In 2020, I challenged myself to read a book a day and made my goal of 366 books (as it was a leap year!). This was made a little more possible by the state-wide shut-down in March of 2020, where California basically stopped operating and everyone stayed in their homes for months on end. In 2021, with going back to in-person teaching and a little bit of normal life, I brought that challenge down to 300. Then, a personal tragedy in November forced me well off my reading goal, so I *only* read 275 books in 2021. I'm still very pleased with how many books I was able to read. Here's to hopefully getting to 300 in 2022!
Normally I like to limit my best books to 10, but this year, I just couldn’t bring myself to cut it down! So that multiple volumes don't clog up this list, I have included all volumes of a series as one item. To be fair to everything I've read this year, I haven't included my personal favorite series that were being re-released this year, such as Fullmetal Alchemist, which received a beautiful hardcover edition, The Fullmetal Edition, or Sailor Moon, which is being republished in a really hefty Eternal Edition. #15 - Parasyte
Written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaka. Eight published volumes
Humans are destroying the planet and putting a strain on natural resources. Perhaps in answer to that, strange, parasitic alien lifeforms begin a slow invasion to infect Earth lifeforms and bring down the population. Some infect human hosts, others infect animal hosts. One attacks high schooler Izumi, but he manages to keep it inside his arm rather than let it worm its way into his brain. The parasite completely devours and replaces Izumi‘s right arm and becomes sentient. It feeds off of Izumi’s systems and protects him out of self-preservation. I read this series for a Halloween challenge, and it definitely has some creepy moments. This type of slow apocalypse is very plausible, and that adds to the unsettling feeling for readers. I don't normally go for the scary manga, but this one is very well done. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2 #14 - Akira
Written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo. Six oversized omnibus (2-in-1) volumes published
In the 1980s, strange explosions took out some of the major cities around the globe. Now, in 2032, Neo-Tokyo is a rough place to grow up. Tetsuo and Kaneda are high school students, but they’re also part of a rough biker gang that likes to push the boundaries of where they drive their bikes. In the seedy underbelly of this tough society is a secret government research team with an unknown tie to a project only known by one name: Akira. A young boy escapes from this research team and crosses paths with Kaneda and Tetsuo while they're out joyriding. This chance meeting brings Tetsuo into the crosshairs of the government agents, and has Kaneda searching for his friend - and answers. This series started out a little rough for me, but it definitely got under my skin, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Now that I've read a majority of the series, I'm seeing its influences all over the place - in video games, other manga, and sci-fi movies, to name a few. This is a classic manga series that every high school+ library should have because of its influence and importance to the format. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4 #13 - March
Written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. Three published volumes. Sequel series, Run, has one published volume and is ongoing.
On the morning of Barack Obama’s inauguration to his first term as president, Congressman John Lewis readies himself in his office in Washington D.C. A lady with two kids stops by the office, obviously not expecting the Congressman to be there, but they are delighted to find him and ask questions about his life and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. This launches Lewis down memory lane as he recounts his childhood from growing, going to school, and getting involved in the Civil Rights Movement from sit-ins, to the Freedom Riders, and more. This is a powerful story about a very difficult time in American History. Nate Powell's black-and-white illustrations are supremely rich, and bring this important story to life. The way Aydin and Lewis have crafted the narration makes you feel like you are sitting down with Lewis and he's telling you a story. It's very natural and immersive. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2 #12 - The Last Witch
Vol 1: Fear & Fire, written by Conor McCreey, illustrated by V. V. Glass, colored by Natalia Neserenko. One published volume, series ongoing
Saoirse comes into her strange witch powers in order to save her family and possibly the world. She adventures with her sassy Nan and her younger brother, Brahm, who help her take on the Four Handmaidens of the Cailleach. Saoirse is possibly strong enough to finally take down the terrible witches and rid the world of the threat of the Fae King being released from Tir Na Nog. The illustrations and coloring in this story are bright, vivid, and beautiful. Glass does a wonderful job of detailing expressive characters, while Nesereko's colors really bring them to life. Sara's Rating: 10/10 Suitability Level: Grades 7-12 Read the full review here: vol 1 #11 - Die
Vol 1: Fantasy heartbreaker, written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Stephanie Hans, lettered by Clayton Cowles. Four published volumes.
