I love graphic novels. I’ve been reading and collecting them for quite a while, and I’ve amassed what I think is a pretty good collection. I decided this summer to read them all again. It’s been about ten years since starting my collection, I think, and a big anniversary like that deserves a celebration. I feel like I could talk for hours about what graphic novels, especially the ones I personally own, mean to me. When I reread a graphic novel that I have loved for a long time, it feels like coming home. There is a comfort in the familiar stories and artwork. It can take me back to a simpler time, when I was just a teenager eager to differentiate myself and find my place in the world. The graphic novels inspire me, connect me to people I haven’t met, but who share similar hopes, dreams, and life experiences. They show me different perspectives and different experiences. And the art that fills the pages make the stories contained in them that much more real and alive.
The first graphic novels I decided to reread were by Lucy Knisley. She writes about her personal life, working through her experiences by putting the pen to the page. My two favorite books of hers are Relish and Something New.
Relish is all about food, specifically the food that shapes who we are as people. Knisley grew up with two foodie parents who worked in the food world, and as such she had a pretty refined palette for a kid in the ’80s and ’90s. She includes recipes for some of the iconic meals she ate in her childhood, as well as the stories that went along with them. It’s really a love letter to food, family, and memory. It makes me remember with fondness some of my own iconic meals and how they shaped me.
Something New details Knisley’s experiences with love and relationships. She and her now husband had a pretty on again, off again relationship when they first began to get to know each other and date. But ultimately, they were able to work through their differences and work to plan their wedding and make it their own. Special and unique, just like their relationship. This book is so sweet, with Knisley’s love for her husband tangible throughout. It makes me hopeful and excited to meet the right person for me and plan my own wedding someday.
The other two books I own by her are Age of License and Kid Gloves. Age of License is about a trip she took to Europe in her early 20’s. I like this one, but not as much as the others by her. Maybe I’m subconsciously jealous that I’ve yet to take a trip to Europe and have a hot Swedish boyfriend. Oh well. Still a light hearted read.
Kid Gloves is the story of how she had her first child. She talks about birth control, trying to conceive, and her pregnancy and birth story. This one is really emotional, as she almost died in childbirth and was pretty sick for a while after. I would really encourage you to read it if you are interested in pregnancy and birth stories.
I follow Lucy Knisley on social media, and I hope to one day go to one of her book signing events. She also really loves bike commuting, which I like a lot too! She’s been writing and drawing a lot of middle grade books lately, but I’m hoping for a new adult graphic novel from her soon.
I’ll talk more about my collection in part 2! And as for the recipes, I still haven’t pulled them out of my parent’s garage. The past few weeks have been busy for my mom and we haven’t gotten a chance to go through the recipes. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to write more about that! But I really wanted to write a post, so here you go. I hope you enjoy!
~Muriel
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