If you go to my Goodreads profile, you’ll see that I read a lot of graphic novels, both in English and French. When people think of graphic novels, they usually assume that they are superhero stories, but there are a lot of different genres out there. Here are some of my favorite graphic novels in no particular order.
The Gulf – Adam de Souza
In this graphic novel, a group of high school friends decide to run away to join a commune on a remote Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver. The artwork is both striking and evocative, and the story is engaging.
Adam de Souza is a Canadian cartoonist who received the Cartoonist Studio Prize for his 2022 comic strip Blind Alley.
Book Love – Debbie Tung
This is definitely my all-time favorite graphic novel! Debbie Tung shares her love of books, libraries and bookstores. It seems that this book was made for me! I also love her beautiful drawings.
Book Love was nominated for Best Graphic Novels & Comics of 2019 in the Goodreads Choice Awards.
Heartstopper – Alice Oseman
This one is very popular right now, and it’s a series with 5 volumes so far. Charlie and Nick, two teenagers in the same high school, become friends, even though they are quite different: Charlie is a shy over-thinker and Nick is a popular rugby player. Over time, their friendship evolves into something more. This is a sweet graphic novel with wonderful artwork.
Heartstopper won the Readers’ Choice prize at the 2022 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, and the writer also won the Breakthrough Author award.
Days of Sand – Aimée de Jongh
During the Great Depression, a photographer is tasked with documenting the conditions in the Dust Bowl of the Midwest and the South. This graphic novel is based on historical facts, and the artwork is stunning with vivid colors.
Days of Sand won Forbes’ Best Graphic Novels of 2022 and The Guardian’s Best Graphic Novels of 2022 among many other awards.
Hostage – Guy Delisle
Guy Delisle, a Quebecois author, has made several travelogues that are amazing. In this graphic novel, he tells the true story of Christophe André, a Doctors Without Borders administrator, who was kidnapped by armed men in 1997 in the Caucasus region.
Hostage was nominated for a Doug Wright Award for Best Book and was a Honor Winner of the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize.
Paul Has a Summer Job – Michel Rabagliati
Michel Rabagliati writes great semi-autobiographical stories that I just love. The Paul series has 9 books, and they’re all excellent. If you can, read them in French as there are Quebecois expressions that are very colorful.
Michel Rabagliati’s graphic novels have won two Doug Wright Awards for Best Book and a Harvey Award.
To Kill a Mockingbird: The Graphic Novel
A lot of classics have been made into graphic novels to reach new audiences. This one was particularly well done and close to Harper Lee’s novel. The gorgeous artwork makes the Deep South of the 1930s come to life.
The original book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.
Ducks – Kate Beaton
In this non-fiction graphic novel, Kate Beaton writes about her harsh experience working in the Alberta oil sands to pay off her student loans before returning to her natal Cape Breton.
Ducks won the 2023 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Memoir and the 2023 Canada Reads, among other awards.
