It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Which is to say, it's the time of year when you get to pick out books for your wishlist and books for you to gift to your friends and family. We have a ton of gift guides for you (y'know, to make sure the very best books are on ALL of your lists), and today we've asked graphic novel expert, Gina Gagliano, to share some of her favorites.

My name is Gina Gagliano—I do marketing and publicity for Macmillan's graphic novel imprint, First Second. Graphic novels are basically my favorite because they have words and pictures as well as plots and characters and themes and also and so many of them are awesome all the time! I'm excited to recommend some books to you for the holidays. 

Spinning by Tillie Walden
This is a book about ice skating and about coming out and it's just amazing. Tillie writes these scenes of loneliness and decision-making and they're just so strong and powerful that the feelings just about come out of the page and grab you. This is a book about figuring out who you are, and basically anyone who's had to do that will like it.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
One of the things I think is fantastic about this book is how it presents an international view of feminism -- while still championing and celebrating feminism in the United States. This is such a smart book about wrestling with your cultural heritage (and also lots of colorful magic!). 

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland
What do you do when your town undergoes some sort of dimensional fugue state and is full of mysterious and monstrous things? It's time for the power of underground art to save the day, obviously! This is a fantastic graphic novel about family and disasters and creative power. 

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
This best-selling, award-winning book is a story about two kids who spend a summer trying to figure out what you have to do and know to become a teenager. 

It was the #1 most banned book of the year this year. 

Just read it.

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
The internet! Cory and Jen explore its power to build communities in this great graphic novel about online gaming and friendship. I love Jen Wang's artwork (her upcoming graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker is going to be AWESOME) and it's marvelous in this book. 

Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
Who doesn't feel lost in high school? Faith Erin Hicks' graphic novel captures that moment perfectly as Maggie starts school . . . and very slowly finds friends (and also a ghost . . . and also a pirate hand?!) as the year goes on. 

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff
There's tea! And adventures! Sometimes simultaneously! I love Tony Cliff's Delilah Dirk series because I think that the combination of two friends who are a globe-trotting sword-fighting woman and a tea-brewing man is just perfect. 

Have you already read any of these graphic novels? Do you have some more recommendations to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!