#jessi zabarsky

[haveyoureadthiscomic-poll]

[godzilla-reads]

🕯 Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I got this book since I was a sucker for the “judged a book by its cover” buy. I picked it because the cover had a very fall and autumn vibe to it and in a way, this was totally a book on introspection and change, like the changing of the seasons.

Lelek is a witch. That’s all Sanja knows about her when they meet in a marketplace, but as their lives intersect Lelek’s past starts to come to light.

I loved this. I’m a sucker for graphic novels and these one felt like it was made for me. I loved the diverse body shapes and colors of all the characters. I loved the progression of Sanja and Lelek’s relationship. The soft art, the natural surroundings. I liked the types of magic and the personalities of all the characters we meet.

One thing that I really enjoyed was how Lelek the Witch went from being distrustful of everyone she met and slowly creating a community of loved ones around herself. By the end of the book I was almost in tears from all the development that she experienced.

“But the best thing I’ve learned is to trust that people don’t naturally want to hurt me. That most people’s nature is to be kind.”

[sophia-sol]

Coming Back, by Jessi Zabarsky

An f/f fantasy romance graphic novel, with lovely art in limited palettes. I found it difficult to follow in places, especially in the parts where it's light on words and dialogue. Its ending is also pretty didactic; it's definitely something along the lines of a parable, with an intended meaning to take from it. But there were parts that were definitely touching and powerful nonetheless. I think for people who have stronger abilities than me at reading visuals, this could be a worthwhile read.

[slaughter-books]

Day 16: JOMPBPC: Graphic Novels

Four absolutely wonderful graphic novels! 💕

[geekcavepodcast]

Marvel Comics and Abrams Books Announce “Marvel Super Stories”

Abrams Books is releasing a collection of stories for middle-grade readers. Marvel Super Stories is an anthology consisting of new six-page stories from some big names in comics. John Jennings is the editor of the book.

Characters and stories in Marvel Super Stories include:

Black Panther from Jerry Craft

Wiccan rom Mike Curato

Miles Morales Spider-Man from C. G. Esperanza

Iron Man from John Gallagher 

Shang-Chi from Gale Galligan 

The Hulk from Chris Giarrusso

Spider-Man from Nathan Hale 

Captain America from Michael Lee Harris 

Hawkeye from Ben Hatke 

Ms. Marvel from Priya Huq 

Daredevil from John Jennings 

Thor and Loki from George O’Connor

Namor from Lincoln Peirce 

Squirrel Girl from Maria Scrivan 

Ghost Spider from Jessi Zabarsky 

Marvel Super Stories goes on sale on October 17, 2023.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Cover of Marvel Super Stories)

[free-air-for-fish]

Lesser-Known Must-Read LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels/Comics

Lesser-Known Must-Read LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels/Comics

Recently, now that I’ve moved to a bigger city and thus gotten access to a larger library system, I have been avidly devouring graphic novels, comics, and manga books. In my explorations, I was able to read a ton of LGBTQ+ books. Here are some of my favorites from the past year or so, listed in no particular order. Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki Skim // Mariko and Jillian Tamaki Summary:…

[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Comic Corner Roundup: January

Comic Corner Roundup is a bi-monthly segment that compiles mini-reviews of comics, graphic novels, and manga that I’ve read recently. Here are my reviews for the month of January which includes a witch’s journey and a magical shop that grants wishes. Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky (2020) Lelek is a witch. That’s all Sanja knows when she meets Lelek in the marketplace. But Lelek is hiding…

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

Middle School Monday: Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky 

Preet is magic. Valissa is not. They love each other, but sometimes it feels like love is not enough to make their relationship balanced. 

When a strange mist appears in the library where Valissa works, she volunteers to investigate it, even though it means leaving Preet behind. When Preet is alone, and decides to break one of the village’s laws, it’s just the beginning of her own journey. 

At the end of this book, the author’s note includes a reference to “making stories full of soft and difficult feelings,” and this is a good way to think about the emotional vibe of Coming Back. We spend a lot of time in the heads of Preet and Valissa, and much of that time is understanding their love for each other but also their heartache.

Give this book to older kids and younger teens who enjoy graphic novels (especially the aspect of visual storytelling), fantasy, magic, LGBQ romances, and characters who evolve over time.

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky

This LGBT+ fantasy/romance graphic novel follows two women as their lives come together and apart. Preet has magic powers, Valissa has none. Each of them must go on their own journey to help save their village, and maybe, just maybe, find their way back to each other. This one is beautifully illustrated in soft tones—perfect for when winter starts to melt into spring!

[chrisgiarrusso]

MARVEL SUPER STORIES is now on sale! Proud to have my Hulk tale among stories by Jerry Craft, Mike Curato, C. G. Esperanza, John Gallagher, Gale Galligan, Nathan Hale, Michael Lee Harris, Ben Hatke, Priya Huq, John Jennings, George O’Connor, Lincoln Peirce, Maria Scrivan, & Jessi Zabarsky!

[haveyoureadthiscomic-poll]

[godzilla-reads]

My three picks for graphic novels to read in October are:

🎃 Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

🐈‍⬛ The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

🕯 Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

[the-forest-library]

January 2023 Reads

Partners in Crime - Alisha Rai

Never Ever Getting Back Together - Sophie Gonzales (thank you, carrie!)

The Key to My Heart - Lia Louis

A Little Bit Country - Brian D. Kennedy

Funny You Should Ask - Elissa Sussman

A Guide to Being Just Friends - Sophie Sullivan

Mysteries of Thorn Manner - Margaret Rogerson

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett

Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier

Really Good, Actually - Monica Heisey

Dead Collections - Isaac Fellman

Ms. Demeanor - Elinor Lipman

They Never Learn - Layne Fargo

Five Survive - Holly Jackson

The Silence Between Us - Alison Gervais

6 Times We Almost Kissed - Tess Sharpe

The Star That Always Stays - Anna Rose Johnson

Illuminations - T. Kingfisher

The Witch Boy - Molly Knox Ostertag

Witchlight - Jessi Zabarsky

Hawkeye, Vol 1 - Matt Fraction

Hawkeye, Vol 2 - Matt Fraction

You Can Do All Things - Kate Allan

Divergent Mind - Jenara Nuremberg

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly - Margareta Magnusson

Unraveling - Peggy Orenstein

Windfall - Erika Bolstad

Quit - Annie Duke

Portable Magic - Emma Smith

Little Pieces of Hope - Todd Doughty (thanks, kim!)

This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch - Tabitha Carvan

Two Old Broads - Dr M.E. Hecht and Whoopi Goldberg

Year of the Tiger - Alice Wong 

Spare - Prince Harry

Hello, Molly! - Molly Shannon

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love - Yotam Ottolenghi

The Blue Zones American Kitchen - Dan Buettner

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

This was a really good reading month to start the year with. I was able to get to quite a few of the books on my physical TBR and really enjoyed the two books I was most looking forward to: Mysteries of Thorn Manor and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Goodreads Goal: 37/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads |

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads 

[cloudgremlin]

Tagged (invited on the hashtags) by @arcanacheque

Last Song: TEchnically some songs by ibi because I listen to them to sleep without getting sleep paralysis, but before that I was listening to Spotify’s Discover Weekly and Winter City Ghosts by Sparky Deathcap was on. Very good, I vibe.

Last Read: Short graphic novel Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky, tbh not my fav but the art was pretty (the themes didn’t quite tie properly with the story and it felt a bit over-talky-to-point-out-the-meaning at the end). Reading through Goblin Mode by McKayla Coyle and wanting to start The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech (one of my favouritest books ever, also I have owned it for over a decade)

Currently Watching: Frieren, Apothecary Diaries, and rewatching all of Natsume Yuujinchou bc I love it very much uwu

Current Obsession: The Current Vibe is medieval/folktale inspired and knightcore, with some illuminated manuscripts a la 14th century monk thrown in. I can feel myself falling into a desire to make kumihimo bands, but I am bravely resisting the temptation because I have to finish embroidering patches for my jacket first! And to go with the Vibe I am quite into medieval inspired clothing rn, really wanting to buy some nice linen and wool to hand-sew some stuff with. I’ve also been writing short stories inspired by Tove Jansson’s work and those are always in my head now because that’s what happens when I write, lol.

