The Best Books of April, BIPOC Edition

Putting aside my discomfort that a historical novel can be set in 2007, this is a fantastic meditation on a very particular moment in Brooklyn history. The neighborhood where the main character, Alicia, lives is Fort Greene. She finds joy and possibility in the all-night parties thrown by her neighbor La Garza. Neither Alicia nor her friends realizes that the coolness of Fort Greene is going to upend the neighborhood. Before the construction of the Barclays Center, and right at the tipping point of Brooklyn becoming expensive, Alicia and her friends and family try to find their way in NYC. —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 that his father’s new house in Japan might make the perfect hideout. But there’s something wrong with the place— the bedroom window isn’t always a window, and a sword-wielding woman appears at night. Then there’s Sen, who, in 1877, is also in exile. She hides from the imperial soldiers in her family’s house, and, on top of everything else, there’s now a young foreign man who appears outside her window. And the gag is? “One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.” —Erica Ezeifedi

From the author of Only for One Week comes the second book in the Forever Falling series. Model-turned-influencer Dani Jenkins wants nothing to do with her ex, Micah, the artist who broke her heart. But then her 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 at finding a happily ever after with each other? —Emily Martin

In this debut Caribbean-inspired fantasy featuring pirates and mermaids, lovers Lu and Nnenna are at odds when Nnenna works to protect the key that can help her find her people, while Lu has been sent on a mission to hunt it down and retrieve it. They’ll have to come to an arrangement before the ancient gods destroy them all. — Liberty Hardy

Young-Ja’s gift for imbuing food with emotions brings joy to everyone she meets. But when her family faces violent consequences for their defiance against the Japanese Empire in Korea, her joy turns to grief. Joining a resistance movement in Manchuria, where she can put her gift to use once again, helps, but it’s not until her young, Tokyo-born granddaughter begins exhibiting magical abilities of her own that she truly begins to confront the pain of her past and enjoy life again. —Rachel Brittain

The author of Maame is back with an exploration of friendship, a trend I’ve been seeing (and loving) lately. Let’s start with Remy, whose debut novel about her three besties was instantly successful upon release. She’s lucky in that way, but on the other hand, now that she’s looking for inspiration for her next book, she can’t seem to find any…nor can she seem to find her friends, who have each drifted away from her. Then there’s Simone, a successful kindergarten teacher who is so busy with her main job and side hustle that she doesn’t have much in her left for a social life. Once the two literally bump into each other in a bookstore, they each might be just what the other needs. If they can get over their secrets, that is. —Erica Ezeifedi