Erik Pedersen

100 Christmas and holiday gift book recs from Southern California bookstores LA, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino county booksellers suggest the best books of 2025 to give this season.

100+ book recs for the holidays (or your TBR pile) from bookstores across Southern California

*gift link*

Why Backlisted books podcast cohost Andy Miller is coming to America The popular program devoted to ‘giving new life to old books’ is celebrating its 10-year-anniversary with some U.S. dates.

@backlisted.bsky.social’s Andy Miller talks 10 years of podcasting about books and the show’s upcoming U.S. live dates.

www.ocregister.com/2025/10/17/w...

45 Halloween book recommendations from Southern California bookstores From titles for kids to super-scary titles for adults, your local independent booksellers have you covered with tales of ghosts, monsters and cannibals.

Need a scary book to read beyond the titles you already know?

Southern California #bookstores are here to help with your Halloween book recs for kids and adults.

A *gift link* to get you started:

www.ocregister.com/2025/10/21/4...

Dungeon Crawler Carl’s Matt Dinniman reveals a secret of the series’ start DIESEL, A Bookstore will be hosting an event with Dinniman and Felicia Day on Sept. 22, at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.

@mattdinniman.bsky.social shares his favorite books, what he’s reading and a secret of the first draft of Dungeon Crawler Carl. He and @felicia.day will be discussing the book on Sept. 22 in LA sponsored by Diesel bookstore.

www.ocregister.com/2025/09/17/d...

‘Slow Horses’ author Mick Herron reveals the secret origins of Slough House The author discusses new novel ‘Clown Town,’ the Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman, touring with the Rolling Stones and more.

“I’ve never specifically stated it,” says Slow Horses author Mick Herron while discussing the origins of Slough House.

Plus, he talks about his just-published @soho_press #book “Clown Town” and Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb on Apple TV+

*gift link*

www.ocregister.com/2025/09/09/s...

The notorious Mitford sisters get the blues in Mimi Pond’s ‘Do Admit!’​ The author will discuss the graphic novel with actress Kristen Schaal at Skylight Books on Sept. 10.

“I always wanted, desperately wanted, sisters, and I never had any. And once I finished this thing, I was like, “Well, maybe sisters are not the greatest thing.” — Mimi Pond, author of “Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me” from @dandq.bsky.social

www.ocregister.com/2025/09/05/h...

Would be nice to put in a paragraph break and start a new graf at “But they’re gone.”

How the novel ‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ became a runaway success Adam Z. Levy, publisher of Berkeley’s Transit Books, discusses the phenomenon of a 30-year-old novel by writer Jacqueline Harpman.

How “I Who Have Never Known Men” just keeps finding readers @transitbooks.bsky.social @booksoupofficial.bsky.social @mcnallyjackson.bsky.social

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/29/h...

There’s an edgy new book trend in bookstores. And it’s got some history. In the Book Pages this week, there’s something going on in YA, romance and fantasy. Plus, an author event at LibroMobile.

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/15/t...

5 books for a (mostly) soothing, low-key reading experience Sometimes, you need a bit of soothing.

I got a kick out of journalist @erikpedersen.bsky.social's recommendations of 5 "soothing books" after reading @sgj.bsky.social's THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS, unaware of what he was getting into 😂 Bless him. (And he lauds Stephen's work.)
www.gazettextra.com/entertainmen...

Romance bookstores are giving Southern California readers a reason to swoon The brick-and-mortar stores popping up around So Cal, thriving online romance community and the $1 Billion in revenue proves the power of a happily ever after.

Check out a terrific story by @byemilystmartin.bsky.social on the rise of romance bookstores.

“That Sunday we opened, it was crazy,” said the owner of Temecula’s In Bloom Bookery. “We had over a thousand people lined up.”

*gift link*

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/30/r...

Meet the artists who paint book murals on LA’s North Figueroa Bookshop Natalie Cruz and Jazmin Navarro say their work makes them feel part of community.

Meet the artists who paint the book murals on LA’s North Figueroa Bookshop #books #art

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/25/m...

At 70, Godzilla keeps on smashing expectations, buildings Steve Ryfle, co-author with Ed Godziszewski of ‘Godzilla: The First 70 Years,’ discusses the monster and its movies over the years.

“I remember as a child asking a bookstore clerk if there were books on Godzilla, and he actually laughed at me.”
— Steve Ryfle discusses his massive new #book with Ed Godziszewski, “GODZILLA: The First 70 Years” out from Abrams.

*Gift link*

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/18/a...

33 summer book recommendations featuring some of 2025’s best novels and more Here are some great choices for fiction, nonfiction, essays, memoir and more to keep you busy through the hot summer months.

Don’t miss Friend of Books @michaelschaub.bsky.social as he recommends 33 novels, story collections, nonfiction titles and more #books this summer.

