According to the California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Alta Journal has published a list of the bestselling books at independent bookstores across Northern and Southern California for the week ending October 4, 2026. The list includes popular titles across fiction, nonfiction, and new releases, reflecting current trends in California's literary scene.
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This week's highlighted new releases include Min Jin Lee’s novel, *American Hagwon*, which tells the story of the Koh family as they migrate from Seoul to Southern California amid a financial crisis. Their journey explores the challenges of rebuilding their lives and aspirations for their children’s future. Also featured is Rebecca Perry's *May We Feed the King*, where an unnamed curator finds her professional life entwined with the medieval history she is investigating while cataloging at a palace.
In Southern California, the bestselling hardcover fiction titles include:
- *Threshing Day* (Wing and Claw Collection) by Rebecca Yarros, Red Tower Books, $25
- *Exit Party* by Emily St. John Mandel, Alfred A. Knopf, $32
- *American Hagwon* by Min Jin Lee, Cardinal, $36
- *Hollywood, Ending* by John Green, Dutton Books, $32
- *The Disappearers* by Marlon James, Riverhead Books, $32
For nonfiction, the top hardcover titles are:
- *Roll the Calls: A Memoir* by Ari Emanuel, Alfred A. Knopf, $35
- *An Unexpected Life: A Memoir* by Gloria Steinem, Random House, $30
- *Fictional Selves: A Memoir* by Kyle MacLachlan, Crown, $34
- *The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic* by Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company, $34
- *End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World* by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $32
In trade paperback fiction, the bestselling titles include:
- *Dungeon Crawler Carl* by Matt Dinniman, Ace, $20
- *East of Eden* by John Steinbeck, Penguin, $25
- *Theo of Golden* by Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20
- *I Who Have Never Known Men* by Jacqueline Harpman (translated by Ros Schwartz), Transit Books, $17
- *May We Feed the King* by Rebecca Perry, Transit Books, $19
Northern California also listed similar bestselling hardcover fiction titles such as:
- *Threshing Day* by Rebecca Yarros, $25
- *Exit Party* by Emily St. John Mandel, $32
- *American Hagwon* by Min Jin Lee, $36
- *Hollywood, Ending* by John Green, $32
- *The Disappearers* by Marlon James, $32
The top hardcover nonfiction titles in Northern California include:
- *End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World* by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, $32
- *The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy* by Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press, $30
- *The American Way of Killing* by Malcolm Gladwell, $34
- *An Unexpected Life: A Memoir* by Gloria Steinem, $30
- *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister* by Charles Spencer, Penguin Press, $35
In trade paperback fiction, notable titles are:
- *Theo of Golden* by Allen Levi, $20
- *Dungeon Crawler Carl* by Matt Dinniman, $20
- *Wild Dark Shore* by Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $19
- *East of Eden* by John Steinbeck, $25
- *May We Feed the King* by Rebecca Perry, $19
In the trade paperback nonfiction category, top titles include:
- *Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature* by Emily Wilson, Liveright, $20
- *Mother Mary Comes to Me* by Arundhati Roy, Scribner, $20
- *Bread of Angels: A Memoir* by Patti Smith, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $20
- *Raising Hare: A Memoir* by Chloe Dalton, Vintage, $21
- *All About Love: New Visions* by bell hooks, William Morrow, $17.
Source: California Independent Booksellers Alliance
Elizabeth Casillas is an associate editor at Alta Journal.