2022 Best of from OPL Staff

OPL Staff members share their favorite books of 2022

Allow Me to Retort

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Beautiful World Where Are You

OaklandPL_Adults said:

I enjoyed this novel for the multitude of lyrical, funny, and wise observations about contemporary life. This young Irish novelist addresses the universal,…

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Big Girl

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Berry Song

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Black Cake

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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        …

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Boys I Know

OaklandPL_Adults said:

This debut novel from local author, Anna Gracia, deftly explores the challenges of being a young adult grabbling with competing expectations and standards.…

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By the Book

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Circa

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Daughter of the Mood Goddess

OaklandPL_Adults said:

Super imaginative! Folklore and mythology are always fun, but even more so when they're written to include another perspective right--Percy Jackson anyone?…

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Dead End Girls

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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.…

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Fearless Finances

OaklandPL_Adults said:

Fearless Finances is a life altering how-to book about wealth-building and everything you did not know about investing. Cassandra Cummings breaks down…

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Hawk Mountain

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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The High Sierra

OaklandPL_Adults said:

Renowned science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson writes about the trails, history, and geology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in "High Sierra: A Love…

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How to Build a Human

OaklandPL_Adults said:

This thorough, complex, and detailed presentation of human evolution is also humorous, especially for teen and tween readers - roughly ages 10 to 16. Turner…

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I Can Explain

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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.…

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I Never Thought of It That Way

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Invisible

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Just Like Home

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Learning to Fall

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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,…

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Our Missing Hearts

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Rise

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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     …

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Stay True

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Surrender

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Swim Team

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Time is a Mother

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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,…

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Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Troublemaker

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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True Biz

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Tumble

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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!…

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The Weight of Blood

OaklandPL_Adults said:

Carrie meets Passing in this mystery thriller. Tiffany D. Jackson's amazing tales always leave you wondering. --Kidbrarian PT, Children's Services, Main…

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Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow

OaklandPL_Adults said:

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…

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Past Staff Favorites

Our Favorites of 2021

Our Favorite Books of 2021

Oakland Public Library staff are pleased to share once again their favorite books from 2021.

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