Finding Freedom by Erin French

Foodies rejoice!!! This sophisticated memoir will have your mouth watering to know more about this amazing author. I love the restaurant. The harder it is to get in the more determined people will be to get a reservation. Determination, grit, and talent take this book well into place as my favorite nonfiction book of the year.

Finding Freedom by Erin French (List Price: $28, Celadon Books, 9781250312341, 4/6/2021)

Reviewed by Jean Lewis, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

Fans of Fun Home and Are You My Mother will not be disappointed by The Secret to Superhuman Strength! While Alison Bechdel’s previous two books mix her own memories with her parents’ stories, her newest book is all her own, told through her relationship to exercise and the outdoors. It would not be a Bechdel book without bringing in philosophers; in this case, Bechdel touches on Jack Kerouac, the transcendentalists, Buddhist thinkers, and more. I was particularly drawn to the vibrancy of the coloring in this book. I tried to only read one section of this book at a time to make it last longer, but I couldn’t resist consuming it in two sittings!

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (List Price: $24, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 9780544387652, 5/4/2021)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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