Betty and Alex dig into all things Summer Reading--best genres, reading challenges, and their own seasonal reading philosophies. Plus, of course, lots of book recs.

Media Mentioned:

Summer Reading Memories

Harry Potter series by She Who Must Not Be Named

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman

Favorite Summer Reads

All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion

The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante

What Makes a Great Summer Comic Read?

Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi

Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzo

Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Cat Companions: Maruru and Hachi by Yuri Sonoda

John Grisham books

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Harrow County by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook

Medalist by Tsurumaikada

Dogsred by Satoru Noda

Nancy for All Seasons by Ernie Bushmiller

The Apothecary Diaries by Hyūganatsu, Itsuki Nanao, and Nekokurage

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 

Beach Reads

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Moomin series by Tove Jansson

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Everything in Color by Stephanie Stalvey

Absolute Batman Vol. 2: Abomination by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta

Love Bullet by inee

Neighborhood Story by Ai Yazawa

Flash Point by Imai Arata

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe 

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

BL Metamorphosis by Kaori Tsurutani

Summer Reading Challenges

Jersey Shore

Holy Lacrimony by Michael DeForge

All the Cameras in My Room by Michael DeForge

Love Bullet by inee

Cat Companions: Maruru and Hachi Vol. 6 by Yuri Sonoda

Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden ShermanSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Identical by Leah Hayes (avail. September 15)

Birdseye Bristoe by Dan Zettwoch

Nancy Wears Hats by Ernie Bushmiller

Masks by Margaret Rae, Brian Nathanson, and Beck Kubrick

Pastimes by Pascal Girard

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama

What We’re Reading

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Nancy Wears Hats by Ernie Bushmiller

Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden

The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson translation)

The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel by Homer and Gareth Hinds

The Apothecary Diaries by Hyūganatsu, Itsuki Nanao, and Nekokurage

And the Strange and Funky Happenings One Day by Natsujikei Miyazaki

Stages of Rot by Linnea Sterte

Superman vs. Meshi by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago

Love Bullet by inee

The Sandwich and Next Time

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Forgive us for the hiatus! We're back, better than ever, and chatting about our recent trip to the Toronto Comics Arts Festival. New books, new friends, and a new city, all in one visit--how lucky are we?!

Media Mentioned

Expectations

• Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF)
• St. Louis Independent Comics Expo (SLICE)
• J. Marshall Smith (aka Jonathan)
• Sarah Becan
• Meggie Ramm
• Kat Schneider
• Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider

Biggest Starstruck Moment

• All the Cameras in My Room by Michael DeForge
• Lee Lai
• Tillie Walden
• Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden
• Adam de Souza

Biggest Surprise

• Pascal Girard
• Pastimes by Pascal Girard
• Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor by Pascal Girard
• Glacier Bay Books
• Cookie Puno

Biggest Obstacle

• The Lack Of: Jeff Lemire, Ben Clanton, PEOW2

Best Purchase

• Flash Point by Imai Arata
• The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
• Bug Scouts by Mike Lowery (Betty accidentally said Bug Boys- also a great series by Laura Knetzger!)
• Batcat by Meggie Ramm
• Pace of Play by Vincent Lau

Most Invigorating/Inspiring Moment

• Cannon by Lee Lai
• Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden
• Stone Fruit by Lee Lai
• And the Strange and Funky Happenings One Day by Natsujikei Miyazaki
• Akari by Marco Kohinata

Best Overall Moment

• Twilight
• J. Marshall Smith
• Peggy, Francine, and Tom of Drawn & Quarterly
• Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider

Additional Shoutouts

• The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
• The Confessional by Paige Hender
• Lindsey Cheng Dates a White Boy!!! by Asia Miller
• Ami Moon and the Galactic Peacekeepers by Frances Lee
• The Gulf by Adam DeSouza
• Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa
• Avery and the Fairy Circle by Rowan Kingsbury
• The Woodchipper by Joe Ollmann
• Meggie Ramm
• Sarah Becan
• Liz from Street Noise Books
• Gina from Avery Hill Publishing
• Alexander from Fieldmouse Press
• Faith Erin Hicks
• The Future
• Zach from Bulgilhan Press

What We’re Reading

• Butter by Asako Yuzuki
• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
• Absolute Green Arrow #1 by Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque
• Not Ready for Real Life by Ding Pao-Yen
• The Odyssey by Homer (2017 Emily Wilson translation)
• The Odyssey (2026 film)
• Pastimes by Pascal Girard
• Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden

The Sandwich

• Comics University
• Steenz
• Lou Beishir

This episode, Betty and Alex chat about zines, from their history to making them, with a few recs along the way.

Next time: Absolutes #2!

