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Best Books About California

Topic List20 books curated30 recommendations total

Books about California, including titles recommended by Jordan Peterson, Natalie Portman and Kara Swisher. Most recommended here: The White Album, Slouching Towards Bethlehem and Angle of Repose.

Curated list content

Where to start: Books About California recommended most often

Recommended books, ranked by how many of the 21 people behind this list recommended each one.

  1. 1The White Album6 recommendations · recommended by Kara Swisher, Harry Styles and Anthony Bourdain
  2. 2Slouching Towards Bethlehem5 recommendations · recommended by Kara Swisher, Liz Lambert and Audrey Gelman
  3. 3Angle of Repose4 recommendations · recommended by Natalie Portman, Bill Nye and Joanne Freeman
  4. 4Parable of the Sower4 recommendations · recommended by Alice Korngold, DeRay Mckesson and Cleo Abram
  5. 5The Big Sleep4 recommendations · recommended by James Franco, Adam Sessler and Jordan Peterson
5
Book cover for “The Big Sleep”
The Big Sleep

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

4 recommendations

Recommended by James Franco, Adam Sessler and Jordan Peterson

Description

"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid....He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man.

6
Book cover for “City of Quartz”
City of Quartz

Excavating the Future in Los Angeles

3 recommendations

Recommended by Dan Davies, Mark Harris and Anne Helen Petersen

Book Summary

City of Quartz reads like a forensic excavation of Los Angeles: archival reportage, policy history and polemical analysis piled together to show who benefits from growth and who gets pushed aside. Its useful part is the dense catalog of examples — land deals, policing, urban renewal episodes — that tie local institutions to broader economic forces. Annoyances are the repeated rhetorical flourishes and a sometimes fierce, judgmental tone; readers seeking detached description or step-by-step policy prescriptions may find it unsatisfying.

7
Book cover for “California”
California

A History (Modern Library Chronicles)

2 recommendations

Recommended by Arnold Schwarzenegger

9
Book cover for “Ecology of Fear”
Ecology of Fear

Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster

1 recommendation
Description

"Graced with a bold political and environmental vision, much splendid phrasemaking and a multitude of facts. . . . A truly eccentric contribution."The New York Times Book Review Earthquakes. Wildfires. Floods. Drought. Tornadoes.

10
Book cover for “Blue Willow”
Description

To Janey Larkin, the blue willow plate was the most beautiful thing in her life, a symbol of the home she could only dimly remember.

11
No coverSong of the Swallows
Description

Song of the Swallows, which won the Caldecott Medal when it was first published in 1948, was written and illustrated by Leo Politi, one of Los Angeles?

12
Book cover for “Farewell to Manzanar”
Description

During World War II a community called Manzanar was created in the high mountain desert country of California. Its purpose was to house thousands of Japanese Americans.

Show 8 more books with a single recommendation
14
Book cover for “By the Great Horn Spoon!”
Description

For fans of the I Survived series, this classic rollicking adventure about the California Gold Rush and one determined twelveyearold has sold nearly a million copies!When Jack's aunt is forced to sell her beloved mansion but is still unable to raise enough money to pay her…

15
No coverFarewell, My Lovely
Farewell, My Lovely

Philip Marlowe, Book 2

Description

Marlowe's about to give up on a completely routine case when he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time to get caught up in a murder that leads to a ring of jewel thieves, another murder, a fortuneteller, a couple more murders, and more corruption than your average…

16
Book cover for “Pop's Bridge”
Description

The Golden Gate Bridge. The impossible bridge, some call it. They say it can't be built. But Robert's father is building it. He's a skywalkera brave, highclimbing ironworker. Robert is convinced his pop has the most important job on the crew . . .

17
No coverA Scanner Darkly
Description

Substance D is not known as Death for nothing. It is the most toxic drug ever to find its way on to the streets of LA. It destroys the links between the brain's two hemispheres, causing, first, disorientation and then complete and irreversible brain damage.The undercover…

18
Book cover for “Esperanza Rising”
Description

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexicoshe'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants.

19
Book cover for “One Crazy Summer”
Description

In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, elevenyearold Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is…

Recommended Books About California by Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher recommends 2 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Kara Swisher

Recommended Books About California by Adam Sessler

Adam Sessler recommends 1 book on this list. See all book recommendations by Adam Sessler

Recommended Books About California by Alice Korngold

Alice Korngold recommends 1 book on this list. See all book recommendations by Alice Korngold

Books About California: common questions

What are the most recommended books about california?
The White Album, Slouching Towards Bethlehem and Angle of Repose are the most recommended books about california on BookMentions, ranked by how many people recommended them.
Who recommends books about california?
Kara Swisher, Adam Sessler, Alice Korngold and Ann Handley are among the people who recommend books on this list. Each name links to their full set of book recommendations.
Which of these books about california should I read first?
The White Album is the most recommended here with 6 recommendations, which makes it the safest place to start.

Built from recommendation data, category signals, and source-backed book records. Use this list as a starting point; open any book to see proof, context, and Amazon options where available.

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About this list

This list aggregates books that appear in public recommendation sources, reader-interest signals, and category data. Books are ranked by their position from the source list; recommendation counts and ratings are shown where available. Open any book to see source-backed recommendation proof, editorial context, and Amazon options — the per-book detail page is where the trust signals live.

Recommended books by person: who recommends books about california

Books recommended by the people below. Open a profile to see everything they recommend, with the source behind each pick.