A wonderful story hidden within discussions about mortality, life, and mental health. Wallace, a lawyer, a curmudgeon, and most recently a ghost, is on a journey into the afterlife. This afterlife begins for Wallace in a Tea shop. Which is run by a ferryman, a reaper, an elderly ghost as well as a ghost dog. Wallace is tasked with discovering his true self before moving on. Klune has found a perfect spot between serious and silly, as well as fantasy and reality in this best-selling novel.
-Zach
What would happen if you were to die during different massive events in your life? Would you be happy with the decisions you had made up to that point or would you wish you had done more? This graphic novel, written by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, explores this idea in a non-chronological anthology story about an obituary writer dealing with massive events throughout his life and at the end of each story he dies. If you are looking for a beautifully written, albeit somewhat experimental work this is for you!
-Zach
Shadow Moon has just been released from prison. Sadly, the same day of his release he discovers his wife has died and the first thing he has to do as a free man is attend her funeral. On his way to the funeral, he meets a strange, larger than life, man named Mr. Wednesday who immediately offers him a job. This story is a masterful tale of mythology, and fantasy while taking place in the modern day America. Gaiman uses his incredible voice and love for mythologies to create a tale of loss turned discovery!
-Zach
One warm spring day, the devil arrives in Moscow. That is the beginning of a wonderful Russian classic by one of Russia’s most underrated authors, Mikhail Bulgakov! This story features what one has come to expect from a Russian classic, but within a magical realism world, accompanied by a massive, talking cat that enjoys chess and vodka. If you have a taste for classics, but also love works of fantasy taking place in an unsuspecting real world this is very much a book for you!
-Zach
This novel is a cynical yet heartwarming story about an elderly ex-painter telling his fictional autobiography to a voluptuous young woman, when all he wants is it be left alone. Vonnegut’s only true love story, but a platonic love between two characters learning things about themselves while learning things about each other. If you have not read any Vonnegut this is a wonderful place to start!
-Zach
A young woman with no aspirations finds meaning in her life when a friend from her past reaches out to ask if she would become her children’s care giver. This seems like a fairly bland plot until you discover that the children have a rare defect that causes them to spontaneously combust whenever they become agitated in any way! This novel was the first novel I have ever sat and read in one day, and I absolutely loved it, I laughed out loud at times and cried at others!
-Zach
