By Emma Tippen
2024 was one of the best years to date! I finished my first year of college, made some amazing friends, found new passions, and most importantly, started my job at Betty’s Books! This has been my dream job for a while now, so getting hired was definitely one of the highlights of my year. I read some amazing comics this year, here are some of my favorites!
Diana: My Graphic Obsession by Sivan Piatigorsky-Roth
I will talk about this graphic novel until the cows come home, I am absolutely obsessed with it! It was my first staff pick at BB’s, so it holds a very special place in my heart. Even if you aren’t invested in the royal family, you will be captured by the phenomenal storytelling! I can’t recommend it enough!
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
In June, there were a bunch of signed books on display for pride month, one of which was The Deep Dark. I’m a Molly Knox Ostertag super fan, so I knew I had to have my hands on it. It was quite different from her other books which is what made it so amazing! Not only do I recommend reading the novel, but I also recommend reading about her process while writing The Deep Dark. Some things that happened seemed too eerie to be simply coincidences…
The Gulf by Adam de Souza
In July, The Gulf was the book club’s book of the month. Since I was freshly hired, I wanted to attend a book club even to see what the hype was all about. Thank goodness for our book club, because this became one of my favorite graphic novels!
Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair by Lucy Knisley
My first week at Betty’s also happened to be the week of Lucy Knisley’s book signing event! It was so awesome to meet her, and I ended up absolutely adoring this comic! I laughed so much, and can definitely see my own cat in Linney. If you’re a cat lover, you’ll surely love Woe!
Black Paradox by Junji Ito
This book has been highly recommended by former BB’s Bookseller Lottie, so I figured I’d give it a go! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! It was phenomenal, and I’d expect nothing less from Junji Ito. This manga is one of a kind, I’ve never read anything like it! If you are looking for your next page turner, I highly recommend Black Paradox!