The Best Books of April, BIPOC Edition

Putting aside my uneasiness that a historical novel could be set in 2007, this is a fantastic meditation on a very special moment in Brooklyn history. The neighborhood where the main character Alicia lives is Fort Greene. She finds happiness and possibility in all-night parties hosted by her neighbor La Garza. Neither Alicia nor her friends realize that the coolness of Fort Greene is about to affect the neighborhood. Alicia and her friends and family try to find their way in NYC, before the construction of Barclays Center, and at the height of Brooklyn’s affordability. -Julia Rittenberg

It’s 2026, and Lee Turner doesn’t know why he killed his college roommate. What he does know is that he needs to get out of New York, and his father’s new home in Japan might be the perfect hideout for him. But there’s something wrong with this place—the bedroom window isn’t always a window, and a sword-wielding woman appears in the night. Then there is Sen, who is also in exile in 1877. She hides from Imperial soldiers in her family home, and, on top of everything else, there is now a young foreign man who appears outside her window. And is it a lie? “One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.” -Erica Ezefedi

From the author of only for one week The second book in the Forever Falling series has arrived. Model turned actress Danny Jenkins wants nothing to do with her ex, Mika, who broke her heart. But then their mentor Tanya dies, and Tanya’s will requires Dani and Micah to join forces and complete a cross-country scavenger hunt. Did Tanya know what she was doing? Could this be their second chance to live happily ever after with each other? -Emily Martin

In this first-ever Caribbean-inspired fantasy featuring pirates and mermaids, lovers Lou and Nenna find themselves at odds when Nenna works to protect the key that can help her find her people, while Lou is sent on a mission to hunt it down and retrieve it. They must create an order before the ancient gods destroy them all. -Liberty Hardy

Young-ja’s gift for infusing food with emotion brings joy to everyone she meets. But when her family faced violent consequences for disobedience against the Japanese Empire in Korea, her joy turned to sadness. Joining a resistance movement in Manchuria, where she can put her gift to use once again, helps, but it is not until her young, Tokyo-born granddaughter begins to demonstrate magical abilities of her own that she truly begins to confront the pain of her past and begin to enjoy life again. -Rachel Brittain

author of ma’am Back with the exploration of friendship, a trend I’ve been noticing (and loving) lately. Let’s start with Remy, whose debut novel about his three best friends became an instant success upon release. In that way she’s lucky, but on the other hand, now that she’s looking for inspiration for her next book, she can’t find any… nor can she find her friends, who have turned away from her. Then there’s Simone, a successful kindergarten teacher who is so busy with her main job and side hustles that she has nothing left for a social life. Once the two literally bump into each other in a bookstore, each of them may just have what the other needs. If they can get over their secrets, that is. -Erica Ezefedi