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Staff Picks: Slice-of-Life Graphic Novels

by walkerk

Slice of life is a genre that explores the mundane events of a character's everyday life. Do you ever just wanna see your favorite character have fun at a party without an overarching doomsday plot? If so, this is the genre for you! Naturally, most of these stories are more personal and have lower stakes, but their tone can vary. If you're interested in ending the year with a handful of sweet, tender, and/or more lighthearted slice-of-life stories, here are five titles to explore:

Young Adult:

Himawari House by Harmony Becker | Request Now
The cover of Himawari House by Harmony Becker Living in a new country is no walk in the park. When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There, she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths. The trio live together, share meals, and even attend the same Japanese-language school, which results in them becoming fast friends. But will they be able to hold one another up as life tests them with new loves, old heartbreaks, and the everyday challenges of being fish out of water?

This tender and heartfelt slice of life features coming-of-age themes, dynamic black and white art, and big questions around identity and belonging. Readers felt as though they were given time to really connect with and live alongside the characters, with Becker's writing easily bringing their world to life.

 

Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen by Hiromi Sato | Request Now 
The cover of Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen by Hiromi SatoNight falls on the Witch Hat Atelier, and Coco and her fellow apprentices take to their beds. In the quiet of midnight, Qifrey and Olruggio are finally free to pursue their culinary experiments. The magic of the kitchen comes alive as they cook puddings, stews, parfaits, and jellies, and when the sun rises, Coco and the gang are there to savor every bite!

In this Witch Hat Atelier spinoff, magic is in the kitchen as Qifrey and the gang whip up everything their hearts desire. If you haven't read Witch Hat, don't worry! Newcomers looking for an introduction to the world are more than welcome to start here, and all readers are invited to recreate recipes using the step-by-step instructions included within the book. Relax and have fun with this food-focused slice of life.

 

Giant Days by John Alison | Request Now
The cover of Giant Days by John Alison Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation," influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of "academia," they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but things are about to get a little weird.

With its lighthearted and fun tone, Giant Days follows its three main characters and their first taste of freedom after starting college. This title has a similar vibe to Scott Pilgrim—especially with fourth-wall breaks—and it's filled with sharp dialogue and vibrant art to match. If you enjoy this title, volume two awaits. 

 

Adult:

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser | Request Now 
The cover of Wash Day Diaries by Jamila RowserThrough five connected short story comics, Wash Day Diaries follows four best friends—Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie—and the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx. Each short story uses hair routines as a window into these characters' lives and how they care for each other.

From self-care to spilling the tea at an hours-long salon appointment to healing family rifts, Wash Day Diaries is a touching, triumphant, and funny title that pays loving tribute to Black joy. Touched by these unique and heartwarming stories, with beautifully drawn characters and color palettes that reflect each story's mood, readers were often left craving more.

 

 

A Sign of Affection by Suu Morishita | Request Now
The cover of A Sign of Affection by Suu MorishitaYuki, who's always been deaf, is used to communicating with sign language and her phone, but she's not used to English. So when a tourist from overseas asks for directions, she nearly panics until a handsome stranger steps in to help. This stranger's name is Itsuomi, and it turns out that he's a friend-of-a-friend, a fellow student, and a charismatic globetrotter who speaks three languages—but sign language isn't one of them. Can the two learn to communicate the budding feelings between them?

Featuring lovable characters that hooked readers in from the first few pages, this cute, romantic slice-of-life follows Yuki's experience as a college student and beautifully captures the beginnings of a romance. If you enjoy this title, volume two eagerly awaits.

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