We’re one day removed from an important American holiday.
That’s right, Small Business Saturday is tomorrow.
Sure, Thanksgiving may have better leftovers, but the Nov. 29 holiday is a great way to walk off yesterday’s hearty meal while supporting your local bookstores – and all sorts of other shops. While I’ve already written about the San Gabriel Valley Bookstore Friends’ passport program, there will be other events around the Southland. (In one store last weekend, the clerk said they knew they were doing … something, she wasn’t sure … so you can always call ahead or check the website of your local bookshop.)
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Whether the weekend is already in full swing or will start up again once you get through work today (cough), I hope you’ve got plenty of reading and book-shopping time planned.
I’m reading and listening to a few more possibilities for the best books of 2025 piece, which will accompany a massive list of year-end recommendations in the next few weeks: You have been warned.
But since a lot of us are starting to do some holiday shopping this weekend, I thought I’d include a quick list of holiday gift possibilities.
Check out Stuart Miller’s interview with cinematographer Roger Deakins to get a sense of his new book, “Reflections,” which is filled with his thoughts about working on films such as “No Country for Old Men,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Fargo,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “1917” and more.
And before we get to the book recs, here’s another tip from one independent bookstore nerd to another: check your favorite indie publishers for sales, too – New Directions Publishing, Two Lines Press, Akashic Books have them, and NYRB just finished its sale – and these are great opportunities to stock up on gifts for others or just yourselves (as are book subscriptions, such as this one from McNally Editions).
Or, if you need a quick gift for someone you care about, check whether your local indie (or a not-so-local one) has signed copies or a monthly book subscription. Both are great gift ideas that any reader would love. Or consider subscribing or supporting a literary journal, such as Zyzzyva, LA Review of Books, NOON or one of many you can search for here.
We’ve had recent suggestions for kids’ books, graphic novels, audiobooks, fiction and nonfiction, so it’s never too early to start shopping for the holidays – or for, you know, yourself right now. Here are new and recent books in stores now.
“A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos, San Francisco and California, 1969-1973″ Essays by Rachel Kushner, Sally Stein, Steven A. Heller
Ramos, who’d given up photography decades earlier, began digitizing her works and posting them online during COVID. The sheer quality of her images, which were often taken on the streets of LA, Venice Beach and the Bay Area, caught the eye of former UC Irvine art professor Sally Stein, who helped compile the book. She also wrote an insightful essay about the photographer, and novelist Rachel Kushner provides an evocative introduction to the book as well.
“Anthology (25th Anniversary Edition)” by the Beatles
This towering tome is a classic oral history and Fab Four photo collection, now newly refurbished for the just-released “Anthology 4” music and the updated documentary, “The Beatles Anthology,” that’s now streaming on Disney+. It’s just the thing for old and new fans alike to dig into – or just dig.
“Art Deco Los Angeles” by photographer Robert Landau and essay by Alan Hess
In this gorgeous, photo-filled look at Los Angeles from Angel City Press at Los Angeles Public Library, you’ll take a tour of the Southland’s iconic landmarks, from the Egyptian Theater to Monrovia’s Aztec Hotel, and all along marvel at Landau’s striking images of the city’s landscapes.
“Cannon” by Lee Lai
This graphic novel for adults offers a moving story about a gifted but overworked restaurant worker who is relied upon by many but appreciated by few. Even her best friend, who she’s known since they were a pair of queer, second-generation Chinese teens, can’t totally be relied upon – until things begin to smash apart.
“Cooking Fast and Slow” by Natalia Rudin
This gorgeous book from the personal chef behind the social media account Nat’s Nourishments has healthy recipes you can make in less than an hour (and as quickly as 15 minutes). Even if you don’t cook, you can enjoy the photos of delicious-looking meals, beautiful tables and a very patient, hopeful dog.
“The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time” by Mark Evanier and Charles M. Schulz with Patrick McDonnell and Jean Schulz
This book is bursting with classic comic strips to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. Evanier digs deep into its history and development, for example, identifying a Feb. 1, 1954 strip in which Charlie Brown wordlessly compares another child’s elaborate train set with his own humble one as a turning point in Schulz’s rich storytelling.
“The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” by Jay Glennie with introduction by Quentin Tarantino
After doing in-depth books about “Taxi Driver,” “The Deer Hunter” and more films, author Glennie delivers everything you ever wanted to know about the movie-loving director’s take on Manson-era Hollywood in this exhaustive, photo-filled study. You probably know a film fan who wants this.
“Padella: Iconic Pasta at Home” by Tim Siadatan. Foreword by Jamie Oliver
This book gathers more than 100 recipes from the London restaurant of the same name (its location may explain why Keira Knightley provides one of the blurbs, along with the more expected Yotam Ottolenghi). The sheer kaleidoscopic array of carbs on display will be enough to get you to try cooking (or at least eating) these dishes.
“Physics for Cats: Science Cartoons” by Tom Gauld
Gauld is one of my favorites, and his latest, which has been collected from his work in New Scientist, finds humor in robots, charts, and lab coats (though its titular cats are possibly, like, Schrödinger’s feline, more imagined than seen). Not only are these funny cartoons, but you’ll feel smarter laughing about moon rocks and black holes (even if, like me, you aren’t sure you actually understand the Schrödinger’s cat thing.)
“Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America” by Sean Sherman, Kate Nelson, Kristin Donnelly
James Beard Award–winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman has put together a beautifully illustrated book that not only provides recipes but also insights into the history, regions and cultures of the Indigenous communities. I only just stumbled onto this book, so I’m excited to delve into it more deeply.
“Ultra Wild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth” by Steve Mushin
This oversized illustrated comic, which aims to “push creative thinking to the absolute limit of ridiculousness,” is stuffed with pictures, diagrams and ideas for fighting climate change, such as compost cannons and rewilding cities. It’s the kind of engaging, engrossing book a young person, or anyone, can get lost in.
The week’s bestsellers
The top-selling books at your local independent bookstores. READ MORE