With reporting from the California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Alta Journal highlights the bestselling books at independent bookstores across Northern and Southern California for the week ending July 5, 2026. This list includes bestselling fiction, nonfiction, and new releases, offering a snapshot of current book trends, popular authors, and must-read titles across California’s literary scene.

Add these two bestsellers to your beach bag this week. In The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson, Caroline Lash falls in with her boyfriend Van’s close-knit, longtime friend group. But when Van’s ex reveals that she’s pregnant with his child, Caroline exposes the group’s long-buried secrets, impacting their relationships and the small town of Greenhead. In Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, now a major motion picture, Ryland Grace awakens alone on a mission to save humanity. The only problem is that he does not remember the mission’s objective, or even his own name.

For a full list of titles and categories, visit the California Independent Booksellers Alliance.•

Southern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade hardcover fiction, july 9 2026, yesteryear, whistler, the calamity club, daughters of the sun and moon, the shampoo effect
Alta

  1. Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, $30
  2. Whistler, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
  3. The Calamity Club, Kathryn Stockett, Spiegel & Grau, $35
  4. Daughters of the Sun and Moon, Lisa See, Scribner, $29. See it on Alta’s list of new releases for June.
  5. The Shampoo Effect, Jenny Jackson, Pamela Dorman Books, $30

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade hardcover nonfiction, july 9 2026
Alta

  1. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, Belle Burden, the Dial Press, $30
  2. London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, Patrick Radden Keefe, Doubleday, $35
  3. The Land and Its People: Essays, David Sedaris, Little, Brown and Company, $30
  4. Famesick: A Memoir, Lena Dunham, Random House, $32
  5. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Simon & Schuster, $34

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade paperback fiction, july 9 2026
Alta

  1. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
  2. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
  3. Project Hail Mary (movie tie-in), Andy Weir, Ballantine Books, $22
  4. Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ballantine Books, $20
  5. Angel Down, Daniel Kraus, Atria Books, $18

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade paperback nonfiction, july 9 2026, a marriage at sea, empire of ai, too l.a., raising hare, the art thief.
Alta

  1. A Marriage at Sea, Sophie Elmhirst, Riverhead Books, $20
  2. Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Karen Hao, Penguin Books, $20
  3. Too L.A.: Letters Never Sent (But Some Were), Eve Babitz and Lili Anolik (editor), New York Review Books, $18.95. Read Alta’s interview with Lili Anolik.
  4. Raising Hare: A Memoir, Chloe Dalton, Vintage, $21
  5. The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, Michael Finkel, Vintage, $18

Northern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, hardcover fiction, july 9 2026, yesteryear, whistler, the calamity club, the correspondent, land.
Alta

  1. Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, $30
  2. Whistler, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
  3. The Calamity Club, Kathryn Stockett, Spiegel & Grau, $35
  4. The Correspondent, Virginia Evans, Crown, $28
  5. Land, Maggie O’Farrell, Alfred A. Knopf, $32

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, hardcover nonfiction, july 9 2026
Alta

  1. The Land and Its People: Essays, David Sedaris, Little, Brown and Company, $30
  2. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Simon & Schuster, $34
  3. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, Belle Burden, the Dial Press, $30
  4. London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, Patrick Radden Keefe, Doubleday, $35
  5. All We Say: The Battle for American Identity—A History in 15 Speeches, Ben Rhodes, Random House, $35

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, trade paperback fiction, july 9 2026, theo of golden, project hail mary, atmosphere, dungeon crawler carl, remarkably bright creatures
Alta

  1. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
  2. Project Hail Mary (movie tie-in), Andy Weir, Ballantine Books, $22
  3. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
  4. Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ballantine Books, $20
  5. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt, Ecco, $19.99

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, trade paperback nonfiction, july 9 2026, marriage at sea, empire of ai, raising hare, too la, reverse centaur's guide to life after ai
Alta

  1. The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It's Too Late, Cory Doctorow, MCD, $18. Watch the Alta event with the author.
  2. Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Karen Hao, Penguin Books, $20
  3. A Marriage at Sea, Sophie Elmhirst, Riverhead Books, $20
  4. Raising Hare: A Memoir, Chloe Dalton, Vintage, $21
  5. Too L.A.: Letters Never Sent (But Some Were), Eve Babitz and Lili Anolik (editor), New York Review Books, $18.95. Read Alta’s interview with Lili Anolik.

Source: California Independent Booksellers Alliance

Headshot of Elizabeth Casillas
Elizabeth Casillas

Elizabeth Casillas is an associate editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.