The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Comics & Graphic Novels

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa
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Nothing is more awkward than a first kiss, and Ingrid Ochoa captures that so well and makes it interesting when senior student Sara Lin gets bet by her friend to kiss a stranger. What ensues is secret disguises, new crushes, and so many twists and turns. Will Sara get her kiss? Will she pass Calculus!? Can’t wait to see where this story goes!

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa, (List Price: $18.99, WEBTOON Unscrolled, 9781998341146, February 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa
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Just how far are you willing to go for a bet? Would you kiss a cute stranger on the subway? I have followed this comic for so so long and I’m elated to see it in print! Team subway boy all the way!

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa, (List Price: $18.99, WEBTOON Unscrolled, 9781998341146, February 2025)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Detective Beans by Li Chen

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Detective Beans by Li Chen
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This might actually be the cutest thing I have ever read. I\’m not lying when I say that I shed a tear because my body could not handle how cute it was (and from how hard I was laughing).Bonus points – I have a cat named Beans so it was so sweet thinking about her playing detective kitty.

Detective Beans by Li Chen, (List Price: $12.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524882587, October 2024)

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

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All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion

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All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion
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If you know me, you know this got downloaded the SECOND I saw Princess Diana’s name. Such cute, almost Studio Ghibli-type illustrations, a beautiful (and sometimes very emotional) story following one family in the day after Diana’s death. This graphic novel touches on many deep subjects which left me tearing up while reading it. Easy and enjoyable read.

All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion, (List Price: $24.99, Abrams ComicArts, 9781419776649, November 2024)

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

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Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen

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Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen
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Olivier Schrauwen’s Sunday is an epic of interiority, emerging like a psychological hologram out of one fragile, mundane, ridiculous, precious human mind to commune with a world of love, sex, art, work, time, and experience at the nexus of the goofy and the transcendent: imagine James Joyce’s Ulysses as a comic book.

Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen, (List Price: $39.99, Fantagraphics, 9781683969679, October 2024)

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

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The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 2 by Sumiko Arai

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The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 2 by Sumiko Arai
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This series is utter perfection, NO NOTES. I’ve been keeping up with this one since it was unofficially translated, and I love that it has an intersection of two of my favorite things– rock music and gay stuff 🙂 The pops of bright green with the art style are so eye-catching and fun, so glad more people get to experience this story!!

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 2 by Sumiko Arai, (List Price: $20, Yen Press, 9798855412598, February 2025)

Reviewed by Sam Conners, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Audrey Hepburn by Dorilys Giachetto

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Audrey Hepburn by Dorilys Giachetto
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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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Ditching Saskia by John Moore

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Ditching Saskia by John Moore
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What we all wouldn’t give to resurrect a lost one, even to spend just a few days with them? In Damian’s world you can, but one small hiccup is he ends up bringing back not his mom but a young dead girl. This story is all about the unexpected ways life gives us the answers we need. Themes of belonging, loss, guilt and abandonment and yet so much hope in the messiness. Perfect for fall and Studio Ghibli fans!

Ditching Saskia by John Moore, (List Price: $19.99, Flying Eye Books, 9781838741556, October 2024)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Final Cut by Charles Burns

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Final Cut by Charles Burns
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The latest graphic novel from Charles Burns is as visually stunning as ever, in his inimitable style. In this tale, we are presented with a melancholy, teenage angst story that verges on horror by the end. as a group of friends attempt to make a home movie. The autobiographical aspects may not be subtle, as one of the protagonists struggles with the difficulties of turning the images in his head into reality, but as we flit from the tortured artist to the girl he has become fixated on, taking in their mutual friends and his situation at home, Final Cut presents us with a moving, layered tale of creation and destruction.

Final Cut by Charles Burns, (List Price: $34, Pantheon, 9780593701706, September 2024)

Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Witchcraft: A Graphic History by Lindsay Squire

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Witchcraft: A Graphic History by Lindsay Squire
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Love love love this book! I absolutely adore the illustrations done by Salsi- they add to the whimsical vibes. This graphic novel was super educational among witchcraft, along with the story of Biddy Early. I would definitely recommend this to all readers.

Witchcraft: A Graphic History by Lindsay Squire, (List Price: $19.99, Leaping Hare Press, 9780711295254, October 2024)

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

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Halfway There by Christine Mari

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Halfway There by Christine Mari
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Get the audiobook

This had me SOBBING. For someone who is not mixed race, this was really eye-opening about the struggles that mixed-race children and adults face in their daily lives. I’m assuming this book would be very comforting for someone who also understands what the MC goes through. This really highlights the microaggressions that are often spoken. Really eye-opening and a very emotional ride. Beautiful story 10/10

Halfway There by Christine Mari, (List Price: $17.99, Little, Brown Ink, 9780316416726, October 2024)

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

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Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott

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Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott
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High school stands out in my mind as such a time for being awkward, self-critical, and overly romantic. This is the case for Erika, a new student who has a voice in her head that often makes her question herself and if she’s capable of making friends. Surely, something has to give! When her school opens up submissions for one-act plays, she writes one for her crush.. But she never expects him to agree to be her lead! Full of angst and obsession that only comes with a new crush.

Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott, (List Price: $15.99, Graphix, 9781338840407, October 2024)

Reviewed by Arthur Acton, Fiction Addiction in Winston-Salem, South Carolina

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Off Menu by Oliver Gerlach

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Off Menu by Oliver Gerlach
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I love a good cooking duel and this was great! The artwork was adorable and I loved the found family aspect of this!

Off Menu by Oliver Gerlach, (List Price: $24.99, little bee books, 9781499815030, October 2024)

Reviewed by sarah dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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Leap by Simina Popescu

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Leap by Simina Popescu
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I loved everything about this story! This touched on typical dancer struggles, like eating disorders, cruel instructors, and envy among the students but it was done in a way that I feel lots of people who aren’t in dance can relate to. But much more than just a story about dancers, we are following Ana, who is struggling with her identity, her relationships, being queer, and her struggle to figure herself out. I also really appreciated the color pallet that was chosen for this story and the times when the artist utilized other brighter colors as part of the storytelling.

Leap by Simina Popescu, (List Price: $17.99, Roaring Brook Press, 9781250838308, November 2024)

Reviewed by Sarah Blackwell, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee

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Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee
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LITERALLY SO CUTE!!! This book is perfect for any pre-teen to read. And also just for anyone else. You follow the main character in her time before turning twelve, experiencing all the problems pre-teen girls go through- first periods, graduating from training bra to normal bra, shaving, feeling out of place, and discovering your sexuality. This book also includes segments where she deals with a toxic religious youth group. Telling her that women were made by god to complement men. How women should dress modestly to keep boys’ thoughts at bay. And how being gay makes god cry. Beautiful, happy ending. Wonderful read.

Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee, (List Price: $21.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593650066, October 2024)

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

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