For Ash's 16th birthday, his best friend Solomon (Sol) creates a new role-playing game that pulls him and his friend group inside the game. Two years later, they come back to the real world, unable to speak about what has happened. Angela is missing an arm, and Sol is missing entirely. Twenty five years later, Sol's D20 finds its way back to Ash, who brings the gang back together again only to be sucked back into the game again. They find their missing friend has been stuck in the game the entire time, and it has completely warped him. This is Jumanji on a who different level. The illustrations in this story are gorgeous. There is an etherial nature to them with some really soft lines and blended colors, but Hans has really captured a dark and twisted fantasy world in her colors and atmosphere. As Dungeons and Dragons has enjoyed a resurgence, this story will hit home with readers who also immerse themselves in their role-playing games. Read the full review here: vol 1 #10 - Dune
Adapted by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Raúl Allen and Patricia Martin. One published volume, series ongoing
This graphic novel adaptation includes the first part of the classic sci-fi series, nearly the same amount as the recent movie. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson do plan on adapting the rest of the the first book in the Dune series, so there should be two more graphic novels. This volume follows Paul Atreides and his family as they move from their seat of power, Caladan, to another: Arakis, a desert planet previously ruled by the terrible Harkkonen family, and full of terrible surprises. Mixed in there are the Bene Gesserit, a league of women with fearsome power, who are particularly interested in Paul and what he might be able to do. The illustrations in this series are beautiful. The rooms, the planet-scapes, they're all breathtaking and intricate. The color palettes are also very striking and purposeful. Caladan is full of lots of blues in environment and character costuming; in contrast, Arrakas is covered in oranges and browns with the occasional pink or red. Despite characters needing a little more detail in facial features and expressions when we're not up close, I thought the art was very enjoyable and definitely transported me into the world of this story. Read the full review here: vol 1 #9 - Lore Olympus
Written and illustrated by Rachel Smythe. One published volume, series ongoing
Here is another retelling of the classic Hades and Persephone myth, this time set in a little bit more of a modern world. Hades and Persephone spy each other at a God party, and a phrase spoken in earshot of the jealous Aphrodite spawn consequences that throw the two together for many more angst-filled chapters. This story started beloved web comic has now been published into a full length graphic novel. This volume covers episodes 1-25 of the online series, so there will still be plenty more volumes to encompass the span of this story. Smyth's illustrations incorporate lots of watercolors that don't always stay inside of the dark outlines of the characters and scenery, but are nevertheless gorgeous. Her gods and goddesses are voluptuous, and she takes many cues from Renaissance paintings of the Greek pantheon. Read the full review here: vol 1 #8 - Vinland SaGa
Written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. Twelve published omnibus (2-in-1) volumes, series ongoing
This exceptionally detailed and beautifully illustrated series follows a young Viking warrior, Thorfinn who is in forced servitude to a warrior, Askelaad, who has. fleet of three Viking ships that often pillage and plunder. Thorfinn has become a powerful and fast warrior, but treasure and ransacking towns doesn't interest him. He wants revenge on Askelaad for killing his father and stealing their ship. After Thorfinn gets his revenge, he wants to set sail and find the legendary paradise, Vinland. This story has amazing panels full of beautiful drawings, with some amazing historically accurate details about the Viking's villages and ships. Every panel is full of details of characters and their surroundings. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2 #7 - Monster
Written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. Nine omnibus (2-in-1) editions
Dr. Tenma is a gifted neurosurgeon working at a hospital in Germany. Tenma’s Chief of Surgery believes that hospitals should be all about research, making money, and preserving their own reputation, so much so that Tenma inadvertently has a patient die because he was attending to a more prestigious patient. When the next major call pits a little boy up against the Mayor, Tenma disobeys the direct order to save the Mayor first, and saves the little boy. Years later, this decision has drastic consequences for Tenma’s life, including him being a suspected serial killer. Urasawa's illustrations in this story are a textbook example of his style. There are lots of thick, dark lines, extremely expressive facial expressions, and some very lush backgrounds. Read the full review here: vol 1 #6 - Orange
Written and illustrated by Ichigo Takano. Three published volumes
Naho is a typical girl in Grade 11, with a solid friend group and all the worries of a high-school student: passing tests, what the future holds, boys, etc. One day, she receives a letter, from what claims to be her future self, warning her about what's happening in her life and trying to steer her away from bad choices. The letter comes just as new student Kakeru joins the class and her friend group. As the things. in the letter start to happen, Naho has no choice but to believe her "future self" and try to make up for regrets and missed opportunities that haven't happened yet. To further tangle things, Takano also embeds chapters from the friends' future selves, and more clues as to what lies in store are revealed. Takano's illustrations are really authentic. Naho's expressions are pure and really make the character come alive. Kakeru's forced smile can be painful, especially with how often Naho notices it and points it out to the reader. While the story and art focus more on the characters, there are some beautifully detailed backgrounds and scenes interspersed with the sparse ones that make up a majority of the story. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2 #5 - the Tea Dragon Society
