Best Books of 2021: Southern California’s independent booksellers recommend holiday gifts

2 years ago 222

At Chevalier’s Books successful the Larchmont vicinity of Los Angeles, the proviso concatenation woes that person affected everything from machine chips to feline nutrient person been felt, bookstore manager Katie Orphan says.

But not excessively badly.

“For astir the part, we’re OK,” Orphan says. “There are unexpected titles that person been hard to get ahold of. We were beauteous good prepared successful presumption of caller releases, but determination are immoderate backlist titles that we should person known, but didn’t know.

“Like ‘Dune Messiah,’” she says of the 2nd publication successful Frank Herbert’s sci-fi series. “We had a batch of copies of ‘Dune,’ but we’re not expecting to person ‘Dune Messiah’ backmost successful banal until aboriginal December.”

At Cellar Door Bookstore successful Riverside, proprietor Linda Sherman-Nurick said she’s experienced akin ripples successful the accomplishment of immoderate inventory, though she’s not excessively concerned.

“We conscionable did reorders and immoderate of them are done, they’re not going to come,” she says. “But my feeling, what I support telling my customers, determination are truthful galore books sitting present successful this store that if you can’t find the 1 you came successful for, I warrant that determination are 10 others that volition capable that spread and bash beautifully.”

It’s existent that determination are truthful galore fantabulous books published each twelvemonth that if you privation to bargain a publication this vacation play you tin surely find thing great. But an experts’ proposal is ever helpful.

So arsenic we’ve done successful recent years, we erstwhile much reached retired to section autarkic booksellers astir Southern California to find retired what their favourite reads were this twelvemonth (even if immoderate weren’t published this twelvemonth – oregon this century).

  • “The Sentence” is the caller caller from Louise Erdrich. (Image courtesy of HarperCollins)

  • “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide” is the caller food-travel-history publication by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras. (Image courtesy of Workman Publishing Company)

  • “Dream Street” is the caller representation publication by writer Tricia Elam Walker and illustrator Ekua Holmes. (Image courtesy of Random House/Anne Schwartz Books)

  • “The Prophets” is simply a caller caller by Robert Jones Jr. (Image courtesy of PenguinRandomHouse)

  • “Pony” is simply a caller caller from R.J. Palacio. (Image courtesy of Random House Children’s Books)

  • “Cruelly Yours, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark,” is the caller memoir from Cassandra Peterson, besides known arsenic the TV property Elvira. (Image courtesy of Hachette Books)

  • “The Case For Rage” is simply a caller non-fiction publication by Myisha Cherry. (Image courtesy of Oxford University Press)

  • “Crying In H Mart” is the memoir by Michelle Zauner, the instrumentalist who performs arsenic Japanese Breakfast. (Image courtesy of Alfred A. Knopf)

  • “Weird Kid” is simply a caller children’s caller by Greg van Eekhout. (Image courtesy of HarperCollins)

  • “Anxious People” is the caller caller by the Swedish writer Fredrik Backman. (Image courtesy of Simon & Schuster)

  • “Mel Fell” is simply a caller representation publication by Corey R. Tabor. (Image courtesy of HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)

  • “Frankie & Bug” is the caller children’s caller by Gayle Forman. (Image courtesy of Simon & Schuster)

  • “The Daughters of Yalta” is simply a caller past by Catherine Grace Katz. (Image courtesy of Mariner Books)

  • “Wishes” is simply a caller representation publication from writer Muon Thi Van and illustrator Victo Ngai. (Image courtesy of Scholastic Inc.)

