Making yourself read outside your comfort zone can end up with some total misses and some excellent surprises. In all likelihood I would have missed Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, a graphic novel about a talking pack of animals that solve supernatural mysteries in their seemingly sweet suburban neighborhood of Burden Hill. That description wouldn't peak my interest, but also doesn't do the graphic novel justice either.
The storytelling is episodic, in that there are chapters that are a complete story into itself which makes for a fast read. There is a pack of animal friends, all dogs and one orphan cat who start uncovering supernatural cases in their neighborhood. They eventually become apprentices in the Wise Dog Society to further their training in fighting these evil forces. The supernatural stories cover a wide range from an evil coven of cats, a rain of mutant frogs, werewolves, magical earthen golems, ghosts, and more. Read more »
People often read travel books of places of either exotic places they want to visit, or of a beloved travel destination. I would think that a travel book of a destination that most people don't ever want to visit wouldn't exactly be very engaging. Guy Delisle proves me wrong.
I saw the film based on the graphic novel by Max Collins long before reading the book. I liked the movie ok, but I loved the graphic novel 
I will come right out and say that I do not like superheroes (movie or print) and I didn’t read comic books as a kid, so I am not naturally drawn to the graphic novel format. Because I’m kind of a nerd, what I do like is big fat novels and dusty historical non-fiction. So color me surprised when recently I’ve been enjoying more graphic novels. Last night as I finished Mercury by Hope Larson I began to wonder and hope that the reason went beyond the fact that I can read on in a single sitting – though that is very satisfying too! My rationale is that I’ve been craving something different. I have read enough fiction to be somewhat bored with a traditional storyline. I want to think while I read – to be engaged! And picking up some graphic novels has been the way to do that recently. I’ve tried to compile a list of graphic novels for the hesitant – for anyone who thought that they weren’t interested. Give one a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.