Although I'm not exclusively a reader of any one particular genre or format, a lot of my reading time is taken up by comics (obviously) and science fiction. This crosses over into many of my other entertainment choices as well, including television shows and movies, and my friends are well aware of it. Across the board, most of them do not share my interests in these areas, so I often find myself in situations where I know, just know, that a certain friend would love a particular book or show and will have to find some way to sell it. I usually fail.

The response is most often something like, "It sounds interesting, but I really don't like science fiction." My over-the-top protestations usually don't help much. (I guess when I say things like, "No, really: Battlestar Galactica might be the best show in the history of television," it makes them look at me like I've lost all touch with reality...even though I'm pretty sure I could back up my Battlestar Galactica argument...)

I found myself in a weird situation somewhat akin to all this several years ago, when The Time Traveler's Wife (by Audrey Niffenegger) was published. I thought the book was brilliant, and I tried my hardest to push it into the hands of just about everyone I know. But when a comics junkie is pushing anything with the words time travel in the title, he is usually met with the standard glazed-eyes defense. Luckily, my failure to push the book didn't change the fact that multitudes of other readers discovered that wonderful book. It was justifiably big, and I was pleased. I was even more pleased when I learned that Niffenegger was going to be publishing a graphic novel, The Night Bookmobile. To see someone this wildly creative and adventurous in her storytelling take on comics made me immediately happy.

So I not only recommend that you check out her book, but I also hope you'll take a look at GNR's interview with Niffenegger, now online. She's one of a trio of fascinatingly creative female writer/artists we spotlight this time around (the other two being Cathy Malkasian and Belle Yang). It wasn't an intentional plan that we feature three daring female writer/artists at once, but sometimes a site update takes on a surprising and pleasant symmetry. This is one of those times.

In both background and style, these three ladies have little to do with each other, but taken together, as they are here, they show how wonderfully diverse this field truly is and how much spark there is to be found in the world of graphic novels. If you're a regular reader of the format, you probably already know that. If you're relatively new, I hope you're discovering it for yourself.

Either way, I hope you find a lot of great new reading material within this update. Enjoy!

Happy reading,

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

Todd Kent is a writer and filmmaker from Dallas whose latest project is the documentary Comic Book Literacy. The film explores how comics are utilized in the classroom and features interviews with several creators and comics readers discussing how comics promote a love of reading. Here, Todd talks about his love of comics. By John Hogan

Martin Lemelman pieces together the fragments of his past in an effort to come to terms with a childhood that was marked by struggle both in and outside the home. His richly rendered black-and-white illustrations are accented with family photographs and found objects. Take a look in this preview.

Stan Lee's new series Soldier Zero has an incredible new trailer that promises an action-packed adventure. Check it out here! Plus, get a look at a trailer for Starmaker: Leviathan, a new series from Dare Comics.

Check out this list of upcoming books to figure out what you'd like to read next, from superhero fare to hard-hitting crime noir to literary fiction.

From great science fiction to compelling drama to aching romance, dozens of reviews of top fiction titles are now online.

Wolverine: Weapon X, Vol. 2: Insane in the Brain by Jason Aaron, Yanick Paquette, and C.P. Smith
His memory erased and his identity shattered, Wolverine finds himself a patient at the Dunwich Sanatorium. Reviewed by Michael Hicks

All My Darling Daughters by Fumi Yoshinaga
Yukiko is shocked when her mother starts to date a man younger than her own daughter. But they seem to be working out, so who's she to say? All My Darling Daughters shows the offbeat side of love and relationships. Reviewed by Danica Davidson

Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks
This inventive, richly layered tale of creators, fans, and readers might just be the most thoughtful graphic novel we'll ever see on the magical yet heartbreaking world of comics... Reviewed by Peter Gutierrez

Isle of Forbidden Love by Duo Brand
Aki's life in Edo-era Japan is drastically altered when he begins investigating a series of bizarre murders and falls for the mysterious man named Kuga. Reviewed by Snow Wildsmith

How to Seduce a Vampire by Nimosaku Shimada
When Watanabe stops to help a bleeding stranger, he finds himself caught up in a mysterious world of vampires and reincarnation and yaoi romance. Reviewed by Snow Wildsmith

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Intelligence Gathering by David Tipton, Scott Tipton, and David Messina
The Enterprise crew investigates a series of seemingly unrelated incidents that begin to show the pattern of a conspiracy. Reviewed by Snow Wildsmith

Death Note, Vol. 5-8 by Tsugumi Ohba
Serial killer Light Yagami is now a suspect in the Kira investigation. How far will he go in order to save himself? Reviewed by Danica Davidson