{"id":64526,"date":"2025-11-22T00:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T00:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/64526\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T00:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T00:45:13","slug":"a-gift-guide-for-book-lovers-from-indie-oakland-booksellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/64526\/","title":{"rendered":"A gift guide for book lovers, from indie Oakland booksellers"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s something magical about the Staff Picks shelf at an independent bookstore. The personality in the handwriting, the excitement of hearing from an avid reader why a particular volume resonated with them so much. This gift guide is offered in that spirit.<\/p>\n

As you dig into your holiday shopping, you could choose to go online and make Jeff Bezos a tiny bit richer. Or you could stop by one of Oakland\u2019s many independent bookstores, vibrant places where you can chat with an experienced bookseller, discover an edition signed by a local author, and support the kind of institutions that make Oakland thrive.<\/p>\n

We asked every independent Oakland bookseller that sells new books what they\u2019d suggest for people on your gift list, regardless of genre or when the book came out. Many of them generously responded \u2014 and they recommended books they keep in stock, so you won\u2019t make a trip in vain. We asked them to pick at least one book by an Oakland author, however they define that.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve labeled their picks roughly by age group and genre to help you shop for the friends and family on your list, but of course books speak to us in mysterious ways, and we can fall in love with a book at any age, and in any style.<\/p>\n

So browse the most sprawling Oakland-made staff picks list ever, choose an overcast afternoon, and make your way to one of the Town\u2019s local bookshops, whether it\u2019s 50 years old, new to the town, or \u2014 in one case \u2014 isn\u2019t exactly a shop at all.<\/p>\n

Clio\u2019s Books<\/p>\n

353 Grand Ave.
Mon-Fri, 4-11; Sat-Sun, 11-11<\/p>\n

Is it your favorite cocktail bar that sells books, or your favorite bookseller that serves drinks? Clio\u2019s Books<\/a>, the two-year-old bookstore at the edge of Lakeside Park, organizes its 10,000-plus new and used books chronologically, which invites immersive browsing; hosts a wide range of book groups, events, and readings; and serves a mean Negroni.<\/p>\n

\"\"Daniel Mendelsohn speaks about his new translation of The Odyssey at Clio\u2019s Bookstore in Oakland, May 7, 2025. Credit: Bryan Onwuka<\/p>\n

Replaceable You
By Mary Roach
Oakland writer. Brilliant, rigorous, accessible science written in common vernacular. You learn things when you read Roach\u2019s books.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Aulaire\u2019s Greek Myths
For middle grades. You get Hesiod\u2019s mythology in a matter of pages, with illustrations. The combination of writing and illustration ensures that the material goes into your deep memory. This is a book that anyone who read as a child remembers as an adult.<\/p>\n

Ceremony
By Leslie Marmon Silko
Fiction. A novel that will change your understanding of the sacred and reveal to you the power of language to access it. It will also break your heart.<\/p>\n

\"\"Literary fiction and memoir recommendations from, left to right, East Bay Booksellers, Marcus Books, and Clio\u2019s Books.<\/p>\n

The Fire Next Time
By James Baldwin
Essays. A searing examination of American racism that is foundational to any understanding of contemporary relations \u2014 and not least because Baldwin writes from a fundamental position of love.<\/p>\n

The Magus
By John Fowles
Thriller. A psychological thriller set on a Greek island in the 1950s that involves a masque, a game, and a magician. Not for the faint of heart or the weak of mind; utterly enchanting and devastatingly honest.<\/p>\n

Marcus Books<\/p>\n

3900 Martin L. King Jr. Way
Mon-Sat, 10-6; Sun 12-4<\/p>\n

\"\"A table of staff picks at Marcus Books.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn independent bookstore is one where the owner is behind the counter,\u201d Blanche Richardson told us one recent Saturday evening. And there she was, the owner of Marcus Books<\/a>, the oldest Black-owned bookstore in the United States, along with her daughter Cherysse Calhoun, who between the two of them seemed to have read every book they carry. Founded in 1960 in San Francisco by Dr. Raye Richardson, a giant of Black Studies at San Francisco State and her husband Julian Richardson, the bookstore quickly became a cultural touchstone, the kind of place Malcolm X stopped by, and where Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and Patti LaBelle gave readings.<\/p>\n

