The Ho-Ho-Holidays Are in Full Swing at Bel Canto Books!

Woo hoo - we (almost) made it to the end of this insanely up and down year. The bookstores are decorated for the holidays, the shelves are groaning with books, and we’ve been brushing up on our “book whisperer” skills to help you find the best books for your favorite folks.

Some of the gifts we’re raving about this year include:

• The Bibliophile Advent Calendar for Booklovers which everyone has been coveting at the bookstore (fun fact: we’re featured on one of the days!)

• A book off our 2025 Most Anticipated Books list (books I can’t stop thinking about from this list are MODERATION, LIGHTBREAKERS, and THE WHITE HOT).

• A Libro.fm audiobook credit bundle now on sale through December 11th (some of my fave audiobooks this year were A MARRIAGE AT SEA, EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD, and DIRTY KITCHEN).

• A Bel Canto Books gift membership with birthday perks, year-round discounts and specials, and a warm welcome to our bookish community

A quick note on our Bel Canto Books gift membership: if you gift a membership by 12/19, we’ll send a sweet holiday card from one of our stationery favorites to your loved one!

We’re making holiday gifting even easier this year by being open EVERY DAY from Thursday 12/11 through Wednesday 12/24 at our 4th Street location. KUBO LB in Bixby Knolls will also be open every day until Christmas Eve. We hope to see you in the stores or out and about in the (virtual) community!

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

Jhoanna
Head Booknerd + Owner of Bel Canto Books

Upcoming Events and Book Clubs

We’re proud to celebrate these amazing authors and artists 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)!

EVENTS

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

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

• Thu 12/11, 6pm-8pm: F&F Night *invite only*

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

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

• Sun 12/14, 1-5pm: Kalat Coffee popup

Mon 12/15 - Wed 12/24 @ BCB Retro Row
Jolabokaflod* Countdown - Open Every Day + Daily Specials
*Icelandic for “Christmas book flood”

BOOK CLUBS

Bel Canto Book Club
GRIEF IS FOR PEOPLE
Thu 1/22, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row

Burning Issues Book Club (virtual)
BE A REVOLUTION - Sun 12/28, 12pm PT
READ THIS TO GET SMARTER - Sun 1/25, 12pm PT

Graphic Novel Book Club (virtual)
THIS WAS OUR PACT - Sat 12/20, 10am PT
MAKING NONFICTION COMICS - Sat 1/17, 10am PT

Queer Book Club
THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA
Sat 1/24, 7pm at BCB Retro Row

Marigold Death Collective Book Club
UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR
Thu 2/12, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row

TIMPLA Cookbook Club
MY CAMBODIA meeting + potluck
Date TBD at KUBO LB

SNEAK PEEK: Jho’s Favorite Books of the Year

Next up in Jho’s Favorite Books of the Year are these three amazing graphic novels:

• THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION by Peter Wohlleben, Fred Bernard, and Benjamin Flao - Perfect for nature lovers, a stunning, illustrated love letter to trees, forests, and the stewardship of conservators, professional and layperson, who keep these amazing beings alive in our world.

• BRITTLE JOINTS by Maria Sweeney - A must read for anyone suffering from chronic illness or supporting a friend or loved one, offering a gorgeously illustrated glimpse into Sweeney’s day-to-day inconveniences, aggressions, and pain points of living with disability and her determination to continue making art and building community.

• GAYSIANS by Mike Curato - An exuberant celebration of friendship, gay culture, and found family that follows “baby gay” AJ as he navigates a move to early aughts Seattle and its vibrant gay and AAPI community. Full of bright colors,larger than life characters, and the joy of belonging.