February Preview at Bel Canto Books!

Hi book friends,

Ostensibly I’m writing this monthly newsletter to give you a preview of our upcoming events and book clubs, which you will find below, should you like to join us either in person or online. It also feels like every time I sit down to write this newsletter over the past year, that some new horrible thing has happened, is happening, is about to happen to someone we may not know personally, but whose life isn’t too dissimilar from ours.

Most of us want good jobs, safe neighborhoods and homes, happy kids, a nice meal at the end of the day. I know it isn’t too much to ask for, but the powers that be have long relied on keeping most of us too burdened by our own troubles to fight for a more dignified life for all of us. I hope that one result of the mounting cruelty of ICE and this administration is that we each take stock and commit to doing at least one thing to stop this violence and fight for our common good.

Some things we’ll be doing include:

• Using 5calls.org every day to call on our representatives to defund ICE and stop their violent attacks in our communities

• Attending local government meetings to stay informed and advocate for equity and accountability (if you’re in Long Beach, please fill out the 2027 budget priorities survey here by 2/5)

• Participating in this Friday 1/30’s General Strike by closing our 4th Street location to regular business and hosting a sidewalk book sale and protest art making from 12-4pm to benefit MN + LA mutual aid groups

• Continuing to provide a safe space at our bookstore locations, book clubs, and events for folks to gather, share resources, and build community

Feel free to let me know what you’re working on within your spheres of influence. I believe in the power of collective action, which has moved mountains before. We can do it again.

Here’s to books, laughter, and joyful resistance!

Jhoanna
Head Booknerd + Owner of Bel Canto Books

We’re proud to host these amazing authors and artists at Bel Canto Books! Our events are free to attend, unless otherwise noted. Please join us in supporting our authors by RSVPing in advance and purchasing their books from us (or requesting them from your local library)!

Friday 2/6, 6-9pm @ KUBO LB
First Fridays

Friday 2/13, 2pm @ BCB Retro Row
Storytime with Fuzz Garden

Sunday 2/15, 12pm @ KUBO LB
Stamp Making Workshop with CJ Mauro - $30pp

Sunday 2/22, 4pm @ KUBO LB
Author Talk with Shobha Rao + Lilliam Rivera

Friday 2/27, 8am-1pm @ The Grand, LB
Popup Bookstore at Roots of Justice Convening
Tickets at tinyurl.com/3nb25cd5

Friday 2/27, 6-9pm @ BCB Retro Row
Fourth Fridays

Book clubs are free to join and attend. We greatly appreciate your support of our work and our featured authors and encourage you to buy from our stores, Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, and/or request books from your local library. Learn more and kindly RSVP here.

Bel Canto Book Club (meets monthly)
COLORED TELEVISION
Thu 2/19, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row

Burning Issues Book Club (meets monthly)
LEGACY: A BLACK PHYSICIAN RECKONS WITH RACISM
Sun 2/15, 12pm PT (virtual)

Graphic Novel Book Club (meets monthly)
BIG JIM AND THE WHITE BOY
Sat 2/21, 10am PT (virtual)

Queer Book Club (meets monthly)
CLAP WHEN YOU LAND
Sat 2/21, 7pm at BCB Retro Row

Death & Dying Book Club (meets bimonthly)
UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR
Thu 2/12, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row

TIMPLA Cookbook Club (meets quarterly)
MY CAMBODIA meeting + potluck
Sun 2/22, 12pm at KUBO LB

AI Ethics Book Club (meets quarterly)
CARELESS PEOPLE
Wed 3/26, 6:30pm - Location TBD

In celebration of Black History Month this February, I’m recommending INCITING JOY by one of my favorite poets and essayists, Ross Gay - especially the audiobook version which is read by Ross himself (who I would listen to read the phone book, if it still existed). Ross riffs on the things that incite joy in him, like football, gardens, and dancing, and his verbal mastery and delight infuse every essay.