Ashley Holstrom

About trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression

Hi, friend.

Welcome to another edition of Crooked Reads, a monthly(ish) collection of bite-sized reviews about books on a theme.

I’m writing to you from a cloud of COVID brain fog, but things are looking up. The days are warmer. My sunflowers appear to be sprouting already (unless they’re weeds, in which case, I never said anything). I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, but I’m hoping the sunny days will lead to outside reading time.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s take a look at some beautiful and sometimes devastating graphic memoirs about mental illness. Note that the format can be quite visceral, so do read with care. These books cover trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression.

The books

Look Again by Elizabeth A. Trembley

While taking her dogs for a walk one morning, Elizabeth found a dead body in the woods. It shocked her to her core and she’s carried that terror with her ever since, though it’s changed shape over the decades. Look Again is a raw, emotional look at how trauma affects memory and storytelling. The way this story is presented, with six variations of how the author has told it over the years, from straight-forward to convoluted, is so fascinating.

Everything Is an Emergency: An OCD Story in Words & Pictures by Jason Adam Katzenstein

Told in the present tense, starting when he was a young boy, Everything is an Emergency takes us on a journey through Katzenstein’s life with obsessive-compulsive disorder. With stunning art, he shows how OCD is much more than merely being tidy—it’s seemingly inane obsessions and endless thought spirals that disrupt daily life until the ritual is complete. This graphic memoir will give you a much deeper understanding of an often misunderstood disorder.

Ephemera by Briana Loewinsohn

Honestly, Ephemera is the perfect title for this book. It’s a dreamy graphic memoir set in nature—a garden, a forest, a greenhouse—as a woman looks back on memories of her childhood with a deeply depressed mother. She’s desperate to connect with her mom, but it feels like they are lightyears away from each other. Except when they’re in the garden. The art here is soft and beautiful and ethereal. I love it so much.

✨ Peep my list of more graphic memoirs, along with a megalist of the best mental health memoirs, on my Bookshop storefront.

The boost

Check out this list of books about mental health and use the code Wellness24 to get 15% off titles on the list! There’s lots to love here—self-help books, memoirs, journals, card decks, and more. Included is one of my favorite gifts: Thera-Pets, a deck of cards with adorable animals sharing sage advice, wise words, and positive affirmations.

If you’d like to sponsor a future edition of Crooked Reads, fill out this form and I’ll get in touch ASAP!

The nightstand

My book club (with two of my best pals from ye olde college newspaper days—hi, R and Z!) is back up and running after I threw a tantrum years ago when a long book was chosen. We’re sticking to novellas, and I’m so excited. Our first pick, The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada, is about an aimless woman in rural Japan who sees a strange animal, follows it, and falls into a hole that is exactly the size of her body??? It’s really weird. I dig it so far.

The backlist

In case you missed ’em, or want to peep the archives: