Check out this month’s staff picks from the Betty’s Books crew!
Alain’s Pick
Dreaming In Color by Natalie Andrewson (she/her)
In this mini art-book full of lush illustrations, artist Nicole Goux captures the sacred rites of getting ready to go out: the quiet before the party, the anticipation before the date, and the spiritual creation of self in the safe space of your inner sanctuary.
I’m always a fan of Nicole Goux’s work. The illustrations in Rituals have such great color usage, character diversity, and mood, making this the perfect coffee table zine or art desk companion. Messes are made beautiful as the act of getting ready is enshrined in this loving and intentional light. This would make a great gift for a fashionable friend in your life!
Alex’s Pick
The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
As always, The First Cat in Space series hits just right! This book is as engaging and funny as its two predecessors and I had a blast reading it.
The art wonderfully conveys characters’ emotions and jokes, and I loved seeing First Cat outside of his suit, existing as a cute kitty. Just like the last two books, the in-story songs were super fun, and I’m dying to hear the album itsel f, which will drop when the book releases on November 5th. Check out the First Cat series website here to see all the fun stuff the creators have put out to go with the books!
This series is one of my favorites in the whole store, and I sell so many copies to kids and adults alike looking for a fun time. Volume 3 will be no different — I can’t wait to tell everyone about it!
Betty’s Pick
#DRCL Midnight Children by Shin’ichi Sakamoto
I was searching for a spooky season read that wouldn’t terrify a horror baby like me, and some tasty new manga to gobble up. Enter #DRCL Midnight Children, a retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel, Dracula. It also won Best New Manga at the inaugural American Manga Awards this August–check and check
Though the plot stays remarkably true to Dracula through the first three volumes, the adaptations are a thrill. The standout adaptive choices are: 1) the story takes place at an elite boys boarding school 2) Mina is one of our main characters (In Dracula, it’s her husband, Jonathan) though her role at the school becomes increasingly mysterious 3) the character of Luke is a normal–but extremely beautiful–English boy by day, but at night she becomes Lucy, an extremely beautiful girl who falls under Dracula’s thrall. These adaptations plus the gorgeous–often surrealist– artwork and the Queer themes make this series stand out among the vast array of Dracula-inspired works out there.
As a little amuse-bouche of the stunning visuals from the series, imagine a really hot, goth Dracula soaring in a chariot pulled by flying wolves above a serene moonlit bay. Oh, and he has a whip and everything is just a shade fuzzy. This is a good time to say this series is rated M for mature. Though it’s explicit, it’s purposeful, and usually in the service of creepiness and disorienting the reader. I would recommend this series for folks 18 and up.
I’ve already recruited Alex and several other folks to this series…will you be next?
Emma’s Pick
Go with the Flow by Lily Williams & Karen Schneeman
A friendship story…period! This wonderful middle grade book follows a group of high school girls on a mission to end period inequality. When Sasha is surprised with her first period, the school bathroom was out of supplies to help her get through the day! The gang brings this to the attention of their principal, who immediately dismisses them. Now, they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands.
This book thoughtfully depicts many different experiences that come with menstruation, and I especially appreciated the depiction of Brit’s cycle. She deals with very intense, painful symptoms, possibly a symptom of an underlying issue. She often has to miss school, activities, and other obligations which puts her behind in both her studies and her social life. Luckily, her friends are there to comfort her and remind her that she is not alone!
I loved this book at nineteen, but I know that 12-year-old Emma would’ve absolutely adored this novel! At that age, I was super confused why everyone was so secretive about menstruation. If it happens to over half of the population, why is everyone so ashamed? Even though it was explained to me many times and many ways, I will still never fully understand or accept the shame that comes with being a human who menstruates. I hope that the little Emma’s out there read this and know that periods are not shameful, they’re a normal part of our lives!
Lottie’s Pick
Crave by Maria Llovet
Crave is my current obsession. It takes place in a private academy, where despite the prestige, the high school students are still teenagers. On a random school day, an app called Crave appears on every student’s phone. Its concept is simple; Type in what you want into the text field, and the app will tell you the probability of getting what you want, and what steps you need to take to secure it. Of course, the teens turn it into essentially a hookup app. As the mystery unravels, the mystery turned hookup app accumulates a body count, and not the kind the students are looking for. The main character, David, is split between using the app to get with his crush, or stopping it for once and for all before it can get a whole lot worse. The art in this book is so beautiful, the story just keeps thrilling, and you’ll end it satisfied and with a hope for more in the future. Maria Llovet is a breakout star in comics this fall, and everyone needs to take a look at the super talented double threat (writer AND artist) on the block.