Written and illustrated by K. O'Neill. Three published volumes
Greta is a young, aspiring blacksmith in a fantastical world with many animal-human hybrid beings. She finds a tea dragon in the market one day and rescues it from becoming dinner for some hungry wolves. Greta returns the tea dragon, Jasmine, to her master Hesekiel, a local tea house proprietor. When Greta becomes interested in tea dragons, Hesekiel and his partner, Erik, bring Greta into their fledgling Tea Dragon Society, comprised of themselves and a foundling named Minette. This series is very cute, but it has a lot of depth to it. There are things about this world that are not fully explained, but I don’t miss the lack of exposition. O'Neill succeeds in drawing the reader in to this lovely little world with beautiful creatures and anthropomorphic people. Read the full reviews here: vols 1-3 #4 - Wynd
Written by James Tynion IV, illustrated by Michael Diaynas. One published volume, series ongoing
Wynd is trying to be the typical boy in Pipetown - one of the last human settlements that has strict laws against anything magical or with “weirdblood.” Meanwhile, the king is on his deathbed, daily making his son promise to uphold the Blood Laws that have kept the humans of Pipetown safe from magical infection. The prince decides this isn’t the way he wants to rule, and he sneaks out in the middle of the night to find his uncle, The Duke, who has a much nicer outlook on magical folk. Within the first ten pages, I knew I was going to absolutely love this book. I even thought to myself, “see, THAT’S how you do character development!”. It was so easy to fall in love with Wynd, Oakley, and Thorn, and even stubborn Prince Yorik has a piece of my heart. This book is exceptionally beautiful with wonderfully illustrated characters and some fabulous coloring. Characters are drawn so expressively that every panel has so much meaning and detail in it. Read the full review here: vol 1 #3 - Kaiju no. 8
Written and illustrated by Naoya Natsumoto. One published volume, series ongoing
This series focuses on the part of the fight we often don't get to see: the clean up after the superhero has killed the monster. Kafka's unit is responsible for cleaning the mess left by monster carcasses. When a new recruit comes on the scene and Kafka gets a fateful nighttime visit from an evil entity, he decides to try once more for the elite Japanese Defense Force so he can tackle the monsters and leave someone else to clean up the mess. This volume was pretty hysterical and had me laugh out loud multiple times. I was rooting for Kafka from the beginning because of his rotten luck and terrible job, so when he gets a second chance, I was right there with him. Matsumoto's illustrations are a little rough, in the vein of Demon Slayer, so it'll definitely appeal to readers who want the next series now that DS is over. Read the full review here (requires Booklist subscription): vol 1 #2 - The HazardS of Love
Written and illustrated by Stan Stanley. One published volume, series ongoing
Amparo is a teen prankster, desperately trying to impress the super-smart Iolanthe, but succeeding in only stressing out their mother and abuela. When a talking cat comes to Amparo's bedroom, Amparo becomes convinced that the magical cat can grant them their wish: to be a better person Unfortunately, the magical cat is a better trickster than Amparo, and steals their name and identity. The former Amparo is doomed to Bright World, a vibrant, terrifying land squished in between the mortal world and what lies beyond. Bright World is so imaginative and deeply developed through this story, and the summaries only scratch the surface of what's in this volume. Stanley's vibrant colors make this book a wonder to behold. Read the full review here: vol 1 #1 - Asadora
Written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. Four published volume, series ongoing
On a morning in 1959 of a terrible typhoon, Asa runs to fetch the doctor for the deliver of her mother's twelfth child. Along the way, she is kidnapped by a WWII veteran who is down on his luck, but the two have to seek shelter together from the typhoon. When it's over, Asa and Kasuga, her would-be kidnapper, steal a plane to deliver supplies to folks, and that's how they discover most of the village is gone, including Asa's house and most of her family. The series includes several time jumps between volumes, but we still follow along with Asa and Kasuga as she grows up, becomes an ace pilot, and the two are conscripted to help stop a monster that would ruin the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The summaries for this series never do it justice. It always sounds disjointed and really strange, but Urasawa is a master at crafting a really slow-burning storyline that pays off in the end. The series is engrossing and Urasawa's illustrations are supremely detailed, as always. This is a really fun adventure story that is sure to suck readers right in. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4 Honorable Mentions
These series made my Best of 2020 list, and they have continued publication into this year. They could definitely be on my Top 10, but I like to highlight new series as much as possible. In the descriptions below, I've linked to the reviews from 2021, so other volumes will be missing. If you're unfamiliar with these titles, click on one of the volume links below to find the previous volumes listed at the bottom of the page.
