The California Independent Booksellers Alliance has released the list of bestselling books at independent bookstores across Northern and Southern California for the week ending September 27, 2026. This includes popular titles in fiction and nonfiction, reflecting current trends in the literary scene.
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Among the notable nonfiction titles is Gloria Steinem’s memoir, *An Unexpected Life*, where she shares six decades of activism and calls for continued efforts toward equality. Also featured is Ari Emanuel's memoir, *Roll the Calls*, detailing his journey from a mailroom employee at the Creative Artists Agency to a prominent Hollywood agent and executive chairman of WME, while stressing the importance of self-advocacy.
**Southern California Bestsellers**
*Hardcover Fiction*
- *Hollywood, Ending*, John Green, Dutton Books, $32
- *Exit Party*, Emily St. John Mandel, Knopf, $32
- *The Disappearers*, Marlon James, Riverhead Books, $32
- *Whistler*, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
- *The Things We Never Say*, Elizabeth Strout, Random House, $29
*Hardcover Nonfiction*
- *An Unexpected Life: A Memoir*, Gloria Steinem, Random House, $30
- *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, Charles Spencer, Penguin Press, $35
- *Roll the Calls: A Memoir*, Ari Emanuel, Knopf, $35
- *End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World*, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $32
- *Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body*, Andrew D. Huberman, S&S/Simon Element, $35
*Trade Paperback Fiction*
- *Theo of Golden*, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
- *Dungeon Crawler Carl*, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
- *The Wedding People*, Alison Espach, Holt Paperbacks, $19
- *Wild Dark Shore*, Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $19
- *Circe*, Madeline Miller, Back Bay, $20
*Trade Paperback Nonfiction*
- *Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature*, Emily Wilson, Liveright, $20
- *Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly*, Anthony Bourdain, Ecco, $19
- *Bread of Angels: A Memoir*, Patti Smith, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $20
- *Mother Mary Comes to Me*, Arundhati Roy, Scribner, $20
- *The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession*, Michael Finkel, Vintage, $18
**Northern California Bestsellers**
*Hardcover Fiction*
- *Hollywood, Ending*, John Green, Dutton Books, $32
- *Exit Party*, Emily St. John Mandel, Knopf, $32
- *The Pirate Queen*, Ariel Lawhon, Doubleday, $32
- *Whistler*, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
- *Yesteryear*, Caro Claire Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, $30
*Hardcover Nonfiction*
- *End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World*, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $32
- *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, Charles Spencer, Penguin Press, $35
- *The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy*, Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press, $30
- *An Unexpected Life: A Memoir*, Gloria Steinem, Random House, $30
- *Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body*, Andrew D. Huberman, S&S/Simon Element, $35
*Trade Paperback Fiction*
- *Theo of Golden*, Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
- *Dungeon Crawler Carl*, Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
- *Wild Dark Shore*, Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $19
- *The Wedding People*, Alison Espach, Holt Paperbacks, $19
- *The Women*, Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Griffin, $21
*Trade Paperback Nonfiction*
- *Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature*, Emily Wilson, Liveright, $20
- *Mother Mary Comes to Me*, Arundhati Roy, Scribner, $20
- *Raising Hare: A Memoir*, Chloe Dalton, Vintage, $21
- *Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It*, Cory Doctorow, Picador, $20
- *Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants*, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $22
Source: California Independent Booksellers Alliance
Elizabeth Casillas is an associate editor at Alta Journal.