Tagging @festivepuppetryy and @ideligo bc I am an evil mutual >:3c

[jerrydevine]

6, 16, 28 and 30📚

omg katie thank uuu <33

6. your favorite book trope? this is so hard bc i feel like so many tropes im thinking of are for romance and i read zero romance 🤔. hmm.. well i do love when magic systems are built on words or communication... like in earthsea and foundryside by robert jackson bennett :)

16. the book that made you fall in love with reading? i don't have an exact answer for when i was younger bc i was reading allll the time but i remember being OBSESSED with ivy's ever after by dawn lairamore. i went to the school library probably once a day begging for more books by dawn lairamore but she only ever had two published :'(.. when i was older and got back into reading for pleasure it took me like 4 months to finish song of achilles but after that i was back to reading as much as i could just like when i was a kid :')

28. the last book you read? did you like it? it was a new release graphic novel called mimosa by archie bongiovanni. it was um so fucking millennial the characters were annoying. love that it ended with all of them not being friends anymore but i didn't really enjoy my time there..

30. give any 3 book recs to your followers! AH YAHH OK HERE WHAT YOU SHOULD READ:

1) coming back by jessi zabarsky :) ya fantasy graphic novel lesbian style .. i reallyyyyy loved the way children and parenthood were explored in here ... it felt like such an interesting example of the importance of community and sharing <3

2) the hour of the star by clarice lispector ! short story narrated from someone who is completely removed from the life of this girl named macabéa and explores all the wild things that happen to her just because she is poor in rio de janeiro.. absurdist in a way that i loooved :) it's super short and i haven't stopped thinking about it since last year when i read it for class !

3) foundryside by robert jackson bennett.. i know i already mentioned it up there but it's soooo good... my mama read it and she only reads books if she's actually obsessed with them so its high praise :) surprise lesbians. like main character crazy good at fantasy coding lesbians who french :')

[namor-the-submariner-dot-net]

Marvel Super Stories

This is a book for the general public / middle graders published by a book publisher, not Marvel Comics. I'm THRILLED to see Namor on the cover and with a story! Besides the movies and games, this is how Namor gets introduced to the next generation who, TBH, just don't read floppy comics. It takes it's title from Spidey Super Stories, which may hint at the vibe and audience they are going for. The famous and fabulous, Namor and Doom tooting horn, comes from Spidey Super Stories.

"Marvel Comics is an institution that has inspired so many imaginations across the world, including my own. With Marvel Super Stories we get to continue that legacy, presenting the best and brightest creators coupled with the most marvelous heroes.” Creators with stories in the book include: Black Panther: Jerry Craft (New Kid) Wiccan: Mike Curato (Flamer) Miles Morales Spider-Man: C. G. Esperanza (Soul Food Sunday) Iron Man: John Gallagher (Max Meow) Shang-Chi: Gale Galligan (The Baby-Sitters Club) The Hulk: Chris Giarrusso (G-Man) Spider-Man: Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales) Captain America: Michael Lee Harris (Choco Leche) Hawkeye: Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl) Ms. Marvel: Priya Huq (Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab) Daredevil: John Jennings (Kindred: The Graphic Novel Adaptation) Thor and Loki: George O’Connor (The Olympians) Namor: Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate) Squirrel Girl: Maria Scrivan (Nat Enough) Ghost Spider: Jessi Zabarsky (Witchlight) Together, this incredible roster of cartoonists delivers a new kind of Marvel story for readers young and old alike, and introduces a new audience to the Marvel Super Hero magic that can transport you to the world outside your window." Marvel Super Stories will be released on October 17, 2023

Source

For those that don't follow middle grade comic books, Lincoln Peirce is a big name in the category. His books are very popular at my library.