Spy X family
Written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. Six published volumes, series ongoing
This series revolves around Twilight, aka Loid, a super-spy, who has to build a fake family for his latest mission. But nothing is as it seems in this comedy-of-errors. Loid adopts a daughter, Anya, who is telepathic; Loid's wife, Yor, is secretly an assassin, and her brother is an undercover Secret Police agent; the family adopts a dog who can see the future (pretty handy when Anya can read his mind); and Loid's protégé, Nightfall, is also a super-spy and madly in love with him. The mission is to get close to a foreign minister who only socializes with high-achieving scholars at his sons' school, but with Anya's lack of study skills and quick wit, getting close to the family will prove way more difficult than any other mission Twilight has ever had. This is a hilarious series with some really fantastic supporting characters. Endo likes to add one person per volume, and there's enough character development in that volume with that person to make them another beloved character to root for. The web is so overly tangled at this point that I have no idea how Loid is going to get out of this, but I'm definitely invested in what happens to him and his fake family. Read the full reviews here: vol 4, vol 5, vol 6 The Adventure Zone
Written by Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy, illustrated by Carey Pietsch. Four published volumes, series ongoing
The trio is on another mission to bring back another relic, a transmutation stone that is acting kind of like King Midas. It's currently on a floating laboratory that is slowly being consumed by pink crystal that transforms everything it touches. With their favorite team of Regulators (including Killian and Carey), they travel to the laboratory in special space suits to keep out any crystal particles that might transform them. This is another fantastic adventure in a truly entertaining series. There is a bit more science and theoretical physics in this one that may resemble the Marvel or DC Universes, but this definitely isn't a tale of superheroes. The illustrations in this series are really beautiful with some awesome coloring. The characters are extremely expressive, and action sequences are very easy to follow. This is definitely a story readers can get fully immersed in. Read the full review here: vol 4 Canto II
Written by David M. Booher, illustrated by Drew Zucker. Two published volumes, series ongoing
At the end of the first book, Canto’s people leave Arcana to make a New Arcana. The first chapter is a short side-story where Canto frees some fairies from being tortured by an evil witch.Then, we go into New Arcana and see Canto and his friends in their new home. The Shrouded Man hasn’t come after them, but that’s probably because he has cursed their clocks to slowly wind down. Canto and a few friends decide to travel back to the Tower and confront the Shrouded Man, hoping to beat their clocks and get the curse reversed. This is truly an all-ages adventure that draws on The Labyrinth, The Wizard of Oz, and other great fantastical worlds to create a daring adventure story that students will love. Zucker's illustrations sometimes steal the entire show. There are a few full-page or double-page spreads that are breathtaking in their beautifully balanced colors. Zucker has created a world that I would like to walk into and explore. Read the full review here: vol 2 Monstress
Written by Marjarie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda. Six published volumes, series ongoing
In the aftermath of the attack on Ravenna, Maika has been badly burned, many Arcanics were killed, but the Federation forces have stopped their attacks, for now. Maika and Zinn have a bit of a heart-to-heart about facing their pasts, so Maika decides it's time to stop running from hers. She summons her grandmother, the Ancient Wolf Queen, which also brings her face-to-face with her aunt - the Warlord - who is none to happy to finally have her hands on her deadly niece. This series has some of the best illustrations I have ever seen. Takeda truly has such amazing skill at making every panel full of detail and textures. The story itself is already a rich fantasy epic, and the illustrations really bring it over the top for me. Read the full review here: vol 6 Erased
Written by Kei Sanbe; five published volumes.
Satoru is a 29-year-old man trying to make it as a manga artist but stuck delivering pizza instead. Satoru has these inexplicable occurrences he calls “revival” - he relives a moment 1-5 minutes prior and has to figure out who he’s supposed to save. When someone close to him is murdered, he begs Revival to send him back far enough to save her, and he finds himself sent back to his twelve-year-old self! Throughout the series, Satoru moves back and forth in time in order to solve several murders. The illustrations make use of heavy lines, and Satoru's twelve-year-old self has much of the "chibi" art style elements, like large eyes and short limbs, to distinguish him from his adult self. Read the full reviews here: vol 3, vol 4, vol 5
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About MeI've been reading Manga and comicbooks for years. Now, it's time to share my knowledge with you.
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