Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car: Comics for Beautiful, Awful and Ordinary Days

by Jordan Bolton

Jordan Bolton’s Blue Sky Through The Window of A Moving Car is a poignant collection of comics that explore universal experiences and emotions through art and poetry. Small yet powerful, and equal parts heart-breaking and heart-warming, these poetic comics are intensely relatable and go straight to the heart of what it means to be human.

This first comic collection from artist Jordan Bolton explores the fleeting details that unite us. Jordan brings together the visual language of comics with the heartfelt language of poetry, to express moments of love and heartbreak, embarrassment and shame, hope and disappointment, grief and happiness. Split into sections that reflect where we spend the majority of our time ― In Public, In Transit, and At Home ― Bolton shines spotlights on the lives and stories unfolding around us every day that we might otherwise ignore.

With the addition of new and unseen comics, Blue Sky Through The Window of A Moving Car is a gentle reminder that everything is ordinary, everything is extraordinary, and everything is connected.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Poetry, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Love, Adult

128 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland platitudes and pseudo-meditative crap. Perfect for sharing on social media, but a bit boring to read as a book.

The author seems to have a notion that never directly or fully showing the faces of the characters in the illustrations might function to give their thoughts some sort of universality, but I find it also serves to dehumanize and distance them. They're not people or characters, they're parts -- making their thoughts more obvious projections of the author, which raises the question of why bother using characters at all. Let us invest in them or just talk to us directly instead of making us linger on how you are speaking at us through these puppet components.


(Best of 2024 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one or more of these lists:
• Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2024
• Publishers Weekly 2024 Graphic Novel Critics Poll
• NPR's Books We Love 2024: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made the NPR list.)


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

Introduction

In Public
• Day Off
• Reunion
• Fireworks
• Furniture Shopping
• Public Park

In Transit
• Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car
• The Driver
• A Man Sits Beside You on the Bus
• Long Train Journeys

At Home
• Love Song
• Peppermint
• Cinnamon Bun
• Ghosts
• Range Life
• Routines

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the little things

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little moments that add up to a life...some are good and some are bad...but they equally belong to us, and who can really say we would be who we are if we did not experience them? I have often found myself in the same situation this book tries to describe: why did that hamburger at the aquarium taste so good...maybe it was because it was one of the few places my dad took me when I was a little boy...now that 'hamburger' is remembered in a way that no other hamburger can be.

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the artist made the seemingly mundane and ordinary so beautifully introspective and heart-tugging. And followed his Instagram immediately.

[Radwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have been a big fan of jordan bolton's instagram account, because his comics really hit me in the feels. as he says in the introduction, these comics are his ideas that he wanted to put in a film but couldn't film them, so he decided to draw them instead.
and believe me, some of these scenes made me cry, and now i demand to see it in a film!
it takes some of those everyday thoughts and encounters and happenings and presents them in a depressing yet beautiful ways that just makes you ant to reach out to your loved ones.

[Joachim Stoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times a bit too mellow and cheesy to be a total winner, but it is lovely as well

[Allen Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deceptively simple little graphic novel exploring subtle and mundane moments in someone’s life - waiting for a friend in the park, encounters with strangers, furniture shopping with a partner. Short stories or vignettes explore universal and profound feelings like sonder - the feeling and realization that everyone around you has as complex and vivid as life as you.

This was so beautiful and emotional. The stories or vignettes are rather short, some about two pages and some about ten pages. Each one is illustrated in a simple manner that allows the text to really shine. I found myself tearing up in one particular story about ghosts. This reminded me a bit of Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy for review.

[Pei Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of moments and a precious gift from a friend who knows I savour moments.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully poetic 🥹🤩

[Jessica O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely palate cleanser for when you no longer want to think about our country’s current state of affairs.

The first comic is absolute perfection.

[Yuka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustration of an x-ray for a leg injury on page 94 really showed a radius and ulna (shorter length, similar thickness of bones, and the curvature between didn’t resemble a tibia and fibula) - which is a sign that I’ve been in the Zooarch lab too long.

[Billie-Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The full title of this book says “comics for beautiful, awful and ordinary days” and I really believe it hit the nail on the head with that. Because it is simply is just that. It’s a beautiful collection of comics that depict and explore the universal experiences of the simple, often-depressing and mundane things in life. And I really connected to them which made it even more of an emotive read.