  • These are immoderate of the caller oregon caller books recommended by autarkic booksellers successful Southern California for 2021. (Images courtesy of the publishers)

Here’s what they said:

Los Angeles County

“The Sentence,” by Louise Erdrich

Why you should work it: “It’s not each time that 1 of the large surviving American writers sets a publication successful a bookstore. Erdrich owns a bookshop successful Minneapolis, and truthful her caller caller is astir a bookstore that is haunted by the store’s astir annoying customer. It’s a shade communicative for the holidays conscionable similar Dickens utilized to write.”

and

“Yours Cruelly, Elvira,” by Cassandra Peterson

Why you should work it: “Everyone who loves horror, who loves camp, evidently loves Elvira. It’s a large memoir and she’s a fascinating quality being. And we’re fortunate capable to beryllium her section bookstore.”

Recommended by: Katie Orphan, wide manager, Chevalier’s Books, 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-465-1334. Chevaliersbooks.com.

RelatedRead our interrogation with Elvira astir the book

“The Guide,” by Peter Heller

Why you should work it: “Jack is simply a recently arrived sportfishing usher astatine the exclusive Kingfisher Lodge successful Colorado. Jack’s plans to unbend connected the stream with clients are soon forgotten arsenic helium starts to analyse what happened to the erstwhile guide, and that the sportfishing retreat whitethorn beryllium hiding thing sinister. The beauteous descriptions of the outdoors and the underlying enigma marque this an wholly satisfying read.”

Related: Read our interrogation with Peter Heller astir “The Guide”

and

“Finding Freedom,” by Erin French

Why you should work it: “Erin French, the cook of the highly lauded Lost Kitchen successful Freedom, Maine recounts her struggles to unafraid her spot successful the room and rise her lad successful her highly readable memoir. French’s communicative is inspiring and heartfelt, you’ll beryllium pulling for her from the archetypal leafage and find yourself wanting to sojourn Maine if lone to effort and unafraid an elusive preservation astatine The Lost Kitchen.”

Recommended by: Sherri Gallentine, caput publication buyer, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 626-449-5320, www.vromansbookstore.com.

“Pony,” by R.J. Palacio

Why you should work it: “It is an astonishing book, heartfelt. A astonishment ending, nary mode you could person guessed. It takes spot successful the Wild West, and I don’t mostly work that benignant of book, but it’s humanities fiction. A magical book, it’s got a paranormal thread that runs done it. It’s a publication we’ve hand-sold to everyone who comes done the door.”

Recommended by: Letitia Gamez, owner, Sandpiper Books, 4665 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, 310-371-2002, www.sandpiperbooks.net.

“The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story,” by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Why you should work it: “The publication is simply a large enlargement of the archetypal (New York Times project). It’s implicit 500 pages and it’s precise good.”

and

“Spike,” by Spike Lee, with photographs by David Lee

Why you should work it: “It’s a large photograph book, by Spike Lee and his brother, who’s a inactive lensman connected each of his movies. It goes each the mode backmost to the 1 adjacent I’ve ne'er seen, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop,” and it covers each of his films.”

and also

“The Matter of Black Lives: Writing from the New Yorker,” edited by Jelani Cobb and David Remnick

Why you should work it: “It’s a postulation of essays and articles that were published successful the New Yorker magazine. I conscionable thought it was a large collection. I truly similar the essays.”

Recommended by: James Fugate, co-owner, Eso Won Books, 4327 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-290-1048, Esowonbookstore.com

Related: Read our interrogation with James Fugate astir Eso Won Books

“Anxious People,” Fredrik Backman

Why you should work it: “He’s a Swedish novelist and it is conscionable a very, precise quality communicative imbued with a ton of humor. It’s got a precise clever small crippled twist arsenic well. I work it earlier successful the year, we were precise overmuch unopen down, and it was conscionable what the doc ordered, successful presumption of a distraction.”

and

“The Postman Always Rings Twice,” James M. Cain

Why you should work it: One of the large noir novels and a benignant of quintessentially Southern California story, too. You get a existent consciousness of however Los Angeles and Southern California person changed successful not precise overmuch clip astatine all.”

Recommended by: Brad Johnson, owner, The Book Shop, 134 N Citrus Ave., Covina, 626-967-1888, www.johnsonrarebooks.com.

“The Lincoln Highway,” by Amor Towles

Why you should work it: “A deserved instant bestseller, ‘The Lincoln Highway’ by Amor Towles is simply a large work for virtually anyone. A cleanable acquisition book, helium is simply a generous writer, raconteur, tale-spinner. This is an escapade communicative acceptable implicit 10 eventful days successful the 1950s.  A roadworthy novel, a member novel, with crime, friendship, and adventure, this is simply a delightful romp of a story.”

And

“Earthkeeper: Reflections connected the American Land,” by N. Scott Momaday

Why you should work it: “Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, writer and writer Momaday has generously fixed america this beauteous acquisition book. Elegantly designed and illustrated, it is simply a spiritual autobiography of his intimate and almighty connections with the land. Great for nature-lovers arsenic good arsenic thoughtful, soulful folks, it is bully for everyone’s bosom and mind.”

And also

“Small Things Like These,” by Claire Keegan

Why you should work it: “A beautiful, abbreviated inspiring communicative astir bravery and the wonders and challenges of mundane beingness and the profundities that originate successful our lives. Rave reviews by writers and readers alike, this is simply a peculiar book, written with masterful skill.”

Recommended by: John Evans, owner, Diesel, a Bookstore, wrong the Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., Suite #33, Santa Monica, 310-576-9960, www.dieselbookstore.com.

“Weird Kid,” by Greg van Eekhout

Why you should work it: “It’s astir this kid who is an alien shapeshifter and helium has fallen to earth. And he’s trying to commencement mediate schoolhouse but not fto anyone cognize he’s an alien. It’s conscionable a truly amusive book.”

and

‘Dream Street,” by Tricia Elam Walker

Why you should work it: This 1 is beautiful. The creation is simply a collage of antithetic fabrics and papers. It astir looks similar a quilt successful the mode it’s enactment together. It’s talking astir this thoroughfare called Dream Street, and conscionable small snapshots of antithetic people. Just small vignettes of each the radical who unrecorded there.”

Recommended by: Jessica Palacios, manager and buyer, Once Upon a Time, 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, 818-248-9668, www.shoponceuponatime.com

Various, by Agatha Christie, et al.

Why you should work it: “I’ve been speechmaking a batch of Agatha Christie lately and she’s been a delight. I’m trying to work each of her novels successful order. We’ve gotten a batch of requests for ‘Crying successful H Mart” by Michelle Zauner. Haruki Murakami’s evergreen. People ever privation to bargain him. ‘Dune’ has been super-popular lately due to the fact that of the movie.

Recommended by: Mary Dixon, bookseller, Gatsby Books, 5535 E. Spring St., Long Beach, 562-208-5862, www.gatsbybooks.com.

Related: Read our interrogation with Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner astir her publication and music

Orange County

“Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide,” by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras

Why you should work it: “This gorgeous publication views past done food. Select a portion oregon prime a leafage and you volition not lone privation to effort dishes you mightiness ne'er person heard of and besides larn a happening oregon 2 successful the process.  A ocular delight!”

and

“Renegades,” by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen

Why you should work it: “This masterpiece is filled with conversations with Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama astir each aspects of beingness — from the shortcomings of life, raising their families successful their salient roles successful the United States to what it means to beryllium an American. No substance what the taxable of these conversations, honesty and wit prevail and it includes implicit 350 iconic photos. Very idiosyncratic and intimate.”

and also

“Interrupting Chicken for Breakfast,” by David Ezra Stein

Why you should work it: “Do cookies marque for bully breakfasts? There conscionable mightiness beryllium a quality of sentiment betwixt our chickenhearted main quality and his father. A cleanable and hilarious enactment for 4-8 twelvemonth olds.”

Recommended by: Lisa Childers, manager, Laguna Beach Books, 1200 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, 949-494-4779, Lagunabeachbooks.com.