*Gift Link*

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/15/3...

LA’s Now Serving cookbook bookstore has a recipe for renewal after the fires In the Book Pages newsletter this week, cookbooks, memories and the work one store is doing to replace what was lost in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

@nowservingla.bsky.social is wrapping up its drive to collect cookbooks for those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires (but you can still help). #books

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/11/l...

Comics legend Jeff Lemire on ‘10,000 Ink Stains,’ DC & Marvel, and creative freedom His illustrated memoir arrives in stores on July 15.

@jefflemire171.bsky.social talks about the “total freedom” of making his own comics ahead of the publication of his @darkhorse.com memoir, “10,000 Ink Stains.”

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/11/c...

Images of the Southern California News Group Playlist print sections featuring stories about books as the cover story.

We cover books (and put books on the cover).

I recommend reading this to yourself in a President Thomas J. Whitmore voice. (Then buying some small-press books from your favorite indie store.)

33 new books you’ll want to read this summer from independent publishers Looking for something new or a fresh take on a favorite genre? Check out these small-press titles.

Celebrate your independents with @michaelschaub.bsky.social’s list of small-press #books out now or coming this summer. #booksky

www.ocregister.com/2025/06/24/3...

The NEA cut their funding. But California’s independent publishers press on How Red Hen Press, Transit Books, Two Lines Press and the literary journal Zyzzyva plan to keep going in the face of government funding cuts.

“We are not going anywhere.”

California’s independent publishers talk about funding cuts, the future and what you can do.

@transitbooks.bsky.social @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social
@catranslation.bsky.social
@redhenpress.bsky.social
@clmporg.bsky.social

www.ocregister.com/2025/06/13/t...

The NEA cut their funding. But California’s independent publishers press on How Red Hen Press, Transit Books, Two Lines Press and the literary journal Zyzzyva plan to keep going in the face of government funding cuts.

“It had this snowball-coming-down-the-mountain effect." CAT President Michael Holtmann on our NEA grant termination news.

Thank you @erikpedersen.bsky.social for including us and our Bay Area neighbors @transitbooks.bsky.social & @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social.

www.ocregister.com/2025/06/13/t...

How Robert Macfarlane’s book ‘Is a River Alive?’ delivers a call to action Plus, the author discusses the Star Wars series ‘Andor,’ a reason for hope in California and why he doesn’t like the word ‘environment.’

“It’s the book I’ve been learning how to write all this time.” —
@robgmacfarlane.bsky.social on “Is a River Alive?”

*gift link* to interview

www.ocregister.com/2025/05/29/h...

A book truck called The Fleuria is bringing romance to Southern California readers The rolling store’s owner, Stephanie Pao, wants to bring together LA’s romance-reading community.

The Fleuria book truck is taking romance on the road, reports @dcteachild.bsky.social

www.dailybreeze.com/2025/05/23/a...

#books #romance

THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP cover

Text from review https://www.ocregister.com/2025/05/20/12-new-books-to-send-restless-readers-on-a-summer-road-trip/

Why look at that! A summer book guide written by an actual human being listing real books written by other actual human beings! And I'm one of them! More here: www.ocregister.com/2025/05/20/1...

I can attest that these books do actually exist! Sincerely, Michael Schaub, human

​12 new books to send restless readers on a summer road trip Start your summer road trip with a curated list of far-reaching fiction and nonfiction.

Here’s a 2025 summer reading list with real books, no AI. Check out picks from @michaelschaub.bsky.social for road trip reading.

*gift link*

www.ocregister.com/2025/05/20/1...

How a surprising Shakespeare discovery was found in a letter used as scrap paper And what he says it might mean for our understanding of the playwright’s life and work.

“This suggests an alternative scenario…”

After his surprising Shakespeare news this week, @matthewsteggle.bsky.social answers our questions about what it might mean.

www.ocregister.com/2025/04/24/h...

Nora Lange’s ‘Us Fools’ looks at outcast sisters growing up in the 1980s The novel, which was named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, is set during the farm crisis.

US FOOLS alert:

Highly recommend this interview with Nora Lange by @michaelschaub.bsky.social for @ocregister.bsky.social ❤️‍🔥

Big thanks to @erikpedersen.bsky.social for publishing

www.ocregister.com/2025/04/09/n...

Why ‘Star Trek’ star LeVar Burton is coming to the Altadena library after the Eaton fire The longtime host of ‘Reading Rainbow’ will read from his children’s book during an event to welcome the community back.

“Every generation owes a debt to the one that follows,” @levarburton.bsky.social ahead of his Altadena library appearance on March 22.

www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/03/21/w...

Jason Isbell’s powerful solo show at Walt Disney Concert Hall rich with new songs The singer-songwriter dedicated nearly half of his set to new material from his excellent, just-released solo album.

www.dailynews.com/2025/03/15/j...