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It’s time once again to get all of your books in a row and prepare for Book Riot’s 2026 Read Harder Challenge! One of the challenges this year is to read a nonfiction comic, so naturally, that is the one I’ll be helping you with.
There are a number of “obvious” choices you could go for here, including Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. Those are excellent books, and if you haven’t read them, you definitely should take this opportunity to do so! But if you’ve read them before, or if you just want to go for a more under-the-radar nonfiction title, you’ll find three great options below.
Don’t miss your chance to win a full year of Kindle Unlimited courtesy of Twisted Comics! Sign up to be notified when the Black Mirror Comics: San Junipero graphic novel launches on Kickstarter, and you’ll be automatically entered. You have until January 9, 2026.
Andy Warner’s Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets by Andy Warner
Learn about the fine line between “house pet” and “vermin” in this fun book. (Mostly fun…sensitive readers may not want to be reminded of events like Laika’s fate.) Also check out the follow-up, Spices and Spuds! (Psst: these will also help you meet the microhistory challenge!)
First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth by Angélique Roché, Alvin Epps, Millicent Monroe, and Bex Glendining (Out Feb 3)
Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021, but that might never have happened if not for Opal Lee, an activist who spent decades fighting for official recognition of this pivotal day. This graphic novel traces the history of the day itself and of Lee’s unwavering mission to make it a holiday.
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On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder and Nora Krug
Snyder’s unfortunately relevant book, which lays out the warning signs of authoritarianism in painstaking detail, received the graphic novel treatment in 2021, with illustrations by Nora Krug. Krug is known for her work on similarly themed titles, including Belonging and Diaries of War, making her the perfect choice to adapt this book.
For more nonfiction graphic novels and comics, check out this list of social justice-minded releases.
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