Huda F Cares?

I try to vary where and how I get graphic novels to read, and I was pleasantly surprised to find another book by Huda Fahmy in a little free library in my neighborhood. It's the follow-up to Huda F Are You?, which I finally read earlier this year, and it may be even more excellent. It continues the fictionalized memoir, following Huda into the summer after her freshman year of high school as she and her family embark on a road trip to Disney World for a family vacation.

I can say without hyperbole, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is hilarious and human, a great look at family life as well as the dynamics of planning a trip and then traveling with siblings. They bicker during the long car ride. They have to split up in pairs and keep a strict timetable, otherwise they are grounded and have to spend all their time with their parents. Some help keep secrets, while others are complete tattletales. I found so much to relate to, cringe over, and laugh about, both recalling my own childhood travels and more recent happenings as a parent traveling with three children. 

Along the way, Huda learns a bunch about herself and her relationships with her sisters in organic ways. She sometimes tries to hide her Muslim prayer rituals, gets embarrassed by family picnics when her parents are trying to economize, makes a friend, tries to boss around her younger siblings, and has to deal with rude strangers as well as handsy jerks. She suffers many different consequences for her actions, the biggest one being detained by security for sticking up for herself, and the stakes for that offense make for some compelling reading. But really what bears emphasizing is that with all of this introspection, learning, and drama, the whole book is frequently HILARIOUS. I dare anyone to read it and not at least crack a smile or chuckle.

A National Book Award Finalist, this book has been very well reviewed. Islamic School Librarian wrote that "the entire book reads like time spent with friends who can keep you laughing, comfort you when needed, and who are willing to share their very real relatable world with you." Andy Oliver commented that "Fahmy’s great skill as a storyteller is to combine very funny character pieces with those more touching observations about contemporary perceptions of Islam." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Delightfully heartwarming."

Huda F Cares? was published by Dial Books, and they provide more information about it here. 

Montana Diary

Montana Diary is an interesting travelogue/mini-comic that melds history with current politics. It is about a road trip through "Big Sky Country" that delivers a history of the state, exploration of its national parks, sample of local culture, and reflection on contemporary politics and race relations. As a person in a mixed race marriage, Taylor shares her discomfort with social situations on her trip, admitting how she let her husband do the speaking, as she did not know how locals would react to them. She is also responding to the historical moment, living in the US after years of divisive hate becoming more and more pronounced. 

Thus, this book captures a few unique facets in its pages. It contains a response to a specific time, set in a particular place, and elucidating that place's history and geography. I think that the artwork is elegant and economical, depicting very human and occasionally humorous situations. It is alternately affecting, informative, and moving, portraying an intimate look into relationships and traveling. I think that it exemplifies the best characteristics of both diary writing and a travelogue, a compelling book that is surprisingly complex and enlightening in the short space of 32 pages. You will feel like you are there in the car with her, knocking back a huck shake while worrying about climate change.

Montana Diary is the work of Whit Taylor, who has been a very active cartoonist, editor, and contributor to multiple anthologies. She has won multiple Ignatz Awards, one for co-editing the anthology Comics for Choice and the other for outstanding series for Fizzle. She is also a contributing editor for The Nib.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Rob Kirby wrote, "This thirty-two-page zine boasts a rich tapestry of content, more in fact, than many full-length graphic novels I’ve read of late. It’s an entertaining, genuinely rewarding read, created with equal parts heart and mind." Scott Cederlund opined, "It’s great to come away from a comic like this feeling like you’ve shared at least a part of the experience with the cartoonist and that’s what Taylor does in her cartooning."

Montana Diary was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more info here. You can also read the entire comic here, though I suggest you also buy a copy.

You & A Bike & A Road

You & A Bike & A Road is a deceptively simple looking book that actually delves into multiple, complex areas of life. It is a travelogue of a bike trip planned from Arizona to Georgia. It is a portrait of a person dealing with the demands of life and dealing with depression. It is a commentary on the current state of immigration along the southern border of the US. It is an existential exploration of what it means to be a person on a journey. And it is also a portrayal of the interesting, generous, and memorable people she meets on her trip.

It is chock full of beautifully rendered, human moments. It is occasionally raw, profane, candid, and funny. It features many keen observations and commentary on ordinary matters that affect all of our lives. And it is about the truths that we tell others and the ones that we protect and keep to ourselves. Just check out this exchange:

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the book is its economy of linework and storytelling. The art is that best kind of scribbling, what seems like rough pencil lines that are actually very evocative and full of energy and import. And the story is full of small moments and observations that can easily be applied to larger life topics and situations. I rate this book  alongside some of the best ones I have read in recent times, like those by Jules Feiffer and Pénélope Bagieu. Even with a similarity in terms of the amount of craft and artistry put into it, this book is still in a category of its own.

Of late, I have been on a tear of books by this book's creator, Eleanor Davis. She has racked up quite a few accolades, including the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award, and has created a number of books that can appeal to adults (How to Be Happy), younger readers (Stinky), and adolescents (The Secret Science Alliance). I have read a couple of very good interviews about her work on this book, and you can read them here and here.

All of the reviews I have read have been full of accolades. Sarah Miller wrote, "Even though You & A Bike & A Road is made up of moments that seem self-contained as we read them, Davis’s work—intentionally or unintentionally—comes together to form an overarching narrative that raises questions about identity as much as it comforts through its depiction of overcoming challenges." Oliver Sava praised her "phenomenal work capturing the sprawl of the Southern states, starting with the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico before moving into more fertile territory." Ally Russell called it "a remarkable achievement for both the cartoonist and the amateur cyclist behind it." And like Nicole Rudick wrote,  I am also "in awe of Eleanor Davis’s drawings."

You & A Bike & A Road was published by Koyama Press, and they have a preview and more about it here.