Happy Pride Month, book peeps! I’m excited to be writing this post-Memorial Day and Graduation ceremonies, two unofficial markers of summer when we hopefully get to take things a little more slowly and enjoy the sunshine. This summer, I’ll be heading back to Boston in July to see family and friends and to the desert in August for our annual family long weekend. I hope to complete at least a row or two of our Bookish Bingo (read on for more) with book clubs, a trip to the LA Central Library, and doing more outdoor reading at Bluff Park or the beach.
I’ll also be making time to work on a family history project, getting my letter writing supplies ready for Vote Forward, and prepping for all the big Fall and Holiday books (hello, new Min Jin Lee and Becky Chambers!). I know it’s still super scary times, with continued ICE raids, disasters natural and man-made, and more economic pressure on our low income communities. I hope you’re finding ways to help, and be helped, as we keep up the fight for dignity and radical care.
Jho’s May Moments of Joy
EXPERIENCE: We were delighted to be back in the garden space of everywhere lb (formerly the old Hangout space) to celebrate local author and #friendofthebookstore Elana K. Arnold’s newest book, HOLLOWAY, a fantastic YA historical fantasy that will make you want to visit France asap. The garden is such a magical space, and the community love for Elana and her conversation partner Nina LaCour was palpable.
MEDIA: I ended up home sick for a week with a bad cold after all the April madness, and returned to my comfort binge watches of Grey’s Anatomy (yup, all over again), Game of Thrones (still), and YouTube fave Job’s Journal. I love Job’s calm, inviting narration, DIY videos (I aspire to his level of journal hacking), and watching him go down the rabbit hole of solo journaling tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG)! Check him out if you love seeing artists at work!
FOOD: Though not just a food experience, I had so much fun at QuadM Collective in Irvine, a celebration of Muslim women-led small business, and got to try an excellent baklava latte from Hawa Al Sham Coffee. We was invited to participate as bookseller for three amazing Muslim authors and illustrators, Natasha Khan Kazi, Nedda Lewers, and Huda Al-Marashi. We had such a fantastic time, and I hope we’ll be invited back when QuadM returns next year!
JOURNALING: I attended the CALIBA booksellers forum in Pasadena at the end of the month, and made sure to spend an extra day exploring some of the fantastic bookstores and stationery shops in town, including Octavia’s Bookshelf, DYM Books & Boba, and Mt. Fo’rest, a beautiful space for stationery and pen lovers. I picked up lots of goodies as birthday and graduation gifts, and, of course, spent a good chunk of time using their free stamp station!
BOOKS: May was another great reading month, with 7 books that I finished and a few more I’m still working through. Favorites included: STARLESS (an epic queer fantasy), AAPI horror novels MOLKA and THAT WHICH FEEDS US, WHEN MIKAN ROAD WAS OURS (a debut Japanese American historical fiction novel, out 7/28), Esmé Weijun Wang’s haunting THE COLLECTED SCHIZOPHRENIAS, and the forthcoming Becky Chambers, AS YOU WAKE, BREAK THE SHELL (out 10/13 - yay yay yay!). I’m two books away from completing LBPL’s 50 Book Reading Challenge - I can’t wait to show off all my goodies!
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
Join our Summer 2026 BCB Bookish Bingo challenge + earn fun rewards! Stop by Bel Canto Books Retro Row (2106 E. 4th Street, LB) to pick up your bingo card now through August.
Complete one or more rows + draw a prize each time from our Bookish Goodie Bag. Return a completed grid by 8/31/26 to be entered into the Grand Prize drawing (a $50 gift card to Bel Canto Books Retro Row)! Let’s Bookish Bingo!
We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Festival of AAPI Books (FAB) Long Beach to the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library on Saturday 7/11 from 11am to 4pm! FAB is free to attend with free parking. RSVP now to be entered into our raffle to receive a signed book of your choice!
Our featured authors and artists across the Asian diaspora include:
KIDLIT READINGS
Ann Chau, MY ONG NGOAI’S GARDEN (12pm), Kimberly Tso, TIC-TAC-TOE CHICKEN (12:30pm), Ann Suk Wang, THE HOUSE BEFORE FALLING INTO THE SEA (1pm), Min Tonai Family + Jolene Gutiérrez, UNBREAKABLE (1:30pm), Michelle Sterling, RIDING THROUGH RICE FIELDS (2pm), Susie Yi, CAT & CAT ADVENTURES (2:30pm)
PUBLISHING ROUND TABLE (12:15pm - 1pm) Kaila Yu, FETISHIZED; Kenneth Tan, CRESCENCIANA; Noelle Falcis Math
CLAY ART WORKSHOP (2:15pm - 3pm) Fuzz Garden, MY HALF SIBLINGS
ROMANCE PANEL (12:15pm - 1pm) Emery Lee, FORGET ME KNOT; Joss Richard, IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME; Julie Tieu, THE GIRL MOST LIKELY; Kaye Rockwell, IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW
YOUNG ADULT/TEEN PANEL (1:15pm - 2pm) Aimee Phan, THE LOST QUEEN; C.B. Lee, COFFEESHOP IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE; David Yoon, FRANKLY IN LOVE; Jennifer Chen, CHECKING YOU OUT
ADULT AUTHORS PANEL (2:15pm - 3pm) Devi S. Laskar, MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR; Jasmin Iolani Hakes, THE POHAKU; Vanessa Hua, COYOTELAND; Ellie Yang Camp, LOUDER THAN THE LIES
All authors will be signing books and meeting with readers from 3pm to 4pm in the Community Room.
Plus a hosted welcome reception with baked goods and coffee, kid’s arts and crafts, local small business popups like Gemmae Bakeshop, Teofilo Coffee and Wonderly Press, nonprofit organizations like Teach AAPI and Friends of Long Beach Public Library, and more!
Find the full program and RSVP here for the chance to win a free signed book of your choice!
We’re proud to host these amazing authors and artists this month! Bel Canto Books 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)!
Fri 5/5, 6pm-9pm @ KUBO LB
First Fridays
Tue 6/9, 7pm @ KUBO LB
Désirée Zamorano, Tisha Reichle-Aguilera + Lisa Alvarez
Sat 6/13 @ KUBO LB
12pm - Storytime + Signing with Jocelyn Chung
4pm - Jeanne Carstensen, with Rachel Uranga
Sun 6/14, 6pm @ KUBO LB
Georgia K. Boone + Jazmine Joyner
Fri 6/26, 6pm-9pm @ BCB Retro Row
Fourth Fridays
Sun 6/28, 4pm @ KUBO LB
Zahabiyah Yamasaki and Eileen S. Rosete
Book clubs are free to join and attend. We 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
Thu 6/18, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row
MA AND ME
Burning Issues Book Club
Sun 6/28, 12pm PT (virtual)
OIL BEACH
Graphic Novel Book Club
Sat 6/20, 10am PT (virtual)
I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE
Queer Book Club
Sat 6/27, 7pm at BCB Retro Row
ATMOSPHERE
Movies N’ Books Club
Mon 6/22, 7pm at Art Theatre LB
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
AI Ethics Book Club
Wed 8/26, 6:30pm at Ambitious Ales
CULPABILITY
Death & Dying Book Club
Thu 6/11, 6:30pm at BCB Retro Row
THE FINAL ACT OF LIVING
TIMPLA Cookbook Club
Sun 7/26, 12pm at KUBO LB
GOOD THINGS meeting + potluck
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