Girlsplaining a (sorta) Memoir

 Girlsplaining a (sorta) Memoir by Katja Klengel  154 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Cartoonist Katja Klengel tackles the subjects that have shaped her life: from body shaming to the exploration of female sexuality, from the representation of women in the media, and the social pressure on women who have not yet started a family all with a sense of humor, an open heart, and an unsparing candor.

Why do we fear the word “vulva” more than “Voldemort”? (Shh, don't say his name!) Do we really have to be ashamed of our body hair? Why do gender roles in children’s toys seem stuck in the 50s? In seven chapters, cartoonist Katja Klengel tackles the subjects that have shaped her life: from body shaming to the exploration of female sexuality, from the representation of women in the media, and the social pressure on women who have not yet started a family. With a sense of humor, an open heart, and an unsparing candor, Klengel draws inspiration from her own life as she examines what being a woman today means to her (and really, a whole lot of us!)

And here's what I thought: I saw this at the library and was curious. It's a fun book, but there are some thoughtful things here. Exploring personal topics through a graphic format makes it look less serious than it is, but Klengel does explore some pretty interesting ideas here. Very funny, but also very real.

Cheeky: A Head-to-toe Memoir

 Cheeky: A Head-to-toe Memoir by Ariella Elovic   241 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too thin. The message is everywhere--we need to pluck, wax, shrink, and hide ourselves, to not take up space, emotionally or literally; women are never “just right.” Well, Ariella Elovic, feminist and illustrator extraordinaire, has had enough. In her full-color graphic memoir Cheeky, she takes an inspiring and exuberant head-to-toe look at her own body self-consciousness, and body part by body part, finds her way back to herself.

I liked Elovic's approach to this book, where she breaks down different body parts but also writes about her experiences and her close female friends. She has a bold, colorful graphic style and admittedly, I sometimes looked back at the author photo because I felt like I needed to compare the drawing to the photo. This book is full of empathy and candor and it's very funny -- although if bodily functions make you squeamish, then this isn't the book for you. 

Something New: Tales From A Makeshift Bride

 Something New: Tales From A Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley  291 pages

"New York Times-bestselling graphic memoirist Lucy Knisley (Relish) writes about her adorable DIY wedding!" Lucy had broken up with her long-term boyfriend, but three years later, got back together --- and while this isn't that story, it plays a part in this story. Both fascinated and horrified by American wedding culture, Knisley set out to plan and execute the most "adorable DIY wedding to end all adorable DIY weddings. And she succeeded."

This was a fun book that I discovered on the library's shelves. I like this artist, so I expected I would find her book to be enjoyable and it was -- a nice, light read.

Passing for Human: A Graphic Memoir

Passing for Human: A Graphic Memoir by Liana Finck   240 pages

Funny and melancholy, this very personal story is an exploration of identity. Liana Finck goes searching for the thing she has lost: her shadow (or the "strangeness" that has defined her since birth).  Part of her has always made her feel apart from the rest of the world, and in this memoir, Finck explores her past, as well as her parents' past.  In her journey to find her true self, she discovers some truths about self-acceptance and what it is that makes her whole.

I had read a review of this book and had been curious, and I found this to be an interesting read. Finck's art is mostly pretty spare, but it's able to convey a lot of emotion in just a few well-placed lines. I found Finck's story to be compelling, and this was an interesting way to approach a memoir.

Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh    371 pages

I gave this book a re-read recently in anticipation of a book group meeting (which, as it turns out, I won't be making).  As always, this book makes me laugh until I cry  . . . and then sometimes makes me cry a little.  Allie Brosh has such an honest, open, and sometimes raw way of writing that I always get caught up in her stories.

The story about her childhood experience with a birthday cake is hysterical, but I always find myself laughing through the stories about her dogs (and those stories make me laugh until I cry), although the story about the goose is also quite funny.  The illustrations alone on that one are great (as are the actual fuzzy photos of the goose encounter).

I really appreciate that she writes so honestly about her struggles with depression.  I had started reading her work when it was all online, and when she posted about depression, the comments from people were so supportive. If you've struggled with depression, you may find some validation and "yes!" moments in this book --- but if you've never experienced this kind of depression, this book is a good way to understand what some people go through.

Something I love about the book is how much expression Brosh is able to get out of her simple art. Sometimes, you don't need many words because there's so much emotion and expression. Admittedly, I love one of the illustrations of herself as a child, wanting that cake.  I can identify with that, as I sometimes, also crave cake.

Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh     369 pages

"This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

Pictures
Words
Stories about things that happened to me
Stories about things that happened to other people because of me. . . "

I don't usually just copy/paste a summary from Goodreads, but I couldn't come up with a better summary of this book. I first discovered Hyperbole and a Half online, and then as soon as this book came out, got a copy.  Allie Brosh's stories make me laugh so hard that I can't read them in public, but they also make me tear up enough that I also can't read them in public.  The other night, though, I was reading her story about the "helper dog" and the "simple dog" and was laughing so hard (right before I was going to go to sleep) that I needed to put her book down and grab something else for the night. Her illustrations are simple, but there's a lot of emotion packed into each one. The author can sometimes be a bit raw, but the honesty in her stories is what I really love. I appreciate that she doesn't hide who she is, flaws and all, and I think that's why her stories resonate.

I learned this from Allie Brosh.