The Girls Who Grew Big
By Leila Mottley
Oakland writer. This is a beautifully written story about young mothers, friendship, betrayal, and everything in between. You will be captivated by the poetic prose. Mottley was Oakland\u2019s Youth Poet Laureate for 2018.<\/p>\n

Scammer
By Tiffany Jackson
For young adults. This latest YA novel by Tiffany Jackson is full of drama, emotion, mistakes, and growth \u2014 a great story for all ages.<\/p>\n

Black AF History
By Michael Harriot
History. The subtitle of this book is \u201cThe Un-Whitewashed Story of America,\u201d which says a lot. \u201cBlack AF History\u201d is full of truth and humor, making it highly readable. This book will teach you things you didn\u2019t learn in school.<\/p>\n

\"\"Crime and mystery recommendations from Marcus Books and, far right, Tally Ho! Books.<\/p>\n

Gray Dawn
By Walter Mosley
Crime fiction. This is another Easy Rawlins adventure written in Mosley\u2019s extraordinary prose. Mosley\u2019s dialogue takes you back to Los Angeles in the 1970s and drops you in the middle of another Rawlins riddle.<\/p>\n

How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories
By Dr. Jonathan Lassiter
Essays. This book breaks down the effects of white ideology on Black patients, written from the perspective of a Black gay psychologist. Lassiter shares his frustrations, research, and the importance of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities being represented in psychology practices.<\/p>\n

Tally Ho! Books<\/p>\n

3941 Piedmont Ave.
Tue-Sat, 10-7; Sun-Mon, 10-6<\/p>\n

\"\"The warm interior of Tally Ho! Books on Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u2019s newest bookstore. Credit: Shannon Owen<\/p>\n

Oakland\u2019s newest bookstore, the woman-owned Tally Ho! Books<\/a>, opened in the former Owl & Co. space last year. A labor of love by two friends, Lilah Hinde and Bianca Salaverry, who had worked together at Oakland\u2019s Pegasus Books, the new shop is packed with a carefully curated collection of new and used books from a bookselling team committed to fostering community.<\/p>\n

The Giveaway: The Clay Blackburn Story
By Owen Hill
Crime fiction. Oakland writer. Hill\u2019s crime fiction is whip-smart, stylish, subversive, hilarious, and just dripping with East Bay color, culture, and landmarks. Sweet and sour like a perfect Negroni, Hill has invented a new kind of East Bay Noir \u2014 the fog rolls in late, the golden afternoon glow somehow both luxurious and ominous in the class war that never sleeps.<\/p>\n

Billie Jean Peat, Athlete
By Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
For children. This book is a rare celebration of the middle child finding their passion. Billie Jean Peat doesn\u2019t quite fit in with her musical family \u2014 maybe basketball is where she\u2019ll shine!<\/p>\n

Mama\u2019s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas
By Jes\u00fas Trejo, illustrated by Eliza Kinkz\u00a0
For children. Great book for the rapscallion chaos monkey in your life! Jes\u00fas is a well-meaning destructo-bot!\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Orange Eats Creeps
By Grace Krilanovich\u00a0
Horror. A fever nightmare, a Lost Boys for an even-more-truly-lost-generation, a teenage horror story of the Pacific Northwest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flights
By Olga Tokarczuk
Short stories. Flights perfectly emulates the sonder feeling of brief glimpses of other people\u2019s lives in the airport terminal \u2014 brief, bewildering, and captivating. Such a delicious read!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sistah Scifi<\/p>\n

At Chapter 510, 546 9th St.
Wed-Sat, 11-5<\/p>\n

\"\"Isis Asare, the founder of Sistah Scifi, with one of her book vending machines. Credit: Kristal Raheem<\/p>\n