Media Mentioned:

Listener Feedback

The Machine is Broken by Jared Sarnie (avail. May 26th)

Introduction to Zines

• Stolen Sharpie Revolution: a DIY Resource for Zines and Zine Culture by Alex Wrekk
• Make a Zine!: Start Your Own Underground Publishing Revolution by Joe Biel
• Betty’s Books Community Zine Vol. 5: Dig In! (avail. May 2nd)
• Common Sense by Thomas Paine

History of Zines

• Fire!! A Quarterly Devoted to the Younger Negro Artists
• https://www.blackmodernism.com/mags.html
• The Comet by the Science Correspondence Club
• Vice Versa by Lisa Ben
• ONE Magazine by One, Inc.
• Forgotten Pages: Black Literary Magazines in the 1920s by Abby Ann Arthur Johnson and Ronald M. Johnson
• Science Fiction Fandom by Joseph L. Sanders
• “The Reign of the Superman” from Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
• Action Comics #1

Personal Experience with Zines

• “Dada Little Magazines – A Precursor to Zines” by Robyn Chapman for The Schulz Library Blog
• A Pocket Guide to Natal Astrology: Birth Chart Basics by Maia Sky
• Nontoxic Housecleaning by Raleigh Briggs
• How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences by Dr. Alex D. Ketchum
• Recharge, Process, Connect: An After-Abortion Care Guide by Ashley Hartman Annis
• Is it Hot in Here? An Introduction to Perimenopause by Ashley Hartman Annis
• Additional zines by Ashley Hartman Annis
• Rec Room: Recipes and Memories by Sara Hagstrom
• Latin Cherokee: A Delicious Walking Tour by Cleonique Hilsaca
• Mini Sketchbook Companion by Cleonique Hilsaca
• Survivor (TV Series)

The BBs Zine Section

• Albo! By Kruttika Susarla
• Dan Zettwoch
• Shreyas R. Krishnan
• Sophia Malone and Melon Press
• How to Report ICE and Help Keep Our Neighbors Safe: St. Louis Metro Area Edition by Megan Piontkowski
• Alain McAlister

What We’re Reading

• Breasts and Eggs by Meiko Kawakami
• Absolute Batman Vol. 2: Abomination by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta
• All the Cameras in My Room by Michael DeForge
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
• Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown
• Chi’s Sweet France by Konami Kanata and Catherine Bouvier
• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Next Episode

• Absolute Flash Vol. 1: Of Two Worlds by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles
• Absolute Martian Manhunter Vol. 1: Martian Vision by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez
• Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 1: Without Fear by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay

This episode, Betty and Alex discuss their most anticipated releases dropping in the Spring and early Summer.

Next time: Zines!

Media Mentioned:

Listener Submissions

Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider (available April 21)

Martyr Loser King by Saul Williams and Morgan Sorne (available April 28)

Mary Pain by Lola Lorente (English version available May 12)

Upcoming Books

The Court Charade by Flore Vesco and Kerascoët (available March 31)

Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden (available June 16)

Batman: Dark Patterns by Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman (available March 31)

Cocoon by Machiko Kyō (available June 16)

Closing Act by Chris W. Kim (available April 28)

Lovers of the Empire by Yudori (available June 23)

Honorable Mentions

Our Sunny Days Vol. 1 by Jeong Seokchan

The Vanishing Man by J. Marshall Smith and Katherine Lam (available soon)

Punk’n Heads by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux (available April 7)

Fish and Water by Gengoroh Tagame (available June 23)

Magica by Yuzuko Hoshimi

Delay: A Comics Anthology edited by Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco (available April 28)

I’m No Angel Vol. 1 by Ai Yazawa (available June 2)

Ongoing Series

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi Vol. 6 by Yuri Sonoda (available April 28)

Let’s Make Cocktails! By Sarah Becan (available April 7)

Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 14 by Kamome Shirahama

Hirayasumi Vol. 9 by Keigo Shinso (available May 19)

Other Books Mentioned

Beauty by Hubert and Kerascoët

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët

Washington’s Gay General by Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings

Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me by Mimi Pond

Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

Raging Clouds by Yudori

Forest Hills Bootleg Society by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux

My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama

Let’s Make Ramen! By Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan

Let’s Make Bread! By Ken Forkish and Sarah Becan

Let’s Make Dumplings! By Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan

What We’re Reading

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights (2026 film)

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee

Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance by Ben Passmore

Fanfiction (unspecified)

Rocketship-Grawlicks Sandwich

ARIRANG by BTS

This month, Betty and Alex discuss the first three installments in DC's smash-hit Absolute series: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman! Our dynamic duo will be covering the subsequent three releases in a later episode.

Next time: Spring Hype!

