Happy almost Thanksgiving, book peeps! I’m feverishly writing this before a quick flight to the Bay Area for the Thanksgiving holiday, where we’ll no doubt overeat on home cooking, visit an indie bookstore (or two), and try to squeeze in some reading.

This has always been my favorite holiday, since it combines two of my favorite pastimes, eating and gossiping with family, but since I’ve owned the bookstore, I’ve become more conscious of the harsh realities that many of us wrestle with this time of the year: loneliness, hunger, anxiety, estrangement, and the ongoing oppression of indigenous peoples. It’s a lot to hold in our hearts, and I sincerely hope that you find moments of joy and reflection this week.

With all of that in mind, my Moments of Joy this month are a little different, focusing on the different things over the past year that have brought me closer to my community.

1. Volunteering with Liwanag Lit Fest: it takes our planning committee more than half a year to plan and host this amazing biannual Fil-Am literary festival, and those hours are filled with so many moments of laughter and excitement. Our AAP lit fest, Festival of AAPI Books, returns July 11th, so please consider getting involved!

2. Participating in our monthly Book Clubs: I’ve met so many lovely people through our book clubs, both in person and online, and I feel like my friend circle has expanded exponentially. Plus I’ve gotten to read so many great books and discuss them in more depth! If you’re looking for a good next book, our Bookshop.org page is a great place to find new recommendations.

3. Becoming involved in our local journaling community: I had no idea that there was such a dedicated group of journal lovers in SoCal until we started partnering with Travelers Company USA last year. Since then, I’ve gone to some great stationery events, made wonderful friends, and carved out more “me time” with my bullet journal. We’ll be hosting our next Journal + Mingle on Sunday, January 4th (more details soon!), but feel free to substitute cooking or knitting or photography in your search for a local event to attend.

None of this would be possible without your generous support of our tiny, but mighty bookstore! From author events to journaling and art workshops, literary festivals and monthly book clubs, we remain dedicated to spreading the love of reading. I hope you’ll join our new Bel Canto Books Membership, or gift a membership to a friend this holiday season.

A sincere thank you to those of you who’ve already joined - in a time when we’re all fighting gloom, uncertainty, and despair, I know that our bookstore community is making an impact, fighting to protect diverse storytelling, providing a safe haven for book lovers, and creating a place for joy and creativity.

Please read on for more info and signup links to our exciting roster of author events and book clubs.

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

Jhoanna
Head Booknerd + Owner of Bel Canto Books

DECEMBER EVENTS (AND BOOK CLUBS!)

We’re proud to celebrate these amazing authors and artists the rest of this month! Bel Canto Books events and book clubs 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)!

• Tue 12/2, 7pm @ Ambitious Ales - Mia P. Manansala + Tracy Badua

• Fri 12/5, 5pm-8pm @ Alder & Sage - Needful Things Holiday Market

• Fri 12/5, 6pm-9pm @ KUBO LB - First Fridays

• Tue 12/9, 7pm @ KUBO LB - Lineage and Light: A Night of Poetry with Cathy Linh Che, Jason Bayani, Michelle Peñaloza, and Ching-In Chen

• Thu 12/11 - Sun 12/14 @ BCB Retro Row - 6th Anniversary Weekend

• Thu 12/11, 6pm-8pm: F&F Night

• Fri 12/12, 7pm-9pm: Art Show Opening

• Sat 12/13, 11am-4pm: 4th Street Holiday Market

• Thu 12/11 - Wed 12/24 @ BCB Retro Row - Jolabokaflod* Countdown - Open Every Day + Daily Specials *Icelandic “Christmas book flood”

• Sat 12/20, 10am PT (virtual) - Graphic Novel Book Club discusses THIS WAS OUR PACT

• Sun 12/28, 12pm PT (virtual) - Burning Issues Book Club discusses BE A REVOLUTION

SNEAK PEEK: Jho’s Favorite Books of the Year

Next up in Jho’s Favorite Books of the Year are these amazing children’s books:

• EVERYTHING GROWS IN JIDDO’S GARDEN by Jenan Matari (signed while supplies last!): a heartfelt love letter to gardening, grandpas, and Palestine

• MONSTER MAKER: THE STRANGE CREATURES OF MARK NAGATA by Debbi Michiko Florence (signed while supplies last!): an inspiring and eye-popping biography of Mark Nagata, founder of Max Toy Company

MAKE YOUR OWN RAINBOW: A DRAG QUEEN’S GUIDE TO COLOR by Lil Miss Hot Mess (signed while supplies last!): an exuberant primer on the amazing colors of the rainbow