Sistah Scifi<\/a>, the nation\u2019s first Black-owned bookseller focused on science fiction and fantasy, distributes its books in locations in Oakland and Seattle through vending machines. It\u2019s a mix of retro and futuristic that just makes sense. Find one now at Chapter 510.<\/p>\n

To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights
By Angela Dalton
For children. Oakland writer. A vibrant tribute to Nichelle Nichols, whose role as Lieutenant Uhura shattered barriers and redefined representation in sci-fi. This book beautifully captures how imagination on screen helped inspire real-world change.<\/p>\n

Sheine Lende: A prequel to Elatsoe
By Darcie Little Badger
For young adults. Rich in Lipan Apache storytelling and heart, this prequel expands Little Badger\u2019s world with mystery, magic, and generational love. It\u2019s a powerful reminder of how Indigenous futures are deeply rooted in ancestral strength.<\/p>\n

\"\"Children\u2019s book recommendations from, left to right, Sista Scifi, Tally Ho! Books, and A Great Good Place for Books.<\/p>\n

Wildseed Witch, Book 1
By Marti Dumas
For middle grades. An enchanting coming-of-age story that blends magic with modern Black girlhood. Dumas delivers humor, heart, and a dash of history as her young heroine learns that power, magical or otherwise, always comes with responsibility. Inspired by Octavia E. Butler\u2019s \u201cWildseed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sky Full of Elephants
By Cebo Campbell
Speculative fiction. This book starts in a near future where every white person has drowned. In the aftermath, Charlie receives a mysterious phone call from the biracial daughter he never knew he had. The two embark on a journey \u2014 from a post-capitalist airport in Chicago to a kingdom in the heart of Alabama \u2014 that is both joyful and remorseful. Campbell\u2019s storytelling is poetry in motion; tender, haunting, and unafraid to dig deep into what it means to be Black.<\/p>\n

African Ghost Short Stories
Edited by Chinelo Onwualu
Gothic fantasy. With a foreword by Nuzo Onoh, the Queen of African Horror, this masterful anthology features contemporary authors from across the African diaspora exploring \u201cthe deep-seated supernatural element in African storytelling.\u201d This gorgeous hardcover edition from Flametree Publishing is gold and silver foil stamped and perfect for holiday gifting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moments Co-op<\/p>\n

410 13th St.
Fri-Sat 12-6<\/p>\n

\"\"Co-op members Samantha and D of Moments Cooperative, whose selection of books emphasizes BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Credit: Brian Ringo<\/p>\n

Moments is a volunteer-run cooperative bookstore and community space that carries a curated selection of new and used books and zines by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors and hosts readings, film screenings, and other activities. The co-op is an intentional safe space where masks are required.<\/p>\n

Heirloom
By Ashia Ajani
Oakland writer. Poetry. A nourishing debut poetry book exploring the connection of Blackness and ecological survival.<\/p>\n

Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine
By Mohammad Sabaaneh
For young adults. This incredibly beautiful graphic novel is a great way to learn more about the Palestinian struggle for liberation.<\/p>\n

Cook Like Your Ancestors
By Mariah-Rose Marie
Cookbook. An accessible, beautiful, and thoughtful approach to a cookbook!<\/p>\n

East Bay Booksellers<\/p>\n

6022 College Ave.
Mon-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-6<\/p>\n

\"\"East Bay Booksellers\u2019 new location, after recovering from a fire last year. Credit: Brad Johnson<\/p>\n

East Bay Booksellers<\/a> says it\u2019s committed to being a cultural center for Oakland and supporting the fragile ecology of creativity here. The love was returned when the bookstore caught fire a year and a half ago and it seemed like the entire East Bay literary community rallied to help them rebuild. They\u2019ve been up and running at their new location since last November.<\/p>\n

