What Are We Reading? Recommended Graphic Novels Spring 2025 List
Back in April we revamped our KCU Book Club into a BYOB event… “Bring your own book!”
We asked KCU members to come to the meeting with a graphic novel or other book they can recommend, and to share it with the group. The goal is to help all of us find new gems that we might not have heard about before.
We got everything from graphic novels, to self-help, to art books. Check out our community recommendations:
Ashes by Alvaro Ortiz
Ryan recommended Ashes for its exceptional cartooning and “Wes Anderson meets Coen Brothers” vibe. He especially loved how it discussed death and how we historically care for the dead.
Adult Graphic Novel
Three old friends reunite for the mother of all road trips! One of Spain’s most brilliant graphic novelists finally makes his English-language debut in this elegantly unpredictable gem.
Polly, Moho, and Piter haven’t seen each other in years. Now they’ve piled into a car for a loooong journey to a mysterious cross marked on a map. All their old personality conflicts are resurrected as this surreal reunion gets underway. Up ahead are car chases, alcohol, roadside motels, banjo-playing thugs, and a monkey!
Pearl by Sherri L. Smith, illustrated by Christine Norrie
Erin found Pearl refreshing: to read a story about World War II not only from a teen girl’s perspective, but that of a Japanese-American.
Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Amy is a 13-year-old Japanese-American girl from Hawaii. When her great-grandmother falls ill, Amy travels to visit family in Hiroshima for the first time.
But this is 1941. When the Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor, Amy cannot return home. Conscripted into translating English for the Japanese army, Amy struggles with fears about her family amidst rumors of internment camps in America — even as she makes a new best friend and Japan starts to feel something like home. Torn between two countries at war, Amy must find hope in the face of unthinkable tragedy.
Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
Erin also loved the art and cute family moments in Brownstone…But she’s still mad at the parents in this book! 😉
Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met. Now, with her mother headed on a trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but she must navigate his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.
As Almudena tries to adjust, she gets to know the residents of the neighborhood. Each one has their own joys and heartbreaks, as well as strong opinions on how she should talk, dress, and behave.
Mooncop by Tom Gauld
Jeff recommends Mooncop for Tom Gauld’s restrained sense of humor and comic style. “It’s very slow and delicious,” according to Jeff, and we couldn’t agree more.
Adult Graphic Novel
The lunar colony is slowly winding down, like a small town circumvented by a new super highway.
As our hero, the Mooncop, makes his daily rounds, the population dwindles and his beat grows ever smaller. A young girl runs away, a dog breaks off his leash, an automaton wanders off from the Museum of the Moon.
Who Smashed Hollywood Barriers with Gung Fu?: Bruce Lee by Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Ryan Inzana
Patrick came to our book club with a book by a KCU member, Teresa Robeson! As someone who is well versed in the subject matter, Patrick thought the entire book, a biography of Bruce Lee that is part of the WhoHQ line of graphic novels, was well-researched.
Early Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Follow Bruce Lee as he breaks ground and makes gung fu (also known as kung fu) popular through the 1960s show The Green Hornet—pushing boundaries as the first Asian American man in a major supporting television role.
Immerse yourself in Bruce’s journey to stardom as he fights to authentically showcase his martial-arts skills on screen.
One Bite at a Time by Ryan Claytor
Patrick one-upped himself and brought ANOTHER book by a KCU member who was also at our meeting: Ryan Claytor! Patrick wanted to highlight One Bite at a Time and Ryan’s Kickstarter success story.
Adult Art Book
An oversized, hardcover art book featuring 20 years of art, illustration, and design by Ryan Claytor.
The theme of “process” runs heavily throughout as Claytor pulls back the curtain on his artistic methods, showcasing many behind-the-scenes images that led to each finished work of art. One Bite at a Time is a publication formatting tour de force with many specialty interior pages such as gatefolds, vellum overlays, die-cut reveals, and more.
One Piece All Faces by Oda Eiichiro
Bailey (aka me, the person writing this!) recommended One Piece All Faces, an art book of every face drawn in the manga — great for referencing expressions in her work.
Adult Art Book
One Piece All Faces is a visual book series documenting every facial expression made in the manga series, published by Shueisha and compiled by AI.
Each chapter contains the faces from one volume. At the end of each installment is an interview with the compilers, who explain the process of capturing the faces and share images of failed attempts. They explain how they trained the AI, and discuss issues that occurred during the production process.
Buy on Amazon
The Confessional by Page Hender
Bailey also recommended The Confessional for its stunning minimal color palette. If you were, in Bailey’s own words, “raised Catholic and now a goth,” this is the book for you.
Adult Graphic Novel
New Orleans, 1922. Cora Velasquez lives with her sister in a speakeasy run by a vampire coven. Unable to bear the weight of her damned soul, she turns to Father Orville Thibodeaux, a charismatic priest and the object of her hidden desires.
Their courtship becomes deadly serious when he discovers her true nature. So begins the charged dance between an all-powerful but unsure young woman, and the mortal man who claims to hold her fate in his hand.
Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi
Jade recommended Children of the Sea for its gorgeous watercolor illustrations. She’s studying the manga for its panel cuts and cinematic storytelling. “It hits you in the feels!” she exclaimed.
YA Graphic Novel
When Ruka was young, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does.
Ruka’s dad and the other adults are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish.
Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales, illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido
Bob wanted to talk about a comics passion project that inspires his own work. A long-running series that was first published in France in 2000, Blacksad is considered a classic by many, including our book club.
Adult Graphic Novel
Detective John Blacksad returns, with a new case that takes him to a 1950s New Orleans filled with hot jazz and cold-blooded murder! Hired to discover the fate of a celebrated pianist, Blacksad finds his most dangerous mystery yet in the midst of drugs, voodoo, the rollicking atmosphere of Mardi Gras, and the dark underbelly that it hides!
Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur
Janna’s son introduced her to Hooky and she really liked how the tone shifted from cozy silliness to a darker storyline, while maintaining a strong emotional core.
Middle Grade Graphic Novel
When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the King of Witches, and royals searching for missing princes.
But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher on their side, they might be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?
Write Useful Books by Ryan Fitzpatrick
While Write Useful Books is a “how to” book about writing non-fiction, Janna found a lot of it could be applicable to creators of other types of books (including graphic novels). “The advice was so practical, especially about how to get good feedback and enlist reader support early in the process!”
Adult Nonfiction
This guide proposes a different way of planning, writing, and refining nonfiction, drawn from the hard-won lessons of product designers & entrepreneurs.
Applied properly, it leads to books that can grow organically via reader recommendations for many years, without relying on either heavy marketing or a large author platform.
Ash’s Cabin – Jen Wang
Bob gave a glowing review of Jen Wang’s new book, Ash’s Cabin, highlighting its empathetic depiction of a rebellious yet naive teen spirit.
YA Graphic Novel
Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life.
The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. What if it’s still there? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start.
That’s all for this book club roundup… stay tuned for our next one! We hope you found lots of books to add to your TBR pile.
Want to Recommend Another One?
If you recently read a book you loved, we’d love to hear about it! Tell us about it in the comments below!
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