Read Harder Challenge 2026: Read a Nonfiction Comic

Cartoonist Kate Beaton heads West to work in the oil sands, taking advantage of the oil rush to help her save money so she can more fully dedicate herself to her art. But out west, she’s confronted with the harsh realities of working in the small communities popping up because of the oil industry. In these sort of episodic-like snippets, she gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at her life, pointing out the many issues—sexism and violence towards women in particular—that are common in these communities.

Denali Sai Nalamalapu, a climate activist, brings the story of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the people who resisted it to vivid life. Spanning 300 miles through West Virginia and Virginia, the pipeline cut through farms and forests, devastating the land. Nalamalapu spent hours with activists, distilling their experiences into six illustrated chapters. Each one depicts small but powerful acts of defiance, like Becky Crabtree chaining herself to her Bronco or Monacan seedkeeper Desirée Shelley preserving her community’s future. With its intimate storytelling, Holler shows how collective, everyday resistance can protect both land and hope.