The stories are rather short, some spanning 10 pages and some only 2 but each equally pack a punch. They’re simply illustrated which allows the poetry to really shine and stand out. I really think this is a book for everyone, to allow us to remind ourselves that these emotions and experiences are universal and that we aren’t alone. Beautiful, short read that I highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me a free copy of this ahead of its release on November 7 in the UK and November 12 in USA & Canada.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quiet collection of comics about the power of the mundane is so lovely. My only disappointment is that it isn't longer, because it was over so quickly--but like good poetry, blazing through the book isn't the point; the point is in the astute observations that manage to feel universal and familiar while still opening the door to a new perspective. Here's hoping that Jordan Bolton makes a collection three times this size in the future.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-weak 3
Slice of life, a weird mix of sentimental and boring
Didn't like most of the comics, mostly felt 'meh'
I did like one of the ones towards the ends about how love can be in the smaller gestures and quiet moments. I related to the train travel one as I've had that happen.
Did not care for the movie theater one, I get the concept but didn't love the execution, same for the airport pick up
I didn't like the one about the red and blue car one, it both felt incredulous and didn't land right
The titular comic was okay

[Jerika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short collection of comics. The opening refers to "mundane moments" and I suppose that's what these are. But that doesn't stop it from being extremely moving. 'Day Off' and 'A Man Sits Beside You on the Bus' were the two that I found most touching, to the point of tears. But I think that many of the others are also very lovely. I like the art style. I first saw the author on Tumblr and it made me want to go right out and buy this book and I'm very glad I did. I'll revisit it often.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures were kind of screaming wikiHow, so if you're going to read this, I recommend some soft, slow music to help create a little ambience for the moments inside to hit harder.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully emotional graphic novel about all of the mundane moments in a person's life. I thought this was expertly written and was a wonderful journey. I sat with this book for a little while and really took my time with it and I feel like I got a lot out of it. If you're looking for an insightful graphic novel, this is it!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Caitlin Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Ebury Press and Jordan Bolton for this review copy!

I love how this graphic novel celebrates the little thing and how the most simple elements of our days are worth celebrating. I can imagine this book being a really good conversation starter and would work well as a coffee table book. The only thing I would’ve changed is I would’ve loved a bit more texture and warmth to the illustrations, but I liked the way that the writing was made the focal point regardless.

[Βασίλης Δ. Πεσλής · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πέτυχα τα strips του Jordan Bolton στο Instagram και αμέσως με άγγιξαν.
Χωρίς να είναι κάτι το συνταρακτικό, χωρίς punchlines -μόνο μια απλή, εικονογραφημένη περιγραφή καθημερινών καταστάσεων- που όμως σε κάνει να σκεφτείς όλες αυτές τις μικρές, ασήμαντες φαινομενικά στιγμές της καθημερινότητας. Αποφάσισα ότι το ήθελα, κι ας είμαι επιφυλακτικός με αγορές από το εξωτερικό (ας είναι καλά το Skroutz, μέσω του οποίου βρήκα κατάστημα που το φέρνει).

Το βιβλίο περιέχει απλές ιστορίες που μοιάζουν με εικονογραφημένη ποίηση, σχεδόν. Κάποιες θα τις δεις ως απλως παρατηρητής, κάποιες με τις οποίες θα ταυτιστείς, θα σε αγγίξουν. Και μια δυο θα σε κάνουν να δακρύσεις και να αφήσεις λίγο το βιβλίο στην άκρη. Και αυτό δείχνει πόσο δυνατή είναι η δουλειά του Bolton -και κάθε καλλιτέχνη που μπορεί να πετύχει ανάλογη αντίδραση: με ένα απλό σκίτσο και δυο-τρεις αράδες, ξυπνά μέσα σου ένα τόσο έντονο συναίσθημα.
Νομίζω ότι έχει εκδώσει και αλλά παρόμοια graphic novels, τα οποία θα ψάξω σίγουρα να βρω.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really depressing, but I can sort of appreciate and understand what the author was trying to do here so I’m giving it 3 stars.

[Stella Marchione · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wonderful little journey. It gave me all the feels while reading it. An absolute joy to read.

[Alyssa Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

very short. some of these were good and others were so severely bleh

[Émilie Giguère · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’adore les poèmes / comics de Jordan Bolton : la beauté dans leur simplicité. Le côté extraordinaire de l’ordinaire. Un bijou!

[Davi Kladakis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork was nice. Unfortunately, the accompanying words were blah.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first comic book to ever make me cry.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for my sister for her Christmas present, so gave it a quick read. I love the comics of theirs I see on Instagram, and many of them are here, as well as some I’ve not seen before. Easily digestible, but always make me emotional.

[Trocadoporlivros · Rating 5 out of 5]

«(...)and when we are close enough to speak, you say aloud the exact words I am thinking: “what a beautiful day.”»

A vida é uma soma de dias comuns, independentes do volume do meu protesto (!) e de estar, ou não, integrada com os restantes ingredientes da receita.

Muitas vezes, não sei olhar. Noutras, valorizo a mais. Por vezes, celebro de menos. Na ânsia de quantificar ou qualificar as coisas, parece-me que passo – e sendo absolutamente franca - demasiado tempo distraída. Na minha lista de desejos, que coincide com o virar do calendário, mas não com a motivação: estar de olhos bem atentos. Viver um pouco mais o que é bonito, em especial, se em embrulho honesto.

Trocado por livros.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

more like storyboards for a movie scene vs a graphic novel. cute short stories.

[Danielle H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this comics on Instagram and I like the ability to have them more tangibly in my hands.