Media Mentioned:

Introduction

• Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta
• Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman
• Absolute Superman Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval

Backgrounds with DC

• Justice League (TV Series)
• Justice League Unlimited
• Teen Titans (TV Series)
• Young Justice (TV Series)
• The Dark Knight trilogy (films)
• Nightwing: Leaping Into the Light by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo
• Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
• Young Justice (1998 comic book run)
• Batman & Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee
• Batman: Under the Hood by Judd Winick and Doug Mahnke
• Super Friends (TV Series)
• Superman for All Seasons by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale

About the AU

• DC All-In Special by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Wes Craig, and Daniel Sampere
• Absolute Flash Vol. 1: Of Two Worlds by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles
• Absolute Martian Manhunter Vol. 1: Martian Vision by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez
• Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 1: Without Fear by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay
• Superman (2025 Film)

Favorites

• Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman
• Absolute Superman Vol. 2: Last Dust of Krypton by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval

Upcoming AU

• Absolute Green Arrow by Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque (TBR)
• Absolute Catwoman by Scott Snyder, Che Grayson, and Bengal (TBR)

Currently Reading

• Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe (editor’s note: it’s pronounced FREE-ren :) )
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Young Justice (1998 comic book run)
• Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Sandwich

• Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• Natalie Andrewson’s risograph prints
• Testament by J. Marshall Smith
• Valentine’s Zine by Betty Bayer :)

Betty and Alex dig into their faves of 2025, and their reading resolutions for 2026!

Media Mentioned:

Tracking

• Storygraph
• Reading List

Non-Comics

• The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkein 
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Cutest of the Year

• Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi by Yuri Sonoda
• Chi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata 
• Cat & Cat Adventures by Susie Yi

Favorite Indie/Small Press Title

• Testament by J. Marshall Smith
• Pushing Buttons! A Futuristic Workplace Kerfuffle by Ursula Blix

Favorite Kids Comic

• Miss Cat series by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joëlle Jolivet 
• Magda, Intergalactic Chef Volume 1: The Big Tournament by Nicolas Wouters and Mathilde van Gheluwe
• Creaky Acres by Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder

Favorite Book Club Read

• Cannon by Lee Lai
• Stone Fruit by Lee Lai
• Uzumaki by Junji Ito

Favorite YA Book

• Flip by Ngozi Ukazu
• All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion

Favorite New Manga Series

• Medalist by Tsurumaikada
• Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama
• Ping Pong by Taiyo Matsumoto
• My Love Mix-Up! by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko
• Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzo
• Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi

Favorite Marvel/DC and Trade Comics

• Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval
• Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta
• Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman
• Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez
• Absolute Green Lantern by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay
• Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles
• Minor Arcana by Jeff Lemire
• Robin & Batman: Jason Todd by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen

Favorite Overall

• The Corus Wave by Karenza Sparks
• Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me by Mimi Pond 

Biggest Surprise

• Raging Clouds by Yudori

Year-End Lists

• Peow Studio Publishing
• Gosh! Comics
• Farewell, Daisy: Jun Mayuzuki Story Collection by Jun Mayuzuki
• Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls
• Maus by Art Spiegelman

Wish We’d Read

• Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls
• Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance by Ben Passmore
• The One and Future Riot by Joe Sacco
• Palestine by Joe Sacco
• Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995 by Joe Sacco
• Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson
• Stop!! Hibari-kun! by Hisashi Eguchi
• More Weight: A Salem Story by Ben Wickey
• Drome by Jesse Lonergan

Currently Reading

• Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me by Mimi Pond 
• Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman
• Neighborhood Story #4 by Ai Yazawa
• Testament by J. Marshall Smith
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• The Will of the Many by James Islington

Rocket Ship-Grawlix Sandwich

• Moomin by Tove Jansson
• The Lord of the Rings film series

Next Time:

DC’s Absolute series

Betty and Alex dig into their anticipated releases coming out this Fall! Some have dropped already, and some are yet to come, but either way, our girls can't wait to read them.

Intro & outro music by Cullen Curth.

Media Mentioned:

• THE CORUS WAVE by Karenza Sparks 
• FLIP by Ngozi Ukazu
• ANGELICA AND THE BEAR PRINCE by Trung Le Nguyen
• DO ADMIT: THE MITFORD SISTERS AND ME by Mimi Pond
• BLACK ARMS TO HOLD YOU UP: A HISTORY OF BLACK RESISTANCE by Ben Passmore
• WITCHCRAFT by Sole Otero
• LOVE BULLET, VOL. 1 by inee
• SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES by Anaïs Flogny
• ROBIN & BATMAN: JASON TODD by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen
• ART OF WITCH HAT ATELIER by Kamome Shirahama
• ART OF RUMIKO TAKAHASHI: COLORS 1978-2024 by Rumiko Takahashi
• ABSOLUTE FLASH: VOL. 1 by Jeff Lemire; art by Nick Robles
• ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 1: MARTIAN VISION by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez 
• ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN VOL. 1: WITHOUT FEAR by Al Ewing & Jahnoy Lindsay
• ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN VOL. 1: LAST DUST OF KRYPTON
• ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 1: THE ZOO
• ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1: THE LAST AMAZON 
• DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY THEORY VOL. 1 by Mayo Tsurukame
• WET SAND VOL. 2 by Doyak
• FAIRY CAT VOL. 2 by Hisa Takano
• CAT COMPANIONS VOL. 5 by Yuri Sonoda
• MORE WEIGHT: A SALEM STORY by Ben Wickey
• PHYSICS FOR CATS by Tom Gauld

