OPL Staff members share their favorite books of 2022
Allow Me to Retort
Beautiful World Where Are You
I enjoyed this novel for the multitude of lyrical, funny, and wise observations about contemporary life. This young Irish novelist addresses the universal,…
Read more of this comment about Beautiful World, Where Are YouBig Girl
Brilliant Malaya is a gifted student and talented artist, but sometimes it seems all her mom and grandmother seem to care about is her weight. In the face…
Read more of this comment about Big GirlBerry Song
Berry Song is illustrator, Michaela Goade’s first authored book and the story and pictures are both a delight. The gorgeous illustrations grabbed the attention…
Read more of this comment about Berry SongBlack Cake
If you appreciated Maisy Card's These Ghosts are Family, this book is for you. Families’ secrets abound. --Librarian Pat, Children's Services, Main Library …
Read more of this comment about Black CakeBoys I Know
This debut novel from local author, Anna Gracia, deftly explores the challenges of being a young adult grabbling with competing expectations and standards.…
Read more of this comment about Boys I KnowBy the Book
Beauty and the Beast meets the publishing industry. Part of the 'Meant To Be ' romance series this Guillory title takes the reader beyond the author's…
Read more of this comment about By the BookCirca
In 1980’s North Carolina, Bengali-American teenager Heera shares a rebellious streak with her best friend Marie and Maries’s brother Marco, who is also her…
Read more of this comment about CircaDaughter of the Mood Goddess
Super imaginative! Folklore and mythology are always fun, but even more so when they're written to include another perspective right--Percy Jackson anyone?…
Read more of this comment about Daughter of the Moon GoddessDead End Girls
Teens Maude and her step-cousin Frankie attempt to pull off the ultimate con: to fake their own deaths and disappear without a trace from their lives.…
Read more of this comment about Dead End GirlsFearless Finances
Fearless Finances is a life altering how-to book about wealth-building and everything you did not know about investing. Cassandra Cummings breaks down…
Read more of this comment about Fearless FinancesHawk Mountain
Hawk Mountain is a psychologically intense story about a single father, Todd; his son; and Jack, who tormented Todd in high school and shows up out of…
Read more of this comment about Hawk MountainThe High Sierra
Renowned science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson writes about the trails, history, and geology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in "High Sierra: A Love…
Read more of this comment about The High SierraHow to Build a Human
This thorough, complex, and detailed presentation of human evolution is also humorous, especially for teen and tween readers - roughly ages 10 to 16. Turner…
Read more of this comment about How to Build A HumanI Can Explain
Yoshitake's picture books are comic gold, and this is one of the funniest. As a kid explains to his mom, all his bad habits have perfectly reasonable explanations.…
Read more of this comment about I Can ExplainI Never Thought of It That Way
I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman I Never Thought if it That Way is an inspiring call to action for civility when it seems so much easier…
Read more of this comment about I Never Thought of It That WayI Won't Give Up My Rubber Band
Hilarity and fun! Anything by Shinsuke Yoshitake is tons of funnies and moments that makes me think of what it was like when I was a kid! The illustration…
Read more of this comment about I Won't Give up My Rubber BandInvisible
If you are a fan of John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, then Invisible will be a great read, granted most teens and children will not know the John Hughes…
Read more of this comment about InvisibleJust Like Home
I'm a sucker for a good "is this house haunted?" book, and this one delivered. It's dark and creepy and unpredictable, and I loved it. Sarah Gailey is…
Read more of this comment about Just Like HomeLearning to Fall
I was excited about the skateboarding theme in an Oakland setting, but what really stuck with me was the true-to-life character development of Daphne,…
Read more of this comment about Learning to FallOur Missing Hearts
This book is dystopian fiction. Life is bleak under a Totalitarian government. I cheer for the 12 years old Birds who encourages his mother, a Chinese…
Read more of this comment about Our Missing HeartsRise
I didn't read every single word, but it is FULL of information. A must if you want to learn about Asian American history in a fun way. --SL, Library Assistant …
Read more of this comment about RiseStay True
This book is a memoir. It is about growing up and finding meaning in daily life. It is beautiful and nostalgic. Hua Hsu, a New York Times journalist, recalls…
Read more of this comment about Stay TrueSurrender
You don’t need to be a U2 fan to enjoy this memoir by its frontman, but it doesn’t hurt. Surrender traces the rise of the man and the band, interweaving personal…
Read more of this comment about SurrenderSwim Team
In the field of realistic graphic novels for and about tweens, Swim Team rises above for a few reasons: (1) the contrast between the slowly-developing…
Read more of this comment about Swim TeamTime is a Mother
Get ready to feel the feels! Eloquent in writing, Ocean Vuong's work no matter poetry or fiction is a masterpiece that speaks straight to the heart. FYI,…
Read more of this comment about Time Is A MotherTomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow
This is a sweet and frustrating story about a lifelong friendship of two broken people. I care about and love these characters more than any book I've…
Read more of this comment about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow…Troublemaker
Written by Berkeley grad and actor John Cho, this middle grade historical fiction title is set during the L.A. uprisings of 1992 . Recommended for the…
Read more of this comment about TroublemakerTrue Biz
I don't usually give books a numerical rating, but True Biz, a powerfully emotional novel focused on the Deaf community, gets 1,000 stars out of 10. The…
Read more of this comment about True BizTumble
Adela Ramirez, age twelve, sleuths out the identity of her estranged father -- and finds out that she is part of an extended family of lucha libre wrestlers!…
Read more of this comment about TumbleThe Weight of Blood
Carrie meets Passing in this mystery thriller. Tiffany D. Jackson's amazing tales always leave you wondering. --Kidbrarian PT, Children's Services, Main…
Read more of this comment about The Weight of BloodTomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow
This one reads like a reality show with a messy love triangle. You may consider if and how does one find love after grief. --Librarian Pat, Children's…
Read more of this comment about You Made A Fool of Death With your…
Allow Me to Retort
Mystal is an expert on the Constitution and the Supreme Court and a columnist for The Nation. This rip-roaring book goes right out and calls the Constitution…
Read more of this comment about Allow Me to Retort