“Just Thieves,” by Gregory Galloway

Why you should work it: “Galloway’s publication deals with thieves but not mean ones — radical spot orders and they bargain it and deliver. They person a bully happening going until 1 of them takes thing that appears worthless but appeals to him. That and a car mishap are the opening of the extremity and they don’t recognize why.”

And

“Panic Attack,” Dennis Palumbo

Why you should work it: “He’s ever good, but this is exceptional. You unrecorded the hostility created arsenic you read.”

and also

“The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II,” by Mari K. Eder

Why you should work it: “First, I was impressed that a pistillate had go a large wide successful the Army, retired astatine that rank, and decided to constitute a publication astir galore women (in and retired of uniform) who made a quality successful WWII. Each pistillate is simply a chapter, truthful it reads similar abbreviated stories. Couldn’t enactment it down.”

Recommended by: Anne Saller, owner, Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin St., Orange, 714-538-3210, www.annesbookcarnival.com.

Riverside County

“The Prophets,” by Robert Jones Jr.

Why you should work it: “It is simply a publication astir 2 men who are enslaved, and they find the courageousness to autumn successful love, and person a narration wrong the discourse of slavery. You cognize things are not going to spell well, due to the fact that thing went good nether those circumstances, but someway they recovered the courageousness to bash that. And that courageousness and the emotion they person for each different gave spot to the radical astir them. It’s tragic but it’s incredible, too.”

and

“The Case For Rage: Why Anger Is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle,” by Myisha Cherry

“A batch of radical are speechmaking ‘White Fragility and ‘How To Be An Anti-Racist,’ and it’s astir arsenic if they’re speechmaking it for different people. But this publication is astir speechmaking for yourself. This is the publication that volition assistance you recognize your ain inclinations successful this struggle, and assistance to fig retired however to usage them to the payment of much people.”

And also

“Frankie & Bug,” by Gayle Forman

Why you should work it: “It’s a publication astir 2 kids successful Venice Beach. It’s the ’80s during the AIDS crisis, and it’s astir these 2 kids: Bug conscionable wants to bent retired astatine the beach, and Frankie comes to sojourn his uncle who lives upstairs. It’s their story.”

Recommended by: Linda Sherman-Nurick, owner, Cellar Door Bookstore, 5225 Canyon Crest Drive, #30A, Riverside, 951-787-7807, www.cellardoorbookstore.com

“The Daughters of Yalta,” by Catherine Grace Katz

Why you should work it: “It’s a nonfiction book, a past concerning the Yalta Conference and the Second World War. It takes 3 women — Sarah Churchill, Kathleen Harriman, who was the girl of the ambassador to the Soviet Union, Averill Harriman, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Each of them accompanied the leaders, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to the conference. It’s what they said, however they influenced, and their effect connected the conference.”

Recommended by: Ron Chalmers, owner, Cameron Books, 2920 E Florida Ave # 108, Hemet, 951-925-6477, www.facebook.com/cameronbooks.

San Bernardino County

“Mel Fell,” by author-illustrator Corey R Tabor

Why you should work it: “My No. 1 recommendation, this 1 is an adorable representation publication astir a kingfisher and her archetypal flight. The clever happening astir this publication is that it’s already a fantastic story, the pictures are charming, but it has different clever happening successful that you crook it 90 degrees arsenic you read, arsenic you’re reading, you rotate the book.”

And

“Wishes,” by writer Muon Thi Van and illustrator Victo Ngai

Why you should work it: It’s a precise elemental story. It’s astir immigration, and each leafage is conscionable a condemnation that begins, “I privation ..” It’s precise thought-provoking. Makes you deliberation astir benignant of everything a child, a exile oregon migrant would beryllium going done from their perspective.”

Recommended by: Erin Rivera, owner, The Frugal Frigate, A Children’s Bookstore, 9 N. Sixth St., Redlands, 909-793-0740, www.frugalfrigate.com.

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