Betty and Alex sit down to chat about SPORTS MANGA!! From their own history with sports, to what really defines the genre of "sports manga," to their faves, B&A get into it all.

Intro & outro music by Cullen Curth.

Media Mentioned:

• MEDALIST by Tsurumaikada

• SLAM DUNK Takehiko Inoue

• REAL Takehiko Inoue

• HAIKYU!! By Haruichi Furudate

• BLUE LOCK by Muneyuki Kaneshiro

• SHORT GAME by Mitsuru Adachi

• THE CLIMBER by Jirō Nitta & Shin-ichi Sakamoto

• THE PRINCE OF TENNIS by Takeshi Konomi

• PING PONG by Taiyou Matsumoto

• SAYONARA FOOTBALL by Naoshi Arakawa

• BLUE BOX by Kouji Miura

• THOSE WHO LEAVE AND THOSE WHO STAY by Elena Ferrante

• CAT COMPANIONS MARURU AND HACHI by Yuri Sonoda

• THE TWO TOWERS by J.R.R. Tolkien 

Betty and Alex talk BOOK CLUBS! From the store's iconic Graphic Novel Book Club, to celebrity book clubs, to past personal book clubs, our ladies cover it all.

Intro & outro music by Cullen Curth.

Media Mentioned:

• THE MYTHMAKERS by John Hendrix

• THE GULF by Adam de Souza

• ROAMING by Jillian & Mariko Tamaki

• ALISON by Lizzy Stewart

• SELF-ESTEEM AND THE END OF THE WORD by Luke Healy

• WITCH HAT ATELIER by Kamome Shirahama 

• SUPERMAN RED SON by Mark Miller & Dave Johnson

• THE NIGHT EATERS by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

• LAND OF MIRRORS by Maria Medem

• Local author Matt Kindt

• Radiator Comics

• PAST TENSE by Sacha Mardou

• PERSEPHONE by Loic Locatelli-kournwsky

• PING PONG by Taiyo Matsumoto

• BATMAN: EGO by Darwyn Cooke

• DUCKS by Kate Beaton

• THE MAGIC FISH by Trung Le Nguyen 

• BOAT LIFE by Tsuge Tadao

• REAL by Takehiko Inoue

• SLAM DUNK by Takehiko Inoue

• HARDCORE HAPPINESS by Reid Chancellor

Betty and Alex take a spin through some of their favorite children's picture books that are great for grownups and kids alike!

HEADS UP: After the main topic, Betty and Alex discuss a book during the "currently reading" segment that is not suitable for children. The rest of the episode is A-Okay!

Intro & outro music by Cullen Curth.

Media Mentioned:

• KITTYBUNKPORT by Scott Rothman & Zachariah OHora

• PINK BLUE AND YOU by Elise Gravel

• BESSIE THE MOTORCYCLE QUEEN by Charles R. Smith Jr. & Charlot Kristensen

• WE ARE THE WATER PROTECTORS by Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade

• HOTDOG by Doug Salati

• MR. WUFFLES by David Wiesner

• MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans

• Author Sandra Boynton

• POLAR BEAR’S UNDERWEAR by Tupera Tupera

• INVISIBLE THINGS by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller

• EVERYONE’S AWAKE by Colin Meloy and Shawn Harris

• A SUNDAE WITH EVERYTHING ON IT by Kyle Scheele & Andy J. Pizza

• I CAN BE ANYTHING by Shinsuke Yoshitake 

• I CAN OPEN IT FOR YOU by Shinsuke Yoshitake 

• COMET AND STAR by Lee Juck

• OCTAVIO AND HIS GLASSES Marc González Rossell

• URSULA UPSIDE DOWN by Corey Tabor

• IF YOU RUN OUT OF WORDS by Felicita Sala

• TO SEE AN OWL by Matthew Cordell 

• BODIES ARE COOL by Tyler Feder 

• PING PONG Vol. 1-2 by Taiyo Matsumoto

• FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by J.R.R. Tolkien

• MISTBORN: THE WELL OF ASCENSION by Brandon Sanderson

• WALKING ON WATER by Jang Mokdan