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 September 6, 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.

Check out new fiction and nonfiction from California authors on the list this week. Authors Robert Winter and Robert Inman have released the updated sixth edition of An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Originally published in 1965 by Winter and the late David Gebhard, the 2026 version features roughly 200 new entries highlighting must-visit buildings across Los Angeles. And in her novel Under Story, author Chloe Benjamin takes readers to a research base in Antarctica where former scientist Laurel Salter works as a dishwasher. When a strange light appears near the base, Salter—along with her ex-husband Eli—works to get to the bottom of it.

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

Southern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, hardcover fiction, the disappearers, yesteryear, understory, the knave and the moon, whistler
Alta

  1. The Disappearers, Marlon James, Riverhead Books, $32
  2. Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, $30
  3. Under Story, Chloe Benjamin, G.P. Putnam's Sons, $32. Read Alta’s coverage.
  4. The Knave and the Moon, Rachel Gillig, Orbit, $30
  5. Whistler, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, hardcover nonfiction, the land and its people, strangers, american scoundrel, the nerd reich, london falling
Alta

  1. The Land and Its People: Essays, David Sedaris, Little, Brown and Company, $30
  2. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, Belle Burden, the Dial Press, $30
  3. American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump, Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark, Scribner, $32
  4. The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy, Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press, $30
  5. London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, Patrick Radden Keefe, Doubleday, $35

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade paperback fiction, theo of golden, east of eden, dungeon crawler carl, i who have never known men, carls doomsday scenario
Alta

  1. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
  2. East of Eden, John Steinbeck, Penguin, $25
  3. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
  4. I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman and Ros Schwartz (translator), Transit Books, $17
  5. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

books, southern california bestsellers, trade paperback nonfiction, crossing the wine dark sea, kitchen confidential, a marrage at sea, the artists way, an architectural guidebook to los angeles
Alta
  1. Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature, Emily Wilson, Liveright, $20
  2. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain, Ecco, $19
  3. A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck, Sophie Elmhirst, Riverhead Books, $20
  4. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron, TarcherPerigee, $24. Read Alta’s feature on the book and the author.
  5. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles: Updated Sixth Edition, David Gebhard, et al., Angel City Press, $45

Northern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, hardcover fiction, whistler, yesteryear, the disappearers, the knave and the moon, the calamity club
Alta

  1. Whistler, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
  2. Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, $30
  3. The Disappearers, Marlon James, Riverhead Books, $32
  4. The Knave and the Moon, Rachel Gillig, Orbit, $30
  5. The Calamity Club, Kathryn Stockett, Spiegel & Grau, $35

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, hardcover nonfiction, regime change, the nerd reich, the land and its people, american scoundrel the rise and fall of the artificial state
Alta

  1. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Simon & Schuster, $34
  2. The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy, Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press, $30
  3. The Land and Its People: Essays, David Sedaris, Little, Brown and Company, $30
  4. American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump, Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark, Scribner, $32
  5. The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, Jill Lepore, Liveright, $30

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, trade paperback fiction, theo of golden, dungeon crawler carl, carls doomsday scenario, wild dark shore, project hail mary
Alta

  1. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
  2. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
  3. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
  4. Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $19
  5. Project Hail Mary (movie tie-in), Andy Weir, Ballantine Books, $22

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

books, northern california bestsellers, trade paperback nonfiction, crossing the wine dark sea, a marriage at sea, raising hare, coming up short, all about love.
Alta

  1. Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature, Emily Wilson, Liveright, $20
  2. A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck, Sophie Elmhirst, Riverhead Books, $20
  3. Raising Hare: A Memoir, Chloe Dalton, Vintage, $21
  4. Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, Robert B. Reich, Vintage, $22
  5. All About Love: New Visions, bell hooks, William Morrow, $17

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.