We Survived the Night
By Julian Brave Noisecat
Oakland writer. Memoir. Manages to deftly and compellingly hold heartbreak and hope simultaneously, without compromising the depth of either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Adventures of Cipollino
By Gianni Rodari
For middle grades. Pure myth-making imagination by a modern master.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Nonfiction recommendations from, left to right, Marcus Books, Clio\u2019s Books, and East Bay Booksellers.<\/p>\n

Pelican Child
By Joy Williams
Short stories. There are sad writers, and there are funny writers. And so few achieve a marriage between the two in such a way that it is outright art.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ursula K. Le Guin: A Larger Reality
Poems, stories, essays. This is an absolute feast of a book for fans of the great Le Guin. Gorgeously packaged, it is a treasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

America, Am\u00e9rica
By Greg Grandin
History. Grandin is one of the great historians, and this is likely his masterpiece. A 500-year history of North and South America seems like a lot to bite off, but he manages it exquisitely and readably.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pegasus Books<\/p>\n

5560 College Ave.
Open daily, 10-8<\/p>\n

\"\"The College Avenue shop of Pegasus Books, a 50-year-old East Bay institution. Credit: Drew Gordon<\/p>\n

With its three locations in Berkeley and Oakland, Pegasus<\/a> has been an institution in the East Bay for more than 50 years. It stocks an accessible and eclectic mix of new, used, and remaindered books.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Good Things
By Samin Nosrat
Cookbook. Oakland writer. Pegasus customers have been devouring Samin Norat\u2019s book \u201cSalt, Fat, Acid, Heat\u201d since it was first published in 2017. \u201cGood Things\u201d will be on every cookbook lover\u2019s holiday wish list.<\/p>\n

The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate\u2019s Revenge: A Graphic Novel
By Mac Barnett
For middle grades. Oakland writer. We\u2019re so lucky to have Barnett, the wildly talented and prolific children\u2019s book author, as an Oakland neighbor. We recommend this new release, his fourth book in the \u201cFirst Cat in Space\u201d series. It\u2019s a funny, fast-paced, silly, full-color graphic novel for middle-grade readers.<\/p>\n

Christmas at the Women\u2019s Hotel
By Daniel Lavery
Oakland writer. For charm, humor and gift-ability, we\u2019re recommending New York Times\u2013bestselling author Lavery\u2019s \u201cChristmas at the Women\u2019s Hotel,\u201d which continues the \u201cWomen\u2019s Hotel\u201d series about the interconnected lives of the witty and eccentric characters residing in the fictional Biedermeier Hotel for Women, in mid-\u201960s New York City.<\/p>\n

Shot Ready
By Stephen Curry
Memoir. Oakland writer. Much of Curry\u2019s career highlights took place when he lived in Oakland, including three championships, two MVP awards, and countless other record-breaking achievements. \u201cShot Ready\u201d recounts those days and reveals the focus and leadership it took to reach those heights.<\/p>\n

A Great Good Place for Books<\/p>\n

6120 La Salle Ave.
Tue-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 10-4; Mon, 11-4<\/p>\n

\"\"A Great Good Place for Books. Credit: Courtesy of A Great Good Place for Books<\/p>\n

An open, airy space with a packed schedule of readings, including many young adult and children\u2019s book authors.<\/p>\n

Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam
By Thien Pham
For young adults. Oakland writer. This is a great graphic novel about food, family, and migration for any age.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Recommendations for middle grade readers from, left to right, Sistah Scifi, East Bay Booksellers, and A Great Good Place for Books.<\/p>\n

North for the Winter
By Bobby Podesta
For middle grades. Oakland writer. This is another terrific graphic novel from a local creator and Pixar artist featuring flying reindeer, \u201cSanta business,\u201d and a well-told story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wreck
By Catherine Newman
Fiction. Newman is a gem. She writes with humor and depth and will make tears come out of your eyes \u2014 all types. We adore her writing.<\/p>\n

Aggie and the Ghost
By Matthew Forsythe\u00a0
For children. This clever picture book for ages 3 to 8 is understated and wryly funny. There are rules. There is cheese. There is sharing, and one epic game of tic-tac-toe.<\/p>\n

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