Jamise Harper’s 5 favorite books

“The Fifth Season” by N.K. Jemisin: The first book in “The Broken Earth” trilogy is a dystopian novel about a future Earth where the continents have merged and humanity is left to navigate amid a roiling, disruptive nature. Certain people have an ability to control the chaos and to cause it, using natural disasters like weapons to create empires.

“Gingerbread” by Helen Oyeyemi: A fantastical novel about a family with a gingerbread recipe unlike any others, this tale travels through jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, real estate and, of course, that magical gingerbread.

“You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson: Liz Lighty has dreams of getting out of Campbell, Indiana, attending the elite Pennington College, playing in their world-famous orchestra and becoming a doctor. Only one thing stands in her way – money. When her scholarship falls through, she seeks another offered to the king and queen of the prom, not something on the wish list.

“The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy: This beautiful, heartbreaking tale is set in India and centered on the family of two twin girls, who make their own world in the shadow of their dysfunctional one.

“Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee: The saga of four generations of Koreans living in Japan is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition and loyalty. The story travels through the varied elements of society, from privileged and educated (circles) to the pachinko parlors, recounting the strength of women and the devotion of families.

“Bibliophile: Diverse Spines” includes a number of beloved bookstores, so you’ll always have places to visit when traveling. But you don’t have to look far to find one in our own backyard:

Oakland’s Marcus Books, at 3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, is the oldest independent Black bookstore in the nation. It was founded by Raye and Julian Richardson in 1960 during the height of the Black power movement.

The store, named after political activist and author Marcus Garvey, is now owned and operated by the founders’ children, Blanche Richardson, Bill Richardson and Karen Johnson.

Other noted bookstores include Cafe Con Libros in Brooklyn, New York, a feminist book store, and Loyalty Bookstore in Silver Spring, Maryland, which specializes in LGBTQ and minority authors.