Graphic Novels for Beginners (Start Here) with Sophia Glock

From What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show by Laura R Yamin

March 31, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

Laura R Yamin discusses the significance of graphic novels for adults with cartoonist Sophia Glock.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Graphic novels aren’t just for kids—and this episode completely changed how I think about them. In this conversation, I sit down with cartoonist Sophia Glock to talk about her haunting and emotional graphic novel Before We Wake . We dive into how comics can explore big themes like grief in a way that feels accessible, immersive, and deeply personal—and why adults should absolutely be reading graphic novels. We also talk about nostalgia (hello early 2000s 👀), the creative process behind blending art and storytelling, and where to start if you’ve never picked up a graphic novel before. 📚 Books Mentioned Before We Wake by Sophia Glock — Buy on Amazon | YA Graphic Novel | Grief, paranormal, friendship Maus by Art Spiegelman — Buy on Amazon | Historical Graphic Novel | Holocaust, memoir Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi — Buy on Amazon | Graphic Memoir | Iran, coming-of-age Fun Home by Alison Bechdel — Buy on Amazon | Literary Graphic Memoir | Family, identity This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki — Buy on Amazon | YA/Adult Graphic Novel | Coming-of-age Spinning by…

People in this episode

Guest: Sophia Glock

Topics covered

graphic novels
comics
grief
nostalgia
creative process

Keywords

Before We Wake
Maus
Persepolis
Fun Home

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Before We Wake, Maus, Persepolis, Fun Home

Books & works: Graphic Novels for Beginners (, Before We Wake, YA Graphic Novel, Maus, Historical Graphic Novel, Holocaust, Persepolis, Fun Home

Places: Iran