Everyone in the bookish community seems to be trying to add as many books to their reading goal as possible. I’ve seen a lot of posts that are doing ten before the end. I’m instead focusing on five queer food-based graphic novels. I think these would be a perfect fit to help you boost your reading goal before the end of the year.
These graphic novels are also some of my favorite from this year and past years.
1) Battle Royal by Leisl Adams
This was a recent read, but it follows my theme of food centered graphic novels. Leisl Adams creates a vibrant world centered around a baking competition and an unlikely pair of cooks.
Rose is a small town an aspiring amateur baker who works at a local restaurant. The restaurant is owned by her friend Fred’s mother. She wants to spend more time in the kitchen. However, she is stuck waitressing and not getting a chance to try her skills.
But when everyone is off doing something else and a famous food critic arrives. Rose gets a chance to show off her skills and gets invited to a famous food reality show. She chooses her friend Fred as her partner and the two soon make their way to London.
They are in for an intense competition full of bizarre challenges. In the ten days they spend doing the competition, they run into everything from booby traps to backstabbing. Their competitors willing to lie, cheat and sabotage their way to the win.
Rose knows she is in over her head but won’t give up on her goal to become top chef. This cute fish out of water premise is a great set-up for the romantic comedy the book becomes. It also focuses on themes like tackling challenges in the pursuit of making your dreams come true.
Amazon: Batter Royale
About the Author
Leisl Adams is a director, storyboard artist, and illustrator. Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, she graduated from the classical animation program at Sheridan College in 2002. Since then, she has worked in television and film, animating and storyboarding for clients like Amazon, Disney XD, Teletoon, and CBC, and directed season 2 of American Girl’s WellieWishers for Mattel in 2018. She illustrated the graphic novel Pixies (Arcana Comics) and has done illustration work for Simon & Schuster, and Rubicon Publishing.
2)Off Menu: A Graphic Novel by Oliver Gerlach
This book follows a young woman who has to overcome her evil boss. The stakes are high as her boss wants to control not only the kitchen she works at. But he also wants to control the people around town she considers family.
Soup is a older teen who is at a crossroads. She wants to make her way in the world but she is having trouble leaving the restaurant she calls home. You see Soup was found at this restaurant as a baby. She grew up and learned to cook there.
Things change however when her boss snaps at her. This opens her eyes to his patterns of abuse and blackmail. These behaviors aren’t limited to the kitchen but extend to the whole town.
She challenges her boss to a cooking competition and hijinks ensue has her friends rally around her. In the competition nothing is what it seems and Soup will have to get the support of the whole community if she wants to win. Bonus points that it includes fun fairy magic.
About the Author/Illustrator
Oliver Gerlach is a writer, escaped chef, and doctor of classics, living and working in Edinburgh, Scotland. His work can be found in places including 2000 AD’s Mega City Max and the GLAAD and Ringo award-winning anthology Young Men In Love. On the rare occasions when he is not writing, Oliver can be found teaching and selling board and role-playing games. He still can’t quite believe he gets to do both of these for a living. He probably spends too much time in the kitchen too. Off Menu is his debut graphic novel.
Kelsi Jo Silva is an American illustrator and artist based out of Denver, Colorado. Aftergraduating from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design with a BA in illustration, Kelsi went straight into formulating a creative career. They’ve worked on a number of projects, most notably the Ela Cat children’s series with Good Luck Black Cat books, the first of which was awarded a MoonBeam award for illustration. Online, Kelsi is most known for her depictions of women in loving relationships and sapphic redesigns of Greek mythos.
3) Basil and Oregeno
This novel takes inspiration from baking contests like the Great British Baking Show. This queer graphic novel includes elements of a magical boarding school as well as a cute romance.
The Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school in the land when it comes to the art of cooking with magic. The young and scrappy Basil Eyres is going to be top student in her year no matter what it takes. The first day of her senior year brings unexpected surprises. Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a famous chef, joins the academy for her senior year.
The two are instantly smitten with each other. Despite the fact that Basil is quite sure that Arabella is hiding something from her. The two learn more about each other and work together so they can stand out int class. As the end of the year culinary festival approaches and and Arabella’s secret is reveal, Basil has to make a choice that could put her future aspirations in jeopardy.
Amazon: Basil and Oregano
About the Author
Melissa Capriglione (cap-rig-lee-own) is a queer comic artist living in Indiana. She graduated in 2017 with a BFA in Drawing and Illustration from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. She is best known for self-publishing a webcomic called “Falconhyrste” with co-author Clara W. since 2016. She specializes in stories featuring women who love women, and other LGBTQ+ representation. She is also the artist for S.P.I.R.I.T (2019, Arledge Comics), an on-going supernatural comic series, and a slice-of-life drama comic series called PiNKHEARTS (2019). Past clients include Action Lab, Arledge Comics, and Netflix. Her work has also been featured in anthologies such as The Local Haunts Anthology (2019), Life Finds A Way (2019), Awesome ‘Possum (2018), Strange Romance Vol. 3 (2018), Lilies Anthology (2017), and Recondite Hill Anthology (2018).
4) The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This wonderful sapphic tale based around food features Lady Camembert. She wants to live life on her own terms she doesn’t want to get married. That is at least she doesn’t want to get married to a man. The law of the land states that women can’t inherit though so when her father passes away she does the only reasonable thing. She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city. She is now Count Camembert.
She is busy trying to keep a low profile when she meets Princess Brie. Brie has a great sense of activism, along with a wonderful fashion sense. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the Princess but will she manage to keep her secret safe?
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A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.
Amazon: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
About the Author
Deya Muniz was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they grew up watching Pride and Prejudice and reading copious amounts of shojo manga. In 2017, they moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in sequential art, where they met and fell in love with a wonderful girl who makes delicious grilled cheese sandwiches.
5) Noodle and Bao
This recently published graphic novel fits in with all the others with its focus about food and friendship. Described as perfect for Fans of Animal Crossing this book focuses on the spirit of a small Chinatown called Town 99.
Momo has lived in Town 99 since she was born. She knows the beats and rhythems of the city. The best place to buy fruit, watch Tai-Chi in the park, or her favorite spot to get a the best meal in town. Noodle and Bao, run buy Momo’s friend Bao and their grandmother Noodle.
The crew from Noodle and Bao run into trouble as the neighborhood is changing. They are being priced out as the rent increases. Noodle and Bao has even been edged out of its storefront by the mysterious Fancé Cafe. This cafe is run by ambitious Ms Jujube and her henchmen.
They claim they are improving Town 99 with new business. Momo however realizes this is not true and knows that if the people from Fancé Cafe are in charge, she will lose everything she loves about her neighborhood.
Then starts a great effort of community organizing, from petitions to a cooking competition. Noodle and Bao are out to protect Town 99 but are they too late?
Amazon: Noodle and Bao
About the Author
Shaina Lu (she/her) is a queer Taiwanese American community artist exploring the intersection of art, education, and activism. She graduated from Wellesley College and Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied arts in education. When she’s not creating community art, she works with young artists and makers in Boston’s Chinatown. Most important, she drinks juice every day, and she is full of sugar. Say hello at shainadoesart.com.
Do you have any favorites you are thinking about adding to your TBR before the end of the year? Let me know in the comments!
Image by un-perfekt from Pixabay
Rose's Book Garden 