This is my second time I am writing a Best of the Year selection for Librairie Drawn and Quarterly. The Mother of All Questions made my selection last year, and Solnit’s essays have once again sauntered onto this list! Her prose are reflective & analytic in a way that feels so prescient in the current political moment (replete with crises). She presents a dire world, yet also a way to go forward, with a voice that is neither didactic nor judgemental: oxygen for my pulmons!

A tender and beautifully written letter to his daughter. This book discusses risk, privilege, inheritance, colonialism, insensitivity and simply being in the world. Chariandy masterfully crafts sentences!  

I adore Zadie Smith’s fiction. I may, however, be one of those folks who love her non-fiction more than her fiction! Smith is the ultimate prose stylist, and her expertise at conveying beauty in writing (right down to sentence structure) shines in this essay collection, which touches on climate change, urban planning, film, and the meaning of social media.  

It has been such a pleasure recommending this gem throughout the year. Loved the way the book covers a myriad of topics: rose gardening, a trip to mexico, Chee’s experience growing up gay in a Korean-American family, the joys of writing, studying with Annie Dillard, abuse, urban living. Chee’s sentences are economic and beautiful. Sentences which burst. Sentences which harness the right verbs. Sentences to read and reread. A gift of a book.

A epic instant classic which already deserves its cemented place in the comics canon. Told in the form of a Tolstoyan epic, the plethora of characters in this book come alive and are loveable. I especially admire the way Lutes utilizes comics to delve into the subconscious and dreams of these characters. We turn the page and realize that a character has been dreaming for the last few sequences. Lutes is masterful at exploiting graphic novel’s ability to delve into the subliminal.

A comic about living in a world without men! There are no wars! Everyone gets along! Everyone realizes that they all had significant bi-tendencies all along! Loved this book which began as a wildly popular instagram comic (& it was a special joy to get to meet Aminder this year in store at the launch for Woman World!)

I would hereby like to second the nomination of Sabrina for the Graphic Novel of the Year here at Librairie Drawn and Quarterly. The breakthrough that was the nomination for the Man Booker Prize generated a torrent of much deserved attention for this title (and attention to graphic novels in general). Drnaso is a master of the form & his pastel vignettes are so eerie, evocative, Lynchian, frightening and a necessary portrait of contemporary america.

Franz is capable of such expression with her pencil drawings. She triumphs in this story about an urban millennial, inept lovers, memory, isolation, partying and apartments, and which also has a hint of magic realism.  

This collection of pseudo-travelodge, pseudo-ethnographic study, pseudo-personal reflection is lively & charming. The stories narrative arcs vary depending on what kind of situation Zviane finds herself. We read about money, restaurant styles, the author’s reason for being in Japan, Tokyo’s relationship to Montreal. Great for local comic lovers & and those about to go on a trip.

 Loved Catherine Ocelot’s meditations on being an artist! The uniform colour style and character depiction is bold. Feels as though we are listening in to private conversations among friends. Bonus: a conversation between Ocelot, Daphné B. & Julie Delporte takes place in the book in Librairie Drawn & Quarterly!

I usually find myself vehemently objecting when folks describe graphic novels as cinematic, due to the fact that comics are an unparalleled medium capable of expression which is unique to it’s form, duh! (the same with prose, the same with film, the same with visual art, poetry, etc…). This book, however, combines beautiful cinematic drawing & presentation with lively characters and narration. The historical narrative is fascinating, yet does not purport to being the definitive history of Guyenne, nor Abitibi.

A laugh-out-loud in the cafe/library/public space-that-you’re-reading-it kind of book. Campbell conjures up an existence where women dominate (which was a prevalent theme of the year) and people are doubled (à la mirror facebook). A very fun and entertaining comic.  

Keiler Roberts discusses illness, parenthood, partnership with such candor in this comic. She embraces topics which could be considered difficult. The pen and ink drawings shake hands heartily with my aesthetic preferences.

Of all the comics that I read in 2018, this one (along with Sabrina & Berlin) shines as one that speaks directly to the current political moment. Passmore’s short stories cover topics such as removing Confederate statues across the U.S., Buffoon President, fighting repression, and systemic racism. Loved as well that these comics vacillate between (likely political) sci-fi and overtly political narratives. Passmore’s drawings reside in an almost neon colour pallet. Keep your ear to the ground  for BTTM FDRS, out in Summer 2019.

Beautifully drawn minimalist treatise on art which is both philosophical and fun. Love how Davis’ drawing style is expressive with so few lines.

Webber creatively conveys her experience of living in a world without a voice. The book functions as an exploration (and castigation) of the way society treats people with disabilities. Loved the scenes with Webber battling Webber. Loved the symbols in the text that allowed for a fun close read, as well as the various references to (Mile End,) Montreal.

Twelve different characters orbit one another in this tremendously engrossing read. I had the pleasure of leading a book club discussion about this title in December, and the discussion further enlightened me to the myriad of synchronicities, and narrative overlap in the book. A very impressive debut.  

Such an entertaining read! Breezed through this book, which centres around one woman’s attempt to sleep a year away. Moshfegh has been recommended to me for years now, and the flowing prose & captivating narrative of this book has catapulted McGlue, Eileen and Homesick for Another World to the top of my 2019 catch-up reading list. Very excited for all the books to come this year!